Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello and happy Friday, friends! It's time for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. A product I would endorse is _________.

2. If I had a boat, I would name it _________.

3. _________ was one of the first times I truly felt like a responsible adult.

4. I struggle with change most especially when it relates to _________.

My answers are below in bold. This week, I again tried to make them all about the furbabies.

1. A product I would endorse is any cat carrier that I can easily get Eddy into.
(I so far haven't found this carrier. My Eddy girl wholeheartedly hates carriers of every kind, and getting her into one always turns into World War 3. I'm not usually on the winning side.)

2. If I had a boat, I would name it Rosie.
(As some of you probably know, Rosie was one of my childhood cats. My family adopted her as a kitten when I was 4, and she lived to be 21. She saw me through many different milestones in life, and so I'd easily choose name a boat after her.)

3. Adopting my first cat of my own was one of the first times I truly felt like a responsible adult.
(There have been only a couple events in my life that made me feel something along the lines of an actual adult, like joining the work force after college and buying a house. But, I think I felt most accomplished and happy with where I was in my adult life when I was able to bring home a cat and care for it all on my own. I'd grown up helping care for my beloved Rosie and other childhood pets, but when I was able to independently care for my boy Evan, and then my girls Thimble, Eddy, and Tonks, and of course pup Astrid, I felt like I'd really reached the point in my life where I'd always wanted to be.)

4. I struggle with change most especially when it relates to my furbabies.
(Like many people, I find all sorts of types of change to be daunting, for all sorts of reasons. But, what I'm getting at with this fill-in is when any kind of change means my furbabies might be uncomfortable or unhappy, even if temporarily. For example, things like moving or having major house renovations done have and always will be something that stress me out largely because I know they will stress out my kitties. I remember that being what mainly had me on edge when I moved in the past, when my home's roof was quite loudly replaced, and so on and so forth. Big events like those are plain and simply stressful in and of themselves, but one of my main stressors of such levels of change is knowing that my kitties are going to be incredibly scared.) 

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below,

or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.

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Now, who's ready for their Eddy fix? Because here it is!

This cute little tabby girl wishes you all a happy Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

The past couple tips in our summer safety tips for strays and ferals have been all about water. Guess what? Today's tip is about water as well. Since water is such a crucial aspect of survival, especially in the heat of summer, we thought we'd give it one last hoorah. Today, we're specifically talking about water bowls.

Water bowl preference can of course play a part in any cat's life. We've talked before about whisker fatigue, for example, and how this often causes cats to prefer wider bowls, as these won't cause them to bump their whiskers while getting a drink. That being said, though, when it comes to offering water outdoors in the heat, keep in mind how the shape and size of the water bowl can play a part. For example, did you know that evaporation happens more rapidly when water has a large surface area? This is why water in wide, shallow bowls will evaporate relatively quickly in the heat. To combat this, try to offer water in bowls that are narrower and deeper. Of course, do try to ensure that the bowl is not so narrow that it makes drinking impossible or difficult, but also try to ensure that a bowl has a decent chance of combating evaporation.

In addition, consider the material out of which the bowl is made. This one can be a bit tough when it comes to offering water to strays and ferals to hot and sunny days. We've talked before about how stainless steel bowls are often a good choice over plastic bowls, since plastic bowls can get scratched and thereby more easily harbor microbes. But, as you all surely know, metallic surfaces can get pretty darn hot in the summer heat. Especially if a bowl is in the sun or on a hot surface, a metallic bowl might not only cause the water to become uncomfortably warm, but the bowl itself might also become painfully hot to the touch. This is best prevented if the bowl is placed in a cool, shaded area. You can also, if possible and safe, try using sturdy glassware as outdoor bowls. This is of course only reasonable if breakage is unlikely to occur, though, as broken glass is indeed a danger.

In short, take anything and everything possible into consideration when trying to help strays and ferals remain safe in the summer heat. This does indeed include their water bowls. Aim for bowls that will prevent rapid evaporation, but that will also be easy and safe out of which to drink.