Friendly Fill-Ins and Blurry Eddy

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 feel _________ when I think of _________.

2. _________ is my greatest achievement.

3. I haven't had much luck with _________ lately.

4. _________ is the time of day when I _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. I feel calm when I think of my kitties and pup.
(Have you ever tried to think of something really calming and happy when having your blood pressure taken, to try and keep it in the healthy range? I do that, and it's my kitties and pup I think about during those times. I've actually never had blood pressure issues, save for the occasional white coat syndrome, and though I can't claim scientific evidence, I like to thank my kitties and pup for helping me achieve healthy blood pressure readings. This is one of the strangest explanations I've ever given for a fill-in, but here we are.)

2. Rescuing and caring for my furry family is my greatest achievement.
(As a kid, one of my biggest dreams was to adopt my own furry clan and give them the best life I could. When I was able to achieve that, I felt like a true adult living my dream.)

3. I haven't had much luck with appliances lately.
(My dryer fully died recently. I am incredibly grateful in that my mom started using a new dryer recently but still had her old yet functioning one, and so she gave me her old one, which still works great. Getting a new dryer immediately was crucial, as Evan is towel trained as well as urinary incontinent, and so laundry is a priority around here. My hot water heater also started acting up recently, and though I was able to get the pilot light relit every time it went out, within a week each time it would go out again. So, I had some maintenance men come out yesterday, and luckily they found the problem and it was an easy fix. My air conditioner also has had a slow leak for many years and will likely need its coolant topped off soon enough. And we're not even going to talk about the screeching sounds my washer started making recently.)

4. Early morning is the time of day when I am most productive.

(I've become more and more of a morning person the older I've gotten. I think that mostly started as a matter of necessity, as I tend to be too tired after work to get a lot of my personal hobbies and passions accomplished. I really, truly want to work toward those hobbies and passions, though, and so I started working toward them during some early mornings. Some evenings I feel good and active and get a good deal done, but more often than not that's not the case, and so early mornings are my time, and I've honestly grown to love that.)

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.

As always, blooper queen Eddy is more than ready. After all, during one of her window whiffies sessions, she made sure to get some wonderfully blurry shots.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a happy Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's food tip is all about those carbs. When we think of carbohydrates, things like pasta and bread may come to mind. But, carbohydrates in other forms are also an important aspect in pet food. In a dog or cat's food, carbohydrates often come from plants or grains, such as corn, rice, oats, or wheat. Just as in humans, carbohydrates can serve as a source of energy and fuel for our furbaby's body. That being said, carbohydrates are one aspect of pet food that may hold different levels of importance for cats and dogs.

Dogs are omnivores. This means that, even in the wild, they get their nutrition from both animal and plant sources. For this reason, carbohydrates in the form of plants and grains are of course important in commercial dog food, just as meat products are. 

On the other hand, cats are strict carnivores, and in the wild they gain much of their nutrition and energy from the protein and fat of their prey. This is why plants and grains in commercial cat food is sometimes debated. Some studies indicate that cats in the wild do consume a small percentage of plant and grain carbohydrates, such as from whatever vegetation their prey may have eaten. Regardless, most commercial cat foods do contain carbohydrates from plants and grains, some in far higher percentage than others. This is where reading labels and comparing protein versus carbohydrate levels can be important for cat owners to do.

Not only is it important to consider a cat's strict carnivore ancestry, but it's also important to realize that for cats as well as dogs, a diet with a higher carbohydrate content can potentially lead to digestive concerns, such as diarrhea or flatulence. In addition, just as can be the case with fats and even protein, an excess of carbohydrates in the diet can potentially lead to weight gain. This is all just one more reason why it is so important to research, understand, and discuss with your veterinarian the best diet for your kitty or pup.