Happy Halloween!

As the title says...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Now, let's kick off this spooky day with a very Halloween 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 like pumpkin _________.

2. My favorite movie to watch around Halloween is _________.

3. If I could meet any Halloween creature, I'd choose _________.

4. I'd like a Halloween treat basket filled with _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. I like pumpkin cookies.

(When I think about what pumpkin treat I like the most, I think it's cookies. A few years ago none other than Ellen shared with me a pumpkin cookie recipe, deliciously complete with chocolate chips, and I love the end result. I do like pumpkin pie and that sort of thing, but I like pumpkin cookies even more.)

2. My favorite movie to watch around Halloween is Halloween.

(This is far, far from being a movie of high quality in any regard. That said, it's a nostalgic classic that I've always watched around my tied-for-first-place holiday. I admittedly watch Halloween multiple times throughout the spooky season, and the first watch of it always puts me in the Halloween mood. I also always watch it on Halloween night itself, because of course.)

3. If I could meet any Halloween creature, I'd choose a witch's feline familiar.
(First and foremost, I'd want to make sure the kitty familiars are being treated properly. Secondly, I'd love to know more about their magic.)

4. I'd like a Halloween treat basket filled with Unreal candy.
(Unreal is a brand of candy that is mostly dairy free and gluten free. Since I'm both lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant, I was very happy to find this brand a couple years ago. What's more, they make candies that I find way better than the more popular brands. They often use dark chocolate, which I love, and they have one of the most delicious dark chocolate peanut butter cups I've ever tasted.)

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.

***

We're of course not done with Halloween yet, though. To celebrate, all of the kitties took some photos with a certain jack-o'-lantern in our house. Thimble introduced him yesterday, when we explained that this particular pumpkin sits in a heavy feline traffic area at our house, and so he's often a victim of cat puke, spilled food, and all sorts of abuse.

So, Evan will kick off this frightfully festive jack-o'-lantern fun today. He didn't feel like truly posing with the pumpkin, so the jack got quite the view.

That is indeed my hind limb paralyzed boy's shaved back end.

Thimble wanted a bit more of a spooky vibe to her Halloween, and the jack-o'-lantern was happy to oblige.

You can barely see the tabby girl there, so here's one where you can see her cute little face far better.

As always, my girl Eddy wasn't keen on cooperating, but that doesn't mean the jack-o'-lantern wasn't able to deliver a spooky shot or two with her.

As for calico Tonks, she decided to get up close and personal with the jack-o'-lantern.

Can you even see Tonks in these? She's there, being all cute and kooky.

Our housemates Toby and Winky, who own my sister, also wanted to participate. Toby decided to do so from his beloved space station toy. The jack-o'-lantern happily creeped on him.

Winky just went for a classic pose, but it's still frightfully festive, so that's fine with me.

I of course didn't want to leave my sweet angel pup Astrid out of our Halloween post, so I went back and found a photo of her posing with that very jack-o'-lantern above.

Fun fact: Astrid was actually tied to the coffee table in that there photo. This was just a week or so after her surgery to repair a torn CCL (the dog equivalent of the ACL), and she wasn't allowed to jump or run or do much of anything. She didn't like being in her cage or otherwise majorly confined while we were home, but we learned that if we tied her leash to the coffee table, she was happy to sit on the floor and behave herself. And, she was indeed about to eat a cookie in the shape of a witch hat, with Evan as a spectator.

***

Last year I shared this here Halloween image, which contains all of the doodles I scribbled up of my furry babies in Halloween costumes.

This year, my kitties reprised those roles, but in a far more cozy Halloween night setting.

Our housemates Toby and Winky are not in that drawing, but they still got a new doodle for this Halloween. We'll be sharing it very soon, in addition to a number of other similar new doodles, as we will be continuing the spooky holiday for a few more days.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

***

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 with 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!

