Friendly Fill-Ins, Adorable Eddy, and the Letter J

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. Once in a while, I manage to _________.

2. The weirdest thing in my home is _________.

3. I wish I had access to _________ so that I could _________.

4. It's never too late to _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. Once in a while, I manage to check everything off of my daily to-do.
(My long-term to-do list is still thoroughly incomplete. But, I often make daily to-do lists for myself, and there are the occasional times where I manage to check everything off of it. I love those days. There's just something about checking off every box on a to-do list.)

2. The weirdest thing in my home is my sketchbook.
(I feel like my contributions to this year's April A to Z Challenge are evidence enough of this fact. Those drawings are based off of a story I'm writing, so the Word documents on my computer are also some of the weirdest things in my home.)

3. I wish I had access to a degree in veterinary medicine so that I could diagnose and treat my furry family myself.
(I'm really happy with our regular vet. That said, sometimes I wish I had a veterinary medicine degree so that I could fully take care of my kitties and pup at any given moment. Having easy access to all the medications they need and that sort of thing would be so very helpful. Sure, I could go back to school for that vet degree, but the reality is that would be an incredibly stressful and even more expensive endeavor that doesn't currently align with my ultimate goals. So, at least we have a wonderful vet.)

4. It's never too late to work toward your dreams.
(I almost put that it's never too late to panic, as I've heard that quote before and I sometimes feel that sentiment all the way down to my soul. But, let's instead go for it never being too late to work toward your dreams. Not everything will be perfectly attainable in every season of life, but it's always possible to reach for those dreams in some capacity.)

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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Now, of course, we have today's edition of the April A to Z Challenge. 

I'm yet again here to explain 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.

So, we've reached the letter J, and that stands for Jerry. This is one of those perhaps especially odd doodles for this month, as Jerry is an ogre. That doesn't bother Hobo, though.

Jerry is an officer of some sort of law, hence his uniform and badge. And his badge is indeed shaped like a gravestone, for a reason. Oh, and Jerry the ogre is not the last unorthodox character you'll be seeing this month. This upcoming Monday's post will involve another different sort of someone, just to name one weird upcoming example.

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Now, who's ready for their Eddy fix? Oh, you all are? Well, here go you.

Just look at that face. And those gorgeous eyes!

And that snaggletooth!

Not many people get to see Eddy outside of photos, as she's easily my most skittish cat and hides whenever anyone comes to my house. But, at least I can share her adorableness with others through photos.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Tip of the Day

 

A couple days ago, we talked about ear mites. These mites are not the only kind that can infest our pups and kitties, though. As many of you likely already know, there are other mites that can affect the skin of our furbabies.

There are a number of different mites that can affect our pups or kitties. In dogs, mites that cause sarcoptic mange are perhaps most common, and are also highly contagious between dogs and also to humans. Mites that cause demodectic mange are perhaps a bit less common, as a healthy immune system can often suppress them, and they are also far less contagious. Cats have certain mites that more commonly affect them, such as cheyletiella mites and mites that cause notoedric mange. Both of these are contagious, similarly to the mites that cause sarcoptic mange.

No matter the species of your furbaby, they can potentially be affected by mites. Depending on the type of mite, as well as the pup or kitty's overall health and the severity of the infestation, you might see a variety of symptoms. When it comes to mites and mange, keep an eye out for itching and scratching, hair loss, scabs or scaly skin, and discoloration of the skin, just to name a few.

If you think you see any signs related to mites, or signs of any dermatological issue, have your furbaby seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Not only is itching and scratching uncomfortable, but lesions and secondary infections can result. Left untreated, mites and their side effects can become a risk not only to your furbaby's comfort and happiness, but also to their health.

All of that being said, keep in mind that treatment for mites will likely not only include medications prescribed by your veterinarian. Mites will also need to be eradicated from the environment. You may need to pitch bedding and rugs, or at the very least efficiently wash them in hot water. Do whatever it takes to ensure that your furbaby and their environment is as sanitary and safe as possible, so that they can live a happy, healthy life.