Friendly Fill-Ins

We're late to post yet again, and this here human can indeed be blamed. Things are still pure chaos at my workplace for all sorts of reasons, and I have been terrible at getting our posts ready early. If all goes according to plan, this weekend I will be prepping and pre-scheduling posts, scanning new doodles, and all sorts of fun things to hopefully help get our blog back on track.

All that said, it's Friday, so let's get to the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. We'd love for you to join in! My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the firs two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. I am going to _________ on _________.

2. The worst _________ is _________.

3. From my experience, _________ is worth its weight in gold.

4. _________ does not work for me.

My answers are below in bold. This week, they're all about the kitties and pups.

1. I am going to watch puppies and kitties play football on Sunday.
(I am not a sports person and have less than zero interest in the Super Bowl. I do, however, love watching the Puppy Bowl, which I believe airs on Animal Planet, Discovery, and TBS on Super Bowl Sunday. There also used to be a Kitten Bowl, but it was cancelled some time ago. I thought I heard that there is some semblance of a replacement for it this year, so I'm going to do some research on that and hope to find something involving adorable kittens.)

2. The worst feeling is not being able to help your ailing kitty or pup.

(Obviously, not being able to help any loved one is a terrible feeling. As an animal lover, though, I especially struggle with my furbabies feeling sick because I can't explain to them what's going on, why they're feeling ill, why I'm leaving them at the vet, why I'm shoving things down their throat, and all that sad jazz. I know I'm not alone in this feeling. This topic is still just fresh in my mind because of Evan's urethral blockage in late December and his continual need for meds and other special care to ensure he doesn't block again.)

3. From my experience, a cat or dog's unconditional love is worth its weight in gold.

(My kitties and pup never let me down, no matter the day, the circumstances, you name it. There are few to nil people out there about whom I can say the same. This is one of the many reasons why it boggles my mind when I find out someone doesn't like animals. How is that even possible?)

4. Pilling a cat does not work for me.

(Not a single one of my cats is cooperative when it comes to getting pills down their throat. Not even my incredibly sweet and docile Thimble. Whenever it's an option, I will always choose to give my kitties their meds in the form of liquids. That option always has infinitely more success for me than pilling. Then there's my pup Astrid, for whom I can shove a dozen pills in peanut butter and she'll gobble them up like nothing. Absolutely not the case for my kitties, though.)

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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Today, your Eddy fix is brought to by a bunch of old photos I found of her and Evan. I've mentioned here before how Eddy does not like other cats. That is, except for Evan. She loves her orange boy so much, and he is the only cat she actually wants to be around.

Eddy is also easily my most skittish cat. Pretty much anything and everything scares her, and sometimes when I need her to come out of hiding, I have to send Evan in to coax her out. It works every single time.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Another Valentine's doodle from years ago, this one is in honor of Eddy and her singular love for Evan.

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday, our first tip for National Cat Health Month was to make sure your kitty is examined by a veterinarian at least once a year. Today, our tip is to also remember to be diligent of your kitty's health in between vet visits. You know your kitty best, and you spend lots of time by his or her side. So, be sure to do frequent observations and checks of their actions, behaviors, and overall health and happiness. For example, keep an eye on how much your kitty is eating and drinking, and make note of any changes in their food or water intake. In addition, check that litter box and take note of any changes there, such as the amount of urine or feces, or even the odor. Or, has your kitty become less active, or more active? What about the way they walk? Are they walking abnormally, such as favoring a foot? Do they still jump as often and as well as they used to? What about their vocalizations? Is your kitty more vocal than he or she used to be? Less vocal? Has the sound of their voice changed? Is your kitty hiding more often? Has he or she become more aggressive, or less tolerant of being petted or held? These are all just examples of things that you, as your kitty's companion, should keep an eye on regularly. Any such changes, even subtle ones, could be indicative of disease, injury, or any number of issues. So, be sure to make observations such as these, and report any concerns, no matter how big or how small, to your veterinarian.