Tonks Tuesday

Look at me over here forgetting to schedule my posts again. Some day I'll start remembering to actually push that publish button after picking a date and time. Today is not that day, though, and so here's yet another late post. It's Tuesday, so it stars a Tonks. What's more, it stars the little calico's toesies.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

We have yet another flashback doodle from an old series that illustrates a quaint little forest home. As always, a certain tuxie kitty is your tour guide, and today he's taking you to the garden room. Or do you technically call it a sunroom? A greenhouse room? Whatever this type of room is called, here you go.

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Tip of the Day

Today's summer safety tip is a bit of a grooming reminder. While it is of course more than okay to regularly trim nails, brush, or even lightly trim your cat's or dog's coat, keep in mind that shaving them in the summer can have negative effects. Just as our cats and dogs need their coat to stay warm in the winter, they also need it to remain cool in the summer. This is because cat and dog coats not only insulate warmth in the winter, but that furry coat also insulates cool air in the summer.

That's not all, though. Remember our discussion on sunburn yesterday? Well, shaving our furry cats and dogs can cause their skin to be more exposed to the sun, which of course can result in sunburn during these hot, sunny months. Sunburn, as we said yesterday, can lead to painful skin issues as well as potential skin cancer, and no one wants that.

So, though it might sound reasonable to shave your furbaby down to the skin to help them stay cool in the summer, that is actually not the best of ideas. Let them keep their coats this summer, so that they can insulate cool air and have some protection against those sunny rays. Regularly brushing and trimming up that coat is more than fine, but it's best not to take their coat away altogether. Of course, if you have questions on this topic of grooming and coat and skin care in the summer, do discuss it with your veterinarian.