Happy Halloween!

Trick or treat!

Tonks is ready to fill up her Halloween treat basket.

And so is Thimble.

Evan, on the other hand paw, said he'll leave the tricking and treating to his sisters. He's settling in for a Halloween nap instead.

I'm sure this boy will perk right up when the treats start getting doled out, though.

Eddy decided her form of trick-or-treating is just, well, her usual blurry and elusive bloopers.

Someone else is ready Halloween. And that is pup Astrid. She's even donning her spooky apparel. 

Now, if you're curious what the kitties' and pup's Halloween treat baskets will be filled with today, it's stuff like this here.

Honestly, I was trying to get all of those cat toys cut off the packaging so as to get a cuter photo, but little miss calico Tonks was being far too helpful for that. Of course, lots of edible treats will also be doled out to the kitties tonight.

As for pup Astrid, she gets this monstrosity.

That thing is huge and she's going to be smacking everyone with it, but it's all in good fun. I think. In addition to that, pup Astrid will be on a sugar high. At the beginning of the spooky season I picked up a big selection of cookies for Astrid at our local pet store. Astrid loves these cookies, and she's been enjoying them throughout the past few weeks. She only has the the big cookies left, and she'll be getting one or two of those tonight.

The kitties and pup here are looking forward to enjoying their Halloween treats, and they're wishing you all lots of frightfully festive treats as well!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Tip of the Day

Our final Halloween tip is to use this spooky holiday as a chance to spend some quality time with your furbaby. Whether you're already staying tucked inside on Halloween night, or whether you wait until after handing out candy or other festivities, do consider getting cozy and festive with your kitty or pup. For example, you can cozy up with your kitty or pup on the couch and read a spooky story, if that's your kind of thing. Another option is to of course watch a spooky movie or TV show, if that strikes your fancy. Of course, as we mentioned yesterday, do keep in mind your furbaby's sense of hearing and comfort when selecting a scary movie and volume level. For something more calm yet spookily festive, consider sitting down with your furbaby to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, or a certain famous orange tabby in Garfield's Halloween Adventure. Halloween night is of course also the perfect time to not only enjoy yourself some treats (of course without sharing anything toxic with your furbaby), but to also give your kitty or pup any festive toys or treats that you got or made for them.

Halloween may sometimes be considered a night filled with tricks and terrors, but you and your furbaby can instead use it to spend some quality time together in a festive yet safe manner. So, cuddle up on the couch and spend some cozy and festive time with that furbaby. Happy Halloween!

A Not-So-Macabre Monday Before Halloween

I'm just going to pretend like I didn't completely drop the ball and miss both posts for the weekend before Halloween. In my defense, on top of all the typical fun chores that adulting brings with it, I did spend a good chunk of my weekend prepping candy goodie bags for the neighbor kids and my family, getting all the furbabies' spooky goodies sorted, and even baking some desserts for the tiny little shindig I always enjoy on Halloween night with my parents and sister. That said, today is the day before Halloween, and it's also Mancat Monday. Tomorrow is Halloween, of course, and we will indeed have a frightfully festive bash over here on our blog. All the furbabies will be making an appearance to help celebrate.

For today's Mancat Monday post, though, here's Evan hanging out with some of our pumpkin decor. Because that's what this here human mom of his does to get Halloween photo shoots of the furbabies around here.

Evan, the good boy he is, was willing to pose for one good photo. After that, though, he moved right on to bath time.

Evan wishes you all a not-so-macabre Monday before Halloween!

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Flashback Doodles of the Day

Unfortunately, today I again have a flashback doodle instead of a new Halloween doodle. Well, I actually have two flashback doodles today. I simply didn't get my scanner fired up this weekend so that I could upload new ones. Tomorrow you'll likely being seeing multiple new Halloween doodles to celebrate the big day itself, but we'll also be sharing some for the first couple days of November, since those are still All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, or Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

This first flashback doodle I'm sharing today is one I scribbled up a couple years ago after seeing a piece of art online of a witch seemingly pondering adopting a little black kitten she sees in a window. So, I recreated that in my own style.

