Happy Father's Day!

We want to begin this post by wishing a Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Whether your children are the human sort or the furry and four-legged sort, dads help make this world go round.

The furbabies here don't have a human dad, but this here human has a dad. He is a wonderful father to me, my sister, and to all of his 12 kitties. He's also a fantastic Pawpaw to the kitties and pup here at my house.

My dad is a lifelong animal lover, and he's obviously one of the reasons I was blessed enough to grow up with cats, dogs, birds, and all sorts of furry, feathered, and finned friends. He's also probably the main reason why there are so many cats at his house as well as my house, as he's responsible for bringing home a large majority of the cats in our lives. That all started with the litter of kittens that not only included my Thimble and our housemate Toby, but also my dad's boys Trapper and Talon.

In honor of Father's Day, the photo we're sharing today is the same fatherly flashback one we shared last year. It's from 8 years ago, to be exact. It stars my dad as well as a couple of tiny kittens named Thimble and Trapper.

I could not be more proud of my dad's kindness to animals, and I could not be more happy that he helped instill in me a love for animals. Thank you, Dad!

Oh, and thanks for being our grill master, Dad!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

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Tip of the Day

We're continuing on with our tips on summer safety for outdoor strays and ferals. Today we're moving on to the topic of food. When feeding furbabies outdoors, you of course have to take into consideration the heat of summer. Food can spoil in extreme heat, as you all surely know. Dry food is often the best one to feed strays and ferals on hot days. After all, moist food will spoil far more quickly, and will also quickly dry out in the sun and heat. You can try adding additional water to moist food to keep it from drying out too quickly, but even this method won't be able to combat the heat for long. No matter what type of food you feed to strays and ferals, do try to keep it in a shaded area or under a shaded shelter. What's more, remove old food and offer fresh food as often as is possible and needed.

It's also worth noting that though dry food is easier and safer to feed to outdoor cats in the heat, you still have to take precautions. Not only can dry food lose its freshness and safe status in the heat, but also think of instances such as rainy days. Dry food that gets wet will swell, become unappetizing, and can easily spoil if not cleaned up. So, when feeding dry or even moist food, of course keep in mind not only the heat, but other environmental factors such as rain. All in all, keep those strays and ferals healthy this summer with fresh food that is in the shade and protected from spoilage and other issues as best as possible.