A Rainbow Bridge Birthday Bash

This past Thursday, August 28th, was Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, initiated by Deborah Barnes of Zee & Zoey in 2015.

While I did indeed take more than a little bit of time to remember my angels on that day, and every day, I decided to push my full post until today, September 1st. That's because today it is the birthday of two of my angels, Rosie and Sammy.

Rosie and Sammy were the best friends a girl could have when growing up. My sister and I were beyond blessed.

On the left in that ancient photo is my sister sitting with Rosie, and I'm on the right sitting with Sammy. If you're curious, the eye patch childhood me was wearing was due to an eye condition called amblyopia. Rosie and Sammy never noticed the patch, and they loved unconditionally. They were also great reading buddies, and overall just wonderful furry friends for my sister and myself.

I admittedly have not yet put the final touches on Rosie and Sammy's birthday doodle for this year. I'll share it this upcoming week, but for today, I'll re-share the birthday doodle I scribbled up for them last year. I'll also give a bit more of an explanation for it below, but it does relate to how Rosie and Sammy were indeed the best reading buddies for my sister and myself.

To more or less repeat what I mentioned about my angels Rosie and Sammy in Friday's post, I've gotten into the habit of making their birthday doodles Harry Potter-esque, which explains the general content and color choices in that there doodle. After all, as mentioned above, Rosie and Sammy were my reading buddies. My sweet Sammy passed from an undetected heart condition when he was only 5 and I was only 10. I never got to read Harry Potter with him, but I started reading it soon after his passing, which helped me during my grieving process. My Rosie, though, lived to the blessed age of 21, and so she was often by my side as I read every single Harry Potter book from the time I was 10 until I was 18. What's more, in the Harry Potter series, the magical school known as Hogwarts always starts on September 1st. As a kid, it excited me so much that this date was shared with my Rosie and Sammy's birthday. I don't know if any of that made sense, but it's why I often incorporate magical whatnot into my sweet angels' birthday doodles.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROSIE AND SAMMY!

Thank you for all of the unconditional love and beautiful memories, Rosie and Sammy. I love you always and forever.

***

Since this post is indeed our Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day memorial, I also have to include my angelic childhood pups, Banjo and Shellie, who would keep me company and entertain me for hours on end.

This year, I am of course also including our sweet angel Talon. He owned my parents and was one of my girl Thimble's littermates. He passed this April. We love and miss him so very much, and we think about him every single day.

I can't fail to mention that I also remember my childhood feathered friends, Pippin, Robin, and Sweetpea. And of course I also remember my aquatic angels, such as Lieutenant Legs and Oscar.

Though I sometimes cannot help but feel sadness that some of my dearest friends have made the journey to the Rainbow Bridge, I will forever be grateful for the unconditional love and memories they gifted me. I will forever remember them. I will forever love them.

***

Tip of the Day

I apologize to anyone who does not yet wish to unofficially begin autumn. For me, though, September 1st marks the day when I can really start celebrating my favorite season of the year. That's why, starting today, we'll be doing a series of tips on pet safety during the season of autumn.

Since the fall semester of school is starting up for students, that's what our autumnal tip for today relates to. If any students live in your home with your furbabies, be sure that care is taken to keep your kitties or pups safe from any rampant school supplies. Pens, pencils, erasers, glue sticks, tape, scissors, and any and all sorts of school supplies could potentially pose a risk if left where a furbaby can turn them into a toy or snack. Ingested erasers or other supplies, for example, can result in gastrointestinal upset or even perforated or obstructed bowels. Obviously, this is not ideal, and so school supplies should be tucked safely away, out of reach of cats and dogs. Keep this in mind throughout the school year as well. Backpacks, for example, might contain some of the aforementioned potentially dangerous school supplies, or even lunches or snacks that contain hazardous ingredients. Therefore, again, be sure to keep all such school items well out of reach of your furbaby. As we always say, i's better to be safe than sorry.

A Rainbow Bridge Birthday Bash

This past Wednesday, August 28th, was Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, initiated by Deborah Barnes of Zee & Zoey in 2015.

