Plumbing Repairs and Cat Beds

Hello, friends! I did not mean to skip yesterday's post. I had the day off work for Labor Day, but I wasn't on my computer much. Even more so, though, what really derailed me was the plumbing emergency that started on Saturday. It actually ended up not being anything truly major or requiring any wall-destroying repairs that were first anticipated, so I'm grateful for that. Even so, I had a repairman out this weekend and thereafter had a lot of cleanup following my shower's decision to spray water out onto my bathroom floor. Some baseboards still need replaced, courtesy of some opportunistic water, but the worst of the issue is remedied.

All that said, we're here! We're late, but we're here. Since it's the day Tonks usually gets to post, but Evan missed his post yesterday, how about something starring both of them?

Not too long ago, Tonks shared her newfound love for cat beds. She never really paid them much mind before, but these days she loves snoozing in the spare bed I put down for Evan every day.

In case you're curious, that photo above has a sort of ethereal glow because I didn't realize my camera lens was smudged.

For his contribution to this photo shoot, Evan decided to go the blooper route by taking a bath.

I have so few photos of Tonks in cat beds, so this here makes me so happy!

Have a terrific Tuesday, friends! Evan and Tonks hope you get in a good nap in a cozy bed!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

In between plumbing repairman visits and bathroom cleanup this weekend, I did get at least some of my Halloween decorations up. I also finally got my first Halloween movie watched last night. Given that we were having something 105°F heat indexes this weekend, though, this old doodle seems apt enough.

***

Tip of the Day

Today's autumn pet safety tip is about none other than snakes. Depending on your location and the types of snakes, it might be baby snake season, or it might be the time when snakes are prepping for hibernation. In such cases, more snakes might very well be out and about and therefore pose a risk to furbabies and humans alike. Of course, not all snakes are dangerous. However, some snakes could indeed pose a risk or could be venomous. The types of snakes that are around of course depend on the area in which you live. So, it might be wise to a bit of research on the types of snakes in your area, and to also research which ones are dangerous to animals and humans. All in all, though, if in doubt, monitor your furbaby when they are outside to ensure that they don't run into any snaky danger. If you do see a snake, remove your kitty or pup from the area, especially if you know the snake is dangerous, but also if you are unsure of the risks it might pose. If your cat or dog is bit by a snake, do not hesitate to seek veterinary care to help ensure that no toxic reaction or infection results.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Curmudgeonly Eddy in Her Chair

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 fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.

1. Never have I ever _________.

2. My September to-do list includes _________ and ________.

3. I wouldn't mind hosting a _________ party.

4. I'm always curious about other people's ________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. Never have I ever been to Disney World or Disney Land.
(I'm more than fine with this fact, and it'll stay this way. I did grow up in the 90s and watched almost every single original, animated Disney movie. What Disney has become today, though, is not my thing.)

2. My September to-do list includes decorating for Halloween and finishing lots of new Halloween drawings.
(I'll be starting to decorate my house for Halloween this weekend. My sister is in the process of moving out of my house, but don't worry because she's just moving to an available house across the street and so she and her kitties will still be close. All that to say, my home is a bit chaotic right now and so I won't be able to finish decorating the whole house until that's all settled. But, I can at least decorate parts of the house for Halloween, and that'll make it really feel like spooky season. What also will make it feel like spooky season is scribbling up new Halloween doodles. I have 5 said drawings already outlined and ready to color in with my markers, and just today I got an idea for another series of Halloween doodles. I still have a dozen or more new doodles from the past few months I haven't yet scanned or shared, but at this point they might have to wait until after the holidays to see the light of day because I'm far too excited to start sharing new Halloween, autumnal, and then Christmas doodles.)

