Adventures with Astrid and the Letter H

We're of course ready for another alphabetical day in the April A to Z Challenge.

I'll yet again say that some of my favorite things in life are cats, drawing, writing, and the fantasy genre. And so, my A to Z contributions this year will be illustrations for a weird and wacky fantasy story I'm currently writing. This story co-stars a hind limb paralyzed orange tabby cat named Hobo, and this month you'll get to go along on some of his adventures.

Today we're at the letter H, which stands for Harold. Now, this is one of those doodles that, while quite simple in composition, is not only downright weird but also a bit complicated to explain. After all, Harold is a goat, but not a true goat. He's a tattoo that ends up on the palm of Hobo's human, but not because she asked for it or sought it out. None of this makes sense, and I'm fully aware of that. So, meet Harold.

Though he's a tattoo, Harold does indeed enjoy screaming just like those real, in-the-fur goats out there. It's quite inconvenient for Hobo and his human at times.

Also, I drew that doodle something like a year ago. Some of the other doodles you're seeing this month were also scribbled up many, many months ago. That's how long ago some of the ideas for this wacky story came to me. As for that there doodle, I wanted to envision what Harold might look like. I get quite stressed when drawing anything human, including hands, so creating the above just about did me in.

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Now, of course, you get to go on a little adventure with none other than pup Astrid.

Those two photos make it look like Astrid just struts and strolls her whole way through her walks. To be honest, though, most of her walks looks like this:

Astrid loves to stop and sniff, well, everything. I always tell her that she doesn't have to sniff every single blade of grass, but she thoroughly disagrees with me.

I always try to be patient and let Astrid sniff to her little 12-year-old heart's content, but that often means that we'll stand in one spot for many, many minutes. Sometimes Astrid and her arthritic legs will only want to go around the block, but we'll still be gone for over half an hour because her nose simply can't let anything go without a good sniff.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Tip of the Day

We're in the midst of tips regarding parasites and their prevention. We have so far covered heartworms, fleas, tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. Now, today, it's all about those ear mites.

As is probably obvious, ear mites affect the ears, living primary in the ear canal. For what it's worth, ear mites are more commonly seen in cats, making dogs the luckier, less typical victims of these buggers. Ear mites can be spread directly from cat to cat.

Now, what will you notice if your cat, or dog, has an ear mite infestation? Your furbaby's ears will itch, they will scratch at them, there can therefore be inflammation in the area, and they may even shake their heads or hold their ears low due to the irritation. You also may see dark, brownish debris in the ears, which is commonly described as resembling coffee grounds.

If you do see any of the above symptoms in your kitty or pup, have them seen by a veterinarian. Ear mites can ultimately lead to secondary ear infections and other similar issues, so taking care of them is of course best for your furbaby's health and happiness. Your veterinarian can test for ear mites by swabbing the ears and looking at the debris under a microscope.

When it comes to treatment, it is of course best to use medications prescribed directly by your veterinarian. There are drops or other treatments that can offer a relatively fast-acting eradication of the ear mites. In addition, there are monthly preventatives that cover ear mites. These can typically help take care of existing mites, as well as prevent a future ear mite infestation. Discuss any and all such options with your veterinarian, especially if your furbaby is largely outdoors and potentially more susceptible to such infestations.