Thankful Thimble Thursday with a Janky Jack

It's the eve of Halloween. Does that make it All Hallows' Eve Eve? Anyway, Thimble is of course here and ready to share some festive photos for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful that she makes our Halloween decor look cute. Even this spooky pumpkin fellow looks good thanks to the cute little tabby beside him.

As a side note, that jug in the background behind Thimble is Accel. Well, that's actually its old name. It's now called Rescue. It's a cleaner we used at the vet clinic I used to work at, and I now use it at home to clean litter boxes, kitty messes on the floor, and all that jazz. It kills all sorts of microbes, and since you can see it in that photo, I'd just thought I'd mention it.

Now, back to the creepy stuff. The jack-o'-lantern in these photos has been through it. He's a bit of a janky jack. He's the pumpkin decor that is often put in places where the kitties go most often, and so he's been puked on, has had food spilled on him, and all that jazz. I've even spilled paint on him. He's lived a rough life, and he looks it.

Thimble is thankful that this pumpkin pal is friendly, though, despite his less-than-friendly-looking face.

You'll be seeing lots more of that jack tomorrow, as he helped all the kitties during their photo shoots for our Halloween day post.

***

Now, how about the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Halloween 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 like pumpkin _________.

2. My favorite movie to watch around Halloween is _________.

3. If I could meet any Halloween creature, I'd choose _________.

4. I'd like a Halloween treat basket filled with _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

I still have a number of new Halloween doodles to share with you all, and we will of course be extending Halloween for a few days into November. That said, today I'm actually going to share a flashback in the same vein as tomorrow's new Halloween drawing. In honor of my favorite way to spend Halloween night, I always try to draw at least one kooky but cozy Halloween scene. I love spending Halloween night watching Halloween and other frightfully festive movies, of course while snacking on far too much candy. Because of that, a couple years ago I scribbled up this doodle, starring my kitties as well as Astrid, my sweet pup who is now an angel.

***

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.

Woof Woof Wednesday with Angel Astrid Starring as Chucky

Today, we have for you my sweet angel Astrid from one of her photo shoots from last Halloween. I'd gotten her a particular costume a year or two earlier but had never taken many photos of her in it. I'm so glad I remedied that last year.

Astrid was never a huge fan of costumes, but she was the sweetest, most tolerant girl about letting me dress her up for a few minutes to get photos of her adorableness.

In case anyone isn't sure, this costume is of the serial killing doll named Chucky form the movie Child's Play. Astrid was and always will be the cutest Chucky I've ever met.

Angel Astrid and all of us here wish you a wonderfully wacky Wednesday!

***

Spooky Doodle of the Day

We have another new doodle in our series starring my parents' kitties in Halloween costumes. Today we have two pretty sisters named Freya and Gemma. Since they are indeed a sister duo, I used them to Halloweenify the creepy twin girls from The Shining.

***

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.

Another Haunted Tonks Tuesday

Halloween is this week. You're probably already well aware of that, but Tonks is reminding everyone since she's found herself extra haunted this week. After all, ghosts and ghouls are coming out of every shadow.

At least our ghost is friendly. And at least he didn't steal Tonks's sunray. She's not too keen on sharing her beloved sunrays.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a terrifyingly terrific Tuesday!

***

Spooky Doodle of the Day

You were supposed to get a brand new doodle today, one of the drawings starring some of my parents' kitties in their Halloween costumes. I didn't get my newest batch of doodles scanned and uploaded yet, though, in no small part because my poor boy Evan started having another cystitis flare yesterday, and that's gotten pretty messy. I'm getting the poor little fella sorted out, though, and we'll be back to new doodles tomorrow. For today, how about this haunted reading drawing from last year?

***

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.

Mancat Monday with Evan, Pumpkin Pals, and the Blob

It's that time of year when, no matter where he goes, Evan stumbles upon a ghost or jack-o'-lantern or other Halloween whatnot. Lately, Evan has met lots of pumpkin pals.

The poor boy can't even walk through the living room without getting waylaid by these orange fellows.