3. I wouldn't mind hosting a small Halloween party.
(I'm not big on parties or other gatherings, or too much hullabaloo or socializing in general. But, as for a low-key, quiet Halloween party that mostly involves eating lots of sugar and watching spooky, kooky movies, I'd be more than fine with that. In truth, I already sort of do that every Halloween night with my parents and sister. I always get my parents and sister some of their favorite candies, and I make spooky cupcakes and sometimes other freakishly festive baked goods, and then we watch Halloween and other movies at my house. I look forward to it every year.)

4. I'm always curious about other people's book and music preferences.
(I had a couple of ideas on what to put for this one. For example, I like knowing if someone shares their life with any animals. I often get annoyed if I find out someone doesn't like animals, though, so I decided to veer away from that and use the above answer instead. And truly, as an avid reader and picky song listener myself, I do often wonder what others like to read and listen to. That information might not tell you everything about a person, but I think it can reveal at least a bit about them.)

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.

***

Who's ready for a Friday Eddy fix? We know you all are. So, today, Eddy wanted to show off how she loves lounging in her favorite chair.

I had only placed that blanket there momentarily before taking it to its rightful place, but Eddy claimed it as hers and so now it just stays in her chair in a messy heap like that. At least until she pukes on it, which is her favorite way of telling me she wants a new blanket on her chair.

Oh, and in this next picture, can you tell that Eddy was getting exceedingly annoyed with me taking her photo?

Eddy truly does not like having her photo taken, but I refuse to have no memories of my sweet and sassy girl. So, she usually gives me a few seconds to snap a couple shots, and my goal is always to finish taking her pic before she gets up to escape the camera. I succeeded at that with this photo shoot, and Eddy resumed her nap when I was done annoying her. And don't worry, she got some treats and kisses for her cooperation.

Eddy hopes all of her kitty friends out there have way less annoying humans than she has!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

The leaves here have of course not even started to change colors whatsoever. Even so, since I'm eager for autumn and Halloween, and since I'm decorating my house for Halloween this weekend, this flashback doodle felt accurate enough for today.

***

Tip of the Day

As part of our autumn series of pet safety tips, we recently mentioned keeping school supplies out of your furbaby's reach. In addition to this, there are further potential dangers that might pose a risk especially as the weather cools. One such hazard is, as you all certainly know, antifreeze. Without going into the chemistry of it, coolants such as antifreeze contain components that are highly toxic to cats and dogs. It also can smell or taste sweet and enticing to our furbabies, mostly dogs, making it all the more dangerous. For such reasons, try to avoid all emergencies by simply keeping antifreeze, and other similar products, hidden away where your cats and dogs cannot reach.

We'll also mention one more toxic group of products that is often more commonly used once the weather cools. We're referring to rodenticides. When the temperatures outside start to lower, critters like mice might very well try to find ways to enter our homes in order to find warmth. This might result in some people using rodenticides. However, these products can be highly toxic to our furbabies. Not only is it dangerous if a cat or dog finds and ingests the chemical itself, but they can also become sick if they ingest a rodent that has eaten the rodenticide. All of that being said, it is likely best to avoid using rodenticides altogether, to ensure that your furbaby is not affected by them at all. Of course, keep in mind that snapping mice traps can also pose a risk, especially if they contain  enticing cheese or peanut butter and are somewhere that your furbaby can potentially access. One safer option is to look into using humane mouse traps, such as catch-and-release types. Of course, it is still wise to place these somewhere hidden away to avoid complications with your furbaby.

As lovely as autumn is, it can still pose risks to our kitties and pups. As the seasons change, think of any and all new products that you might be using. Then, consider how such products might affect your furbaby and their health, and then only use and store them in manners that keep your furbaby safe.

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!

***

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.

***

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.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Festive Wait

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. My November to do list includes _________ and _________.

2. I find the song _________ annoying.

3. Currently, I'm ahead on _________ but behind on _________.

4. I'm unbeatable at _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. My November to do list includes pumpkin baking and Christmas art.
(I bake lots of pumpkin goodies in November. Who doesn't? I always at the very least make pumpkin pie and pumpkin cookies, usually more than once. I also often scribble up lots of Christmas drawings this month. See more on that in #3 below.)

