Sunday Selfie

Today, how about yet another guest selfie from a kitty we've shared multiple times before? Here's my parents' adorable big orange boy named Foggy!

Isn't he handsome? The answer is yes.

Happy Sunday, friends!

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And now we have our contribution for yesterday's Caturday Art Blog Hop, which is of course hosted by Athena.

Our doodle is a just a tad bit spooky, but it was also inspired by my childhood reading buddies, Rosie and Sammy.

Now that's my kind of book club.

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Tip of the Day

Today's autumn pet safety tip is all about those cool fall temperatures. When the weather starts to cool, take into consideration what steps you might have to take to ensure that your furbaby stays warm. Don't forget that cooler weather can be felt both outdoors and indoors.

If it's growing cold outside, monitor your pup or kitty when outdoors, and don't leave them outdoors for long periods of time. In addition, if you care for strays, ferals, or other outdoor kitties of pups, do your best to ensure they have some form of shelter in which to stay out of the wind and to stay as warm as possible. Even a storage container or a Styrofoam cooler turned upside, with a hole cut in the side as an entrance, can allow for some warmth on cool days. You can add blankets or straw to help strays, ferals, and other outdoor cats or dogs huddle up and stay warm in such a shelter. Do keep in mind, though, that blankets can become damp and cold if rained on, which is why straw might be an ideal option for helping outdoor furbabies stay warm in a shelter.

Of course, don't forget that even our indoor furbabies can feel the drop in temperature this time of year. Floors can go from being cool respites on hot summer days to being drafty and chilly in the autumn. For this reason, try to ensure that your cat or dog has somewhere off of the floor to sleep, especially in these cooler seasons. You can put out extra blankets or pet beds for them to warmly nap on. Especially as we get further into autumn, safe and pet-friendly heating blankets or heated pet beds could also be put out for your furbaby. Then again, you can also help your kitty or pup stay warm with some extra lap time.

Guest Sunday Selfies

Today we have some selfies from a guest. This guest is one we've shared multiple times before. He owns my parents, he loves to greet me through the front window of my parents' house, he's 22 lbs of cuddle bug, and his name is Foggy.

Do you like what this boy has done to my parents' front curtains? Foggy is all paws and loves to grab the resultingly tattered curtains, but he's adorable so that's totally okay.

Happy Sunday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I recently shared a cozy library flashback doodle from last year. I then realized I had drawn a very similar one 2 years ago, because sometimes I just like to draw the same thing over and over again. Here's the similar cozy library doodle from 2 years ago.

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Tip of the Day

We've given a variety of tips regarding today's topic, but we're going to compile them and mention them again today. Today's tip is to keep a close eye on your kitty or pup's water bowl and food bowl during the cold winter months. What do we mean by this? To begin, make sure the water bowl remains full and fresh. To keep warm on cold winter days, we of course run the furnace, or turn on heaters or the fireplace. This is of course crucial for helping our furbabies and ourselves remain warm when it's cold, but this can also lead to increased evaporation of water. This is just one reason to regularly check on your furbaby's water bowl, even on, or especially on, cold winter days. In addition, the furnace and other heat sources can lead to dryness, such as of your kitty or pup's coat and skin. This is another reason why it is crucial to ensure they have sufficient fresh water, as they very well may drink more in order to remain moisturized and comfortable in the dry winter air.

The food bowl might also be affected by the cold weather in the winter. This concept more heavily relates to furbabies who live outdoors or who spend time outdoors in the winter, such as ferals, strays, or those who go outdoors to use the restroom or go on walks. Those who spend time in the cold will often eat more in the winter. This is because when the body breaks down consumed food, it produces energy and heat, which can be crucial for helping a furbaby remain warm in the cold. Therefore, if your furbaby spends time outdoors, keep an eye on their food intake. They may require more food in the winter in order to remain warm and comfortable. Of course, if you have any concerns regarding your furbaby's diet, weight, and overall food and water intake, then do discuss this with your veterinarian.

Guest Sunday Selfies

Today's selfie star is a guest. But, it's a guest we've introduced before. It's a big orange boy who lives at my parents' house, and this big orange boy loves to greet me through their front window. That fact is why these selfies aren't all that great quality, because they were taken through shiny glass on a sunny day. Anyway, here's a big orange boy named Foggy!

Handsome, isn't he? Foggy's also a happily goofy fella. See?

We hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday's Halloween tip was about the benefits of feeding pumpkin to your furbabies. Today's tip is related to this, but is about a part of the pumpkin that isn't as often discussed with regard to a furbaby's diet. Though we've mentioned these before, we're again talking about pumpkin seeds. If fed in a manner that is safe, pumpkin seeds can have health benefits for our furbabies, just as they can for humans. For example, pumpkin seeds contain valuable nutrients, and they can have anti-inflammatory properties. It is also believed by some that pumpkin seeds have some deworming properties as well.

All of the above being said, if you decide to offer pumpkin seeds to your kitty or pup, of course do so safely. First, feed them only as an occasional treat or food topper. In addition, if the seeds are a potential choking hazard, you can cut them into small pieces. Also, of course, ensure that the pumpkin seeds are plain, and that they do not contain any added ingredients, such as onion, garlic, or even salt or sugar. We'll again also add that, should your furbaby have any health concerns, of course first discuss adding anything such as pumpkin seeds to your furbaby's diet with your veterinarian.

Guests on Tuesday

As has been evidenced by a couple of our recent posts, I recently did an unofficial and rather low quality photo shoot of my parents' cats when I visited their house. Want to see my parents' two biggest cats together? They're both handsome fellas, and they're both over 20 lbs.

Say hello to Trapper and Foggy! Some of you might remember these boys, as they've both been on our blog before. Strangely enough, despite what that photo there might suggest, these two big boys don't eat a whole lot. Neither of them comes running when the food bowls are filled. So, how did they get to be over 20 lbs? Well, they do like lounging about just as they're doing above, so that might have something to do with it. Honestly, I love hugging both of these big boys, because there's just so much of them to love. Even so, both my parents and myself try to get these boys to play more in order to help them lose weight, but they're just not that into moving around a whole lot.

You know what, how about one more candid shot of these two boys with one of their sisters? Let's add Gilly to the mix now.

First of all, do you like Foggy's yawn in that there photo? As for Gilly, who is in terrible lighting and refused to look at the camera, she kind of looks like a big cat here, but she's mostly fur. She's only something like 8 lbs. Her insane fuzziness makes her look deceptively large. Oh, and she's a total daddy's girl. She has my dad wrapped around all four of her fuzzy little paws.

Happy Tuesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle takes place in a weird, wacky, whimsical sort of garden I scribbled up last year. Though it's a weird one, I remember really enjoying creating this doodle.

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Did you know?

Yesterday we mentioned how a cat grooms after eating in order to remove the scent of their prey from themselves, which in turn keeps other predators from preying on the cat because of the scent of the prey they consumed. Today, how about we mention a couple of other reasons why a cat might lick themselves? It goes without saying that general grooming is of course the primary reason for a cat licking themselves. The papillae, or spikes, on their tongue help them remove loose hair and other debris off of their fur.

Aside from the aforementioned obvious grooming, why else might a cat lick themselves? One reason is to help them cool down. This is because evaporation of saliva on the fur can help a cat feel cooler. Cats might also very well lick themselves for any number of behavioral reasons. For example, cats might lick themselves when stressed or nervous, some of them even anxiously grooming enough to cause bald spots. Another behavioral purpose for a cat's licking is social grooming, or allogrooming, during which a cat licks another cat it is close to or trusts. This type of social grooming helps build and reinforce relationships between cats. Your kitty's tongue and grooming sessions can have many purposes. If you notice any abnormal grooming, of course discuss this with a veterinarian.

Mancat Monday

We have an orange boy for you all today. It's not our usual orange boy Evan, though. Rather, it's an orange boy we've shared here a handful of times before.

I could've cropped that photo a bit so that it could be somewhat centered, but I'm far too lazy for that. Anyway. That there is Foggy. I've mentioned him before. He's one of my parents' 12 cats, and he loves to welcome me and bid me farewell from my parents' front window. This boy is nearly 20 lbs of love and cuddles, and I love walking around my parents' house cradling him like the giant baby he is.

Happy Monday from Foggy the mancat, and from all of us here!

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Doodle of the Day

I feel like we're going to be in our current series of doodle for nearly the rest of this month. I'm enjoying drawing them quite a bit. This series, as we've said before, is a springtime one set in a weird and wacky home. Today we're in that home's study, or office, or den, or whatever you want to call it.

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday's National Pet Poison Awareness Month tip was about coins, namely the potential for them to cause zinc toxicity. Today's tip is another one about potentially dangerous metals, this one being iron. Iron can of course be found in various multivitamins, or simply iron supplements. That's not the only potential source of iron, though, as it can also be found in items such as fertilizers, hand warmers, and oxygen absorbers (such as those often found in packets of food such as beef jerky).

