Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We hope your 2025 ended beautifully, and that your 2026 is off to a blessed start. We're enjoying a peaceful beginning to this new year, which is a great segue into Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble is of course here to share her gratitude, and she's not only thankful for a new year of new beginnings, but also for our Christmas village.

Thimble is always like Godzilla to those poor village folk. She tosses their houses around and stomps all over them, and she loves doing so.

Don't mind the fake bones on our platter and all that good stuff. On Tuesday Tonks shared a photo of our Christmas tree in which a skeleton's head could be seen peeking through the branches, so there's not much I can say other than our house is just a weird place.

***

Of course we didn't forget about the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. _________ is a New Year's tradition for me.

2. _________ is not the same as _________.

3. I would pick _________ as my theme song for 2026.

4. I'm a coward when it comes to _________ but brave when _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends! Happy New Year and Merry Eighth Day of Christmas!

***

Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

I worked on a couple of my in-progress festive doodles as I waited for the clock to strike midnight last night. We're still in the midst of the Twelve Days of Christmas and so the festiveness isn't over yet. That said, for today I'm actually still going to share a flashback doodle. That's because it's the sequel to the old New Year's Eve flashback doodle I shared yesterday. So, here you go.

***

Tip of the Day

We've been discussing care of ferals and strays during the winter months, and over the past few days our discussions have all been about food and water. We do have yet another tip on this specific topic. When it comes to offering food to ferals and strays, try to keep the location and timing of the feedings as consistent as possible. Keeping a predictable feeding schedule and food location can help an outdoor cat know when and where they can find food. Conserving energy is a very important thing for outdoor animals in the winter, and knowing when and where they can successfully venture out for a meal can indeed help ferals and strays save much needed energy, rather than wasting their energy only to find no food present at their feeding station. Therefore, if you feed ferals and strays, keep in mind that it is very beneficial to the animals if you keep their food on a consistent schedule and in the same location.

Happy New Year! (And Merry Eighth Day of Christmas!)

As the title of the post says...

Happy New Year, friends! And Merry Eighth Day of Christmas!

If 2024 gave you any trouble, Astrid gave it one final punishment for you.

We hope, purr, woof, and pray that you all enjoy a 2025 that is filled with good heath, happiness, and many, many blessings. Peace and joy to all!

Oh, and since we're still in the midst of the Twelve Days of Christmas, Astrid wanted you all to see the cookies she ate up on Christmas Day.

Astrid is a very good girl and waited patiently while I got a closer photo as well.

Don't worry. That pouty pup got to start eating the cookies as soon as that photo was snapped.

Again...Happy New Year and Merry Eighth Day of Christmas to all!

***

Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Tip of the Day

We've been discussing care of ferals and strays during the winter months, and over the past few days our discussions have all been about food and water. We do have yet another tip on this specific topic. When it comes to offering food to ferals and strays, try to keep the location and timing of the feedings as consistent as possible. Keeping a predictable feeding schedule and food location can help an outdoor cat know when and where they can find food. Conserving energy is a very important thing for outdoor animals in the winter, and knowing when and where they can successfully venture out for a meal can indeed help ferals and strays save much-needed energy, rather than wasting their energy only to find no food present at their feeding station. Therefore, if you feed ferals and strays, keep in mind that it is very beneficial to the animals if you keep their food on a consistent schedule and in the same location.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, friends! And Merry Eighth Day of Christmas! 

We hope, purr, woof, and pray that you all enjoy a 2024 that is full of good health, happiness, and many, many blessings. Peace and joy to all!

***

Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Tip of the Day

We're taking a short break from our series of tips on feral cat care to give a special New Year tip. This tip is simply to be cautious and safe today. Whether or not you are taking part in New Year celebrations, be responsible and careful when driving and when otherwise out and about today. Sadly, the roads can be a dangerous place filled with people irresponsibly driving under the influence on days like New Year's Day. So, for the sake of your safety, and for the sake of friends and family and of course furbabies who depend on you, be careful and take precautions to stay safe today. If possible, stay home with your furbabies and other family, where you can all remain safe and sound. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Today and every day, all of us here wish all of you out there good health, happiness, and many, many blessings.

