Thankful Thimble Thursday: Late Night Cuddles

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! Thimble is of course here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for late night cuddles. And sometimes early morning cuddles. After all, this tabby girl sure loves to wake her mom up at all hours of the night and morning for none other than cuddles.

These photos were taken on one of the nights that I woke up and decided to turn on a light so as to get some shots of Thimble's adorable face during our late night cuddle sessions.

For a few years now Thimble's thyroid levels have been inching up. Her vet has said that while she's still in the normal range, she's now at the high end of normal and neither he nor I will be shocked if she ends up as an official hyperthyroid cat in the not too distant future.

Hyperthyroidism can cause things like hyperactivity, including at night, so I sometimes wonder if we're inching that way. That said, so far Thimble has not lost weight, has her typical appetite, and otherwise is not showing any other signs of thyroid issues or anything else. Except for being up at all hours of the night, she's her usual happy self. She'll be getting her next bloodwork check in October or thereabouts, so we'll see how her thyroid levels are then. It could very well just be that she simply likes late night cuddles, and she'll continue to get them.

I will note that one of my parents' cats, the sweet girl named Freya, was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. She's been easily and happily taking her medication (methimazole) in food, and her thyroid values are already back in the normal range. Freya is the sister of Gemma, my parents' kitty who was also this year diagnosed with a new ailment, though hers is diabetes. She's also doing great on her new medication (Bexacat). Freya and Gemma are just making sure my parents don't get bored, I guess.

All of these busy kitties wish you a wonderful day!

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And now we have the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. My plans for August include _________ and _________.

2. I am a type _________ personality.

3. If _________ were a currency, I would be rich.

4. I can do a good impersonation of _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today we have Thimble's spooky summertime doodle from a couple years ago. Maybe this is all Thimble's asking for when she wakes me up in the middle of the night. You know, just a spooky story or two.

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Tip of the Day

We're continuing on with our litter box tips today by discussing location. When deciding where to put litter boxes in your home, there are a variety of considerations to make. For example, you cat likely won't want to do their business in a high traffic area, where there are many distractions and little to no privacy. At the same time, though, many cats will also likely not want to be hidden away in an small, enclosed area, such as a small closet. Placing a litter box in a small, enclosed area such as a small closet will likely trap the smell, which some cats are averse to. What's more, using the litter box is one way in which cats often instinctively believe they are making a territorial display, and so hiding away the litter box, where no one can see them do their business, might lead to out-of-box behavior for territorial reasons.

All of the above being said, consider where in your home might work best for a box to be both away from heavy traffic, yet close enough to the goings-on for your kitty to still feel included. Dedicated litter box rooms, corners of bedrooms or living rooms, bathrooms, laundry rooms, or even large closets with their doors kept open, can all make for good litter box areas. It really depends on how your home is set up, and where your kitty might feel most comfortable. Just as we've mentioned before, though, it also might simply come down to your cat's preference. Perhaps your cat enjoys using the restroom right in front of you, or perhaps your cat actually prefers to go in a closed closet. In the end, if your cat displays a preference for litter box placement, try your best to stick with that.

We'll also now mention that, when selecting litter box location, also take into consideration how many cats you have. In homes with many cats, it is often ideal to spread litter boxes throughout the house, at least as best as possible. This is especially the case if there is any bullying amongst your cats. If all of the boxes are in one room, a bullied or timid cat might prefer to steer clear of using the restroom with other cats nearby, and therefore might begin out-of-box behavior elsewhere in the house. They even might simply hold their urine, which can lead to a variety of medical issues. So, especially in multicat homes, do consider the number of and comfort of all cats when deciding how few and far between to place the litter boxes. Then again, this consideration also might be important for even a single cat who is geriatric or has issues with mobility. For such a kitty, having multiple litter box options, in areas of the house where they most often hang out, can help them more easily urinate and defecate when and where needed.

There certainly are a lot of considerations to make when it comes to that litter box. You of course have to choose a type of box, as well as how many. Once you have that settled, it's all about deciding where to place the litter boxes in your home. Fear not, though, as you and your kitty, or kitties, will figure it out. If nothing else, trial and error will often lead your kitty to letting you know what he or she prefers.