Thankful Thimble Thursday with a Side of Eddy and the Letter W

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! We're here and ready for Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Of course, tabby girl Thimble is here to share her gratitude. And, of course, she's yet again thankful for her sunshine.

Thimble is also grateful that her sister Eddy hasn't been smacking her around as much lately.

Can you see Eddy back there in the darkness? Can you see Eddy's big yawn?

Eddy and Thimble don't always get along perfectly. That's honestly Eddy's doing, as she doesn't get along with most other cats. She loves being around Evan, as he's the one cat Eddy really, truly likes. That said, even though they're not the best of friends, Eddy does tolerate Thimble and will willingly be in the same room as her. Lately, Eddy has even been trolling Thimble a tad bit less than usual, and Thimble has been taking advantage of that.

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

As I've repeated like a broken record nearly every day this month, my A to Z theme this years is "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things". Today we've reached the letter W, and I decided that my W stands for wildlife.

I love all animals, of course including wildlife. Since I put food on our back patio for strays, ferals, and the neighbor cat, we get lots of visitors, most commonly opossums. These poor little marsupials get such a bad rap sometimes. I know they might look a bit unorthodox, but they do a lot for the environment, such as eating ticks. They're also essentially immune to rabies and therefore people have little to no reason to fear opossums spreading this disease. 

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Now, let's share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I wish my town (city) had a _________.

2. So far, this year has been _________.

3. _________ is a little too _________ for my liking.

4. Even if _________, I really appreciate _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Tip of the Day

As spring really gets underway, don't forget that our furbabies can have allergies just like we can. Just as with us, pollen, grass, and other airborne allergies can lead to itching, scratching, sneezing, and a number of other similar symptoms in our kitties and pups. If you notice any such symptoms in your furbaby, discuss this with your veterinarian. There are antihistamines and other treatments that can potentially help alleviate allergies for our furbabies.

In addition to veterinary and medicinal care, there are other considerations to make when it comes to helping a kitty or pup cope with seasonal allergies. For example, though we all love window whiffies, keep in mind that open windows can potentially exacerbate allergies, as the allergens then have easy access into the home. So, closed windows are often best for keeping the allergens down within the home. For furbabies who go outdoors, when they come inside, you can wipe off their paws and even wipe down their body to help remove allergens. Regularly cleaning floors, curtains, bedding, clothing, and so forth, can help keep a handle on allergens that might find their way into the home. Regularly changing the filter in your heating and cooling system is another important factor. In addition to this, an air purifier can also help.

As always, we of course want what's best for our furbabies. Allergies can lead to discomfort, so of course helping your furbaby cope with them is crucial. If you think or know that your furbaby has seasonal allergies, or any allergies at all, discuss this with your veterinarian and do all that you can to minimize their effects.