Happy Birthday, Angel Homer, Kipper, Josie, and Iris!

I know Tuesdays are usually Tonks's day to post, but she's willing to step aside today for some birthday kitties. My parents' rescued a litter of 4 kittens almost 9 years ago. Sadly, one of the kitties passed away just under two weeks ago. His name was Homer, and we shared a post about him the day after he passed. We miss this sweet and handsome boy so much, but we'll never forget him. We hope you're having the best birthday ever up there, Homer!

Homer also loved showing off his belly. He was one of the rare kitties who loved tummy rubs without it being a trap.

We love you, Homer, always and forever!

Homer seemingly passed away from a sudden, undetected cardiac event, and since he left behind 3 full litter mates that could possibly be affected by anything genetic, a necropsy was done. The results indicated that he did indeed pass away from the cardiac condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This is one of the leading causes of death in cats Homer's age, and in many cases there are no symptoms until the kitty suddenly passes away.

My parents took all 3 of Homer's litter mates to our vet for cardiac bloodwork as well as cardiac ultrasounds. As a side note, Homer was the only calm and collected kitty of this litter. His sisters are especially a bit, well, wild. So, taking all of the others was quite an ordeal. That said, thankfully, none of them are showing any signs of suffering from HCM. They had full exams and fresh bloodwork of all types that day, and they're all doing incredible. While me miss Homer terribly, we are thankful that he's looking out for his siblings and that they're all in good health.

Are you ready to see the other 3 birthday babies? We'll start with handsome Homer's equally handsome brother, that being Kipper.

Kipper is a very talkative little guy. Except he's not little. Aside from some Maine Coons I've known, Kipper is easily the tallest cat I've ever met. He is a very sweet boy and will gladly follow you around serenading you. Unfortunately, though, he does not like being held. That's okay, though. He's allowed to set boundaries.

Next up is one of Homer's sisters, and this one is Josie.

Josie can be pretty darn sassy, but she's cute and so that's permitted. What's more, Josie is 100% my dad's cat. While she tolerates my mom and my sister and myself and will let us pet her and all that, she loves her dad so much. And when she needs to go into a carrier or anything like that, the only person she'll let handle her in that way is my dad. She just loves him so much, and she often displays that love by getting on his lap and screaming in his face. They both seem to enjoy that so very much.

And last is Homer's other sister, that being Iris.

Iris is easily the most wild and skittish of this litter, but she's also my little buddy. When I visit my parents and watch TV at their house, she'll often come sit with me. When she's relaxed, she'll let you rest an arm on her and all that adorableness. If she's not relaxed, good luck touching her. Unlike her brothers, Iris is a tiny gal, but she packs a lot of personality and sass into that little body of hers. And I love that about her.

Homer, Kipper, Josie, and Iris were the born to a feral cat that would help herself into my uncle's house. He named her Scamp, and she had this litter of kittens inside of his house. We often refer to these 4 kitties as none other than the Scamps. They were around humans from day 1, and they came to live with my parents when they were only a few weeks old, none of which you would know by how hard they can be to handle. Well, except for sweet angel Homer, as he was incredibly laidback and easy to hold and do whatever you needed to do with him. I'm not sure why the other 3 can be so skittish, but they sure make it look like a feral, wild nature can be genetic, as their mama cat was just that. Josie looks just like their mom Scamp, in case you were curious.

Happy 9th Birthday, Homer, Kipper, Josie, and Iris! We love all of you, always and forever!

I unfortunately failed to get a birthday doodle completed for these cuties, so I pulled one I created years ago for my mom. It stars Homer, Kipper, Josie, and Iris, as well as my parents' kitties Trapper and Talon. Sadly, sweet Talon passed away last April, also about 2 weeks before his birthday, just like sweet Homer.

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Tip of the Day

Today is the last day of National Pet Poison Prevention Month. Since Easter is just around the corner, we're going to give you a summary of what Easter items to keep away from your furbaby, so that they do not end up at the emergency clinic around this springtime holiday.

First, keep those Easter lilies away from your kitties and pups! There are a number of lily types that are toxic to furbabies, Easter lilies being one of the most dangerous. Any part of the Easter lily can be toxic, even the pollen. Lily toxicity can lead to any number of life-threatening side effects, one of them being acute kidney failure. As you surely already know or can guess, it is simply safest to keep any and all lilies out of the home, well out of reach of your kitty or pup.

Other Easter goodies to keep away from your furbaby include chocolate, which is also toxic, as you all certainly already know. Don't forget the danger that other candies can pose as well, such as the sugar-free sort containing toxic xylitol. If you are giving or receiving Easter baskets that contain candies such as these, keep them well hidden away, so that hungry or curious furbabies cannot help themselves to a toxic snack.

It is also worth it to note the danger of Easter grass. This stringy, grass-like material often used as a filler in Easter baskets can be dangerous if ingested by a kitty or pup. It can lead to emergencies such as intestinal blockage, perforation, or laceration. Try not to use any such materials in Easter baskets. If you receive a basket with this dangerous fake grass material, keep it well out of your furbaby's reach and dispose of it safely.