Thankful Thimble Thursday with the Cat-o'-Lantern

We've reached Thursday, which means Thimble is here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for the cat-o'-lantern basket toy she and the other kitties love so much. Back in the day, this toy was so bright and clean. See?

These days, that there cat-o'-lantern is so used and abused well-loved that it's looking a little faded and rough.

Sorry, cat-o'-lantern, the kitties just love you so much. And it shows. One of the kitties' favorite things is for me to put catnip in the cat-o'-lantern, and then it gets kicked and licked and all that jazz.

Thimble hopes you all have some festive fun, just like she is!

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And now let's share 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. I am glad I live near _________.

2. I am glad I don't live near _________.

3. I didn't _________ until I was _________. 

4. _________ made me truly laugh.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since Thimble shared a certain cat-o'-lantern today, how about we share this other big kitty pumpkin?

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Tip of the Day

Our current series of tips is about disaster and emergency preparedness for both yourself and your furbaby. Today's tip on this topic is to contemplate and decide on a proper caregiver for your furbaby, should an emergency render you incapable of caring for them. Thinking on such unfortunate hypothetical situations is never something anyone looks forward to, but it is nonetheless something important to consider. You will want to ensure that someone you trust might be prepared to care for your kitty or pup in an emergency. It is of course important to discuss this with the person in question, and to ensure that they are truly able and willing to take on the care of your furbaby, should the need arise. In some cases, this might mean including in your will that this person would become your furbaby's caregiver. Overall, though not an ideal topic with which to occupy your mind, it is indeed significant to have a safe and secure plan for your furbaby's care should something render you incapable of caring for them. Think of family or friends whom you trust, whom your furbaby knows, and whom have displayed an ability and willingness to take on the care of your kitty or pup.

Autumnal Adventures with Angel Astrid

Yesterday was the first day of autumn. We haven't seen a single leaf turning pretty colors yet, but hopefully we will soon. That said, today's memory of my sweet angel pup Astrid does indeed have some trees looking beautiful.

Astrid and I both loved going for loves in the autumn. Crisp, cool weather and gorgeous leaves? Yes, please.

Angel Astrid and all of us here wish you a wonderful Wednesday! Preferably with some lovely fall weather!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I've already started reading Halloween books for the season, so this doodle from a few years ago is very fitting.

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Tip of the Day

Today's disaster preparedness tip is a rather specific one, and it is to consider using a pet rescue alert decal or sticker at your house. These decals or stickers are meant to alert rescue response teams as to how many and what kinds of animals are in the home. They can be placed on a screen door, on a window near a door, or somewhere similar where rescuers can easily see it. This type of information on what animals are in the home can help in the case of a house fire or any emergency evacuation, especially in cases when you are in any way unable to inform response teams as to how many and what kinds of animals are in the home and in need of rescuing. There are a variety of these decals or stickers available online, but one easy way to get them is through the ASPCA, as you can visit their website and order free pet emergency alert decals for your home.

Alerting emergency personnel of the animals in your home can help them to more quickly rescue your companion animals in the event of a fire or other emergency. This being said, though, please do ensure that any such decals or stickers are kept up-to-date. Not only is this important for ensuring that all animals in the house are properly accounted for, but it's also important for the safety of emergency personnel. For example, if one of your furbabies has passed away but it is still included on any displayed pet emergency alert at your home, then emergency crews might put their lives at risk looking for an animal who is not even present. So, while these pet emergency alert bulletins can indeed benefit your pets' safety, also ensure that you use them properly in order to keep emergency personnel equally safe.

Tonks Tuesday: Happy Autumn!

It's the first day of autumn! To celebrate, little calico Tonks wants to remind everyone how much she loves the scarecrow I always set in my mini rocking chair every year.

These photos were snapped a few years ago. You even see sweet angel pup Astrid's paw on the left side of that photo above. That said, Tonks still sits on this scarecrow's lap like this every autumn. She also chews on his straw parts, but don't tell her I tattled.

Happy autumn!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Here's today's autumnal doodle, which stars my calico angel Rosie and her cat-o'-lantern pal.

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Tip of the Day

We're in the midst of a series of tips for National Disaster Preparedness Month. Yesterday, we discussed preparing emergency supplies or a travel kit, so that you and your furbaby will be ready to handle a disaster, evacuation, and so forth, should the need arise. Today, we're here to remind you to go yet another step further and to have a plan. In other words, in the event of a disaster or other emergency, how and what will you do in order to ensure the safety of both your furbaby and yourself? For example, if you live in an area where disasters might make evacuation a possibility, have a safe a safe destination secured, not only for yourself but for your furbaby as well. Do you know of a motel or hotel, or another similar shelter, where animals are allowed? Or, do you have friends or family where your kitty or pup will be allowed to stay? If necessary, research veterinary offices, boarding facilities, or other similar facilities out of harm's way, where your furbaby could be taken in the case of an emergency.