Ingestion of toxic amounts of iron can result in a variety of symptoms. For example, iron poisoning may cause vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stool, lethargy, and even negative effects on organs such as the heart or liver. Needless to say, be aware of what items in your household might contain iron, or any potentially dangerous substance. And, of course, keep all such items well out of reach of your furbaby. Never leave your vitamins or other medications, or any questionable items, sitting around for a curious furbaby to find. If your furbaby does get into such items and ingests them, though, then do of course seek veterinary assistance.

Mancat Monday

Since Evan got to star in yesterday's selfie, he agreed to let another mancat star in this week's Mancat Monday post. This other mancat is another orange tabby, and he's one we've introduced before. Who remembers Foggy?

Foggy is one of my parents' 12 cats. He is a big boy, and he's as sweet as sugar. When I visit my parents' house, Foggy more often than not greets me and bids me farewell in the front window.

I apologize for the glare in the window in these photos. It was obviously quite sunny when I snapped these shots. That certainly made for a beautiful day, but it also posed quite a challenge when it came to photographing handsome Foggy through a glass window. But, we thought you all would still enjoy seeing this handsome ginger boy. So, here you go.

Foggy and all of us here wish you a happy Monday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

As I mentioned yesterday, the next couple of days will all be flashback doodles. The majority of these flashbacks are in one particular series of wintry doodles I scribbled up last year. These flashback doodles were inspired by my angel Rosie, my sweet calico kitty who kept me company from the time I was 4 until I was 26 years old.

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Tip of the Day

Today's winter tip is one that is probably rather logical, and that you all very likely already know. This tip is to refrain from shaving your kitty or pup in the winter, especially a shave close to the skin. The truth is, it is always best to refrain from cutting your furbaby's fur to the skin. In the winter, one reason their fur is crucial is because it helps insulate heat. Similarly, though, a cat or dog's fur can insulate cool air when it's hot outside, making it equally important in the summer. Of course, in the case of severe mats, thick fur that causes overheating in the summer, or other extenuating circumstances, a shave might be required or beneficial. That being said, though, it is best and safest for your furbaby to never shave their fur down to the skin. That fur serves far more purposes than one, including insulating both warm and cool air, depending on the time of the year.

Guest Sunday Selfies

We've been using Sundays to slowly introduce to you my parents' 12 kitties. I've been introducing their kitties in the order that my parents adopted them. Going with this order of things, I've reached a certain kitty we've already recently introduced. Of course, though, I simply couldn't skip over him.

Who remembers Foggy? He essentially always greets me in the window when I arrive at my parents' house.

A few weeks ago, I shared Foggy's origin story. If you'd like to read the post with the story of how Foggy joined the family, just click here.

As one last view of Foggy today, I'll share an animation Google created for me using photos of him that I uploaded to my online photo storage. It zoomed in on his face real close, and so this is a grainy animation. Honestly, though, he's downright adorable even when grainy.

Happy Sunday to all!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today we're sharing our final Thanksgiving flashback doodle from last year. This is actually the doodle we shared on Thanksgiving Day itself last year. It stars angel Rosie and a special guest enjoying a feast, with some semblance of a Santa-infused Thanksgiving Day parade going on outside the window behind them. See?

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Tip of the Day

We're still in the midst of our National Pet Diabetes Awareness Month tips. On this topic, yesterday we discussed observing your furbaby and knowing visible signs of illness. In addition to this, if your furbaby has been diagnosed with diabetes, consider monitoring their blood glucose at home. This is of course not always an option, depending on the furbaby and the situation. But, if it is possible, do discuss this with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can help you learn how to safely check your kitty or pup’s glucose at home, which can be done simply using a vein in your kitty or pup's ear and the same type of glucometer a human would use. If nothing else, of course it is advisable to take a diabetic furbaby to the vet for regular glucose and/or fructosamine checks, as well as frequent urinalyses, especially in the early stages of their diabetes treatment.

Twofer Tuesday

Our selfie star on Sunday was my parents' cat Foggy. His selfies were snapped from outside my parents' front window, while Foggy watched from inside the house as I mowed my parents' yard. During that same photo shoot, Foggy was joined by a certain other someone.

Foggy is the big orange boy on the right, and on the left is a silly little guy named Homer. Homer is a real character, a true entertainer. You're never bored when Homer's around. One of his favorite things to do is scratch at windows. He also enjoys scratching at doors, tables, and really anything he can find.

Foggy might not have been impressed with Homer's window show, but I sure thought it was downright adorable. And don't worry, I definitely went inside and forced cuddles on both of these boys. Actually, I cuddled on all 12 of my parents' cats. I do that every day, in case you were wondering.