I myself am grateful that, as we ring in the New Year that is 2023, all of my furbabies are home with me where they belong. Less than a week ago my orange boy Evan was hospitalized at the emergency vet with a urinary blockage. He is now home and recovering and overall doing well.

I scribbled that doodle up there very last minute, as Evan has always been like my little Tiny Tim to me. It's also technically still the Christmas season, today being the Eighth Day of Christmas, so A Christmas Carol sort of New Year with Tiny Tim Evan seemed apt enough.

Again we wish you all a very happy and healthy 2023!

***

Tip of the Day

We're taking a short break from our series of tips on feral cat care to give a special New Year tip. This tip is simply to be cautious and safe today. Whether or not you are taking part in New Year celebrations, be responsible and careful when driving and when otherwise out and about today. Sadly, the roads can be a dangerous place filled with people irresponsibly driving under the influence on days like New Year's Day. So, for the sake of your safety, and for the sake of friends and family and of course furbabies who depend on you, be careful and take precautions to stay safe today. If possible, stay home with your furbabies and other family, where you can all remain safe and sound. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year's Eve!

For the New Year tomorrow, and for the final days of the Twelve Days of Christmas, we'll finally share some of the new festive doodles I've been working on. For today, though, we thought we'd go with the short series of New Year's Eve and New Year's Day doodles we first shared a couple of years ago.

We hope that your 2022 ends with peace and joy, and that your 2023 is filled good health, happiness, and many blessings.

Happy New Year's Eve! And Merry Seventh Day of Christmas!

***

Tip of the Day

We've been discussing care of ferals and strays during the winter months, and over the past few days our discussions have all been about food and water. We do have yet another tip on this specific topic. When it comes to offering food to ferals and strays, try to keep the location and timing of the feedings as consistent as possible. Keeping a predictable feeding schedule and food location can help an outdoor cat know when and where they can find food. Conserving energy is a very important thing for outdoor animals in the winter, and knowing when and where they can successfully venture out for a meal can indeed help ferals and strays save much needed energy, rather than wasting their energy only to find no food present at their feeding station. Therefore, if you feed ferals and strays, keep in mind that it is very beneficial to the animals if you keep their food on a consistent schedule and in the same location.

Happy New Year!

As the post's title suggests...

Happy New Year!

It's 2022, as you've probably noticed by now. We're wishing you all much health and happiness every day of this year!

***

Tip of the Day

We're taking a short break from our series of tips on feral cat care to give a special New Year tip. This tip is simply to be cautious and safe today. Whether or not you are taking part in New Year celebrations, be responsible and careful when driving and when otherwise out and about today. Sadly, the roads can be a dangerous place filled with people irresponsibly driving under the influence on days like New Year's Day. So, for the sake of your safety, and for the sake of friends and family and of course furbabies who depend on you, be careful and take precautions to stay safe today. If possible, stay home with your furbabies and other family, where you can all remain safe and sound. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

It's 2021. Let's hope it's better than the dumpster fire that was 2020. More importantly, we're wishing you all much health and happiness this year!

Speaking of the New Year, how about some fill-ins inspired by the New Year? If you'd like to participate in these festive Friendly Fill-Ins, please do join us. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.


1. My focus word for 2021 is _________.

2. I didn't get to _________ this year, but I hope to in 2021.

3. The year 2020 taught me _________.

4. _________ is one of my biggest goals for 2021.

My answers are below in bold.

1. My focus word for 2021 is discipline.

(In some regards, I'm already pretty good at self-discipline and keeping myself on track. Sometimes, though, I lose my grip on that discipline and therefore fall behind on my goals and aspirations. Given how many goals I'd like to see accomplished, both this year and in the more distant future, I need to muster all the discipline I can. 2021 seems like a good year for that.)

