Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and 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 hope I never have to _________.

2. I must remember to _________.

3. I learned about _________ when _________.

4. _________ has been occupying a lot of my time these days.


My answers are in bold. This week they're all about the furbabies, and are accompanied by some long-winded explanations.

1. I hope I never have to give Eddy as many medications as Evan is currently on.
(Between his urinary issues, urethral spasms, constipation, and all that jazz, Evan is on 6 different medications. Some of those are given twice a day, and so I medicate him anywhere from 6 to 8 or more times a day. Though he's not the biggest fan of the whole rigmarole, he lets me do it with very little protest. If I had to do this level of medication administration with Eddy, it would be a war. I can't even get that semi-feral little lady in a carrier, so sticking medication in her mouth even once would probably send me to the Great Beyond.)

2. I must remember to give pup Astrid her join supplement.
(Astrid just started on a new join supplement, and for some reason that is the one pet medication per day that I sometimes almost forget. Now that Astrid is well past healed from her knee surgery last year and is doing incredibly well, the poor girl is just not the squeaky wheel. So, between all of Evan's medications and the other furbaby whatnot going on in the house, Astrid's join supplement sometimes just slips my mind. Luckily, I haven't ever completely forgotten to give it to her, but sometimes I'm lying there in bed and suddenly remember it, and so she gets it late on those days.)

3. I learned about Bexacat when my parents' cat Trapper was diagnosed with diabetes last week.
(My tabby girl Thimble's litter mate brother Trapper owns my parents, and last week he started acting very lethargic. He was taken to the vet, and was soon after diagnosed with diabetes. Though he's a big cat by nature, Trapper is in truth also overweight, which could very well have led to his development of diabetes. All that said, I assumed Trapper would be put on insulin, but apparently within the past 4 months or so a new pill treatment has become available for the treatment of feline diabetes. It's called Bexacat, and it works by essentially redirecting the excess blood sugar to the urine for excretion from the body. This works in cats who have the equivalent of Type 2 diabetes, and who are therefore still producing insulin on their own. Trapper is indeed in that category, and so he started on Bexacat and is already showing a lot of promising improvement on it.)

4. Evan's constipation has been occupying a lot of my time these days.
(I know this answer sounds like a TMI sort of conversation, but it's the simple truth that it's one of my main concerns right now. I've mentioned recently how my orange tabby boy Evan has been struggling with intestinal issues, primarily constipation. We started him on Miralax recently, and for a bit it worked really well at keeping his bowel movements good and regular. Then it just stopped working to its full potential, and though he wasn't becoming as uncomfortable or distressed as before the Miralax, he was back to skipping many days of defecating. He's been acting his normal, happy, active self, but with the occasional straining to defecate to no avail. So, just yesterday, we added lactulose to the mix. Within hours, he'd passed stool that he had been holding onto for nearly a week. Now it's just a matter of finding the right balance of lactulose with the Miralax to make sure he stays regular, but doesn't suffer with diarrhea. Honestly, right now I'm just glad he finally defecated for the first time in a week.)

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? Today, you get to see this girl enjoying the fact that we finally dropped to just 80°F outside. Hence, window whiffies!

It's supposed to be back up to 90°F this weekend, but this past week was lovely. And next week is supposed to be cool again.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I found another spooky summer doodle from years ago that I'd forgotten about. So, here's the weird and wacky thing for you to see.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip in our litter box series is to, if or as needed, go for a DIY litter box. This could simply entail picking out a plastic storage container to use, rather than getting a typical plastic litter box. This method might save you money, as some litter boxes cost a decent amount, and some storage containers are inexpensive. You would especially save money if you already have a safe, sturdy, clean storage container not in use, which could therefore be converted into a litter box. Going for a makeshift litter box is might be a good option if your cat, or even the layout of your home, requires a size of container that is difficult to find in the world of litter boxes. For example, if your cat is on the extra large side, and has trouble maneuvering in even some of the larger litter boxes on the market, you could purchase a giant storage container and convert it into a litter box better suited for your cat. If the sides of a storage container are especially tall, potentially hindering a cat's ability to climb in, you can safely cut away part of one side to create a doorway, as long as you ensure no sharp edges result. 

There might be a number of reasons why the litter boxes you see at the pet store might not work the best for your cat, yourself, of your home. If this is the case, consider what other containers could be used as a DIY litter box. Of course, though, above all else, always make sure any box you use is safe, and that your kitty approves.