Adventures with Astrid, Feathered Friends, and the Letter O

Hello and happy Wednesday, friends! We're ready for another day in the April A to Z Challenge, this time with the letter O.

Our A to Z theme is All Things Cat, for which I'm sharing drawings of all sorts of cat-shaped items. Today, for the letter O, we have for you none other than an orange.

I thought through a lot of options for the letter O. Do you know how orange won out? When I sat down to draw out the letter O, an orange was the only of the options I really felt like scribbling up. So, an orange it was.

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Of course, Astrid also has for you a little adventure today. In particular, she wants you all to meet some friends she made on a recent walk.

Do you see those feathered friends of ours up there in that photo? How about now?

Those geese in the upper righthand corner of that photo squawked away at us during this photo shoot. The funny part is that Astrid and I were already walking through this little park when the geese swooped in and landed ahead of us, only to then scold us for being too close. I told the geese that we just needed to walk by quickly, and Astrid is a good girl who is very non-reactive to even giant birds like geese, so we were able to pass by peacefully. Well, peacefully on our part. The geese were plenty loud about our invasion of space.

Have a wonderful day, friends!

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Tip of the Day

The last parasite we'll be discussing in this parasitic series of tips is Toxoplasma gondii, which causes the disease known as toxoplasmosis. Though different animals can be affected, including cats, dogs, and humans, cats are the most prevalent. A cat can get toxoplasmosis from eating the infected muscle or organs of an animal, such as by eating a mouse or uncooked meat. The parasite can thereafter be passed through the cat's feces, and then other cats, dogs, or humans can acquire the disease after coming into contact with and ingesting such fecal matter.

Some cats with toxoplasmosis will display symptoms such as fever, lethargy, respiratory distress, or neurological disturbances. Symptoms are most often seen in cats who are immunocompromised, such as young kittens or the geriatric and sick. In most cases, though, especially in grown, healthy cats, no symptoms are noticed. It is even possible for a cat to indeed have toxoplasmosis for years, but to simply never display symptoms. This can also be the case in other animals, including humans. That being said, developing babies in utero can be at high risk for toxoplasmosis. This is why it is often recommended that women refrain from scooping their cat's litter box when pregnant.

To help prevent the transmission of toxoplasmosis, you can keep your kitty indoors, where they are less likely to come into contact with the feces of an infected animal or to ingest infected tissue from prey. Also ensure that any meat you feed your cat is cooked. Also keep all litter boxes scooped and cleaned. To protect yourself, always wash your hands well after scooping the litter box. Accidental transmission can occur simply from a person scooping the litter, not thoroughly washing their hands, and then touching their mouths or food. Dogs can also acquire toxoplasmosis by ingesting fecal matter, so keep your dogs away the litter box and fecal material they might find outdoors.

We're sure you all know this by now, but if you notice any concerning symptoms in your kitty, of course always have them examined by a veterinarian. Any questions or concerns regarding your cat's risk for diseases such as toxoplasmosis can of course be discussed with your vet as well. Even diseases such as toxoplasmosis, which often give off no symptoms at all, can be lethal in a compromised, untreated furbaby. So, as always, it's always better to be safe than sorry.