Caturday Art: The Librarian in Ink

It's probably pretty obvious that I love to draw my furbabies. They do make for some pretty cute muses, if I do say so myself.

That being said, this week's drawing for Athena's Caturday Art blog hop, which we look forward to each and every week, was inspired by just this past Thursday's post starring Thimble. Remember that post, when Thimble the Librarian invited you to check out some books?

Well, my bookish little muse inspired me to draw this:

Nothing's as good as the adorable real deal, but this sure was fun to draw!

Happy Caturday to all of our furiends!

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Be sure to visit Arty today for the last Pawlympics event - Smileys! Astrid and many other pro athletes are competing in this happy event!

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Our Tip of the Day:
Despite what the above drawing might indicate, please remember to never leave candles or other open flames unattended around your furbabies. Such flames are, of course, dangerous and an overall fire hazard. Candles, fireplaces, stovetops, and even outdoor firepits or grills should always be carefully monitored with furbabies around, or completely blocked off from their reach. If you are concerned that your furbaby might have come in contact with and been injured by such a fire hazard, check their fur, skin, mouth, paw pads, and any points of potential contact for burns or other signs of injury. And, of course, get your furbaby to a veterinarian if any burns occur.

Tired Tuesday (and a Bit of Munro Bagging)

Mondays sure can be tough. So tough that today my furbabies look a bit like this:

Even Eddy was tired enough to take a break from parkouring off the walls to recline in bed (while refusing to the look at the camera, of course).

I don't blame Eddy one bit for being so tired, though. After all, she's been keeping busy...

This dazzling image was crafted by Gail, the human behind Bouncing Bertie's Blog.

What is this, you ask? Well, this is Eddy's victory shot from today's Pawlympics Munro Bagging event! This event is hosted by Bertie over at Bouncing Bertie's Blog, and it taught us something new.

I, for one, had no idea what Munro Bagging was until this event. As you can read on Bertie's blog, Munro Bagging is also known as Scottish Mountain Climbing. What's more, in Scotland, a hill exceeding 3000 ft is called a Munro, and if you climb one of those it's said that you've, of course, bagged a Munro. And so there you have it. Munro Bagging.

This event seemed like it was made just for Eddy. Honestly, the girl will climb anything.

Eddy and I figured, why not turn that bed post into a mountain? And so, bag a Munro she did. Be sure to visit Bertie today, to see all of the other amazing competitors in this fun event!

And don't miss the Bubble Jumping event, hosted by Oreo.

And, of course, have a wonderful day, everybuddy!

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Our Tip of the Day:
Remember that cats are vertical creatures. What I mean by that is, they like to climb and jump. In the wild they climb trees and watch prey from perches high off the ground. That being said, assuming your kitty is like most kitties, be sure that he or she has some areas in the house to climb and jump. Cat trees are great, but you can also get innovative and stagger sturdy shelves on the walls for your kitty to climb and recline on, or even simply reserve certain sturdy pieces of furniture or boxes specifically for their climbing pleasure. What's more, if possible, try to make sure that at least one or two of your kitty's perches are by a window. This allows them to not only climb up high, but to also use those squirrels and rabbits and birds outside to spark their natural predatory instinct. They'll thank you for the National Geographic channel set up right in their own back yard!

Mancat Monday: Sun Bathing II

Last week, Evan showed all of you furiends of ours his skills at bathing in the sun. At the front door, of course, for the whole world to see.

Cleansing of the forearm was focused on last week. So, today, Evan would like to give you all a demonstration on how to do a proper ear cleaning.

First you have to get the washcloth paw nice and moist. Slobber up that tongue, guys, because this is going to get messy.

Apply slobber to ear. Scrub-a-dub-dub.

And you know what your mama always taught you - don't forget to scrub behind that ear!

Up and over. Way over. Don't worry, if you're a cat, your head will not pop off.

Mmmmm. Ear wax.

We hope everybuddy has some sun to bathe in today! Just don't forget to wash behind those ears.

Happy Monday!

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Evan's little sister Thimble is competing in the Sitting Pretty event of the Pawlympics today, so be sure to visit Dory's Backyard to see her and all of the pretty competitors! And don't forget to also visit Emma and Bailie for the Wabbit Tracking event!

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Our Tip of the Day:
Cats are fastidious groomers, as I'm sure you all know. Keep in mind, though, that some kitties have conditions or other circumstances that make grooming difficult. Overweight or obese kitties, for example, often cannot reach to groom their hindquarters. This can lead to matting in that area, as well as an overall dirty condition of the bum. Another example is older and arthritic kitties, who also often have trouble reaching such areas due to pain or discomfort. If your kitty cannot reach to groom certain areas of their body for any reason, they may require some assistance from their humans. For such kitties, you may need to comb them more frequently, or use fragrance-free pet or baby wipes, or even shampoo. There are dry shampoos on the market, as well as sanitizing and deodorizing shampoo sprays. Although dogs are not fastidious at grooming as their feline counterparts, it is still important to keep in mind that, if your pup can't reach their hindquarters or other regions of their body due to obesity, old age, arthritis, or another reason, they also may require your cleaning assistance.

Fill-Ins and a Bum of a Blooper

Happy Friday to all of our furiends! It's one of the best days of the week, in large part because it's time for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by the clever 15andmeowing and McGuffy's Reader.

Our hosts gave us some great fill-ins this week:

1. My nickname is _________.
2. The first thing I ever won was _________.
3. I have never been to _________.
4. Next year _________.