2. I find the song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" annoying.
(I didn't used to dislike this song, especially some of the covers I used to enjoy. But now it's just, well, everywhere. And there are so many online jokes of it being played early to kick Halloween out of the lineup, and that just makes me sad. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas and Christmas music, but I'm more into the true classics that aren't forced on you well before Halloween.)

3. Currently, I'm ahead on Christmas shopping but behind on Christmas drawings.

(I'm over halfway done with Christmas shopping and plan to be done in the next week or two. But, I haven't even started my drawing for our Christmas card, let alone any other festive doodles I want to get ahead on. I really hope to get started on those this weekend.)

4. I'm unbeatable at overthinking.

(I'm probably not actually unbeatable at this, as I know lots of people overthink and dwell. After all, it's a very human thing. But, sometimes my mind makes me feel like I'm overthinking beyond what's normal. I'm probably not, but what's overthinking for if not to make you feel like a weirdo.)

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.

***

We talked about Christmas above, and Eddy's ready for her year-round Christmas tree to finally be lit up with lights again. And for it to have that giant red ribbon on top that she likes to rip off and shred a little more each year. Right now, though, her tree is still bland and boring. See it all naked back behind Eddy in this photo?

We always try to give Thanksgiving its time in our house, but we decorate for Christmas starting on Thanksgiving night and have everything up by the end of Black Friday. So, you only have to wait a bit longer for your tree to be good and festive, Eddy.

Happy Friday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

This time of year always feels so jumbled with holidays. I love Halloween and always celebrate it into early November, but then soon after I'm in the mood for Christmas, but you can't forget about Thanksgiving here in the USA, so then I end up scribbling up confused doodles like this:

Happy Hallowthanksmas!

***

Tip of the Day

We're not finished with our Pet Cancer Awareness Month tips just yet. Today we want to remind you all that, just like us humans, it is possible for our furbabies to be affected by cigarette smoke, and cancer could potentially develop as a result. For this reason, if you smoke, avoid doing this in the home or around your kitty or pup. In addition, when out in public, do your best to keep your furbabies away from areas where smoking is common. Smoking affects more than just the smoker, so for the sake of both yourself and your furbaby, do try to avoid it.

The Halloween Wrap-up with Angel Astrid

This will be our last all-out Halloween post, and it stars my sweet angel Astrid. Last week I shared a photo of sweet pup Astrid posing with some pumpkins soon after her surgery for her torn CCL (ACL). She had that surgery in October 2022, and so it was quite the way to celebrate Halloween. During that season, I stumbled upon a piece of a decor that is a dog dressed as Frankenstein's monster. I found it at none other than the home improvement and building supplies store that is Menards. Given Astrid's stitched up leg at the time, the monster dog seemed like a fitting piece to buy. So I did.

Some days I actually manage to get along with my camera, and on this day it agreed to let me swap the focus to Astrid for a second photo.

That monster dog has always stayed out year round on my desk. It will continue to stay out year round, in honor of my perfect pup Astrid.

Now, we have the last few photos to share from the jack-o'-lantern event my mom and I went to at a local pumpkin farm. I always look for pumpkins carved like animals, and on Monday we shared all the kitties I found. Today we have a couple of dogs to share, starting with good ol' Scooby Doo.

There's often at least one wolf howling at the moon, and I did indeed find that this year.

I was also happy to see that a number of people went for simple but sweet paw prints.

Though I didn't get a great photo of it, I did see a Frankenstein's monster pumpkin, which I of course snapped a photo of since I had on my mind the Frankenstein's monster dog decor I shared above.

Every year, there are also people who carve pumpkins that show their eagerness for another upcoming season.

There's a chance that one was supposed to be the John Deere logo, but it's a reindeer either way. The next couple are for sure all shades of winter, though.

Thank you for spending spooky season with us, friends!