Happy Tuesday!

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Halloween Doodle of the Day: Flashback Tuesday

For today's flashback doodle, I simply scrolled through last year's Halloween doodles to see if I could find any I didn't remember scribbling up. I found one I'd forgotten all about, and it was this weird one here:

I remember feeling compelled to scribble that doodle up one late October night last year. My already weird mind goes to some extra wacky places when it's tired, I guess. That being said, I am now in the mood to doodle up some scarecrows, perhaps even some with cat-o'-lantern heads. I just might do that.

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Halloween Tip of the Day

Today's tip is an extension of yesterday's tip, when we reminded you to only put Halloween costumes on furbabies who tolerate or enjoy it. Now we're here to mention the importance of choosing safe and secure costumes for those kitties and pups who do enjoy wearing them. There are a number of considerations to make in order to ensure that a Halloween costume, or other item of clothing, is safe for your furbaby. For example, you of course have to make sure that there are no embellishments or other decorations on the costume that could be chewed off and ingested, as this could indeed be dangerous. You also want to make sure that no strings or other similar parts and pieces could lead to a furbaby getting tangled in the costume. What's more, make sure the costume is the correct size and fit. A costume with too small of a neck hole or with too small of leg holes could be not only uncomfortable, but also dangerous for circulation. Dressing up our furbabies can indeed help you and them get into the Halloween spirit, but it is more so important to ensure their comfort and safety.

Guest Sunday Selfies: The Sequel

A couple weeks ago, we shared some guest Sunday selfies. The guest was my parents' adorable orange mancat Foggy. The aforementioned previous selfies were taken through my parents' front window, when Foggy was bidding me farewell after one of my visits. He very often greets me or says goodbye to me through that window. Yesterday, Foggy decided he wanted a sequel of that very same photo shoot, this time when I was mowing my parents' yard. I of course got purrfectly distracted and stopped in the middle of mowing to help Foggy snap selfies like this one here:

These selfies are nothing grand on my part, as they were snapped on my phone, through a window glaring with sunlight. I don't think that matters, though, because Foggy looks downright adorable no matter what.

I especially love when Foggy rubs his face in the interior of the window while I'm standing on the other side. I finally got a shot of him doing just that, and so we have this:

You know what makes Foggy's selfies today even more special? Today is his third Gotcha Day! As I mentioned in our last post starring Foggy, I found a crying 5-month-old Foggy outside my parents' house on October 13, 2016. My dad fell in love with him, as did my mom, and when no one responded to notices that he was found, Foggy officially joined my parents' clowder. He is a total daddy's boy, and a total sweetheart.

Foggy hopes you enjoyed his selfies! Happy Sunday, friends!

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Halloween Doodle of the Day

We're continuing our series of doodles starring a witch and her cats. Today, they're putting up their Halloween decor. The witch is of course getting plenty of help from some furry someones.

This is another one of my doodles that gives away the fact that I don't use rulers. The room is tilting, but I'll just pretend the witch and her cats don't care.

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Halloween Tip of the Day

We've made it to day 13 of our 31 Halloween tips. Today's tip is likely the last in our discussion on pumpkins, and it's also more than likely an obvious one. Nevertheless, we're here to remind you to take precautions and to keep your furbaby safe if you get festive by carving a jack-o'-lantern. Carving a pumpkin means pulling out knives or other sharp objects, which can of course be a danger to your kitty or pup. Do not leave any knives sitting where your furbaby might walk or jump, and certainly don't leave knives unattended. If need be, activities such as pumpkin carving can be, and perhaps should be, done in an area where your furbaby does not have access. This would allow for the prevention of any accidents. Also think about after you've carved the pumpkin, and do not leave the knives sitting dangerously in the sink or elsewhere. We've also already discussed safety around candles in jack-o'-lanterns, as flames are of course another danger. All in all, if you are carving pumpkins or partaking in other similar Halloween festivities, always be aware of your furbaby's proximity and safety.

Guest Selfie Sunday

You're about to see a handsome orange tabby.

But, wait, that's not Evan!

That there is my parents' cat Foggy. He always welcomes me and bids me farewell from my parents' front window when I come and go from their house. I apologize for the quality of these photos, because they were indeed snapped from outside the window, on the other side of which Foggy was bidding me farewell after a visit.

