Woof Woof Wednesday: Angel Astrid's Kooky Cookies

Around this time every year, our local pet store puts out their stock of Halloween cookies for dogs. They always sell out fast, but luckily the store indicates the cookies have a 6-month shelf life. For those reasons, I'd always go there at the end of August and stock up on spooky, kooky goodies for cookie-loving Astrid.

That photo is from August 2024. I did get Astrid a similar stock of cookies last year, and I snapped a photo of them. However, her health was already declining by that point and she didn't come into the room while I photographed the cookies like was our annual tradition. She also never got to eat any of them, as she passed away on September 9th last year. Everything about that time was nightmarish, but I remember at moments specifically feeling guilty for not giving her even one of her Halloween cookies before she passed. She didn't have much of an appetite at the end, but she would still eat here beloved cookies, as well as peanut butter and chicken.

I held onto angel Astrid's uneaten Halloween cookies for months. I kept them in a sealed container, not wanting to part with them, and at one point I made a passing comment to my mom about how I wished I could preserve them forever. And so, my amazing mom ended up putting them in resin for me. I have plans to display those in Astrid's honor, and so once I get them all set up I'll photograph the kooky memorial and share it with you all this autumn. I know that probably sounds silly, but I can't express how thankful I am to my mom for preserving Astrid's final Halloween cookies for me.

Angel Astrid wishes you all lots of sweet treats!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since today's post for my angel pup Astrid was about Halloween and sweet treats, here's this old but apt enough spooky summer doodle starring my calico angel Rosie.

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Tip of the Day

We hope you're not getting bored with our tips on feline vet visits, because we still have some more for you. Today's tip is to, if needed, take precautions for the safety of both yourself and your kitty, namely when it comes time to load a kitty up. We're primarily referring to how to safely get an anxious or aggressive kitty into a carrier. We've already given tips on using methods such as leaving the carrier out, putting treats or toys in it, using Feliway, and even using sedating medications if needed. That all being said, for some cats, some or all of the aforementioned methods simply won't work. Even sedatives can be overridden if a cat becomes agitated enough. In such cases, it is important to take precautions to keep you and your cat safe when it comes time to get said kitty in a carrier.

When getting an anxious or aggressive cat into a carrier, a simple towel or blanket could potentially be your best friend. Wrapping your cat in a towel, and putting them in the carrier when they are thus confined, can potentially keep those claws and teeth in check. At the same time, make sure that you have the sufficiently sized carrier placed in a way that loading the cat is as easy as possible. This may mean using a top-loading carrier, or placing a front-loading carrier on its back side so that the door faces up. If a towel or blanket is not enough protection, then you can also look into using thick gloves specifically designed to keep kitty teeth and claws from penetrating, thereby keeping your hands and arms safe.

Some cats are simply less willing to visit the vet and are overall less amenable than others. Differences in personality are part of what make kitties so unique, after all. That being said, if your cat is one who is anxious, aggressive, or otherwise difficult to handle, always take precautions to keep everyone involved safe when vet appointments roll around. When in doubt, of course discuss with your veterinarian the best options for handling your cat.