And the second flashback Halloween doodle today is also from a couple years ago, and is a very basic, somewhat abstract homage to my favorite childhood Halloween movie. And that was, the silly Halloweentown, which I admittedly still watch every single year.

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Tip of the Day

If you enjoy watching horror films or other similar movies for Halloween, keep your furbaby in mind when you adjust the volume. As you all certainly know, cats and dogs have impeccable hearing. A noise that sounds normal and tolerable to us might for them sound far more loud and uncomfortable. So, take into consideration your kitty or pup's heightened sense of hearing when watching movies, especially those with loud music, screams, and so forth. If you are watching a loud movie this Halloween, or any day of the year, be sure that your kitty or pup has a quiet area of the home, away from the television, where they can retreat should they wish to.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Cat-o'-Lantern Outtakes

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. If I were to attend a Halloween party, my costume would be _________.

2. On Halloween, I plan to _________.

3. If my life were a scary movie, it would be titled _________.

4. If I found an ouija board, I would _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. If I were to attend a Halloween party, my costume would be a black cat.
(Pretty basic, huh? It's true, though. I actually already have a black cat onesie that I've worn the past couple years while handing out candy. It's complete with a tail as well as a hood that has cat ears and whiskers, so I'm all set.)

2. On Halloween, I plan to enjoy the spooktacular night from the comfort of my home.

(I love Halloween. I've mentioned that before. As much as I love it, though, I don't go out to Halloween parties or anything like that. I hand out candy to the neighborhood children, and then, with both my human and furry family, I enjoy pizza and far too much candy while watching Halloween and other frightfully festive movies. It's one of my favorite nights of the year.)

3. If my life were a scary movie, it would be titled Things That Go Bump in the Night.

(I live with things that go bump in the night. The main thing that goes bump in the night at my house is Tonks. You know, my little calico kitty who loves to wait until the rest of the house is asleep to parkour off of the walls, toss around her toys, wail at the ceiling, and all that fun jazz. I love her for it, though, so it's not really a scary movie at all.)

4. If I found an ouija board, I would run the other way.
(I'm not generally a very suspicious or easily spooked person, but an ouija board is one thing that I'm not about to mess with.)

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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And now it's time for the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, hosted by none other than Melissa and Mudpie of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

You better believe blooper queen Eddy is here to share some outtakes. Today, her bloopers come from a photo shoot with one of our resident cat-o'-lantern whatnots. The first blooper may or may not have partially been my fault in terms of lighting, but Eddy did her fair share of refusing to look at the camera.

When I finally got the lighting right, Eddy simply decided she wasn't interested, leaving more than one elusive blooper like the one below.

Eddy wishes you all a frightfully festive Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Do you want to give your furbaby an extra fun treat for Halloween? We're thinking most of you already know that pet stores typically offer festive toy options around the holidays, including Halloween. Nevertheless, we're reminding you to consider looking for the pet store's festive holiday section, or for festive options in the general toy aisle. Of course, to save on cost, you can also opt to craft up your own homemade Halloween toy for you kitty or pup. If necessary and feasible, you can even use such festive new toys to help distract a furbaby who gets anxious or excited by the sounds and overall hustle and bustle of Halloween night festivities, such as trick-or-treaters visiting the house. Keep in mind, if you are handing out candy, festive new toys should be given in a safe area of the home, away from the door. And, yet another caveat is to always check new toys for any potentially dangerous parts and pieces, or to use only safe materials if you happen to craft your own homemade version. You know your kitty or pup best, so when picking out new festive toys for them, always keep in mind their tendencies to chew on or eat certain toys. It's fun to be festive, but it's also very important to be safe.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: Halloween Treats Are Almost Here

It's Thursday. As always, that means Thimble is here and happy to participate in angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful that Halloween treat time is almost here!

