Friendly Fill-Ins

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


1. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that _________.

2. I am disappointed with _________.

3. I _________ when I hear _________.

4. I didn't believe _________ until I saw it for myself.

My answers are below in bold. This week, they're yet again all about the furbabies, and I yet again rambled far more than necessary.

1. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that quite a few non-prescription canned cat foods have low ash content.
(Though Evan's urethral blockage back in December was not caused by stones or crystals, I still now try to only feed him food that is for urinary health or that at least has a low ash content, as those minerals can lead to issues in cats with feline lower urinary tract disease. I have found a urinary tract health dry food that Evan will willingly and even happily eat. When it comes to canned food, though, I have had no luck in getting him to eat the kinds that are specifically for cats with urinary tract disease. So, after doing some research and talking to Evan's regular vet, I went on a mission to find canned cat food with ash content of roughly 3% or less. To my surprise, I found quite a few options, even within my kitties' favorite brands, like Fancy Feast and Friskies.)

2. I am disappointed with the quality of pup Astrid's current stock of poop bags.

(Weird answer, I know, but it's true. I've never had poop bags that rip so easily. You remove it from the roll a bit too emphatically? Torn poop bag. You stick your hand in there just wrong? Rip. You breathe wrong? The bag's integrity just can't handle it. The worst is when you don't notice one has ripped, and then suddenly there's you-know-what all over your hands. Even better when you're on a walk far from home and have to walk home like that. It's a glamorous life.)

3. I flinch when I hear Tonks running up behind me.

(This calico girl of mine is the kind of kitty that will take a flying leap off the ground so that she can land on your back or shoulder. She prefers to do so when you're bent over, like when you're trying to scoop litter boxes, but she'll also happily do this when you're standing straight up. She's actually pretty graceful about it, but when she's due for a nail trim, it can be quite painful. She also loves to use this time to bite my hair and more or less rip it out of my scalp. And she loves bobby pins, so if I'm wearing any of those, sayonara to them. I love that my sweet Tonks finds so much joy in jumping on me and climbing me like a jungle gym, but I still often flinch when I hear or see her running at me, because sometimes her enthusiasm is kind of scary.)

4. I didn't believe Feliway really worked until I saw it for myself.

(In an attempt to make this explanation less than the length of a novel, I'll first say that my incredibly skittish and sometimes semi-feral girl Eddy responded to the stress and general craziness surrounding Astrid's CCL surgery and Evan's urethral blockage by overgrooming and pulling out the hair on her sides. Giving her amitriptyline actually helped, but it got to a point where she would run from me and hide every time I walked into a room, as she hates being given medications of any kind. I couldn't let that be her life, so I opted to instead try Feliway diffusers. I hadn't seen many benefits with Feliway in the past when it was used at the cat clinic where I used to work, but for Eddy I grabbed the "optimum" strength Feliway diffuser. And you know what? It actually helps Eddy. I go overkill and plug two of them into Eddy's favorite room, replacing them every time they run out. Though she still has some occasional overgrooming on days when she's likely feeding off of my stress related to work, Evan's health, etc., overall Eddy's hair has mostly grown back and she overgrooms only very infrequently. Thanks, Feliway.) 

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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Though it might be cold outside today, we had us a couple of unseasonably warm days this week. You know what that meant? Window whiffies! And you better believe Eddy took full advantage.

Did any of our friends out there get to enjoy window whiffies this week? Eddy sure hopes you did!

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

We have a couple more tips related to this National Cat Health Care Month. These last ones are some random bits and pieces to help keep your kitty as happy and healthy as possible. Today it's all about those ears. Just as with humans, our kitties' ears can get a bit dirty. Wax can accumulate in a cat's ears, and can even become impacted. Your vet will likely check your cat's ears during their regular exams, but in between those times, if needed, you can help keep your kitty's ears clean at home. The safest thing to do is to ask your veterinarian not only if and how often your kitty needs those ears washed, but also what ear cleanser to use. Many veterinary offices will have pet-friendly ear cleaning solutions available. Some of these simply require that you drip some in the cat's ear and then rub the base of the ear. It can often be as simple and easy as that, if that is something your veterinarian thinks is of benefit to your kitty.

Also related to ear health is allergies. Airborne allergies can lead to itchy ears, just as can food allergies. Ear infections can result from such allergies, or from other potential causes. No matter the reason, always be sure to keep an eye on those ears. Does your kitty hold one or both ears down? Does he or she scratch at them? Are there scabs or hair loss around the ears? Are the ears warm to the touch? Do they have a strange odor to them? Ear infections, or other issues of the ear, can of course manifest in a variety of ways. So, if you have any concerns, do discuss the topic with a veterinarian. If there is an infection, antibiotics for the affected ear or ears will be necessary to treat the infection. Infections in the ear can lead to permanent damage if left untreated, so though it may seem like a small concern, that's not necessarily the case.

The ears are just one of the many parts of your kitty that can affect their overall health and happiness. This time of year, especially in extremely cold temperatures, kitties who live or go outdoors could even potentially suffer from frostbite on their ears. This is just one more example of an ailment that can afflict those feline ears. All in all, keep an eye on those ears!