2. I didn't get to see much of my extended family this year, but I hope to in 2021.

(I know I'm not alone in seeing less family than usual in 2020. Even though I'm admittedly a bit of a reclusive homebody, I do still know the importance of family and spending time with them. Hopefully that can happen in 2021.) 

3. The year 2020 taught me the true value of toilet paper.
(I don't mean to give a flippant answer when it comes to a year like 2020, but I guess I just couldn't help myself. I doubt any of us thought we'd see a time when a virus would all but shut the world down, and I bet none of us thought we'd see a time when toilet paper became a precious commodity. But, 2020 taught me that those sort of times can indeed happen. It's a strange set of lessons we all learned this year.)

4. Following through with my plans is one of my biggest goals for 2021.

(This is probably a vague answer, but I have an array goals I wish to accomplish this year, and so following through with them is my all-encompassing main goal.)

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.

***

Eddy is all ready for the New Year. After all, she took a nice long nap in 2020 to prepare for 2021.

Eddy hopes you're all well-rested for the New Year!

***

Tip of the Day

We're taking a short break from our series of tips on feral cat care to give a special New Year tip. This tip is simply to be cautious and safe today. Whether or not you are taking part in New Year celebrations, be responsible and careful when driving and when otherwise out and about today. Sadly, the roads can be a dangerous place filled with people irresponsibly driving under the influence on days like New Year's Day. So, for the sake of your safety, and for the sake of friends and family and of course furbabies who depend on you, be careful and take precautions to stay safe today. If possible, stay home with your furbabies and other family, where you can all remain safe and sound. Happy New Year!

Out With the Old and in With the New

It's New Year's Eve. 2020 is coming to an end. We're sometimes sad to see a year go. Not this time. 2021 is knocking at the door, and we're here to welcome it. We've got all shades of New Year's Eve fun to have today. Shall we start with a rhyme?

Each week, Angel Sammy hosts the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. He always shares a photo prompt to guide us, and this week's prompt is this timely one here:

I certainly wanted to write a poem in honor of waving a hefty goodbye to 2020, and so that's more or less what I did. Today is also the Seventh Day of Christmas, though, so there's some festive feels to my poem and its illustration as well. Also, as per usual, I of course threw a couple of obligatory kitties in the mix. All in all, today I have for you a weird and wacky and hopefully somewhat festive rhyme.

Out With the Old and in With the New

Four sets of eyes stared at the mantle clock.
It seemed to taunt them with its tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.
The hands informed them it was eleven o'clock or so,
Which meant they still had an entire hour to go.

The old man stood alongside his wife,
And each held a cat who more than certainly ruled their life.
The house was as festive as their very own party hats,
And on the table equally festive cupcakes waited and sat.

"This is going to be the longest hour ever," the old man said.
The old woman rolled her eyes and shook her head.
She told him, "We've made it this far, have we not?
Now is no time to act like a bratty little tot."

The old man scoffed and said, "Excuse me, but this year has gotten old and stale.
In comparison to other years, it really does pale.
It's ludicrous, an absolute abomination.
This year needs to take a permanent vacation."

"I don't disagree with any of that," the man's wife said.
"But at least we're here to see this year end rather than being dead.
Have some patience, and maybe even a tad bit of class.
Before you know it, this final hour of this horrid year will pass."

The man began to pace back and forth across the room.
The couple's cats accompanied him, though they moved in dashes and zooms.
He huffed and puffed and mumbled and grumbled.
When the cats ran between his legs, he also did stumble.

The old fellow stopped in front of the table on which sat the cupcakes.
He said, "These belong in my stomach rather than on this plate."
When the cats approached, he added, "What if the cats eat them before I do?
An old man like me needs sustenance, too!"

"Patience, old man!" his irritated wife did shout.
Then she nestled in to read a good book on the couch.
The cats climbed the mantle as the old man resumed his pacing,
And then the cats again joined him, though of course they were racing.