And not even at his beloved back door can Evan get some peace from the jack-o'-lantern mob.

Don't worry, Evan eventually got to enjoy his window without the company of any pumpkins. My boy is such a good sport letting me snap so many shots of him with my random Halloween goodies.

Evan wishes you all a spookily magnificent Monday!

***

Spooky Doodle of the Day

As I mentioned last week, I've been drawing my parents' cats in various Halloween costumes. Today, though, their kitty Foggy isn't really in a costume. He sort of, well, is the costume.

This is another one my dad suggested. Foggy is a bit on the bigger side, what with him being 26 lbs, and so my dad's idea was for me to draw Foggy as the Blob. So, I did just that.

I'd like to add that Foggy is an incredibly sweet and affectionate boy. He's very open to being held and hugged, and with so much of him to love, I hold and hug him as often as I can.

***

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 Purrfect Pennywise

I recently mentioned how, after creating doodles of all of my furry babies in Halloween costumes last year, I'm now doing the same thing for my parents' cats. I started planning these last year, before my parents lost their sweet boy Talon, who is one of my girl Thimble's littermates. You better believe I'm still including sweet Talon, though, and so here he is as none other than Pennywise the clown from Stephen King's It.

Just like Trapper in his T-Rex on Thursday, this costume for Talon was my dad's idea. I'm not entirely sure his reasoning, though it might have been Talon's build or possibly his eagerness to lure and befriend everyone he met. Either way, Talon being Pennywise was one of the first recommendations my dad gave when I told him I was drawing his kitties in Halloween costumes. Talon is the purrfect Pennywise, because Talon was and always will be the perfect kitty.

Happy Caturday, friends!

***

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 should they 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 play with them in the house, whichever is better suited for your particular furbaby, prior to sequestering them somewhere safe and away from the door on Halloween night in the event your plans require that.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Friendly Ghost

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. My hometown is _________.

2. October is a good time to _________.

3. If I saw the ghost of _________, I would _________.

4. You couldn't pay me to wear a _________ costume.


My answers are below in bold. 

1. My hometown is still my home.
(I will admit there are some things about my hometown of which I'm not a fan, but one big pro that keeps me here is that it's not a huge city with terrible commutes, but it's big enough to have a hospital and emergency vet, many options of stores and restaurants, and even a university, which I attended and so didn't even have to move away for college. My parents' hometown, where I still often visit family, is very small and only has one store, only one vet with very limited hours, no nearby hospital and only minimal doctor availability otherwise, and so on and so forth. While I find the idea of a small town sweet and quaint, I think I'd be a nervous wreck simply knowing I'd have to travel nearly an hour if my furry babies or myself had an emergency. I'd also be a nervous wreck if I had to wait in crazy traffic every day, though, and so I really appreciate the ideal size of my hometown.)

2. October is a good time to enjoy nature.
(With cooler weather and gorgeous autumnal foliage, October is one of my favorite months of the year to be outside. It doesn't hurt that there's also the occasional Halloween decoration to enjoy on walks and the like, as that makes me quite happy.)

3. If I saw the ghost of the Headless Horseman, I would snap a pic and skedaddle.
(After thinking about this one for a bit, I decided to go fictional. I enjoy the imagery and spookiness of the Headless Horseman, and if I saw his ghost for myself I'd really want photographic evidence. But, I'd also be quick to get away from the angry fellow.)

4. You couldn't pay me to wear a non-cat costume.
(As much as I love Halloween, I myself lam not big on wearing costumes. That said, I have a black cat onesie that I wear while handing out candy every year, and I quite enjoy that. Beyond my kitty costume, though, I'm not wearing one.)

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.

***

Today, Eddy is again hanging out with our ghostly pal. They decided to do some window watching together, though perhaps Eddy didn't really have a say in the matter.

Eddy wishes you all some not-so-spooky window views today!

