Happy Birthday, Eddy! (...and the Letter Z)

We're starting today's post with a special announcement. Then again, the title of this post probably gave it away. But that doesn't matter, because it's my girl Eddy's 11th birthday!

This girl with gorgeous eyes is easily the most skittish, semi-feral cat I've ever shared my life with. And it's such an honor to be the one and only human she actually likes.

My girl Eddy is sweet and sassy, and I love it. I love her so much.

Though she still doesn't like being held (or majorly handled in any way, really), in recent years Eddy has gotten more into cuddling when we're in bed. That makes me so happy. I sometimes wake up to her giving in to her intrusive thoughts and kicking or biting my arm, but that's okay. She's my wild girl and I'm not going to dim her fire.

I adopted my girl Eddy as a special needs lady when she was about 10 weeks old. The rescue I got her from had trapped her, and she was one of many feral kitties from a colony out in the country. At the rescue, she started displaying neurological issues, including a head tilt and spinning in circles. They weren't sure if it was toxoplasmosis or an injury from when she was trapped. It's believed she was possibly injured by the trap, and she has been violently against cages and any form of containment since. Either way, I adopted Eddy when she still had a head tilt and still couldn't walk in a straight line. After a couple weeks of treatment and TLC, though, she started thriving.

To this day, Eddy has a permanent head tilt and right-sided facial nerve paralysis, which makes it so that her right eye can't blink (her third eyelid works just fine, though, so thankfully her eye does not dry out). That's also why her right canine so adorably sticks out, as you can see in her photos above. Neither of those features bother her, though, and she quickly grew into an active and athletic kitty and has remained that way even at 11 years old.

My sweet and sassy, Eddy, I hope you have the best day ever! I love you so, so, so much!

Just like I've done with my other kitties who have had birthdays this month, I'm sharing Eddy's birthday doodle from last year. All of my furry babies had Harry Potter-esque birthday celebrations in their drawings, and here's Eddy's.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EDDY!

***

And now we have the last day of the April A to Z Challenge.

I've spent 26 days this month sharing my own weird covers for some of my favorite books, all starring at least one cat or other animal. Today, of course, we've reached the letter Z. I have neither a book title nor an author name to go with this letter, so decided on going with zombie. And for that, because of the events of the book, I chose Pet Sematary by Stephen King.

[It's the last day for this broken record of a statement. Are you ready? Here we go one last time...Reminder/Disclaimer/whatever you want to call it: This is not a real, true cover of this book. My name is also decidedly not Stephen King, and so I am most certainly not the author of this book. I'm just someone who likes books and cats, and so I drew this unofficial feline version of the book's cover.]

Pet Sematary was, I believe, the first book I read by Stephen King. It's also the creepiest book of his I've ever read. Awful things happen in this book, including the death of at least one cat and one young child. They technically come back to life, but as horrifying versions of themselves. Hence me choosing zombie for today's letter Z. I believe I read this when I was  a teenager, and I kept reminding myself it was fiction. With that in mind, I ended up truly enjoying it for the horror story that it is.

Oh, and that doodle on the cover was scribbled up last year. It was the drawing I created for my boy Evan in a series of spooky summertime art. When I decided to create a cover for Pet Sematary, this drawing immediately came to my mind.

***

Last but not least, let's share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15adndmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. When I need to make a tough decision, I _________.

2. If I were a dance, I would be a _________.

3. _________ is my current life motto.

4. _________ is the best part of being an adult, and _________ is the worst part.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Tip of the Day

 

Are you ready for another spring safety tip for your furbabies? As certain insects and buggers start to make an appearance this time of year, be cautious of those that could be harmful. For example, just as with humans, bee stings can lead to allergic reactions in cats and dogs. These reactions can include mild swelling at the site of the sting, or a full anaphylactic reaction, such as with difficulty breathing. For this reason, always try to keep your furbaby away from bees and other similarly dangerous critters. Keep your furbaby out of gardens where bees and other such critters might frequent, and don't leave your kitty or pup unattended in an area known for its bees and so forth.

We'll also mention caterpillars and butterflies, such as those that consume milkweed, as they can be toxic for furbabies to ingest. There are also dangerous spiders of which to be cautious, of course including the brown recluse and black widow. There are even some toads and frogs that can be poisonous for our furbabies to ingest.

All in all, this time of year, some incredible critters start to make appearances. However, some of these critters can lead to serious effects in our furbabies. This means we must always be cautious with our furbabies around any critters that we know are dangerous, and even those with which we are not familiar. And, of course, should your furbaby come into contact with a dangerous insect or other critter, do not hesitate to seek veterinary assistance. What's more, discuss with your veterinarian what you can do to help prevent serious allergic reactions or other emergencies, which can include having diphenhydramine (Benadryl) on hand, and knowing how much to give.