I tend to get attached to each and every cat I meet in my life. That being said, Foggy is one of those cats with whom I have somewhat of an extra special bond. I'm actually the one who found Foggy. On a dark and stormy evening in October of 2016, I was at my parents' house and heard what sounded like a cat crying outside the front door. I opened the door, expecting to see the neighbor cat asking for his usual treats. Instead, I saw a fuzzy orange rump scurrying beneath my mom's van. Long story short, after a small game of cat-and-mouse with the scared little fella, I caught the little guy you see in the photos above, who at the time was only about 5 months old.

My mom and I fruitlessly searched for an owner. We assume he had one, because from day one he's been incredibly friendly and affectionate. After checking for a microchip that didn't exist and posting about him online as well as around the neighborhood and at local veterinary clinics, no one came forward. Perhaps he was set loose or dumped, which is just as well, because by that point my dad had fallen in love with the orange boy and claimed him as his own. If my dad hadn't formed an immediate bond with Foggy, I'd have another orange tabby. My dad especially fell for this boy because he reminded him of his childhood orange tabby named Gus. Foggy loves his dad very, very much, so I know he's in the right home.

Want something a little extra fun? As I've mentioned before, I back up all of my photos to Google Drive, and Google often creates fun little somethings for me using my photos. Google yet again created a bit of an animation for me, this time using the above photos. See?

And don't worry, Foggy's claw is not stuck in the curtain in those images. He is notorious for reaching out and grabbing the curtain, but he's never gotten stuck. In fact, he's quite proficient at moving the curtain aside if he thinks he doesn't have a good enough view out the window.

Foggy and all of us are wishing you a happy Sunday! Of course, Foggy's also entering his handsome self in the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by the Kitties Blue of The Cat on My Head.

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Doodle of the Day

It's all about the orange tabbies today. And pumpkins, of course.

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Did you know?

Did you know a study of nearly 7,700 stray shelter animals found that cats without microchips are reunited with their owners only 1.8% of the time, whereas cats with microchips find their way back home 38.5% of the time? As for dogs, the study found that those without microchips make it back home 21.9% of the time, whereas those with microchips are reunited with their owners 52.2% of the time. When it comes to the animals who were found with microchips but were not reunited with their owners, this study concluded that a large percentage of these animals had microchips that were linked to either erroneous information or no information at all. In conclusion, have your furbabies microchipped, and keep that microchip up-to-date!

Mancat Monday: The New Kid

Here we are at Mancat Monday. You all know what that means around here. Orange tabby time!

But, wait a second. That's not Evan!

Nope. That there s a little fellow known as Foggy. You remember how I recently mentioned my parents' newest member of their kitty clan? Well, that would be Foggy!

This little cutie literally showed up at my parents' front step. It was late at night in October, foggy and just about to rain, when a kitty started crying outside. It was, indeed, orange little Foggy.

From the get-go, this little guy was a real sweetie. He was clearly socialized, and he loved to cuddle and snuggle and give some serious head-butts. So of course he had to belong to somebody, right? Well, we had him microchip scanned, but he had no chip. He was at least 5 months old, and he wasn't even neutered. We posted signs around the neighborhood, posted to local lost pet sites, even drove around looking to see if anyone was missing a sweet orange kitty. All of that amounted to nothing.

So, that brings us to the easy end of the story. As a child, my dad had a big orange tabby cat named Gus. After Gus, my dad had never found himself with another orange tabby. That is, until the kitty soon to be named Foggy showed up. The plain and simple fact is that it was love at first sight with my dad and Foggy. So, when no one stepped forward to claim the sweet orange kitty, my parents obviously kept him.

Now my parents have a Foggy, and Foggy has him some doting humans and 6 kitty siblings.

Foggy sure loves his home, his mom and dad, and certainly his big (big!) brothers and sisters. And he's still sweet as can be. So, although I'm running a little late with this, welcome to the family, Foggy!

Now, our art for today is also sort of in line with Mancat Monday. Yesterday I showed you the drawing I created for my mom for Christmas. Today, I'm showing you the one I created for my sister. It of course stars her mancat Toby. As a preface, thanks to our dad, both my sister and I are huge fans of the genre of fantasy. Perhaps that might help this one make a little more sense.

Happy Monday, everybuddy!

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Our Tip of the Day:

Please have your furbabies  microchipped! And, after having them microchipped, please don't forget to renew the chip as often as is required to keep it up and running. Also don't forget to update its information as needed, such as if you move and change addresses, or if your phone number changes. If, heaven forbid, your furbaby were to ever escape from home and end up lost, an up-to-date microchip could be the godsend that lands them back home with you. So, please do consider the importance of microchipping! Of course, this also goes for if you find a lost dog or cat. In such a case, please have them microchip scanned at a local vet or shelter, so that they have the best chance of making their way back home.