I scrambled my brain like eggs trying to live up to these. I hope the results are palatable enough.

1. My nickname is Lluugghh. 

(This one is going to take some special explaining. For those who don't know, my name is Lorianne. That's just the generic names Lori and Anne smashed together into one. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, let's just say that throughout school, roughly 99% of new teachers, and anyone else who read my name for the first time ever, butchered it. This still happens to this day. Most often they guess something along the lines of Lorraine, which I understand, given how close it looks to that. But I have heard and seen plenty of other random and weird guesses, like LaRyan. Back to the nickname, though...It came about a few years back when, after an especially memorable butchering of my name by a new acquaintance, my sister told me that I should just simplify things and start introducing myself by simply drawing out the sound of the letter L. I asked her how she'd spell that, and for whatever reason she came up with Lluugghh. And it stuck.)

2. The first thing I ever won was a porcelain doll named Punkin. 

(I was maybe four years old or so, and though the details are fuzzy, I remember there being a raffle at a local kids' event for a doll and winning. She was made of porcelain, which is just great for a child of four, and came with a tag declaring her name to be Punkin. Truth be told, the doll kind of freaked me out. There was something about her buggy eyes, or maybe it was that crooked smirk on her face. My mom put her up on a shelf for me, and I remember feeling hardly bothered at all when angel Rosie's brother Sammy broke off some of her porcelain fingers. When I moved out of my parents' house, I told my mom to keep the doll.)

3. I have never been to Disney Land or Disney World. 

(When people ask me if I've been to Disney Land and/or Disney World and I say no, they often look at me with this aghast look on their face, like I've just sprouted wings or a unicorn's horn. Honestly, though, I've never had any inclination to go to either of those famed theme parks, not even as a kid. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Disney, but I'm not a fan of thrill rides, I'm kind of creeped out by people dressed up in giant plushie outfits, and I'm just as happy watching The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast from the comfort of my couch, surrounded by furbabies, of course.)

4. Next year is a blank canvas.

(I went back and forth between a number of plans, hopes, and wishes I have for next year. Unable to settle on one, I figured this was good enough.)

Now, on to the next bit of business. It's not only the day when you get your weekly fix of Eddy, but it's also time for the Pet Blogger Bloopers Round-Up, hosted by The Lazy Pit Bull.

This is quite opportune, as active Eddy is arguably the best source of bloopers in our home. This time around, she has a bum of a blooper to share with you.

How's that for "say cheese"?

We hope everybuddy has a wonderful day!

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Don't forget to tune in for today's Blogville Pawlympics event, Tuneful Farting, hosted by Easy!

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Our Tip of the Day:

Did you know that cats can suffer from separation anxiety, just like dogs and humans? Some kitties will experience anxiety when their favorite human is away. Sometimes, this is the reason why your kitty may urinate or even defecate on your clothes or other possessions while you're away. Other signs of separation anxiety include excessive meowing or yowling, pacing or restlessness, obsessive grooming, gorging on food, or hardly eating at all. Although every animal will respond differently, you can try certain techniques to help your kitty feel at ease while you're away. For example, offering distractions, such as in the form of interactive toys, automatic treat dispensers, perhaps leaving a TV on, or even a radio. Especially if your kitty tends to get him or herself in trouble while you're away, you can also try creating a safe room for them to stay in while you're away, a place they can consider their "safe haven" or "happy place" while you're away. Another option to try are Feliway diffusers, to help calm the anxious kitty. Of course, in some cases, more extreme behavioral modification may be required, which can be discussed with a vet or behaviorist. In some more severe cases, anti-anxiety medications may be required. Cats respond to drugs such as Prozac similarly to humans, and sometimes a kitty just needs a bout of an anti-anxiety medication to get their chemistry and anxiety back in check. Again, consult your veterinarian!

Sleepy Sunday

Is anybuddy else excited that the Blogville Pawlympics are underway? What a silly question, huh? Of course you're excited!

Today, we want to thank our furiends Dougie and Zoey of Zoolatry for hosting the Silly Sleepy Furries event! My boy Evan was so excited to enter this for the snoozing event:

(The lovely border and caption are courtesy of Zoolatry's talented Ann.)

Evan was just as excited when he, and all of his worthy competitors, received this beauty:

While Evan competed for that medal of his by sleeping silly, his kitty sister Thimble and pup sister Astrid did some snoozing of their own for today's Sunday Selfie blog hop, hosted by the Kitties Blue of The Cat on My Head.

As you can probably guess, my girl Eddy doesn't have a sleepy selfie to share this week. You see, that would require sitting still, and that's really just not her thing.

Be sure to stop by and wish the Kitties Blue a huge congrats on two years of successful blog hop hosting! They're closing out their second year of these fun Sunday Selfies, and entering their third of hopefully many, many more.

We hope all of our furiends have a beautiful Sunday!

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Our Tip of the Day:

How about an easy, common sense tip today? If a dog or cat is snoozing, especially if they appear to be especially deep asleep or if they are older or hard of hearing, it is wise to remember to approach or wake them slowly and carefully. Do not rapidly approach them, grab them, shake them, or move in any such alarming fashion. It is more wise to start talking or saying their name before you touch them You can also try softly stomping, clapping, or making another noise so as to give the sleeping furbaby a chance to wake up as you approach. This is all for the safety of both you and the snoozing furbaby. After all, allowing the furbaby to wake before you approach or touch them saves you from any unintentional albeit potentially dangerous bites or cuts, as well as spares the furbaby from a scare. Sometimes it really is best to let sleeping dogs lie!