Friendly Fill-Ins with Eddy and the Letter R

Hello and happy Friday! I'm sorry for yet another late post, friends. Technology was just not working at my house last night, and I wasn't able to finish this post during breaks at work yesterday, so now I had to wait to top off this post when I got back to work and its functioning internet this morning. The good news, though, is that I actually got an appointment for tomorrow to have my home internet upgraded. That should solve a lot of the problems I've been having, which should mean that I can finally get back to having my posts properly finished and scheduled ahead of time.

All that said, we're finally here today, and we're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. 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 was pleased to hear that _________.

2. There should be a _________ Appreciation Day.

3. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to _________.

4. _________ is easier said than done.

My answers are below in bold.

1. I was pleased to hear that we're supposed to have cooler temperatures for at least the next week.

(I might be in a minority here, but I'm not into the heat of summer. I was not prepared for the 80°F days we recently had, and I'm happy that we'll be in the 50-60°F range over the next few days. That's more my speed.)

2. There should be a Specially-Abled Animal Appreciation Day.

(Truth be told, I typed up this answer and then researched to make sure there isn't already a day like this. Guess what? There is one! National Specially-Abled Pets Day is May 3. My wish came true, and now I need to make sure I remember this day, because I'm ecstatic it exists.)

3. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to read animals.

(Sadly, I can't truly speak with animals or communicate with them in that sort of way. However, I feel like I have a good grasp on reading the body language of cats and dogs. This is probably a mixture of having grown up with animals since a young age, studying companion animals and their behavior in college, and working with animals in various jobs throughout my life.)

4. Pilling a cat is easier said than done.

(One thing I never mastered in all of my experience with animals is pilling a cat. Granted, I've never myself had a kitty who was all that cooperative when it came to being pilled. I'll always remember the time when my angel Rosie was all but on death's doorstep with pancreatitis and yet she still fought me tooth and nail to get a pill into her mouth. I was elated when it finally went in her mouth and didn't come back out. But then she spit it out at me 2 hours later. That said, I am good at giving animals liquid medications by mouth, transdermal medications, and even some injections. Pilling a cat is simply not my favorite, however, and I will always pick medication options that are anything but that.)

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? This girl has been showing you lots of photos of her in action and at her favorite window, so she wanted to remind you all that every once and awhile she does stop and rest. Especially if she can do so in a sun puddle.

Eddy's wishing you all lots of sunshine and snoozes today!

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Now, how about today's edition of the April A to Z Challenge?

This year, my A to Z theme is "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things", and today we've reached the letter R. I was quite easily able to choose for my R to stand for reading.

In truth, that's another flashback doodle. I actually just last night put the final touches on the new doodle for R, but the technological issues I was having extended all the way to my scanner, which of course means I couldn't scan my drawing to share it today. But, the above drawing was actually what inspired my new doodle, which is actually just a simplified version of the one above. So, today you get to see that there version of R stands for reading, and sometime soon you'll get to see the new R doodle.

Happy reading!

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Tip of the Day

In case you forgot, April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. And, in case you forgot, we're doing a short series of tips on this topic. Today, we have a simple tip on how you can help prevent cruelty and neglect of animals. And that is, simply, to adopt your furbabies from shelters or rescues. Though there are indeed reputable and responsible breeders out there, there are also, unfortunately, a vast number of backyard breeders and puppy and kitty mills where animals are inhumanely treated as nothing but tools for the sake of human profit. By purchasing from such breeders or from pet shops, you are supporting the cruel treatment of the animals used by these breeders. So, please always consider adopting from shelters and rescues!

Also, as we're certain you already know, please also have your kitties and pups spayed or neutered. In addition, if you are able to do, consider assisting with trap-neuter-release (TNR) programs, which help reduce overpopulation both in the wild and in the shelter system. Strays, ferals, and even intact house pets can contribute to a large number of kittens and puppies being born in the wild. Sadly, these outdoor animals can make accessible and easy targets for cruel treatment from humans who wish them harm. We have all heard the terrible stories of animal cruelty inflicted on innocent creatures living outdoors. So, for more reasons than one, please also spay and neuter your pets, and consider assisting in TNR programs.