***

Spooky Doodle of the Day

Yesterday was my parents' 38th wedding anniversary, but I forgot to share the card I scribbled up for them. So, you get it today. They got married in October, and so I always force a Halloweenish card on them. They also unintentionally got married on National Horror Movie Day, so they have no one to blame but themselves.

My dad isn't always the most outwardly festive individual, but he and I really enjoy watching horror movies together, so he's represented by the cat on the left dressed as Art the Clown from the Terrifier movie series, which is gratuitously gory and so I recommend it to no one. My mom is far more festive and has an actual inflatable T-Rex costume she wears some Halloweens, so that explains that.

***

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 porch 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 porch light on when your 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 porch 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.

Thankful Thursday with Thimble and a T(abby)-Rex

It's Thursday, and you better believe Thimble is ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for spooky toys. She's also thankful for glamour shots in the sun, for which she's always happy to pose.

You can barely see the toys in that lighting, though, so Thimble did agree to a slightly dimmer version as well.

In case you still can't tell, those toys are in the shape of a piece of Halloween candy, a ghostly donut, and a rotten banana. The kitties got those for past Halloweens, and I've already bought their new goodies for this Halloween. I probably get them new toys for holidays more for me than for them, but if it makes them happy for even a couple minutes, I'm good with that.

Oh, and if you're curious which of those three toys Thimble prefers, it's the rotten banana. I believe it's a CatLadybox toy, and it has a level of catnip that Thimble finds perfect. She loves the regular nip nanners, so it's only fitting for her to like the rotten version as well.

***

Now, how about the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? Yes, let's share those. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. My hometown is _________.

2. October is a good time to _________.

3. If I saw the ghost of _________, I would _________.

4. You couldn't pay me to wear a _________ costume.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Spooky Doodle of the Day

For Halloween last year, I drew individual doodles of each of my furry babies in costumes. The doodle I'll be sharing on Halloween itself this year will star all of my kitties as well as pup Astrid in those costumes again, but that's another week away. This year, I'm working on doodles starring all of my parents' kitties in Halloween costumes. Today you get one of Thimble's littermates, that being her big boy of a twin named Trapper. He gets to be none other than a dinosaur.

I started planning these doodles last Halloween, and my dad was getting into it and giving me ideas. He suggested his boy Trapper be a T-Rex, and I thought that sounded perfect.

***

Tip of the Day

Today's tips is another one to help keep anxious or excitable furbabies calm and safe on Halloween night. This tip involves a couple more things you can do in order to help your kitty or pup from becoming scared or agitated when trick-or-treaters are active. For example, if your cat or dog is scared or becomes excited at the sound of the doorbell, then one option is to disconnect it on Halloween night. If you hand out candy on Halloween, you can also use options such as placing the candy dish outside for trick-or-treaters to grab some loot themselves, sitting outside to hand out candy, or simply staying near the door and watching for trick-or-treaters so that they won't need to knock or ring the doorbell. As we've mentioned in previous tips, there are still ways to enjoy Halloween and its festivities while also keeping your kitty or pup as calm and safe as possible. This might mean taking some extra precautions and finding a method that works for you and your furbaby, but it is doable.

Adventures with Angel Astrid the Dino Dog

Over the past few weeks, I've shared some flashbacks of my sweet angel pup Astrid wearing the jack-o'-lantern sweater I got her a couple years ago. Way before that, though, Astrid used to wear a dinosaur costume every Halloween. She outgrew it when she got a bit chunky, even after my seamstress of a mom altered it for her a few times. But, I do have some photos to share of her wearing it on a walk one Halloween day many years ago.

The costume had a head attachment, but pup Astrid wasn't a big fan of it and so I didn't make her wear it.

The collar part of this costume would also light up. I know I have a photo of that somewhere, but I can't find it at this moment. Either way, my precious pup was so very adorable in her dino costume, and people in the neighborhood always got a kick out of seeing her in it.

Wishing you all a frightfully festive Wednesday!

