Friendly Fill-Ins with Eddy and the Letter L

Hello and happy Friday, friends! It's time for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. 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. _________ is like nailing jello to a wall.

2. I could use a break from _________.

3. I'd like to thank _________ for _________.

4. Just in case _________, I _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. Finding good customer service is like nailing jello to a wall.

(I know customer service workers are human like myself, and humans, including myself, simply aren't perfect. But, even with that said, where is the good customer service these days?)

2. I could use a break from everything breaking.

(I go through these spells where it's like everything I own just breaks down, ranging from small gadgets to my car and my poor kitties and pup. After Astrid tore her CCL last October, then Evan's urethra blocked up in December, followed by my car breaking in January, I thought I was finally out of that spell for a bit. After all, just this week I got the news that Evan's most recent and potentially nastiest ever UTI is all cleared up, and there was light at the end of the tunnel. Then my car's check engine light came on yesterday.)

3. I'd like to thank my parents for giving me a childhood filled with furry companions.

(I've always loved animals, and in part for that reason, my childhood included best friends in the form of cats and dogs, as well as birds, fish, and frogs. Thanks, Mom and Dad!)

4. Just in case there's an emergency, I always try to have a plan to keep my kitties and pup safe.
(Especially with all the tornado scares we've had this spring, I've been doing a lot of thinking and ensuring I always have a plan for my cats and dog if an emergency were to pop up. I have some kitties who despise going into carriers, unsurprisingly, but I still keep all carriers easily accessible and try to ensure I have an idea on how I'd quickly catch even my most skittish kitty. And by that I mean my semi-feral little lady Eddy.)

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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Ready for your Eddy fix? Yes? Well, don't expect this girl to look at the camera. That's not possible when there's a sunny window to watch from.

Eddy and all of us here wish you lots of sunshine and window time today!

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And now we have today's edition of the April A to Z Challenge.

My A to Z theme this year is "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things", and today we've reached the letter L. Long story short, my L stands for library. I love reading, and while I appreciate public libraries, I even more so love the idea of a quaint little home library. So, this is the cozy library doodle I have to share.

Happy reading!

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Tip of the Day

Today we're talking about another intestinal parasite. This time, though, it's not a worm. The parasite we're talking about today is Giardia, which is a single-celled protozoa. In short, Giardia causes diarrhea in cats and dogs, as well as humans. Diarrhea caused by Giardia is often very malodorous, sometimes somewhat green in color, and may contain mucus or blood.

How does a cat or dog become infected with Giardia? It is passed in the feces of infected animals. This means that eating the feces of an infected animal, or eating grass or other debris near where an infected animal has defecated, can result in infection with Giardia. Drinking water near where infected animals have defecated is another way that Giardia can be passed from animal to animal.

This all being said, many healthy animals can have Giardia present in there intestinal tract and not show symptoms. It more commonly becomes a problem in very young, very old, or otherwise sick animals. It is also more common in highly populated areas, such as in a shelter. If diarrhea resulting from Giardia is severe enough, the situation can become life-threatening, due to dehydration and other complications.

So, though we can't always put protective bubbles around our furbabies, do your best to help prevent Giardia from affecting your furbaby. Try to keep them from ingesting the feces of other animals, of course, or from ingesting grass or water in areas where other animals may have defecated. Also be sure to keep their feeding, sleeping, and play areas, especially those outdoors, sanitary.

If you do notice your kitty or pup has diarrhea, do not hesitate to take them and a fecal sample in for an exam by a veterinarian. Especially if your furbaby is very young, geriatric, or sick, do not hesitate to have them seen if they are displaying diarrhea. Your vet can test a stool sample for Giardia, as well as for other parasites. Of course, also be sure to administer medications and follow other treatments that your vet prescribes for your furbaby. Also, as we always say, never hesitate to ask your veterinarian about any concerns you have regarding Giardia and your furbaby's risk, treatment, or prevention.

It is also worth noting that, though nowadays is is believed not as prevalent as originally thought, it is still possible for humans to get Giardia from cats and dogs. For this reason, always be sure to wash your hands after cleaning up their waste, especially if they are known to have Giardia. Giardia is not something to take lightly, neither in our furbabies nor ourselves.