Thankful Thimble Thursday and the Letter C

We're finally here and ready for another late post in the April A to Z Challenge. I'm still waiting on the computer repair shop to finish up with my laptop, so that I can get a bunch of these posts prepped and scheduled at home, but for now I'm working on these posts during breaks at work. That said, today we have the letter C.

Let me repeat myself again and 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.

These first few days of doodles are especially non-fantastical in nature, but they do relate to some of my favorite things, so I don't mind that. But, back to the letter C, which stands for classic rock, or even good ol' cassettes and cassette players.

Fictional Hobo's equally fictional human lady loves her some classic rock. Probably because I love me some classic rock, and so I wanted to throw it into the story, because why not. The symbol on that cassette was inspired by that of the real classic rock band Blue Ӧyster Cult. They created one of my all-time favorite songs, that being "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". So, I had to put in that little homage to them.

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And now, Thimble is of course here for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful that she's the most gorgeous distraction when her silly mom tries to watch TV instead of staring at the tabby cuteness.

I quite enjoy Thimble's company when I'm watching TV, even if that means she's blocking the show or movie I'm watching. Honestly, just look at that adorable tabby face. Is that not way better than a TV? Thimble and I both believe it is.

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Now, of course, we have 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 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 _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Tip of the Day

As we've been saying over the past couple of days, April is Heartworm Awareness Month. This is why we are repeating an old series of heartworm tips. Yesterday we discussed some of the potential symptoms of heartworm disease. Today's tip is a simple one grounded in a bit of common sense. And that is, if your kitty or pup is showing signs of potential heartworm disease, or if you have any concern regarding the disease for any reason, of course schedule an appointment for your furbaby to be seen by their veterinarian as soon as possible. Furthermore, this is the time to discuss heartworm testing with your veterinarian, and of course to ask questions as needed to understand the process.

That being said, keep in mind that there is a relatively simple heartworm blood test for dogs. It is recommended that this testing be done at least annually, or as needed. On the other hand, testing for heartworms is not as easily done in cats. We will discuss this a bit further tomorrow, but typical blood tests for heartworms do not always offer as definitive results in cats as they do in dogs. In cats, a heartworm antigen or heartworm antibody test can be done. Another option is to have imaging done, such as chest x-rays. Though not always simple or easy, as long as you and your veterinarian work together, it is possible to determine if your kitty has heartworms. So, if you have any concern whatsoever that your kitty, or your pup, might be risk for heartworm disease, do not hesitate to schedule a vet visit for testing.