Happy Halloween!

As this post's title and that there image say...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This week, we've shared all but the first two doodles in that collage. We'll share those last two separately here for you to see better. Eddy got to be Michael Myers, the star villain of my favorite, nostalgic Halloween movies. I picked her in part because, like Michael, Eddy is reclusive and quiet (around everyone but me, at least). I also picked her because she's admittedly the most likely of my kitties to slash or stab me, which seemed fitting enough for her to be Michael.

And Tonks got to be Sam from the movie Trick 'r Treat. This character wears a burlap sack or something along the sort over his head, and Tonks is my kitty who loves being under and in blankets. That, along with the fact that, like the character Sam, Tonks is rather small, landed her in this costume.

Now, how about the real life furry babies on this Halloween day? A couple of the kitties are more than ready for a little treating with no tricks.

Thimble has the beloved cat-o'-lantern basket all ready for it to be stuffed full of goodies. Feel free to toss a treat in there for her.

Is it full yet?

Tonks decided to help Thimble gather up some goods in the cat-o'-lantern basket.

As you can see from the paraphernalia surrounding Tonks, the basket has already been filled with catnip to celebrate this frightfully festive day.

In case you were curious, this treat basket also serves as a festive little hat. See?

Pup Astrid has already done some trick-or-treating herself, and she landed herself a squeaky little candy bar.

She'll be getting tasty goods of the real, edible variety tonight. But, for now, she's enjoying this little goodie.

As for the trick part of the trick-or-treating, Astrid got a little something else.

Did you know a severed arm makes for a great pillow? Well, it does.

Eddy also landed herself with a trick (after a hefty dose of treats, that is). Last week, Eddy shared some bloopers from her very own Blair Witch Project sort of experience. Afterwards, Eddy tried her best to befriend the witch in question.

But, Eddy really isn't one for sharing her space, so she ultimately skedaddled right on out of there yet again.

Do you see that pointy-hatted lady stealing Eddy's chair? Just look at that rude trick.

What a witch. Don't worry, though, because Eddy has plenty of other toys that are far less haunting and invasive.

Evan didn't experience the witchy invasion Eddy did, but he did find himself being creeped on by something else.

This here Mom of Evan's really wanted a photo of him and some of our pumpkin decor, but every photo involved Evan looking all shades of suspicious.

Evan had a lot more interest in the messy albeit fun cat-o'-lantern I carved the other day.

Do you see Evan through the door there? He was so very helpful while I carved that pumpkin, and he seemed quite perturbed that I'd put the poor thing outside.

That kitty was carved out of a pumpkin from my parents' garden, as were the friends I carved up for the cat-o'-lantern.

I'm far from a pro at carving pumpkins, but I always have fun doing it. I'm more excited to share with you all some of the pumpkins from this year's drive-thru jack-o'-lantern display that a local farm hosts every year. I went last night and will hopefully be sharing some of those tomorrow. There were a number of pumpkins carved like cats, which of course had me all the more excited.

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And we didn't forget to 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 fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.

1. I _________ daylight savings time.

2. This month, I plan to _________.

3. _________ gives me nightmares.

4. Now that _________, it's time to _________.

We'll see you tomorrow! And, again...

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, 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 for your furbaby!), but to also give your kitty or pup any festive toys or treats that you got 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!

Woof Woof Wednesday with Chucky and Jason

Hello, friends! I'd say Astrid is excited to share her costume with you all today, but really she wasn't all that thrilled. Remember how on Monday I shared a doodle of Evan as Chucky the serial killer doll? Well, Astrid has a costume to turn her into Chucky for real.

Doesn't she look so happy?

Astrid is very tolerant of me dressing her up, but her expression usually gives away her true annoyance. And what she found extra annoying was the red wig that came with the killer doll costume.

I didn't make Astrid stay in the costume for long, but I'm glad she at least tolerates me putting her in clothes long enough to get some festive photos.

Astrid hopes you all enjoyed seeing her abuse costume!

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Not So Spooky Doodle of the Day

While real Astrid dressed up as Chucky, the Astrid in my notebook dressed up as Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th movies.

I thought it would be cute to add a nose to the hockey mask to help Astrid-turned-Jason look even more dog-ish. After I finished it, though, it took me a bit to realize that it really just made her look like Snoopy Voorhees.

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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.

A Halloween Taste Test with Tonks on Tuesday

Last week, pup Astrid shared her Halloween cookie stash from our local pet store. We mentioned in that post how little calico Tonks had her own photos to share with the cookies. After all, she found them very intriguing.

Tonks always loves to be involved in anything going on in the house. She's a busy and curious little lady. I was surprised, though, when she started playing with Astrid's cookies, as she's not a cat interested in most food items.