***

Spooky Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is one I just finished the other day, knowing I'd be sharing the flashback photos above. So, here's my scribbled up version of pup Astrid the dino dog. Doodled up pup Astrid was a bit more willing to wear the head of the costume.

***

Tip of the Day

Yesterday, we mentioned keeping your kitty or pup in a safe area of the home in order to avoid any escapes out the front door during Halloween night festivities. Today, we're offering some additional methods you might be able to use to help keep a furbaby as safe, happy, and comfortable as possible on Halloween night. These tips are the most beneficial to furbabies who are scared of the doorbell, knocks at the door, and any other noises and happenings that Halloween might bring with it.

To begin, you can help make a nervous or uncertain furbaby feel more secure during the hustle and bustle of trick-or-treaters by closing windows and drawing blinds or curtains, to mask some of the sights and sounds of the spooky festivities. In addition, you can play music or turn on the TV or a movie to help further drown out sounds that might alarm a kitty or pup. Some furbabies might even be distracted by some treats, or by a play session with you or an interactive toy. In some cases, a cat or dog with higher levels of anxiety might benefit from the use of calming products like a pheromone spray or diffuser, or even a Thundershirt or similar makeshift item to make them feel secure. Or, some cats and dogs would simply do well to have access to a safe hiding place in a safe area of the home, where they can ride out Halloween night. The important thing is to consider your particular kitty or pup's personality and behaviors, and then, as needed, determine what distractions or other techniques might best help them feel safe and secure on Halloween night.

Tonks Tuesday with a Pumpkin Pal

Halloween is just around the corner, and so Tonks has been finding herself quite festively hanging out with all sorts of kooky friends.

There's a bit of a seasonal clash in this photo, since Tonks is sitting next to her pumpkin pal while posing on one of her Christmas scratchers. Perhaps she's reminding me that I haven't yet watched The Nightmare Before Christmas this season, so I need to get on that.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a terrifyingly terrific Tuesday!

***

Spooky Doodle(s) of the Day

Today's doodle is another new Halloween one starring Hobo, the paralyzed kitty from the silly fantasy book I'm having fun scribbling up. For certain reasons, it co-stars my parents' sweet angel tuxie Talon.

In this story, there's a spooky cat café called Graveyard Dishes & Hisses. The doodle above is an illustration of the first time Hobo and his human find themselves at the café, which occurs on Halloween itself.

Around this time last year, I had just come up with the idea of Graveyard Dishes & Hisses. I immediately scribbled up a doodle of how I envisioned the sign you might see outside its door. I'll go ahead and share that doodle again right now, because why not.

***

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. 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.

Mancat Monday with Evan the Art Assistant and Michael Myers on Wheels

Evan is my little shadow. I love that so much about him. No matter where I go in the house, he's there with me. That means if I'm trying to scribble up some art on the couch, my boy is right by my side. He's my little art assistant, you could say, and he has indeed been helping me with this year's Halloween doodles.

I realize I don't often give sneak peeks of my in-progress doodles, but today you're getting two of them. The one above has actually been fully completed since that photo was snapped, and you'll be seeing its completed version this week. The one below I'm still working on, and I realize how wild it looks even just in pencil form.

We have lots of Halloween doodles to share over the next couple of weeks. I have quite a few of them finished, but still some to polish off. I love drawing this time of the year, as I'm a big fan of the subject matter.

Wishing you all a magnificently spooky Monday!

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Spooky Doodle of the Day

For this weekend's Caturday Art blog hop, I shared a doodle from last year starring a kitty character from the wacky fantasy novel I'm writing. In that one, the kitty was of course in a Halloween setting, as the story does indeed kick off on the spooky day itself. Today's doodle is another one starring that kitty, whose name is Hobo, but this time he's donning none other than a Michael Myers costume.

Believe it or not, that there Hobo was inspired by my Evan. I wish my boy would let me strap him to a wheelchair, but he's vehemently opposed to wearing anything at all.

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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 least bright colors, 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.