The snowy night outside looked bitter and cold,
Which made that year even more sour and old.
At least, to the impatient old man that was the case.
It was now half past eleven, but he wished the time was even more late.

The woman read, the man paced, and the cats ran to and fro.
Finally, there was only a few minutes to go.
The old couple and their cats stood staring at the clock yet again.
Soon, the hour would move to midnight from eleven.

They watched and waited,
Their four sets of eyes eyes wide and their breath bated.
Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.
And just like that, midnight was announced by the clock.

The old couple and their cats cheered and purred for the new year.
After all, the disgraceful old one had finally disappeared.
The old man shouted, "Hip hip hooray! Out with the old and in with the new!
Now, let me have a celebratory cupcake. Actually, I'll take two."

***

As we close out this year and prepare for a new one, it seems like a perfect time to give some thanks. That's easy to do thanks to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble is here to give some thanks, and today she is grateful for all of her new catnip toys. She got lots of them from our Secret Santa Paws, that being all of the wonderful kitties and Dad Pete of Tomcat Commentary by Tim. This here mom of Thimble's also got her some catnip goodies for Christmas.

Wow. That's most certainly a blooper.

And there's another blooper. You all probably know what a challenge it is to snap a photo of a nipped out cat playing with a toy. But, can you at least see what the toy is? It's a cute little Christmas pudding toy that our local pet store had. Here, Evan agreed to sit still and pose with it so that you all could actually see it.

I almost stole that toy for myself, but I decided to go ahead and let the kitties have it. I guess I was feeling generous. Thimble sure seems glad I let the kitties keep it, as she's thrown the toy under the couch roughly a gazillion times already.

Merry Seventh Day of Christmas!

Happy New Year's Eve!

Wishing you all health and happiness in 2021!

***

Oh, but one last thing. How about we share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? Ellen of 15andmeowing is the mastermind behind the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. My focus word for 2021 is _________.

2. I didn't get to _________ this year, but I hope to in 2021.

3. The year 2020 taught me _________.

4. _________ is one of my biggest goals for 2021.

We'll see you next year, friends!

***

Tip of the Day:

We've been discussing care of ferals and strays during the winter months, and over the past few days our discussions have all been about food and water. We do have yet another tip on this specific topic. When it comes to offering food to ferals and strays, try to keep the location and timing of the feedings as consistent as possible. Keeping a predictable feeding schedule and food location can help an outdoor cat know when and where they can find food. Conserving energy is a very important thing for outdoor animals in the winter, and knowing when and where they can successfully venture out for a meal can indeed help ferals and strays save much needed energy, rather than wasting their energy only to find no food present at their feeding station. Therefore, if you feed ferals and strays, keep in mind that it is very beneficial to the animals if you keep their food on a consistent schedule and in the same location.

Happy New Year!

From our home to yours,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thank you all for a 2019 full of friendship, and here's to a 2020 full of that and much more!

We hope each and every one of you has a 2020 that is fun, fantastic, and full of blessings.

(And since we'd break our streak if we didn't say it, we also wish you a merry Eighth Day of Christmas!)

***

Tip of the Day

We're taking a short break from our series of tips on feral cat care to give a special New Year tip. This tip is simply to be cautious and safe today. Whether or not you are taking part in New Year celebrations, be responsible and careful when driving and when otherwise out and about today. Sadly, the roads can be a dangerous place filled with people irresponsibly driving under the influence on days like New Year's Day. So, for the sake of your safety, and for the sake of friends and family and of course furbabies who depend on you, be careful and take precautions to stay safe today. If possible, stay home with your furbabies and other family, where you can all remain safe and sound. Happy New Year!

Farewell to 2019

All of us here will be trying to stay up until midnight to ring in the New Year, to bid 2019 farewell, to welcome 2020. That being said, during that attempt we'll probably end up like Evan here.

Nothing like sleeping your way into the New Year, huh?

