Merry Twelfth Day of Christmas!

Merry Twelfth Day of Christmas, friends!

You better believe we've still been getting festive over here. Our trees and other Christmas decor are still up, and we're still watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music.

Evan decided to go for a few partial shots of his handsome face, because what's more festively artsy than that?

We do still have a couple more festive posts to share this week. After all, though today is the Twelfth Day of Christmas, tomorrow is the Epiphany, or Three Kings' Day. That's the day when the three Magi, or Wise Men, visited baby Jesus and gifted him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In some cultures, little gifts are exchanged on that day as well, and I started doing that with my family a few years ago in order to extend the festive fun.

Merry Twelfth Day of Christmas to all!

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Festive Doodle of the Day

I got a couple of my new Christmas doodles finished up, scanned, and uploaded this weekend. I had a few belated Christmas gift doodles to finish up as well, and while I'm glad I got those completed, they did keep me from getting to all of the forgotten Christmas doodles I'd hoped to finish. That's okay, though, and you'll get to see those gift drawings I scribbled up very soon as well.

All that said, one of the new Christmas doodles I finally finished relates to the story I've been having fun writing. I've mentioned it a few times over the past year or two, and there are indeed some Christmas scenes in the part of the story I'm working on. This is the story I've mentioned that stars the extra special kitty named Hobo, who was heavily inspired by my own Evan. He of course gets some Christmas gifts from his human, which he finds under their makeshift Christmas tree.

The concept of their living conditions does play a role in the story, especially in the beginning. What's more, I included those details because I never want to forget where I came from. My family comes from very humble beginnings. The star on Hobo's tree in that drawing is based on the star that topped my family's early Christmas trees, and that star was a piece of cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil. I honestly love that. You might not always have something fancy or perfect, but you can always find a way to make the magic happen.

That's a lot of rambling. My apologies. I'll stop now. Yet again, Merry Twelfth Day of Christmas!

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Tip of the Day

Something that comes along with offering outdoor ferals and strays shelter, which we previously discussed, is warmth. There are a great many considerations to make when it comes to offering warmth to ferals on cold winter days. We'll start with considering the size of the space the cat will be occupying, such as the size of the shelter you have for ferals and strays, as that affects how heat is trapped. Shelters should of course be large enough to fit one or a couple cats, or even a few cats if you care for that many who get along. At the same time, though, the shelter should be small enough that cold air does not easily circulate throughout it. A shelter that is not too large will better trap and insulate heat. Another consideration to make when it comes to the shelter's construction and heat retention is the doorway. Though you don't want to block entry or exit or make ferals feel trapped inside a shelter, try your best to block drafts from entering through doorways. If possible, keep entrances faced away from the wind and drafts, such as by facing the doorways toward a wall of your house or other building, so that the shelter's entrance won't directly face open air.

In addition to the warmth that a shelter itself can offer, there are more direct heat sources that can be put out for ferals and strays. One simple option includes heating pads or beds that do not directly produce heat themselves, but that instead contain material that allows the bed to radiate heat. There are beds on the market that are said to warm to approximately the animal's body temperature when they are lying on it. There are also electric heating pads and heated beds that do indeed produce heat, allowing for immediate access to a warm place to sleep. Of course, always be cautious and aware of the dangers of burns and fires when electricity and heat comes into play, and go the safest route possible. That being said, also keep in mind that any bedding made with fabric, whether heated or not, can become and remain wet as well as dirty, and therefore can prevent a cat from wanting to use it. We'll further discuss bedding material in an outdoor shelter in tomorrow's tip.

All of the above being said, you can also go for heat lamps or some form of space heater to use inside an outdoor cat shelter. This is of course yet another option you have to research, though, to ensure that you get one that is safe for outdoor use, and that will be the most practical to prevent burns, fires, and so forth. All in all, when it comes to providing heating sources for outdoor ferals and strays, do your research and take all precautions possible. Always be aware of the dangers of burns or fires when it comes to electricity and heat, and choose and use heating sources accordingly and wisely.