Don't worry, because the kitties and pup get treats on a daily basis. But, they get lots of extra on Halloween, and so that's a payload they're ready and waiting for.

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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. If I were to attend a Halloween party, my costume would be _________.

2. On Halloween, I plan to _________.

3. If my life were a scary movie, it would be titled _________.

4. If I found an ouija board, I would _________.

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback Halloween doodle is one of the extra kooky drawings I scribbled up a couple years ago. That said, I really do promise that for the last few days of October, I will be sharing brand new Halloween doodles. I have some new and fresh Halloween doodles done, and I have some partially done, I just haven't managed to scan and upload any. I've simply fallen really behind. But, for today, here's a flashback Halloween doodle.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip in our Halloween series is one that we have given before on many different occasions. In case an unexpected escape happens on Halloween, such as if your furbaby gets out of the house when the door is opened for trick-or-treaters, be sure that they have ID on them. A collar tag and microchip with your contact information could potentially help a lost furbaby get back to you more easily and quickly. Of course, don't only make sure that your furbaby is wearing identification, but also make sure said contact info is up-to-date. If your address or phone number changes, do not hesitate to put the correct one on your kitty or pup's collar tag and to update their microchip information. No one ever wants to think about their furbaby getting loose and lost, but accidents can happen, especially on busy nights like Halloween. So, always err on the side of caution and have your furbaby identifiable in case of an escape.

Woof Woof Wednesday: The Halloween Treat Countdown

Just like the kitties, pup Astrid is trying to patiently wait for her Halloween treats. It's tough seeing those treat bags empty for another week, though. The countdown is on.

Astrid and all of us here wish you all a happy Wednesday! Astrid also hopes you're all getting lots of treats, both today and on Halloween.

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle was inspired by none other than the Garfield's Halloween Adventure, which I watch every Halloween season.

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Tip of the Day

We've been giving all sorts of tips related to pet safety during trick-or-treating and other Halloween festivities. And, today, we have yet another tip related to that. Then again, it is almost Halloween, so perhaps it's permitted.

Today's tip is to help your kitty or pup get rid of some extra energy by engaging them in some form of activity before any Halloween festivities begin. This way, your furbaby would have less pent up energy and therefore less anxiety or frustration if they are going to be tucked away somewhere safe while you hand out candy or celebrate this spooky holiday in another way. Helping your kitty or pup use up that extra energy of theirs could involve playing a game such as fetch with them, or directing their attention to interactive toys. If your fubaby is one who needs or likes walks, then you can also drain and prevent pent up energy by taking them for a walk prior to trick-or-treat hours. This would again enable them to release some of their energy before being secured in their safe area while you hand out candy. All in all, pent up energy can lead to issues such as anxiety or frustration in a cat or dog. This is why it might be a good idea to take your kitty or pup for a stroll, or to play with them in the house, prior to sequestering them somewhere safe and away from the door on Halloween night.

Tonks Tuesday: The Empty Treat Bag

It's Tonks Tuesday, and today the calico is contemplating something.

What, exactly, is Tonks thinking about? She's pondering why her treat bag is empty.

Don't worry, Tonks. Halloween is just a week away. There will be plenty of treats soon enough.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a happy Tuesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of our Day

Today's Halloween tip is to know your local area's trick-or-treat details in order to be prepared, whether or not you are handing out candy or otherwise joining in on the festivities. Two of the important things to know are when trick-or-treat hours are, and what indicates whether trick-or-treaters should come to your door. It's important to know these Halloween festivity details so that you can have your pup or kitty home from a walk before traffic increases, for example, or to have your black cats and other furbabies safely inside before people begin filling the streets in search of candy. If you are handing out candy, it's good to know trick-or-treat hours so that you can have your kitty or pup tucked securely away from the door before the first trick-or-treaters arrive. In many areas, a house with its post light on is one where trick-or-treaters can go for some loot. In the event that you're handing out candy, be sure to only have your post light on when you're furbaby is in a safe area of the home, again away from the door. If you are not handing out candy, it's of course still important to know the hours and other details of Halloween festivities in your area. This will ensure that you can have your post light off at the correct hours, in order to avoid knocks at the door or the doorbell ringing and scaring your furbaby needlessly. It's always good to be informed of the details of anything that might affect your furbaby, and that includes Halloween night festivities.