We hope all of you have a happy New Year's Eve! We're wishing you a merry, bright, and peaceful final day of 2019. Oh, and merry Seventh Day of Christmas!

***

Festive Flashback of the Day

I decided to share the exact same doodle I shared on New Year's Eve last year.

Of course, I did have to change that taxi's licence plate to make this doodle a farewell to 2019, since it's most certainly not 2018 like it suggested before the alteration.

Happy 2019! Happy almost 2020!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

We've been discussing care of ferals and strays during the winter months, and over the past few days our discussions have all been about food and water. We do have yet another tip on this specific topic. When it comes to offering food to ferals and strays, try to keep the location and timing of the feedings as consistent as possible. Keeping a predictable feeding schedule and food location can help an outdoor cat know when and where they can find food. Conserving energy is a very important thing for outdoor animals in the winter, and knowing when and where they can successfully venture out for a meal can indeed help ferals and strays save much-needed energy, rather than wasting their energy only to find no food present at their feeding station. Therefore, if you feed ferals and strays, keep in mind that it is very beneficial to the animals if you keep their food on a consistent schedule and in the same location.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Photo Fails

Hello and happy Friday! It's time to fill in some fill-ins. Are you ready? In case you missed the fill-in statements yesterday, I'll share them again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. On New Year's Eve, I _________.

2. My focus word for 2020 is _________.

3. _________ is the best thing about starting a new year.

4. My personal goals for 2020 include _________.


And here's how I filled these in:

1. On New Year's Eve, I attempt to stay up until midnight.
(As a kid and teenager, staying up until midnight was no problem at all. Now that I'm an adult, I usually have to nap at some point in the afternoon or evening to make it until midnight. I like to ring in the New Year awake with my family, but fighting eyelids of lead is a real struggle.)

2. My focus word for 2020 is serenity.
(I've always liked this word, both how it sounds and what it means. Sometimes I let myself get way too focused on everything that lies ahead and everything I need and want to do, but all of that often leaves me feeling a bit overwhelmed. That's why this upcoming year I'm going to try harder to achieve some sort of sense of serenity, such as by slowing down and stopping every once in a while to enjoy what the present moment has to offer. I think the chaos that I often let Christmas become really made me realize how I'd like to find a tad bit more peace and quiet in certain moments.)

3. The feeling of a fresh start is the best thing about starting a new year.
(Having a blank slate, or any sort of new starting point, can make things seem so much more clear sometimes. I can't and won't forget everything that 2019 has left me with, but I still like knowing that I can look at 2020 as a new kickoff.)

4. My personal goals for 2020 include stopping and smelling the roses.
(Going along with #2 above, I'm challenging myself this year to stop and enjoy the moment more often. Though I will always have future goals and plans, I know I need to make sure I don't engulf myself so much in those that I forget to notice and enjoy the present.)

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.

***

It's the day of the Pet Photo Fails! Blog Hop, hosted by Mudpie and Melissa of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

As always, my blooper queen Eddy was ready to share some blurry shots with you all. Her bloopers this time around came about during a very recent photo shoot. Our Secret Santa Paws sent us an entire tub of Eddy's absolute favorite treat. I tried to snap some shots of Eddy enjoying those treats, but I got the lighting wrong, Eddy clearly doesn't sit still when chewing away, and so bloopers ensued.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a merry Third Day of Christmas!

***

Festive Flashback Doodles of the Day

I have a brand new festive doodle to share with you all today, but after battling technical issues and having an argument with my computer, I decided to share more flashback doodles instead. There are still plenty of brand new festive doodles I'll be sharing during these Twelve Days of Christmas, but my computer told me that wasn't happening today. That's all fine, though, because today's flashback doodles go well with today's Friendly Fill-Ins above. There are two flashback doodles for today, and they're the ones I shared on New Year's Eve last year and New Year's Day this year.

