Merry Christmas in July!

Merry Christmas in July, friends! Tonks is celebrating by keeping the Christmas tree cat beds company. After all, they're out year round, so it's an easy thing to do.

Do you see the other holiday represented in these photos?

Christmas is in fact not the only holiday for which certain decorations are kept out all year at our house.

Tonks and all of us here hope you have a very merry Christmas in July!

That said, though I do have a new Christmas in July doodle started, I failed to finish it. I've been helping my parents with one of their sick kitties, who has an appointment today for some issues he's having. In addition, I was really just simply having trouble finding the inspiration to scribble up this year's Christmas in July doodle. I'm not a big fan of summer, and it's been 90°F and climbing lately, and that has really made me feel not so festive.

All that said, I do have many more flashback Christmas in July doodles to share today. First up is one from just a couple years ago. I remember realizing it ended up far less festive than I intended, but here it is nonetheless.

Next up are a few beachy Christmas in July doodles from many, many years ago. My drawing style has changed a tad bit since these were scribbled up, and in upcoming years I want to recreate these. Even so, here are the oldies.

Last up is one possibly even older than the ones above. It's one that I've been meaning to recreate for a very long time, but I just never get around to it in July. I remember scribbling this one up the July after my tabby girl Eddy's first Christmas, because during her first Christmas I learned that she is obsessed with Christmas trees and climbing them. All that rambling aside, here's the old Eddy-inspired Christmas in July doodle.

Yet again...Merry Christmas in July!

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Tip of the Day

If you ask our humble opinion, having kitties and a pup in the same home can be a wonderful thing. It's even better when they all get along. Sometimes, though, the biggest trick is getting a pup to leave the kitty food alone. There are some methods to try, though, if you find yourself in such a situation. We've mentioned these before, but we'll mention them again now.

First, you can try placing the cat food somewhere the dog cannot reach, but of course where the cat can reach it. You can try a counter, cat tree, or shelf, for example, as a cat can often climb to these heights, while a dog typically remains land-bound. Another option is to get some form of sturdy box, setting it upside down on the floor, cutting a hole in it through which a cat can fit but not a dog, and feeding your cat within. There's even a chance that some pieces of furniture would allow for this form of feeding. Of course, this technique primarily works for larger dogs, as small dogs might still be able to access cat food with this method.

A more fail-safe way to feed a cat without a dog's intervention is by feeding them in separate rooms. You can keep the cat's food in a room where the dog does not have access, even if just during feeding time. You can also keep the cat's food in a room that is permanently closed off to the dog, but where the kitty can visit by way of something such as a kitty door. One more similar option is to feed the kitty in a separate room where the door is left ajar, but is kept that way with some sort of door attachment. There are such products available on the market, that allow for a door to remain stuck ajar, so that a cat can pass through, but not dogs on the larger size. You can even rig your own sort of setup, such as by using certain types of brackets, just as long as the setup is still safe for the furbabies. Again, though, these last couple of options will work best if the dog is larger and therefore cannot squeeze through to reach the cat food.

It is more than possible to have both cats and dogs living under the same roof. Once you get past the introductions and everyone is one big happy family, sometimes the main issue then becomes keeping the dogs out of the cat food. This is an important thing to do, though, as eating food not intended for their species can potentially result in gastrointestinal distress. So, if you have both cats and dogs, and food thieves run rampant, simply think on what type of feeding method would work best for you, your furbabies, and your overall home setup. It may take some trial and error, but it is doable.