Emergency plans don't just relate to possible evacuations, though. For example, if you live in an area where tornadoes are a possibility, have a plan for what part of the house both you and your furbabies can safely hunker down. If you don't have a basement, pick a windowless room in the center of the house, for example, and have a plan for getting your kitty or pup there in a hurry. If needed, have leashes, carriers, or other necessary tools ready. Depending on where you live and what your situation is, always think ahead to how you will keep both your furbaby and yourself safe in an emergency situation.

One last comment we'll make on this topic is to, as needed and possible, practice your emergency plans. Make sure that everyone in your home knows the plan, and that everyone will know their part in the action. Doing a trial run or two can never hurt, to ensure that everyone is on the same page, and that everything will run as smoothly as possible in an actual emergency.

An Exhausted Mancat Monday

Hello, friends! We had ourselves a busy and tiring weekend. Adulting is just like that sometimes. Evan had to supervise this here human mom of his through all the chaos, and so today he decided to demonstrate just how exhausted he is.

Evan wishes you all lots of naps today!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today we have an autumnal doodle I scribbled up a couple years ago. It also happens to star a kitty in a plague doctor mask, because why not?

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Tip of the Day

As we mentioned yesterday, we're in National Disaster Preparedness Month. Our newest series of tips, therefore, relates to this. These are repeat tips, but perhaps it's a topic worth repeating. Today, we're here to discuss having emergency supplies and travel kits prepared, should you and your furbaby need to evacuate suddenly. After all, destructive hurricanes, tornadoes, and other such disasters can, sadly, put people and their pets in the line of danger, as well as without a place to live. Therefore, especially if you are in an area where disasters might lead to evacuation, but also of course simply to be prepared for an emergency, do consider having an emergency kit prepared for your kitty or pup.

When preparing an emergency travel kit, think of the things your pup or kitty might use or need on a daily basis, or even weekly basis. Anything that they need on a regular basis can, of course, be included in an emergency kit. For example, an emergency kit for your furbaby would do well to include a week or so worth of their food, water bottles, bowls, and any medications they require. That is often not all that can or should be included in a cat or dog's emergency travel kit, though. If you rack your brain for anything that might be useful in your furbaby's emergency kit, you might consider a blanket or two, a spare leash, a carrier, a transportable litter box, litter, toys, your cat or dog's medical records, pictures of your cat or dog, and even cleaning supplies, such as paper towels and dish soap. All in all, consider anything and everything your furbaby uses or needs on a regular basis, and then create a travel kit based on that. In the case of an emergency, having such supplies already prepared can allow for you and your furbaby to evacuate and get to safety in a timely manner.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Gorgeous Eyes

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're here and 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. I have been seeing a lot of _________.

2. _________ is a good way to make some extra money.

3. I think _________ was the decade with the best _________.

4. Lately, I've been avoiding _________.


My answer are below in bold.

1. I have been seeing a lot of '90s fashion coming back into style.
(As someone who grew up in the '90s, I'm not mad about this. I've always preferred the comfort of wearing baggier clothes, such as baggy jeans and t-shirts, and that was perfectly common in the '90s. As time passed, I often continued to wear such clothes even though they went out of style. But, I keep seeing such clothes on others out in the wild these days, so apparently that's back in style. If I was someone who enjoyed shopping for clothes, maybe I'd be happy to actually find clothes I like in stores again.)

2. Pet-sitting is a good way to make some extra money.
(I don't have a lot of tips or tricks for making extra money. While I'd love to some day do so with my art and writing, the main way I occasionally make a bit of extra money is pet-sitting. I don't do a whole lot of that these days, as my full-time job and my own sweet kitties keep me busy. But, there's one family I've been pet-sitting for for decades at this point, and they always have the sweetest kitties who are so easy to care for. To this day, I still watch their kitties one or two weeks a year. They still insist on paying me, and so that's the main way I make extra money on occasion. If ever I really needed a consistent side hustle, I'm fairly certain I could get back into more regular pet-sitting for that, and so that's the only answer I have for this.)

3. I think the 1970s was the decade with the best music.
(I was going to try to think of something other than music to put for this, but I just couldn't help myself in the end. My two all-time favorite songs are both from the '70s. Those two tunes are "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult and "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen. Since those two faves of mine came out in 1976 and 1979, respectively, my musical answer has to be the '70s.)

4. Lately, I've been avoiding home repairs.
(I haven't actually been avoiding all the repairs and such. I recently had a problematic shower fixed, and I just got an estimate and will be scheduling for my main water shut-off to be repaired since it's dripping. But, I've been dragging my feet on some of the more basic things, like replacing an old fill valve in a toilet and fixing my broken doorbell. Sometimes being an adult is just an endless cycle of fixing things, so I shouldn't be surprised, but I sure have been putting off some of the repairs for much longer than I should.)

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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Who's ready for an Eddy fix? I'm not sure you are ready for this. After all, this girl is so very stunning, and her eyes are so mesmerizing you might end up hypnotized by them. You've been warned.