***

Spooky Doodle of the Day

Our last new Halloween doodle from this year stars our housemates, those being my sister's kitties, Toby and Winky. Toby is my Thimble's littermate, and Winky is my Tonks's littermate. All four of those kitties share a cat mom, though, courtesy of a feral cat in my grandma's neighborhood that it took years to catch and spay.

Anyway, rambling aside, Toby and Winky got to dress in Harry Potter costumes. They did so in the form of a certain drink from that wizarding world. After all, Winky is named after a Harry Potter house elf who is often a bit drunk on the stuff.

***

Tip of the Day

In case you missed it, we're doing a series of pet cancer prevention tips during this Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Today's tip is one we've mentioned one more occasion than one, and is one that many of you have probably heard. This tip is to always keep in mind that it is indeed possible for cats and dogs to get skin cancer, especially on vulnerable parts of the body such as the ears and nose. For this reason, monitor the amount of time they spend outdoors in the sun, but also the amount of time they spend sunbathing in windows or doors. If your furbaby does spend a lot of time in the sun, perhaps look into pet-friendly sunscreen, and discuss safe options with your veterinarian as needed. There are also windows or window films that block out UV light, which is another option for keeping our furbabies and their skin safe during their sunbathing sessions. The sun can indeed be fun, but also dangerous, so do keep a close eye on those furry sunbathers.

Tonks Tuesday with Yet More Pumpkins

We have just a couple more days of Halloween wrap-up we'd like to share. For Tonks Tuesday, I really wanted to share some of my favorite Halloween photos I took last year. They're quite basic and don't even look that festive, but they show off my adorable and playful calico with her cat-o'-lantern toy, and I love that. 

As we mentioned yesterday, we also have a couple more jack-o'-lantern photos to share from the event my mom and I went to at a local pumpkin farm. Yesterday we shared a number of pumpkins that were carved like kitties, and today I'm sharing some slightly more random ones that stuck out to me.

For the record, I am not a fan of clowns. That said, the pumpkin below was aptly creepy for the spooky holiday, and so I had to snap a photo of it.

We hope you all continue to have terrifyingly terrific days, friends!

***

Spooky Doodles of the Day

Today we're finishing up sharing the doodles I scribbled up of my parents' kitties in their Halloween costumes. Today we have the last of the girls, first up with Gilly. Her glamorous fur earned her the role of The Ring's Samara, a girl who crawled out of a well with her long hair hanging good and creepy over her face. Gilly looks far less scary, though.

The next one stars three kitties, those being Fizzgig (aka Fizzy), Iris, and Josie. It was my dad's idea for these three to be a group of witches, and since they notoriously don't get along, I made sure they all looked good and angry at each other.

***

Tip of the Day

It's Pet Cancer Awareness Month, so we have another cancer prevention tip for you today. We're here to talk a bit about vaccines. While vaccines can be important for the prevention of various diseases, especially for those furbabies who go outdoors or are in another way more susceptible to disease, it is still crucial that you be knowledgeable about the potential side effects of some vaccines. In some cases, vaccines can lead to injection-site tumors, commonly cancerous fibrosarcomas. To help prevent these, you can keep furbabies, such as cats, indoors. This could render some vaccines far less necessary, since your furbaby would likely not be exposed to the diseases certain vaccines cover. In other cases, such as if your furbaby does go outdoors or might be exposed to certain diseases, simply do your research. Ask your veterinary office what types of vaccines they use, as some vaccines do not contain the components typically believed to cause injection-site tumors. Vaccines are often a highly debated subject in any case, so always be knowledgeable about them, about what kind your veterinary office uses, and which vaccines your kitty or pup might need.

More Spooky Fun on Mancat Monday

Hello, friends! I truly meant to post some of our continued Halloween fun over the weekend, since those days were All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Time got away from me, though, and so now here we are on Monday, November 3rd. We're still going to continue Halloween here on our blog for a couple of days, though, because we do have a bit more frightfully festive fun to share.