I was even more surprised when Tonks started taking bites of the cookies. She mostly targeted a certain little ghost.

Astrid was sitting on the floor at my feet as I photographed her cookies. Don't worry, because she got to enjoy one of the cookies afterward. Even so, she was pretty horrified to see Tonks up there taste testing the goods. Oh, and these photos were snapped before Tonks had her dental surgery and lost 3 of her canine teeth, so I'm not sure how successful of a bite she would get out of that ghost these days.

Wishing you all a terrifyingly terrific Tuesday!

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Not So Spooky Doodle of the Day

I've gotten this week's Halloween doodles all out of order. You were supposed to get Tonks's horror movie villain doodle today, but instead you're getting Thimble's. So, meet Thimble Krueger.

There's a very specific reason I chose to scribble up Thimble as Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street. You see, Thimble is that kitty who doesn't think bedtime is for sleeping. She thinks bedtime is when her human needs to be trampled and just generally kept awake for cuddles. Thimble is not a thing of nightmares like Freddy Krueger, but she is all about sleepless nights. I love the cute little sweetie, though, so I'll just accept the fact that I'll be walking around like a zombie during the day. 'Tis the season, after all.

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Tip of the Day

If you think it might be fun and festive for your furbaby to get in the Halloween spirit with a chocolaty treat, consider getting them some goodies made with carob. Carob is a chocolate alternative, and it can give items such as candy and baked goods an appearance and even flavor that is similar to chocolate. What's more, carob does not contain the component found in real chocolate that is toxic to cats and dogs. There are carob pet treats on the market, and even items such as cookies for furbabies are sometimes made with carob. So, if you think your kitty or pup might enjoy some chocolaty treats of their own while you enjoy some candy on Halloween, then consider the safe and festive alternative that is carob.

Mancat Monday with Evan and Chucky

Last week, Evan showed you all how helpful he was in the creation of one of my Halloween doodles starring an orange kitty just like himself. Guess what, though? Evan also is quite the pro at helping scribble up not so spooky doodles starring pups. See?

We shared that there doodle here on our blog a couple weeks ago. It's another one scribbled up in my DIY notebook of a planner, and it was one of my first attempts at drawing a corgi dog. Of course, Evan's assistance was crucial.

If you look at Evan's paw there, you can see the biscuit he's making. It's pretty darn cute.

Evan and all of us here wish you a happy Monday!

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Not So Spooky Doodle of the Day

Through Halloween, we're sharing doodles of all of the furbabies in our house as horror movie villains. Today we of course have Evan. Can you tell who he is?

Spoiler alert: Evan is Chucky the red-headed, serial killer doll. Except Evan is far less deadly and gnarly than the actual Chucky. Truth be told, I picked to draw Evan as Chucky not only because Evan is a ginger like Chucky, but also because a doll made the most sense to draw with special legs like Evan's.

Speaking of Chucky, Astrid will be sharing her costume with you all in her post on Wednesday. I didn't torture the unwilling kitties, but since pup Astrid is more tolerant of costumes, she got to be my knife-wielding model.

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Tip of the Day

We mentioned yesterday considering getting your kitty or pup a festive new toy as a Halloween treat and distraction, of course as long as said toy is safe for your furbaby to use. Similarly, you can typically find your furbaby some Halloween treats of the edible kind. Some companies come out with specialty holiday treats, for example. In addition, many pet stores will sell cookies, at least those for pups, and oftentimes such cookies will include those designed and decorated for certain holidays, including Halloween. You don't just have to go for store-bought goodies in order to give your kitty or pup something festive and tasty on days like Halloween, though. There are a great many treat recipes available online, including those festively made with pumpkin or those simply cut into festive shapes. I've even seen people go for simple yet effective holiday treats that merely include cutting a wedge of paté canned food into a festive shape, such as a pumpkin. Many of these options for festive treats are aimed toward aesthetics that humans rather than furbabies will appreciate, but as long as the ingredients are safe, your kitty or pup can enjoy a tasty Halloween treat just as well. So, check labels or recipe ingredients to ensure any treats you select are safe for your individual furbaby, and then let them chow down on a festive Halloween treat on Halloween night. Of course, if your furbaby has any ailments or you have any concerns about feeding your kitty or pup certain treats, do consult your veterinarian.

Not So Spooky Sunday Shenanigans

It's been a bit of a chaotic weekend. Nothing bad, just typical chaos. That's why we're again here late, and with a bit of a different post than we intended. Today we were supposed to start sharing our Halloween week of horror movie villain doodles, starring the furry babies of our household. Due to the typical chaos as well as technological difficulties, we'll share two of those doodles tomorrow, and then one the rest of the days of this Halloween week. Thimble's horror movie villain doodle was supposed to be shared today, so she gets the honor of being in today's post.