While I did indeed take more than a little bit of time to remember my angels on that day, and every day, I decided to push my full post until today, September 1st. That's because today it is the birthday of two of my angels, Rosie and Sammy.

Some of you might very well remember Rosie, who was with me from the time I was 4 until I was 26. She was more or less the main star of our blog when we first started it all those years ago. Sadly, Rosie's brother, Sammy, only lived to 5 years of age due to undetected cardiac disease. But, like Rosie, he was still a huge part of my childhood and who I am today.

Rosie and Sammy were the best friends a girl could have when growing up. My sister and I were beyond blessed.

On the left of that ancient photo is my sister sitting with Rosie, and I'm on the right sitting with Sammy. If you're curious, the eye patch that childhood me was wearing was due to an eye condition called amblyopia. Rosie and Sammy never noticed the patch, and they loved unconditionally. They were also great reading buddies, and overall just wonderful furry friends for my sister and myself.

For today, I scribbled up a birthday doodle for Rosie and Sammy that relates to the fact that they were our loyal reading buddies. My sister and I grew up during the craze of the Harry Potter series being published, and we loved reading them and still enjoy the series to this day. While Sammy sadly wasn't around for a lot of this journey, both Rosie and Sammy were still a huge part of that aspect of our lives in their own ways. In the world of Harry Potter, magical children go to a school called Hogwarts, and according to Harry Potter lore, classes at Hogwarts begin on September 1st. Childhood me was so excited to read that fact, since my childhood kitties Rosie and Sammy shared that as their birthday.

All of the above rambling to say, here are Rosie and Sammy having a magical sort of birthday party at Hogwarts.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROSIE AND SAMMY!

***

Since this post is indeed our Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day memorial, I also have to include my angelic childhood pups, Banjo and Shellie, who would keep me company and entertain me for hours on end.

I can't fail to mention that I also remember my childhood feathered friends, Pippin, Robin, and Sweetpea. And of course I also remember my aquatic angels, such as Lieutenant Legs and Oscar.

Though I sometimes cannot help but feel sadness that some of my dearest friends have made the journey to the Rainbow Bridge, I will forever be grateful for the unconditional love and memories they gifted me. I will forever remember them. I will forever love them.

***

Tip of the Day

I apologize to anyone who does not yet wish to unofficially begin autumn. For me, though, September 1st marks the day when I can really start celebrating my favorite season of the year. That's why, starting today, we'll be doing a series of tips on pet safety during the season of autumn.

Since the fall semester of school is starting up for students, that's what our autumnal tip for today relates to. If any students live in your home with your furbabies, be sure that care is taken to keep your kitties or pups safe from any rampant school supplies. Pens, pencils, erasers, glue sticks, tape, scissors, and any and all sorts of school supplies could potentially pose a risk if left where a furbaby can turn them into a toy or snack. Ingested erasers or other supplies, for example, can result in gastrointestinal upset or even perforated or obstructed bowels. Obviously, this is not ideal, and so school supplies should be tucked safely away, out of reach of cats and dogs. Keep this in mind throughout the school year as well. Backpacks, for example, might contain some of the aforementioned potentially dangerous school supplies, or even lunches or snacks that contain hazardous ingredients. Therefore, again, be sure to keep all such school items well out of reach of your furbaby. As we always say, i's better to be safe than sorry.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

We're sure most of you already know that today is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, initiated by Deborah Barnes of Zee & Zoey in 2015. We hope you all don't mind if we share the same Rainbow Bridge post that we shared over the last couple of years, but these words all still ring true.

Today, I remember my dear angel Rosie, who was my beautiful calico companion and confidant for 21 years.

I most certainly also remember Rosie's angel brother, that being the handsome, sweet, and patient Sammy.

And I remember my angelic childhood pups, Banjo and Shellie, who would keep me company and entertain me for hours on end.

I can't fail to mention that I also remember my childhood feathered friends, Pippin, Robin, and Sweetpea. And of course I also remember my aquatic angels, such as Lieutenant Legs and Oscar.

