The Letter W and Evan Dazzles in the Sun

Welcome to the last week of the April A to Z Challenge!

I'm down to the final few days of sharing my weird artistic covers for some of my favorite books, of course with most of them starring cats. Today we've reached the letter W. Just like with a couple of other covers this month, W stands for the author's name rather than the book itself. As in, W stands for Washington Irving. He's indeed the author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, one of my favorite Halloween tales.

Just like I mentioned when sharing my cover for A Christmas Carol, when I first read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow years ago I feared it would be one of the more boring classics. I didn't find it to be that, though, and I greatly enjoyed the story as well as the spooky atmosphere. Even better, the end of April and early May are often celebrated by some (including myself) as "halfway to Halloween", so that there book cover is just one spooky one I'll be sharing over the next few days.

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Now, of course, it's time for Evan's Mancat Monday part of this post. Today, you get to see this handsome boy dazzling in the sun.

Like pretty much all kitties, Evan loves himself a warm and toasty sun puddle. He hopes you all get to enjoy some sunshine today!

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Tip of the Day

 

As spring really gets underway, don't forget that our furbabies can have allergies just like we can. Just as with us, pollen, grass, and other airborne allergies can lead to itching, scratching, sneezing, and a number of other similar symptoms in our kitties and pups. If you notice any such symptoms in your furbaby, discuss this with your veterinarian. There are antihistamines and other treatments that can potentially help alleviate allergies for our furbabies.

In addition to veterinary and medicinal care, there are other considerations to make when it comes to helping a kitty or pup cope with seasonal allergies. For example, though we all love window whiffies, keep in mind that open windows can potentially exacerbate allergies, as the allergens then have easy access into the home. So, closed windows are often best for keeping the allergens down within the home. For furbabies who go outdoors, when they come inside, you can wipe off their paws and even wipe down their body to help remove allergens. Regularly cleaning floors, curtains, bedding, clothing, and so forth can help keep a handle on allergens that might find their way into the home. Regularly changing the filter in your heating and cooling system is another important factor. An air purifier can also help.

As always, we of course want what's best for our furbabies. Allergies can lead to discomfort, so of course helping your furbaby cope with them is crucial. If you think or know that your furbaby has seasonal allergies, or any allergies at all, discuss this with your veterinarian and do all that you can to minimize their effects.