Now, it is indeed Mancat Monday. Evan is still being stalked by our pumpkin decor, even when he's trying to enjoy his beloved back door time.

Don't mind the dirty window there. I haven't yet had the heart to wash away my sweet angel Astrid's nose art from it.

As for more pumpkins, though, Evan decided to pose with my jack-o'-lanterns after I carved them up a few days before Halloween. He's always my perfect little helper, though he's also a bit difficult to see with the lighting of this photo.

Now, the next pumpkins are not ones that I carved. As my mom and I do every year, we visited a local pumpkin farm that displays hundreds of pumpkins carved by the community during the nights leading up to Halloween. I took a great many photos on the night we went, and today we'll share the various cat-o'-lanterns we got to see.

Tomorrow and Wednesday we'll share a few more of the amazing jack-o'-lanterns we saw at this pumpkin farm. There really were so many great ones, and I couldn't stop snapping photos of them all.

We hope you all had a horrifyingly happy Halloween on Friday! And we hope you enjoy just a couple more days of Halloween fun with us.

***

Spooky Doodles of the Day

Now, leading up to Halloween we were sharing some doodles of my parents' kitties in various Halloween costumes. My parents have 11 cats, and so we still have quite a few of those drawings to share. Today we have three for you all. Since it's Mancat Monday, we'll share the rest of the boys in their Halloween attire. So, let's start with Kipper, who is Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

.

There isn't necessarily a particular reason why Kipper got that costume, but my dad and I wanted someone to be Leatherface and Kipper was a perfectly good option. Similarly, his littermate Homer is below as Hannibal Lecter, also for somewhat vague reasons.

Lastly is Flitwick, and he got his costume for a very specific reason. My dad requested Flitwick be a shark, like in Jaws or just any shark in general, because this tabby fellow is an adorable yet naughty boy who is known to stalk and bite his siblings.

***

Tip of the Day

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month. We have before shared tips on the prevention of cancer in our kitties and pups, and we're going to repeat that series of tips over the next few days in honor of this month's importance. We'll start with none other than spaying and neutering. Spaying and neutering your furbabies is not only important for population control, but also because, like humans, they can develop cancers of the reproductive tract and related systems. This can include uterine cancer, mammary cancer, and prostate cancer.

What's more, timing of spaying and neutering can also be crucial. It is important to ensure that a kitty or pup is of course old enough and big enough for neutering, but also not too old. This is because, for example, there is an increased risk of mammary cancer in female cats and dogs who are allowed to go through one or more cycles prior to being spayed. We could go on and on about this topic, but let's suffice it to say that, as most of you certainly know, it's incredibly important to spay and neuter your cats and dogs for more reasons than one. We'll even say it again. Please spay and neuter your kitties and pups, and do so before they can be affected by an increased risk of cancer.

Happy Halloween!

As the title says...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Now, let's kick off this spooky day with a very Halloween Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. 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. I like pumpkin _________.

2. My favorite movie to watch around Halloween is _________.

3. If I could meet any Halloween creature, I'd choose _________.

4. I'd like a Halloween treat basket filled with _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. I like pumpkin cookies.

(When I think about what pumpkin treat I like the most, I think it's cookies. A few years ago none other than Ellen shared with me a pumpkin cookie recipe, deliciously complete with chocolate chips, and I love the end result. I do like pumpkin pie and that sort of thing, but I like pumpkin cookies even more.)

2. My favorite movie to watch around Halloween is Halloween.

(This is far, far from being a movie of high quality in any regard. That said, it's a nostalgic classic that I've always watched around my tied-for-first-place holiday. I admittedly watch Halloween multiple times throughout the spooky season, and the first watch of it always puts me in the Halloween mood. I also always watch it on Halloween night itself, because of course.)