I know I've said this so very many times here on our blog, but I love Eddy's eyes so much. I love her entire face and of course all of her in general, but her eyes are just some of the most gorgeous peepers I've ever seen.

Oh, and I just had to follow-up that wide-eyed look above with this photo below. After all, it shows Eddy's far more common, furrowed expression that she likes to give that obnoxious camera.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a wonderful day!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since I mentioned the '90s in one of my fill-in answers above, I decided to share this particular flashback doodle today. I scribbled it up a couple years ago, after watching one of my favorite and nostalgic horror films, that being the 1996 movie Scream. So, here's a kitty version of that movie's villain known as Ghostface.

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Tip of the Day

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month. This is timely, as it's also still the season of hurricanes and other such natural disasters. Given that this month is dedicated to disaster preparedness, we'll be doing a series of tips on this topic. Our first tip in this series is a simple precursor to the more detailed ones to come. And this tip today is to please realize and understand that if a situation is not safe for you, then it's not safe for your animals. For this reason, please do absolutely everything in your ability to never leave your cats or dogs behind in the event of a disaster. If the only safe option for you is to evacuate, then that is also very likely the only safe option for your furbaby. For this reason, never wait until last minute to consider preparations and plans, as then it might be too late. Always have preparations and plans thought through or ready. We'll start discussing such preparations and plans in more detail in upcoming tips. For now, though, when it comes to potential disasters, please indeed keep in mind your furbaby's safety in addition to your own.

Thankful Thimble Thursday: A Whale of a Time

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

Today, Thimble is simply grateful that she's cute and has been so since she was a kitten.

I recently stumbled upon that old photo of kitten Thimble with her orca whale toy. We still have that toy to this day, though it's missing a fin and part of its tail, thanks to sweet angel Astrid. I decided to have Thimble pose with the whale for side-by-side photos, so here we are.

I know Thimble looks disgruntled in that second, new photo, but I promise you she's not. She's gotten into the habit of giving the camera her stern face, even when she's happy and purring. At least she's cute either way!

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Now, let's share 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. I have been seeing a lot of _________.

2. _________ is a good way to make some extra money.

3. I think _________ was the decade with the best _________.

4. Lately, I've been avoiding _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I'm trying not to yet pick any of our flashback doodles that are completely in-your-face Halloween, but I you better believe I'm tempted to. I have so many old Halloween doodles I enjoy sharing each year, as well as quite a few new ones I'll be sharing in October, that I figure why not get a head start with them now?

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Tip of the Day

Today is the last of our autumn pet safety tips. This one is another about wildlife, in particular predators who increase their activity during cooler weather in search of food. In some areas, this might mean an increase in the activity of coyotes, wild cats, or other predators. To such wildlife, cats as well as small or even large dogs can be considered prey on which to feed. Therefore, especially if you are in an area where coyotes, wild cats, or other predators might be present, be very cautious letting your furbabies outdoors at night and unattended. If you and your furbaby make a trip outside, keep them close to you, such as on a leash. Be sure to not only monitor your furbaby closely, but also your surroundings. Always err on the side of caution in order to keep both your furbaby and yourself safe from hungry predators and other dangers.

A Not-So-Spooky Woof Woof Wednesday with Angel Astrid

Hello, friends! It's Woof Woof Wednesday, which means it's time for a memory with my sweet angel pup Astrid. I've shared this one multiple times on our blog, but I love this not-so-spooky shot I took of Astrid and a little friend.

As long as she got to enjoy her window view, Astrid was usually a pretty good sport about posing with whatever random stuff I shoved at her. She was such a good girl, and always will be.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I've watched a few Halloween movies over the past couple weeks. One of them was the children's movie Halloweentown. That was a movie made for the Disney channel back in the '90s. As a kid who grew up in the '90s and also loved Halloween, I of course loved that movie when I was younger. And I still love the nostalgia of it and, even now as an adult, I watch it multiple times every Halloween season. All that to say, here's a doodle I scribbled up a few years ago that was inspired by Halloweentown.

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Tip of the Day

Today's autumnal tip relates to grooming. As the weather starts to cool in the autumn, your furbaby might begin to grow their winter coat. Especially in double-coated furbabies, such as Persian cats and Husky dogs, you might notice the fur filling out and growing thicker as the weather cools. For this reason, do be sure to help you furbaby groom, such as by brushing them on a daily basis, or at least a couple or few times a week. If you are unable to groom your cat or dog, and especially if they are prone to mats or hairball issues, then you can consider taking them to a groomer. Some veterinary offices even offer grooming services, so, as needed, you can discuss this with your veterinarian. Regardless of if you do it at home or take your furbaby to a groomer, regularly grooming your kitty or pup can help prevent mats, and can help prevent the ingestion of hairballs, especially in cats. Mats can be uncomfortable and painful, so it's of course ideal to prevent these. It is of course also important to help prevent your furbaby's ingestion of too much hair, not only because this prevents the vomiting of hairballs, but also because, in worst case scenarios, ingestion of too much hair could cause a blockage in the intestinal tract. So, don't forgot about those grooming sessions.