Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Festive Red Ribbon

Hello, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. _________ is my favorite Christmas song.

2. _________ is a Christmas decoration that I treasure.

3. Though 'tis the season for _________, I much prefer _________.

4. If I could create a new Christmas tradition, it would be _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. "Carol of the Bells" is my favorite Christmas song.
(I often give the answer "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" to this questions, and that wouldn't be a lie. If I'm in the mood for a fun Christmas song, I go for the hippo every time. But, if I'm looking for something more powerful, that's when I go for "Carol of the Bells". I've loved this song for as long as I can remember. I'm a huge fan of Manheim Steamroller's version, but I enjoy pretty much any rendition of "Carol of the Bells".)

2. My new wooden reindeer are a Christmas decoration that I treasure.
(I have a lot of Christmas decorations that are sentimental. In trying to decide which one to put as my answer, I couldn't make up my mind and started thinking about a couple of new reindeer I just got this year. I know it sounds weird to already see them as sentimental, but my mom got them for me when she and I were at a craft fair recently. As a kid, I loved those wooden reindeer ornaments made out of old-fashioned clothespins. Do you know the ones I mean? My mom made some long ago and my sister and I would stick them onto the tree each year when we were kids. Well, back to the craft fair from this year, a cute old man was selling giant versions of these clothespin reindeer that he'd made out of repurposed wood. I fell in love with them, and my mom ended up getting them for me, as well as some for my sister, since we share fun memories with the smaller, original versions of the reindeer. I'm pretty sure I snapped a photo of Evan with the new reindeer the other day, so he'll share them with you on Monday.)

3. Though 'tis the season for gingerbread, I much prefer the chocolate goodies.
(Don't get me wrong, because I do enjoy some good gingerbread and each year try my hand at creating such cookies. But, I much prefer chocolate and so also always make at least one dessert of that nature, such as chocolate peppermint bark or fudge or even chocolate pie. I also love me a good peanut butter cookie, even better if it includes chocolate. Each Christmas I make peanut butter cookies decorated to look like Rudolph's face. His eyes are chocolate chips, his nose is a red m&m, and his antlers are broken pretzels. I love those.)

4. If I could create a new Christmas tradition, it would be something to benefit shelter animals.
(I try to make at least a small donation to one or more local animal rescues each Christmastime, but I have yet to create any sort of consistent tradition with this. I really want to. One year I created a box for cats and a box dogs, filled with food and treats and toys, and delivered them to our local humane society. I want to start doing something akin to that each year, but perhaps to also benefit more of the smaller rescues in our area.)

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below,

or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.

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Are you ready for your Eddy fix? We know you are. Today, Eddy is of course getting festive, and she's doing so with the new red ribbon on her beloved Christmas tree.

Though her tree climbing chaos has settled down a bit as she's aged, Eddy is still rough on Christmas trees. She prefers to live in my bedroom, as she dislikes most other cats (she loves Evan and tolerates Thimble, but that's it). So, in my bedroom, Eddy has her very own year round Christmas tree. During the festive season, she gets a very loosely hanging strand of battery-operated lights on the tree, as well as a red ribbon topper made of cloth. The ribbon she had for many previous years finally fell apart after much abuse from Eddy. So, this year she has a brand new one. We'll see how long until she's shredded the newbie, but for now it's looking quite festive.

Eddy wishes you all a festive Friday!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

We previously mentioned being cautious when using lights on your Christmas tree, due to the various hazards they pose, such as electrocution or a kitty or pup getting tangled. That being said, also be sure to keep this same concept in mind when putting up lights or other decorations outdoors. After all, outdoor animals, such as squirrels, birds, or stray or feral cats, can also potentially be put at risk by Christmas decorations. Try to prevent dangerous situations by taking precautions, such as never leaving any parts or pieces of decorations loose, as both indoor and outdoor babies could get tangled up or ingest something dangerous. When it comes to cords, whether indoor or outdoor, try to find a way to safely secure them, such as by taping them to a wall or the ground. You certainly don't have to forego decorations and all things festive, but do keep in mind the safety of both indoor and outdoor critters.

Thankful Thursday with Festive Thimble and a Not-So-Feral Kitty

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

Today, Thimble is grateful for how the Christmas tree distracts her calico sister. Remember this photo Tonks shared on Tuesday?

Well, that photo was taken just seconds after this one here:

Do you see Thimble's photobomber in the tree? Do you see that little calico face tucked in there? Thimble is indeed thankful that Tonks likes the Christmas tree so much, as it keeps her calico sister from trolling her all day.