Last year's New Year's Eve doodle was this one here:

And this was the New Year's Day doodle, the first doodle I shared of 2019:

***

Tip of the Day

Today's tip is one that can affect our indoor furbabies, and most certainly any strays and ferals you might feed outside. During the cold winter months, it can be beneficial to increase the amount of food you feed to the furbabies in your life. This is because animals typically eat more in the cold months in order to produce more energy and heat for their bodies. This is why you might see your kitty or pup heading toward the food bowl more often than usual in the winter months. Then again, eating more food to stay warm is something that far more affects outdoor animals than indoor animals, since the latter are able to maintain their body heat far more easily. And, of course, if you have any concerns about how much your furbaby is eating or should eat, any time of the year, discuss this with your veterinarian.

When it comes to outdoor strays and ferals, if you are accustomed to offering them food outside, perhaps do consider feeding them larger quantities of food, or feeding them more often, during the cold winter months. Their bodies use that extra food to stay warm. Over the next few days we'll be giving more detailed tips not only on feeding strays and ferals, but also offering them assistance in other ways.

Happy New Year!

From our home to yours,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thank you all for a 2018 full of friendship, and here's to a 2019 full of that and much more!

We hope each and every one of you has a 2019 that is fun, fantastic, and full of blessings.

(And since we'd break our streak if we didn't say it, we also wish you a merry Eight Day of Christmas!)

***

Our Tip of the Day:

We're taking a short break from our series of tips on feral cat care to give a special New Year tip. This tip is simply to be cautious and safe today. Whether or not you are taking part in New Year celebrations, be responsible and careful when driving and when otherwise out and about today. Sadly, the roads can be a dangerous place filled with people irresponsibly driving under the influence on days like New Year's Day. So, for the sake of your safety, and for the sake of friends and family and of course furbabies who depend on you, be careful and take precautions to stay safe today. If possible, stay home with your furbabies and other family, where you can all remain safe and sound. Happy New Year!

Farewell to 2018

Evan shared a photo much like the one below on Christmas Eve, as he waited for Santa Paws to arrive.

Believe it or not, this is not a repeat photo. This is a brand new shot, taken on a brand new day. This time, though, instead of waiting for Santa Paws, Evan is waiting for the New Year to arrive.

In 2018, we were blessed with much happiness and health. This year brought us our newest additions, kittens Tonks and Winky. And we can't forget that their brother, Flitwick, was also adopted by this here human's parents. We are so very grateful for all with which 2018 gifted us. This year, and every year, we feel so blessed for all of our family and friends, including all of you. Thank you, friends, for helping make our 2018 a terrific one!

We hope all of you friends of ours had a beautiful and blessed 2018, and that the last day of the year brings you many more blessings.

Oh, and this post wouldn't be complete if we didn't wish you all a very merry Seventh Day of Christmas!

***

Our Festive Doodle of the Day:

I had some unexpected duties to attend to this weekend, and was not able to finish the doodle I originally had planned for today. There were no emergencies, just some last-minute festive happenings in which I participated. So, I'm going to share a flashback doodle, all the way back to the very first doodle I shared in 2018. So, indeed, here is a reminder of the doodle I created for the first day of 2018:

That all being said and this flashback doodle now shared, I do intend on adding to this post the drawing I originally intended for today. I will very likely be able to finish it this morning, and will add it then, since this is indeed its intended home. If you come by before that doodle is added, feel free to stop by again later if you'd like to see our last true doodle of 2018.

This is a reminder to myself that one of my 2019 New Year goals is to prepare doodles and blog posts far more days in advance, so that I'm not always doing what I enjoy so last-minute. Since I have today and tomorrow off work with few to no plans, I will be doodling and writing to my little heart's content to get a head start on that.

Happy 2018!


And here's the edit with the doodle originally intended for this post. This is more or less a representation of what we'll be doing tonight, waiting for the clock to strike midnight for the New Year. 

