Pawprints in the Snow with Angel Astrid

I was going through old wintry photos of my sweet angel Astrid, and I found lots more involving her pawprints.

See that 3-toed pawprint we also showed off a couple weeks ago?

We used to have a Great Pyrenees dog living near us, and if you don't know, that's a pretty darn big breed of dog. In the photo below, Astrid's pawprint is on the right, and the pawprint of the Great Pyrenees is on the left. For a bit more reference, Astrid reached nearly 90 lbs and was far from a small dog.

We don't just see adorable dog prints around here, though. Astrid and I more than once found lots and lots of duck prints by the creek that runs through our neighborhood. See the webbed prints surrounding Astrid in the photo below?

And the last photo below not only stars Astrid's adorable paw, but tiny prints of a rodent on the left, a possum's prints in the middle, and kitty's pawprints on the right.

That was photo was snapped in our back yard. The kitty's prints either belonged to the neighbor kitty or one of the ferals I feed in my yard. And, since I feed kitties in my yard, we do indeed get lots of possum visitors.

Warm wishes to all!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I have drawn a number of wintry doodles of my angel Astrid in sweaters over the years, so here's yet another one. I'm pretty sure this was the doodle I scribbled up for the sweet girl's birthday last year.

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Tip of the Day

For today's Spay/Neuter Awareness Month tip, we're discussing how it is important to be aware of your cat or dog's age and size, and to have them spayed or neutered at an appropriate, safe, effective time of their kittenhood or puppyhood. This is important, for one, because cats can potentially become pregnant as early as 4 or so months of age. Dogs fall not far behind that, with the potential for becoming pregnant at 5 or so months old. Should your kitten or puppy get loose, this means they could come back pregnant even at such a young age.

In addition, spaying or neutering your furbaby before they go through their first estrus or pregnancy will give them the best chance of remaining free from related health issues later in life, such as mammary cancer. Spaying or neutering before their first cycle can also help to potentially reduce the display of certain behaviors, such as spraying. Though certain such health or behavioral issues can still arise even if a furbaby is spayed or neutered, having this surgery performed before their first cycle can reduce the risk.

So, then, when should you have your cat or dog spayed or neutered? The short answer is to discuss this with your veterinarian. Ultimately, it depends on the individual animal's overall health and development. For typical, healthy kittens and puppies, the AVMA has endorsed spaying and neutering as early as two month of age, and/or when the kitten or puppy has reached two pounds. Many shelters and rescues follow this practice. Some veterinarians will prefer to wait a little longer, such as when the kitten or puppy has reached 3, 4, or even 5 months of age. Essentially, a veterinarian will best be able to determine when is the best time for your furbaby to be safely and effectively spayed or neutered, so of course discuss this with a professional.