Tonks Tuesday: A Cute Nose and the Letter C

Hello and happy Tuesday! Tonks is pretty sure she's shown you her adorable little nose somewhat recently, but she decided to do so again today so that you don't forget just how cute it is.

Need a closer view? Yes? Okay, here you go.

Now, that little calico seems like a pretty good segue into today's doodle for the April A to Z Challenge.

This year, my A to Z theme is something along the lines of "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things", and today we've reached the letter C. As you could probably guess, my C stands for cats. Now, with the doodle below, my C can also stand for the companionship and camaraderie cats offer us, and how they can be our confidantes. It could also stand for calicoes. I love me a calico, and this doodle right here stars my dear angel Rosie, who was my calico companion and confidante from the time I was 4 years old until I was 26 years old.

 

Now, let me be honest and say that the doodle above was not supposed to be the one I shared today. I was looking and looking in my computer's art file for the scanned version of my doodle for this year's letter C. After being unable to find it and glancing in my art notebook, I realized that this weekend I randomly colored in my sketches for letters like E and O, but forgot to color in C's doodle. But, the above doodle has a cat, none other than my Rosie, who is also C for calico, and who was my C for companion, comrade, and confidante. So, it all works out.

Want to know what letter that doodle up there was supposed to be used for? That was O's doodle. It was a loose translation, though, as that doodle was O for Orion. I love astronomy and took some courses on it in college, the homework being something Rosie often kept me company during, which is sort of what this doodle represented overall. That said, in the upper right corner is the constellation Orion, my favorite constellation in the night sky, at least while it's visible from roughly September to March. But, now that doodle represents C for cat, and all the C things cats are to us. I guess it could also still stand for constellation, but I digress. I already know what my new O and its new doodle will be.

Just for kicks, I'll share the pencil outline of the intended C doodle that was somehow forgotten this weekend. Ready for the messiness that can often be found in my art notebook? Yes? Good, because here you go.

Those are the four cats who currently own me (do you see Evan and his special little legs in the bottom right corner?), and the two cats in the frames on the wall are my angels Rosie and Sammy. There are still some upcoming letters for which I haven't yet completed doodles, so there's a chance that pencil outline will be used or reworked a bit to fit another letter. I actually already have an idea on how to use this doodle for a letter I haven't fully committed to yet, so you'll still likely be seeing it this month.

Have I rambled enough yet? Oh, more than enough? Well then, have a terrific Tuesday, friends!

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Tip of the Day

Today, we have the last tip in a repeat series of heartworm tips that we've shared in the past. This is because April is Heartworm Awareness Month. So, the final such tip is below.

Today’s tip is a very long one, and it relates to a fact that especially all cat parents really should know. And this is that there is currently no true treatment for heartworms in cats. There are treatments available for dogs that can kill the adult heartworms, but this does not work the same for cats. One reason for this is that the drug used to treat heartworms in dogs has been found, in some cases, to cause sudden death in cats. This is often due to dead or dying heartworms causing blockages and cardiac failure. Another reason why treatments may not work is because the life cycle of a heartworm is different in a dog versus a cat.

In dogs, the lifespan of a heartworm is longer, around five to seven years. This lifespan includes larvae entering the body after a mosquito bite, traveling to the heart, and then growing into mature, reproducing adults. Dogs are an optimal host for heartworms.

In cats, the heartworm lifespan is far shorter, often two to three years. What’s more, cats are not a prime host for heartworms, and a cat’s body itself often overcomes the heartworms, typically before they can even enter into adulthood. This is why far less adult heartworms are found in cats than are found in dogs. Even immature heartworms, which are typically what would circulate in the blood and be indicative of disease in a canine heartworm test, are often not found in the blood of cats. This is why cats are less commonly diagnosed with heartworm disease. Then again, though, it is not impossible for a cat to have heartworm disease, and in this case, heartworms cannot be killed as they can in dogs.

For cats, one of the only options for a cure is to have the heartworms surgically removed. This, of course, can be tricky and risky. Symptoms of the disease can also perhaps be controlled and the cat made comfortable with various medications and supportive treatments. Given that a cat might be able to outlive the heartworms, it is possible to treat the symptoms while the heartworms go through their cycle and ultimately die. As mentioned earlier, though, heartworms can live for two to three years in a cat, and there is still always the risk of pulmonary or cardiac failure while the heartworms remain.

With such limited treatment options for heartworms in cats, it is incredibly important to again note that the best option is to keep your cats on heartworm prevention. The risk of heartworm disease might seem small, but it is a risk nonetheless. And, just as always, it is better to be safe than sorry.

And, there is one last note for pup parents. Though there is a more successful heartworm treatment for dogs, heartworm disease can cause permanent damage. This can lead to lifelong issues, such as of the heart and lungs, even after the heartworms are eradicated. For this reason, heartworm prevention is of course also recommended for dogs.