Happy New Year's Eve, friends!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

We've been discussing care of ferals and strays during the winter months, and over the past few days our discussions have all been about food and water. We do have yet another tip on this specific topic. When it comes to offering food to ferals and strays, try to keep the location and timing of the feedings as consistent as possible. Keeping a predictable feeding schedule and food location can help an outdoor cat know when and where they can find food. Conserving energy is a very important thing for outdoor animals in the winter, and knowing when and where they can successfully venture out for a meal can indeed help ferals and strays save much-needed energy, rather than wasting their energy only to find no food present at their feeding station. Therefore, if you feed ferals and strays, keep in mind that it is very beneficial to the animals if you keep their food on a consistent schedule and in the same location.

Transport to 2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We want to wish all of your friends ours the most blessed 2018! We are so grateful to have such wonderful friends in our life, every day of every year.

Now, since this New Year's Day falls on none other than Mancat Monday, Evan is here to help transport you into 2018.

That there is the Christmas gift I was so excited to give Evan. It is, obviously, a kitty taxi cab! 

There is a story behind this gift. Evan loves boxes, but, being hind limb paralyzed, he does best with boxes that are either set on their sides for easy entry, or that have low sides. Lately, Evan has taken to a dilapidated box that somehow found its way into our home.

See that there box on the left? That's the rundown box Evan previously used all the time. It was that box, in its sad, sad state, that prompted me to find an alternative to gift to Evan for Christmas. That alternative ended up being this cardboard kitty cab!

So, if you're in need of a ride, give Evan a call! He'll transport you anywhere you wish, and he will help you find your way to a fun, festive, and fantastic 2018.
 

We are yet again wishing each and every one of you a happy, blessed, and safe New Year!

And, of course, Merry Eighth Day of Christmas!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

We have another winter safety tip today, and that is to be aware of dangers that might arise in your surroundings in cold weather. For example, for furbabies that go outdoors, be cautious if you live or walk with your furbaby near a lake or other body of water. In the winter, the water can of course be dangerously cold or even frozen over, posing a risk of ice as well. For this reason, as needed, keep your furbaby away from dangerous outdoor areas in the winter, or keep them on a leash at all times near these areas. Also be careful of other outdoor risks in the winter, including deep snow, patches of ice on sidewalks or driveways, and any other dangers that might arise in the winter. Ensure the safety of both your furbaby and yourself in these situations, even if that means altering your typical habits and steering clear of risky outdoor areas this time of year.

Reflective Sunday Selfie

First and foremost, Happy New Year's Eve to all of our friends!

Today, we are reflecting on our 2017. The year of course had its highs and lows, but we are thankful for so very much. We are thankful for each other, for our health, for Astrid's recovery after her toe amputation to remove a sarcoma, for all of our family and friends (like you!), and for yet another year ahead of us.

On this day of reflection, Eddy snapped a pensive selfie in remembrance of 2017.

Of course, the Christmas tree had to make an appearance in Eddy's selfie! And, of course, this is our entry in the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by the Kitties Blue over at The Cat on My Head.

We are wishing each and every one of you a happy, blessed, and safe New Year's Eve! We'll see you next year!

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Our Twelve Days of Christmas Doodle of the Day:

 Merry Seventh Day of Christmas!

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Our Tip of the Day:

Keep in mind that in cold weather, animals outdoors will typically increase their food intake, since maintaining body heat in cold weather expends extra energy. So, if you feed outdoor animals, and if you would like to aid them in staying warm this winter, do consider giving them extra food this time of year. That being said, as we've mentioned before, when feeding animals outdoors, do keep in mind what types of food will be most accessible in cold weather. For example, moist food can freeze in cold temperatures, which is less likely to be a problem if extra dry food is fed. Also keep an eye on even your indoor/outdoor furbabies, or even indoor-only kitties or pups, as it is not impossible that they might need a bit extra food in the winter in order to maintain sufficient body heat. Of course, if you have any concern about the amount of food your furbaby requires in the winter, or any time of the year, do consult your veterinarian.