Friendly Fill-Ins and Photo Fails

Hello, friends! It's time 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 would rather hear nails on a chalkboard than _________.

2. The best part of _________ is _________.

3. I wouldn't mind if _________ disappeared.

4. If I could create one rule that everyone in the world had to follow, it would be _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. I would rather hear nails on a chalkboard than give a speech in public.

(Public speaking is just a great big no thanks from me.)

2. The best part of waking up is a purring kitty in your face.

(This fill-in just kept bringing into my mind that Folgers coffee commercial jingle. You know, the one that goes, "The best part of waking up, is Folgers in your cup." I don't drink coffee, so I just decided to think of something else I enjoy upon waking up.)

3. I wouldn't mind if pup Astrid's hip pain disappeared.

(I mentioned after Astrid's recent annual exam that her occasional limping and favoring of her back right leg is due to an abnormality in her hip joint that is now causing the bones to come into painful contact. Thankfully, her new pain meds seem to work really well for her. When on them, she doesn't seem to have any issues with her hip. Even so, I wish she didn't have to deal with it at all.)

4. If I could create one rule that everyone in the world had to follow, it would be that no animal can be abused, neglected, abandoned, or harmed in any way.

(I know there are rules and laws surrounding this already, but I would love for there to be such rules and laws that are actually obeyed, and that are stricter, and with stricter punishments.)

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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And now it's time for the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, hosted by none other than Melissa and Mudpie of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

Our resident blooper queen Eddy of course has some outtakes to share. This time around, the photo shoot in question didn't start off too bad.

Then, though, Eddy went on the move, as per usual.

Fully visible in her photos or not, Eddy sure is downright adorable. That's simply a fact, if you ask me, her totally unbiased mom.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a fantastic Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I've been starting on a series of sort of spooky doodles, because this summer's heat waves have me craving autumn and Halloween. Then I found this flashback doodle that I'd almost forgotten about, starring a girl and her feline friend in a rather haunted watermelon patch.

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Tip of the Day

Believe it or not, we still have a couple tips left in our litter box series. Today's tip is to consider regularly replacing litter boxes as they grow old and overused. Some cat care professionals recommend brand new litter boxes on a yearly basis. At the very least, do take note of how old your cat's litter box is and what shape it's in, and replace it as needed.

There are a couple of considerations to make when deciding whether or when to replace a litter box. First, keep in mind that plastic litter boxes can become adorned with scrapes and scratches from cat claws, and those scratches on plastic litter boxes can ultimately harbor a variety of microbes. This can, of course, ultimately lead to potentially unsanitary conditions within the litter box. In addition to that, ammonia and other components of excrement can potentially leach into the plastic of litter boxes over time. This can make lingering odors, such as that of urine, more or less permanent, which could very well be unpleasant to those sharp noises of our kitties. The aforementioned are just two reasons why regularly replacing old litter boxes may indeed be a good idea. As we've said before, maintaining a fresh, clean litter box can be crucial to sharing your home with a happy, healthy feline.