Friendly Fill-Ins, the Letter D, and Eddy's Outtakes

Today, we're going to start with the 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. My April to-do list includes _________ and _________.

2. I only _________ because _________.

3. I'd like to swap jobs with _________ for a day.

4. I can't go to _________ without _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. My April to-do list includes working on art projects and celebrating kitty birthdays.

(I have lots of drawing and writing and other artistic projects I want to continue working on, including finishing the last few drawings in my April A to Z series. What's more, many kitties in my family celebrate birthdays in April. My Tonks, Evan, and Eddy all celebrate birthdays this month, as does our housemate Winky. A couple of my parents' kitties also celebrate birthdays this month, so there will be much celebrating going on.)

2. I only buy baby food because Thimble likes it.
(I don't have a baby, or any kids at all. Yet, for 10 years now, I've been buying baby food simply because Thimble likes it. This all started a decade ago when my geriatric, now angel Rosie took her medications in baby food. Back then, kitten Thimble smelled said baby food and wanted a taste, and she's loved it ever since.)

3. I'd like to swap jobs with my favorite author for a day.
(I can't even describe how long I sat here trying to think of an answer for this one. I don't think this is really the answer I wanted to put, though at the same time, I couldn't think of anything more accurate. I love reading, and I've always wanted to be an author of some sort, a goal I'm still working on. And so, I'd honestly just like to see what goes on in a day for an author whose books I enjoy.)

4. I can't go to the bathroom without a cat...or two or three.
(Personal space and boundaries don't exist when you have kitties. I'm never alone, not even in the bathroom, and honestly, that's okay.)

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, how about a new letter for the April A to Z Challenge?

Today I will again preface our alphabetical doodles by saying 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've reached the letter D, and that stands for dogs. Hobo does indeed make some canine friends along the way.

I have admittedly not totally settled on a name for that giant pup you see with Hobo above. Currently, I'm calling him Pyg, for reasons that only make sense in my head. You'll actually see that big boy again in just a few letters of the alphabet.

Pyg-or-whatever-his-name-is is not the only dog Hobo befriends, though. There's also a certain fluffy-butted gal named Bunny.

I love corgis, and so I decided to toss one of them into this story. Oh, and Bunny the corgi can talk.

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Are you ready for your Eddy fix? Though it's not the official day for outtakes, that's still what you get from this blooper queen.

Eddy is one of those cats who wants to get up and move around and just generally not sit still whatsoever when her human is around. That's all fine and adorable, except for when I really want to get a picture of her adorableness. Sometimes I try using her beloved treats to get her to sit still. But, as you can see, that tactic really doesn't work all that well.

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

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Tip of the Day

Today, we have the last tip in our repeat series of heartworm tips. This is because April is Heartworm Awareness Month. So, the final such tip is below.

Today’s tip is a very long one, and it relates to a fact that especially all cat parents really should know. And this is that there is currently no true treatment for heartworms in cats. There are treatments available for dogs that can kill the adult heartworms, but this does not work the same for cats. One reason for this is that the drug used to treat heartworms in dogs has been found, in some cases, to cause sudden death in cats. This is often due to dead or dying heartworms causing blockages and cardiac failure. Another reason why treatments may not work is because the life cycle of a heartworm is different in a dog versus a cat.

In dogs, the lifespan of a heartworm is longer, around five to seven years. This lifespan includes larvae entering the body after a mosquito bite, traveling to the heart, and then growing into mature, reproducing adults. Dogs are an optimal host for heartworms.

In cats, the heartworm lifespan is far shorter, often two to three years. What’s more, cats are not a prime host for heartworms, and a cat’s body itself often overcomes the heartworms, typically before they can even enter into adulthood. This is why far less adult heartworms are found in cats than are found in dogs. Even immature heartworms, which are typically what would circulate in the blood and be indicative of disease in a canine heartworm test, are often not found in the blood of cats. This is why cats are less commonly diagnosed with heartworm disease. Then again, though, it is not impossible for a cat to have heartworm disease, and in this case, heartworms cannot be killed as they can in dogs.

For cats, one of the only options for a cure is to have the heartworms surgically removed. This, of course, can be tricky and risky. Symptoms of the disease can also perhaps be controlled and the cat made comfortable with various medications and supportive treatments. Given that a cat might be able to outlive the heartworms, it is possible to treat the symptoms while the heartworms go through their cycle and ultimately die. As mentioned earlier, though, heartworms can live for two to three years in a cat, and there is still always the risk of pulmonary or cardiac failure while the heartworms remain.

With such limited treatment options for heartworms in cats, it is incredibly important to again note that the best option is to keep your cats on heartworm prevention. The risk of heartworm disease might seem small, but it is a risk nonetheless. And, just as always, it is better to be safe than sorry.

And, there is one last note for pup parents. Though there is a more successful heartworm treatment for dogs, heartworm disease can cause permanent damage. This can lead to lifelong issues, such as of the heart and lungs, even after the heartworms are eradicated. For this reason, heartworm prevention is of course also recommended for dogs.