That's not all we're grateful for today, though. I mentioned yesterday how I was able to catch a stray kitty in our neighborhood and transport her to a local no-kill rescue. This particular kitty has been around the neighborhood for a few months, and I myself have seen her pregnant twice. She would only stop in my yard for food, as well as cuddles once she and I both realized the other wasn't feral, and would then move on. Given that she was out at all times of day and night, in the freezing cold and getting pregnant, I am certain no one (or at least no one worthy) would claim her.

Though I don't want to complain or badmouth, our local humane society and animal control have become less than helpful in recent years. They have new "rules" that make it nearly impossible to get them to help you with strays and other such kitties, especially if they find out you've been feeding said kitties. So, I started contacting other rescues. They're all full, which I understand. But, unable to take in this sweet cat myself with all of my own kitties, I was desperate and kept trying. It was breaking my heart seeing her outside. I have a covered shelter in my yard that has a heat lamp as well as a heat bed, but the kitty would hardly ever use it. She'd eat food I put in the shelter, and then she'd leave its safety. I'd instead occasionally find her like this:

Finally, the rescue group from which I adopted my Eddy got back to me. They are full, with 200 cats currently under their care, but like me, they don't want her out there in the elements. Though the kitty had proven herself quite friendly, I wasn't sure how she'd feel about getting into a cage. Luckily, some tuna lured her right in.

She immediately shredded the pee pad I had in there out of frustration from being in a cage, but she was still acting so very sweet and friendly otherwise.

I was afraid she was starting to appear in the early stages of pregnancy again, and the rescue lady I handed her off to confirmed she also believes she's pregnant again. And in the winter nonetheless. But, this time the kitty won't have to fend for herself and her kitties on her own. I donated dry and canned food to the rescue when I took the kitty to them, and I'll also be donating monetarily. The rescue group is called CATsNAP, and I'll include their link there purely because I appreciate them and what they do so much. Not only did they bring Eddy into my life, but they're quite literally the only local organization who has ever stepped forward to help me and my family when we seek assistance with strays and ferals in need. And they've done so many times.

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Now, of course, 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. _________ is my favorite Christmas song.

2. _________ is a Christmas decoration that I treasure.

3. Though 'tis the season for _________, I much prefer _________.

4. If I could create a new Christmas tradition, it would be _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Did you know that poinsettias are not as deadly for your furbaby as is often believed? Of course, that's not to say you should be feeding poinsettias to your furbabies as an afternoon snack, as they can indeed cause irritation of the mouth and stomach. But, poinsettias are in actuality not the most dangerous of Christmas decorations. It's festive plants such as mistletoe and holly of which you should be even more cautious. Mistletoe can cause issues such as vomiting, diarrhea, decreased heart rate, and difficulty breathing. Holly can also cause vomiting and diarrhea, and sometimes lethargy or even death. Needless to say, always be cognizant of what plants and other decorations are in your home. To be safe, it is likely best to simply keep your home free of Christmas plants.

Winter Wonderland Adventures with Angel Astrid

Hello, friends! I'm sorry we're so late to post yet again. I've been working on contacting shelters and rescues about a stray female cat who has seemingly been pregnant multiple times in my neighborhood. Not only do I not want more homeless kitties out there, but we're expecting subzero temperatures this weekend, and I did not want to see her out there in that. I finally got the go-ahead from a rescue to bring her to them if I could catch her, and this morning I got her and so she's now safely with a no-kill rescue. That's been stressful but rewarding, and I'll share a bit more about it in tomorrow's Thankful Thursday post.

Now, it's time for some Christmastime memories with my sweet angel pup Astrid. Since Mother Nature keeps gifting us with major winter weather, I thought it seemed fitting enough to share yet more photos of snow-loving Astrid enjoying some festive walks.

Warm wishes to all!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

This holiday season, don't forget the dangers that fire can cause. Some festivities include the lighting of candles, and some of us simply like to light candles for their lovely scents. If you do light candles in your home, as you certainly know, do be sure that these are out of reach of your furbabies for safety's sake. Also, as you also surely already know, be aware of the dangers the fireplace can pose. If your fireplace is lit, do be sure that your kitty or pup cannot reach the flames, such as by putting up a barrier, or even blocking them from the room with the fireplace altogether. In addition to this, for everyone's safety, don't forget to stay on top of the care and keeping of your fireplace. Before using it for the season, have the chimney cleaned out, so that bird nests or other potentially flammable objects are not lying in wait up there, making a house fire possible. As always, better safe than sorry.