Mancat Monday: Yet Another Cat-o'-Lantern Cameo

Evan says that the title of this post is a lie. There isn't just a cat-o'-lantern cameo here. There's a true cat-o'-lantern photobomb, perhaps even an full invasion.

As much as he loves Halloween and the treats it brings, Evan hopes none of you get photobombed by any spooky toys or decor. That's far more of a trick than a treat.

Happy Monday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's Halloween tip is one we're sure you all know, and it's to practice proper door safety. This is of course most relevant if you are handing out candy on Halloween night, or if you are hosting a Halloween party with a number of arriving guests. Knocks on the door, the doorbell, children or adults in strange costumes, and all of the hustle and bustle of Halloween can scare some furbabies. On the other hand, some cats or dogs might enjoy guests, and so they might be attracted to the door on Halloween. Either way, if you have increased traffic at the door on Halloween, there is always the chance that your kitty or pup could escape if proper precautions are not taken. This is why it is important to practice proper door safety, so that you can avoid escapes.

There are of course a number of options for keeping a cat or dog from escaping out a busy door on Halloween. First, you can set up a safe room for your cat or dog and keep them in there during the Halloween festivities, so that they have no ability to escape from the house when people show up at the front door. Depending on how your house is set up and how determined your kitty or pup is to reach the door, you can also put up baby gates or pet gates to keep a cat or dog in an area of the house away from the door. If your furbaby is leash trained, and as long as the leash is securely held, your kitty or pup can also be kept safe in the house by attaching them to their leash, with of course someone holding said leash. You best know your furbaby as well as the setup of your home, so use whatever method is the safest, most surefire way of keeping your kitty or pup from escaping out a busy door on nights like Halloween.

Friendly Fill-Ins and a Tombstone Toy

Hello, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. I may _________, but I _________.

2. I keep forgetting that _________.

3. This time of year, _________ is my favorite treat to enjoy.

4. _________ scares me more than _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. I may be seen out in public sometimes, but I would almost always rather be home with my cats.

(I've mentioned many times here on our blog how I'm a homebody. I know a lot of people might consider it unhealthy to always want to be home and to not do much in the way of socializing, but the simple truth is that I just like my home. After all, that's where my kitties and pup are.)

2. I keep forgetting that most of my furbabies are seniors.

(My only furbaby who isn't considered a senior is Tonks, who is 5 years old. Astrid and Evan are 10, Thimble is 9, and Eddy is 8. Most of them don't act their age, luckily. Even with Astrid's past health issues and Evan's current armory of medications, neither of those two act 10 years old. They are active and playful and all that wonderful jazz. And neither Thimble nor Eddy act "old" in any way. I'm beyond glad that my senior kitties and pup don't act like they're in that age category and therefore allow me to forget they belong in it, but when I do think about it, I admittedly freak out a little bit.)

3. This time of year, cool weather is my favorite treat to enjoy.

(I tried to think of a treat of the food variety to put here. The kind of treats I enjoy, though, are ones that I mostly eat throughout the year as I crave them. So when I tried to think of something I enjoy that I can only find this time of year, I had to pick the weather. Autumnal weather is my favorite, so I enjoy this time of year so much for that alone.)

4. My furbabies falling ill scares me more than myself falling ill.

(I'm not looking to fall ill, obviously, especially since I want to be able to take care of my kitties and pup to the best of my ability. But, getting diagnoses for my furbabies always terrifies me more than myself getting diagnoses. I think it just comes down to knowing that they can't understand any of my explanations as to why they're having to go to the vet, why I'm shoving drugs down their throat, and all that jazz. And, of course, I really just can't stand seeing my kitties or pup feeling ill.)