3. If I could meet any Halloween creature, I'd choose a witch's feline familiar.
(First and foremost, I'd want to make sure the kitty familiars are being treated properly. Secondly, I'd love to know more about their magic.)

4. I'd like a Halloween treat basket filled with Unreal candy.
(Unreal is a brand of candy that is mostly dairy free and gluten free. Since I'm both lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant, I was very happy to find this brand a couple years ago. What's more, they make candies that I find way better than the more popular brands. They often use dark chocolate, which I love, and they have one of the most delicious dark chocolate peanut butter cups I've ever tasted.)

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.

***

We're of course not done with Halloween yet, though. To celebrate, all of the kitties took some photos with a certain jack-o'-lantern in our house. Thimble introduced him yesterday, when we explained that this particular pumpkin sits in a heavy feline traffic area at our house, and so he's often a victim of cat puke, spilled food, and all sorts of abuse.

So, Evan will kick off this frightfully festive jack-o'-lantern fun today. He didn't feel like truly posing with the pumpkin, so the jack got quite the view.

That is indeed my hind limb paralyzed boy's shaved back end.

Thimble wanted a bit more of a spooky vibe to her Halloween, and the jack-o'-lantern was happy to oblige.

You can barely see the tabby girl there, so here's one where you can see her cute little face far better.

As always, my girl Eddy wasn't keen on cooperating, but that doesn't mean the jack-o'-lantern wasn't able to deliver a spooky shot or two with her.

As for calico Tonks, she decided to get up close and personal with the jack-o'-lantern.

Can you even see Tonks in these? She's there, being all cute and kooky.

Our housemates Toby and Winky, who own my sister, also wanted to participate. Toby decided to do so from his beloved space station toy. The jack-o'-lantern happily creeped on him.

Winky just went for a classic pose, but it's still frightfully festive, so that's fine with me.

I of course didn't want to leave my sweet angel pup Astrid out of our Halloween post, so I went back and found a photo of her posing with that very jack-o'-lantern above.

Fun fact: Astrid was actually tied to the coffee table in that there photo. This was just a week or so after her surgery to repair a torn CCL (the dog equivalent of the ACL), and she wasn't allowed to jump or run or do much of anything. She didn't like being in her cage or otherwise majorly confined while we were home, but we learned that if we tied her leash to the coffee table, she was happy to sit on the floor and behave herself. And, she was indeed about to eat a cookie in the shape of a witch hat, with Evan as a spectator.

***

Last year I shared this here Halloween image, which contains all of the doodles I scribbled up of my furry babies in Halloween costumes.

This year, my kitties reprised those roles, but in a far more cozy Halloween night setting.

Our housemates Toby and Winky are not in that drawing, but they still got a new doodle for this Halloween. We'll be sharing it very soon, in addition to a number of other similar new doodles, as we will be continuing the spooky holiday for a few more days.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

***

Tip of the Day

Our final Halloween tip is to use this spooky holiday as a chance to spend some quality time with your furbaby. Whether you're already staying tucked inside on Halloween night, or whether you wait until after handing out candy, do consider getting cozy and festive with your kitty or pup. For example, you can cozy up with your kitty or pup on the couch and read a spooky story, if that's your kind of thing. Another option is to of course watch a spooky movie or TV show, if that strikes your fancy. Of course, as we mentioned yesterday, do keep in mind your furbaby's sense of hearing and comfort when selecting a scary movie and volume level. For something more calm yet spookily festive, consider sitting down with your furbaby to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, or a certain famous orange tabby in Garfield's Halloween Adventure. Halloween night is of course also the perfect time to not only enjoy yourself some treats (of course without sharing anything toxic with your furbaby), but to also give your kitty or pup any festive toys or treats that you got for them.

Halloween may sometimes be considered a night filled with tricks and terrors, but you and your furbaby can instead use it to spend some quality time together in a festive yet safe manner. So, cuddle up on the couch and spend some cozy and festive time with that furbaby. Happy Halloween!