Tonks Tuesday: Tucked Into the Christmas Tree

On this Tonks Tuesday, the calico is yet again in the Christmas tree. That is, after all, her favorite place to be this time of the year.

There's more to this particular story, which you'll see in Thimble's post on Thursday. But, for today, there's your view of Tonks tucked into the Christmas tree for a nap. Luckily, Tonks is not a cord chewer. She is a tough on ornaments and so those can't be on any tree she frequents, but she's never bothered the light strands. I also put cloth ribbons on the tree, and the calico does chew on those sometimes. She thankfully never ingests them, just gnaws on them or pulls them off of the tree and bats them around the house. You can see the teeth marks in the ribbon on the right side of that there photo.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a festive Tuesday!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Continuing with our Christmas safety tips, today we're here to tell you to beware of ribbons. Ribbons, such as the kind often used when wrapping presents, can be dangerous in the same way that tinsel can. If ingested, ribbon can cause dangers such as obstruction or laceration of the gastrointestinal tract. This is why it is important to ensure that your furbaby does not have access to ribbon this holiday season. Avoid using ribbon when wrapping presents, or do not put presents with ribbon where a ribbon-loving furbaby can reach them. Ribbon may seem like a fun and festive part of Christmas, but it can also mean dangerous situations for the furbabies in your life.

Mancat Monday: Napping and Naked Trees

On this Mancat Monday, Evan wanted you all to see one of his current favorite, festive places to nap.

I think I've already shared some photos co-starring that particular tree, but I'm not sure I mentioned that I just won it at a local Christmas tree event this year. I actually won two trees, which has left me with more Christmas trees than I know what to do with. The event coordinators wrap the trees in plastic as-is once they've been won, so I brought the trees home already decorated and all that fun jazz. Both trees I won actually have all non-breakable ornaments, and so I'm trying my hand at letting the decorations stay on there. I'm having to pick up some ornaments here and there, but so far it's going better than expected. I did still put up my calico girl Tonks's favorite tree that is very dense and so allows her to climb in it with ease, and so it takes most of her abuse rather than the new trees. Tonks's favorite tree is far more naked than the one you see Evan sleeping beneath there, as only lights and cloth ribbons are safe in any tree that Tonks targets.

All that rambling aside, Evan has always loved sleeping under Christmas trees, and so of course he's already enjoying this new one. As you can see, I don't use tree skirts. I tried once. It didn't go well. My hind limb paralyzed Evan's urinary habits are not the most polite, and so tree skirts don't survive well at my house. In addition, the one time I tried a tree skirt, Evan ended up getting it stuck beneath his extra special back legs and he thereby dragged the entire tree around with him. So, we just let the trees go naked at the base, as you can see above.

Evan hopes you all get to have a festive nap!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Given some of the above subject matter involving Evan and our Christmas tree skirts, this flashback doodle seemed fitting enough for today.

I am indeed still working on finishing this year's new Christmas doodles. I did finish drawing our Christmas card, and so those will be going out soon. And now that that's done, I can move on to all the others.

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Tip of the Day

We have one more Christmas tree safety tip. If you want to have lights on your tree, but burns or electrocution are a concern with your furbaby around, or if you are concerned about electrical fires, then perhaps consider using battery-operated lights for your tree or elsewhere in the house. Some of the Christmas lights at our house are battery-operated. Our battery-operated lights even come with a remote control, with a timer option, making it easy to turn them on and off, all without the risks of electrical cords. Also, to save on the cost of batteries, we use rechargeable batteries.

That all being said, though, always base such decisions on your individual furbaby and his or her personal behaviors. The battery pack for the lights we use is very sturdy as well as well-hidden, and the kitties and pup at my house have never proven themselves chewers of such things. For this reason, my particular furbabies accessing the batteries is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, batteries can indeed be dangerous if chewed or consumed, so do keep this in mind when shopping around for anything that is battery-operated. But, if your furbaby is a cord chewer, or if you have any other concerns of the electrical nature, then perhaps look into battery-operated or other safe lighting options for your Christmas tree. Of course, still be careful of the dangers of any loose cords, whether they be attached to battery-operated or electrical lights.

Friendly Fill-Ins and the Lighting of Eddy's Christmas Tree

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.


1. The easiest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is _________.

2. The toughest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is _________.

3. I try to spread Christmas cheer by _________.

4. When it comes to _________, I'm a bit of a Scrooge.


My answers are below in bold.

