Friendly Fill-Ins

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


1. I think _________ is a waste of money.

2. Lately, I spend a lot of time _________.

3. _________ is the craziest thing on my bucket list.

4. _________ is a holiday I'd like to create or see more celebrated.

My answers are below in bold. They're all about the furbabies today.

1. I think the paper bag cat toy I saw online the other day is a waste of money.

(There isn't much that's related to my furbabies that I consider a waste of money. They're easily the part of my life I splurge on the most. I love buying them cute little toys for special occasions, even if they don't always play with them all. That said, I saw an actual paper bag listed online as a cat toy the other day. It may have been on Chewy, but I'm not positive. I think it was catnip infused, but I have grocery store paper bags and catnip already coming out my ears here at home. I bet those are two things a lot of us cat lovers already have readily available at home. So, I guess there is one cat toy on the market that I won't buy. And it's a paper bag.)

2. Lately, I spend a lot of time at the vet.

(Not only are most of my furbabies due for their annual exams in the summer, but, as I've mentioned before, Evan goes to our vet's groomer for a sanitary shave every 2 weeks. This is because of his rather significant urinary incontinence, and because he won't let me shave him myself. Evan just went in for a shave yesterday, so he is one especially dapper boy today.)

3. Having what might be a true crazy cat lady house is the craziest thing on my bucket list.

(I've never sat down and really written a bucket list. Even so, I think I can admit it really wouldn't be all that wild of a list. It would include my basic goals and dreams, but even with that said, I'm not one of those who wants anything all that adventurous in life. I just want to be happy, and surrounded by my furbabies. That said, this answer relates to the fact that some day, I would love to live in a home more heavily built around the needs of my animals. My current home does its best with that, but I'll admit that I envision for myself a home with far more accommodations and accessibility for animals, including special needs animals. It would include a catio, I know that for sure, and a ton of other features for my kitties and pups that I haven't even fully thought through yet. I'd also love to have a bit of extra space specifically to be able to offer emergency foster space for animal rescues, as this is something that, at least in my area, I see requested often by rescues groups. I feel like I'm just rambling now, so I'll stop.)

4. National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day is a holiday I'd like to see more celebrated.
(I know this day, April 30, is recognized by some, like animal lovers and those in animal welfare. But, I think anything related to getting shelter animals adopted should be infinitely more popular than it is.)

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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Are you ready for your Eddy fix? Good, because we've got one for you. The only unfortunate thing is that Eddy simply couldn't look at the camera, because we have new neighbors behind us that Eddy simply has to snoopervise 24/7. At least even the side of her face is downright adorable.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

If you were hoping for another Christmas in July flashback doodle, you're in luck.

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Tip of the Day

We're continuing on with our litter box tips today by discussing location. When deciding where to put litter boxes in your home, there are a variety of considerations to make. For example, you cat likely won't want to do their business in a high traffic area, where there are many distractions and little to no privacy. At the same time, though, many cats will also likely not want to be hidden away in a small, enclosed area, such as a small closet. Placing a litter box in a small, enclosed area such as a small closet will likely trap the smell, which some cats are averse to. What's more, using the litter box is one way in which cats often instinctively believe they are making a territorial display, and so hiding away the litter box, where no one can see them do their business, might lead to out-of-box behavior for territorial reasons.

All of the above being said, consider where in your home might work best for a box to be both away from heavy traffic, yet close enough to the goings-on for your kitty to still feel included. Dedicated litter box rooms, corners of bedrooms or living rooms, bathrooms, laundry rooms, or even large closets with their doors kept open, can all make for good litter box areas. It really depends on how your home is set up, and where your kitty might feel most comfortable. Just as we've mentioned before, though, it also might simply come down to your cat's preference. Perhaps your cat enjoys using the restroom right in front of you, or perhaps your cat actually prefers to go in a closed closet. In the end, if your cat displays a preference for litter box placement, try your best to stick with that.

We'll also now mention that, when selecting litter box location, also take into consideration how many cats you have. In homes with many cats, it is often ideal to spread litter boxes throughout the house, as best as possible. This is especially the case if there is any bullying amongst your cats. If all of the boxes are in one room, a bullied or timid cat might prefer to steer clear of using the restroom with other cats nearby, and therefore might begin out-of-box behavior elsewhere in the house. They even might simply hold their urine, which can lead to a variety of medical issues. So, especially in multicat homes, do consider the number of and comfort of all cats when deciding how few and far between to place the litter boxes. Then again, this consideration also might be important for even a single cat who is geriatric or has issues with mobility. For such a kitty, having multiple litter box options, in areas of the house where they most often hang out, can help them more easily urinate and defecate when and where needed.

There sure are a lot of considerations to make when it comes to that litter box. You of course have to choose a type of box, as well as how many. Once you have that settled, it's all about deciding where to place the litter boxes in your home. Fear not, though, as you and your kitty, or kitties, will figure it out. If nothing else, trial and error will often lead your kitty to letting you know what he or she prefers.