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? Of course you are. Last week, Eddy showed you all her jack-o'-lantern toy bins. Today, she's showing you one of the toys she pulled out of those bins during that photo shoot. And she made it a festively spooky one.

The spooky one we're referring to is the tombstone she picked, of course. The yellow crayon was also removed from the toy bin. After all, it's a favorite around this house.

And, in true Eddy style, she also has plenty of bloopers from this photo shoot. See?

Eddy wishes you all a fun Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Just yesterday, we gave the tip to avoid walking your pup or kitty on Halloween during trick-or-treat hours, in order to avoid the increased foot and road traffic that could lead to dangerous situations. On the other hand, today's tip involves some ideas for staying safe should you and your furbaby find yourselves out and about on Halloween night. If you're out on a walk on Halloween night, or any night for that matter, be sure to take a flashlight, as well your cell phone in case of emergency. At the same time, though, don't be distracted by using your phone instead of observing your surroundings. What's more, ensure that your furbaby's leash and collar include reflectors, and that you yourself are wearing reflectors or at the very least bright clothing, so that both of you can remain seen and safe.

Another important factor if walking with your furbaby on Halloween night is to know where it might be safest to walk. Obviously, dark alleys are not the way to go, but you also want to ensure that you don't end up with a scared furbaby on the busiest trick-or-treating street. So, if you must head out for a stroll with your furbaby during trick-or-treat hours, think ahead about what route you should take. As we previously hinted, it should be a safe, well-lit area, but also one that won't be hustling and bustling with trick-or-treaters. This is especially important if the pup or kitty being walked is skittish or aggressive in any way. All in all, think ahead and make plans for where you can most safely take a walk with your furbaby should you need to go out on Halloween night.

Also, one last note we want to make is to watch your furbaby closely when walking them on Halloween, as well as on the following days. Trick-or-treaters might leave behind candy, candy wrappers, parts of costumes, or other unsafe goods. So, do keep an eye on that furbaby and make sure nothing unsafe makes it to their mouth when walking during the Halloween season, and year round.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: Toesies and Spooky Toys

It's Thursday, which of course means Thimble is here to partake in angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for her adorable toesies.

Oh, and Thimble is also thankful for all the new toys that show up in the house at Halloween. Some of her favorite are the little wooden figurines you see behind her there. She loves to knock them over, bat them around, and all that fun jazz. Since she never does any damage, and since I'm lucky and have no eaters of foreign objects at my house, I just let the figurines stay where Thimble can reach them since she loves them so much.

Thimble hopes you all have some fun Halloween goodies to toss around!

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And now we have for you 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 may _________, but I _________.

2. I keep forgetting that _________.

3. This time of year, _________ is my favorite treat to enjoy.

4. _________ scares me more than _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday, we mentioned the importance of keeping black cats, and of course all furbabies, indoors on Halloween to prevent them from becoming victims of tricks and pranks. Today's tip is similar, and it is to avoid going on a walk with your dog, or even your kitty, during trick-or-treat hours. This is for a number of reasons, including the obvious one that foot traffic, and even potentially car traffic, will be increased during trick-or-treat hours. This is something that could pose a risk especially for skittish dogs or cats, as they might become frightened of the Halloween hustle and bustle. What's more, not only will more people be out and about on Halloween night, making extra traffic and noise, but many of them will be dressed in strange and potentially frightening costumes. These factors could lead a nervous dog or cat to panic, and to potentially get loose and lost. Of course, increased traffic could also lead to accidents and injuries, such as if a nervous or excited dog or cat gets loose and makes their way into the street. All in all, it is important to always take into consideration your furbaby's safety, which might very well mean house arrest during those trick-or-treat hours on Halloween night.