1. The easiest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is my furry family.
(I had a whole different answer to this one. I was going to say my dad is the easiest to shop for, since he is indeed the easiest human for me personally to shop for, but the reality is that my kitties are simply really easy to buy gifts for. I know that they love silver vine and catnip and feathers and anything they can bat or scratch. I had my kitties' Christmas shopping done before anyone else's. I also always loved shopping for my sweet angel pup Astrid, as she loved dog cookies and I always felt so happy picking out festive ones for her.)

2. The toughest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is my human family.
(My parents and sister aren't really that difficult to shop for, but they're simply not as easy to shop for as my kitties. There's always the question of whether you're getting them something they'll actually like or have use for, or if it's something they already have. In my family, though, we do typically give each other gift idea lists, something that has worked well for us for decades. I also always get them each one or two surprise gifts that I know they don't have, and those are always fun to pick out.)

3. I try to spread Christmas cheer by giving to those in need.
(I do my best with this. With aging kitties requiring increased vet care and medications, not to mention the general state of the economy, I always wish I could do more. My church always has gift donation opportunities for various causes during the Christmas season, though, and I always do at least one of those.)

4. When it comes to traveling for the holidays, I'm a bit of a Scrooge.
(To visit my grandma or any other extended family, my parents, sister, and I have to drive nearly 2 hours. While I of course want to see my grandma and such, I admittedly dislike traveling. I dislike being away from home. We no longer do any such traveling on Christmas itself, as that became too stressful and overwhelming for all of us, but we do still drive to visit my grandma and often other family for a day at some point in the Christmas season. I'm always glad to see my grandma and other family, but I'm never glad about the whole spending so much time in the car and being away from my kitties part.)

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below,

or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.

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Are you ready for a festive Eddy fix? You are? Well, good. Today's photos of Eddy were snapped right after I strung the Christmas lights on her beloved year round tree in my room.

For some reason, that's where Eddy tends to sit and stare at the tree each year when I first light it for Christmas. It's like she's taking in the sight of it, and I love that so much.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a festive Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

There's one more flashback doodle from the old-fashioned Christmas series I scribbled up a few years ago, and it's one of my favorites. So, here you go.

I'd still love to recreate that with my slightly adjusted drawing style these days, but I do still love the idea of that there original doodle.

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Tip of the Day

Our last Christmas tree tip relates to real trees and how they might affect your furbaby. If you have a real tree, be cautious of letting your kitty or pup drink from any accessible water in the tree stand. It is possible that certain chemicals, such as fertilizers or even pesticides, are used in some tree lots. Some of these chemicals can then end up in the water that the tree is resting in, and this can potentially lead to toxic side effects for your furbaby. Another concern relates to stagnant water in the tree stand, which can harbor potentially harmful bacteria. In addition, be careful of pine needles falling from real trees, and even artificial trees, for that matter. These needles are pointy and sharp, and if consumed this can potentially lead to internal damage. So, keep that tree water covered or somehow out of reach, and keep those fallen pine needles cleaned up, so that your furbaby and the Christmas tree can live in harmony.

Thankful Thimble Thursday by the Christmas Tree

Hello and happy Thursday! Thimble is here and ready to share something festive for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

This is Thimble's first post since we put up our Christmas trees, so she of course wants to share her gratitude for the festive fun. She especially loves this particular tree, as the window behind it gives her some lovely glamour shots.

Thimble has already snapped even more glamour shots like this one. I need to go through them all and add them to our blog album, but I do know that there are a couple stunning ones with Thimble and the tree just glowing in the sun. We'll share those soon, of course.

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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. The easiest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is _________.

2. The toughest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is _________.

3. I try to spread Christmas cheer by _________.

4. When it comes to _________, I'm a bit of a Scrooge.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I really do hope to finish some of my new Christmas doodles this weekend, but for now we're still sharing flashbacks. And today is another from the old-fashioned Christmas series I scribbled up a few years ago.

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Tip of the Day

A series of tips on Christmas tree safety simply would not be complete without a comment or two on tinsel. Long story short, please do not use tinsel if you have furbabies in your life. This stringy stuff can be quite tempting to kitties, for example, but it can also be extremely dangerous. If consumed, it can cause problems such as gastrointestinal obstruction or laceration. Keeping that in mind, if your furbaby does swallow tinsel and you find some hanging from their mouth or even their anus, do not pull on it, as this can cause even further internal damage. If you find yourself in a situation such as this, seek veterinary care as soon as possible. Again, though, to prevent such incidents, it is highly recommended that you simply do not use tinsel as part of your Christmas decorations.