The A and B of Mancat Monday

Hello, friends! After Mother Nature and technological difficulties gave us a wild sort of weekend, we are finally back and at it. It's Mancat Monday, but it's also finally time to share not just the first but also the second letter of the alphabet in our April A to Z Challenge.

First, how about your Monday dose of Evan?

You can tell that photo is a couple months old, because it was taken when my poor orange boy still had a hairless spot on his front arm from his IV during hospitalization for his December urethral obstruction. Don't worry, because this boy is feeling a lot better these days. Though, he still takes plenty of naps.

Now, though he's a tired yet also busy boy, Evan would like to help me belatedly, finally kick off our April A to Z Challenge. 

The first day was supposed to be Saturday, that obviously being April 1. Sundays are always the weekly alphabetical hiatus, so today is just the second day of the challenge. That means today we'll be sharing the letters A and B with you.

Now, this year my theme is something along the lines of "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things". As always, my alphabetical contributions will be shared in the form of doodles. So, let's kick this off.

What does A stand for, in terms of some of my favorite things? It stands for none other than art.

I am a fan of art in many forms. In that there doodle, I try to express my fondness for art in the forms of drawing, writing, and music. I could go on and on about art, as it is a huge part of my life, but I'll leave at that for now.

And that leads us to the letter B. And what do I enjoy that starts with B? Baked goods, of course!

I enjoy making baked goods, eating baked goods, and even just smelling baked goods. Truth be told, that there doodle was actually initially scribbled up for Pi(e) Day back in March. I decided to save it for this A to Z Challenge day, though, as one of my greatest baking feats was at least sort of mastering baking apple pie.

I have to admit I very nearly chose books for B, but they'll be represented in at least two other upcoming letters in this challenge. But I digress.

Can you guess what I'll be sharing tomorrow for the letter C? My hint is that it's an obvious one. 

Happy Monday!

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Tip of the Day

As we said yesterday, April is Heartworm Awareness Month. For this reason, we are repeating a series of heartworm tips that we've posted in the past. Our second tip relating to heartworms is to know the potential symptoms. Since heartworms can affect the heart and lungs, early symptoms can often resemble those of asthma. Coughing and a lack of desire or an inability to exercise are commonly seen. Other potential signs of heartworm disease include decreased appetite, weight loss, and vomiting. The more severe the heartworm infection, and the longer it is present, the more pronounced the symptoms may be. Severe cases may also involve fluid buildup in the abdomen, as well as acute symptoms of pulmonary or cardiac failure, often due to heartworms causing a blockage. If you have any concerns that your cat or dog might have heartworms, seek veterinary care as soon as possible.