We hope you're all having a frightfully festive day!

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Not So Spooky Flashback Doodles of the Day

Since I don't have the doodle intended for today, I'll hare two of my favorite Halloween doodles from the past. Each of these depicts something akin to a typical Halloween night at our house, which involves staying home, watching scary movies, and eating lots of candy.

Happy Halloween week!

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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. 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. Of course, 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. 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.

Caturday Art with the Clowns

I really thought I'd scheduled this post, but here we are with no post until nighttime. So, let's get on with it and share a Halloween doodle, shall we?

Today through Halloween, we're sharing all of the furbabies in our house as horror movie characters. Today, we have our housemates, Toby and Winky.

Toby is Art the clown, and Winky is his little clown friend. These two are from the Terrifier movie series. That said, I do not recommend anyone here go watch those movies, as they are truly grotesque. Toby and Winky fit the black and white attire so well, though, that I decided they'd get to be the far more palatable version of these two clowns.

Happy Caturday, friends!

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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.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Blair Witch Bloopers

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 to.

1. My plans for Halloween include _________.

2. I enjoy making _________.

3. I look forward to _________ every Halloween season.

4. _________ is the scariest fictional character I've come across.


My answers are below in bold.

1. My plans for Halloween include my favorite traditions.

(I do just about the same thing every year on Halloween, and I love it. I hand out candy to the neighborhood kiddos, often while dressed as a black cat. My family also comes over to my house and we watch Halloween and usually one of our other favorite spooky movies, while eating pizza, candy, and cupcakes. I usually feel pretty miserable after all that food and sugar, but I still love the tradition.)

2. I enjoy making art starring cats.
(I love creating art of multiple forms, mostly in the form of drawing and writing. And one of my favorite things is to include kitties in those. I also love including pups and other animals, but especially when it comes to drawing, kitties are the easiest and most enjoyable for me. I'd love to turn these passions of mine into some form of a career. I know that's something I'd have to put a significant amount of time and effort into, and hopefully someday I'll manage it.)

3. I look forward to the local drive-through jack-o'-lantern display every Halloween season.
(I've shared photos from this in years past, and I'll try to do the same this year. A local farm has hundreds of members of the community carve jack-o'-lanterns, and then the week of Halloween they display them along a woodsy road for people to drive by and see. I love it and can't wait to go this upcoming week.)

4. Jodie the demonic pig is the scariest fictional character I've come across.
(I don't get scared very easily. That said, when I read The Amityville Horror and the little girl in the book had an invisible friend who ended up being a demonic pig thing with glowing red eyes, the execution of that in the book actually had me spooked. I understand the Amityville situation is supposedly based on real events and so maybe Jodie the demonic pig isn't even fictional, but I've heard plenty about how this story was embellished, and so I'm hoping Jodie the demonic pig isn't real.)

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.

Have you ever seen or heard of or seen The Blair Witch Project? Well, Eddy had her own sort of experience like that recently, and bloopers were of course the result.

When Eddy found a little witch on her chair, she skedaddled right on out of there. She's seen the movies her human of a mom watches. She knows better than to befriend a suspicious character.

Eddy hopes you all have a far less haunting day than her!

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Not So Spooky Doodle of the Day

This one's for all the torties out there. I don't draw these pretty ladies nearly enough.

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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 while they are 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 room 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 locking them up somewhere safe and away from the door on Halloween night.

Thankful Thimble Thursday with the Toys

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! Of course, Thimble is here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for her toys, especially when they're covered in catnip. See?

Now, which of these toys do you think Thimble went for first? Do you think she went the frightfully festive route?

Don't let that low quality shot trick you. Thimble did indeed sniff that drugged up rainbow first, but do you see which toy is now missing from this blurry photo below?

As always, the beloved cat-o'-lantern basket toy, of course filled with catnip at the time, was Thimble's final choice.

I can't tell if the ghost is offended or happy that he was spared. What do you think?

Thimble and all of us here wish you a wonderful day!

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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. My plans for Halloween include _________.

2. I enjoy making _________.

3. I look forward to _________ every Halloween season.

4. _________ is the scariest fictional character I've come across.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Not So Spooky Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle was scribbled up for my parents, who celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary yesterday. They chose to get married close to Halloween, which means they have to put up with me scribbling up doodles like this to celebrate the occasion. 

Now, how about a couple of tidbits about that there silliness you see above? First, my dad has double jointed thumbs, which pretty much makes them bend backwards, so I decided to toss that in there. Also, the colors of the anniversary banner up top might seem out of place, but those were the colors my parents had at their wedding. Lastly, the kitty in the doodle could either be Iris or Homer, grey tabby sibling cats in my parents' clowder who would be most likely to go for a knife if given the chance.

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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.