Though I sometimes cannot help but feel sadness that some of my dearest friends have made the journey to the Rainbow Bridge, I will forever be grateful for the unconditional love and memories they gifted me. I will forever remember them. I will forever love them.

Now I'm going to share a flashback doodle that tangentially relates to this day of angels. This upcoming week, particularly Friday, is the birthday of my angels Rosie and Sammy. While I'll be sharing a new birthday doodle for them on the big day itself, this here flashback is a doodle I scribbled up for Rosie and Sammy's heavenly birthday something like 5 or 6 years ago. Even though they may not be with me in person, I will never forget them.

Wishing you all a day of peace as you remember your angels.

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Today, we're taking a bit of a break from our feline vet visit tips in order to share a tip for Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day. Today's tip will offer some ideas on how you might be able to memorialize your Rainbow Bridge angels. Everyone has their own way of grieving and their own thoughts on memorials. Below are just some ideas that some may wish to use, while others may opt for other memorial options.

To begin, you can simply yet effectively memorialize your angel by displaying photos of them. You can even set up a little memorial corner or other area in your home, specifically for maintaining a memorial for your Rainbow Bridge angel. Whether or not you display it in a specific memorial area, you can also display your angel's clay paw, if you have one. You can also select a special urn for their remains, if you opted to keep their cremated remains.

Another option is to have customized portraits or other artwork painted or otherwise created for your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can have such artwork created based on your favorite photo of your angel, for example. Another option is to have custom jewelry created, using your Rainbow Bridge angel's image or name. Whether you wear such jewelry or put it on display, it can make for a lovely, unique memorial item.

If you can and want to, you can also create your own art or craft in honor of your angel. Whether this be a drawing, collage, or anything in between, this can help you feel closer to your angel. Or, you can write something in honor of your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can write a letter to them, write a poem for them, or simply write down any and all memories that you share with them. This is yet another way that you can honor and feel close to your angel, and you can choose to display or store away your personalized memorial items.

If you have a yard or garden where this is possible, you can also plant a tree or flower in honor of your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can also place a memorial plaque or statue for them in your yard or garden, or even inside your home. In the case where you can and do bury your furbaby in your yard, you can also select grave markers, including customized ones, to mark their resting place in a special way.

Yet another potential way to memorialize your Rainbow Bridge angel is to make some sort of donation to a shelter or rescue, such as the one from which they were adopted. Donations can be monetary, or in the form of food, toys, or even your time. Other donations you can make include those to the cause for a cure, such as in the case that your angel passed away from or suffered from a particular disease.

The options for memorializing Rainbow Bridge angels are endless. Everyone grieves and honors lost loved ones in their own way, and that is more than fine. If you wish to memorialize your angel, simply think of what ways might feel best to you, and then pursue those options.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

We're sure most of you already know that today is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, initiated by Deborah Barnes of Zee & Zoey in 2015. We hope you all don't mind if we share the same (albeit slightly upgraded) Rainbow Bridge post that we shared over the last couple of years, but these words all still ring true.

Today, I remember my dear angel Rosie, who was my beautiful calico companion and confidant for 21 years.

I most certainly also remember Rosie's angel brother, that being the handsome, sweet, and patient Sammy.

And I remember my angelic childhood pups, Banjo and Shellie, who would keep me company and entertain me for hours on end.

I can't fail to mention that I also remember my childhood feathered friends, Pippin, Robin, and Sweetpea. And of course I also remember my aquatic angels, such as Lieutenant Legs and Oscar.

Though I sometimes cannot help but feel sadness that some of my dearest friends have made the journey to the Rainbow Bridge, I will forever be grateful for the unconditional love and memories they gifted me. I will forever remember them. I will forever love them.

Now I'm going to share a flashback doodle that tangentially relates to this day of angels. This upcoming week, particularly Thursday, is the birthday of my angels Rosie and Sammy. While I'll be sharing a new birthday doodle for them on the big day itself, this here flashback is a doodle I scribbled up for Rosie and Sammy's heavenly birthday something like 4 or 5 years ago. Even though they may not be with me in person, I will never forget them.

Wishing you all a day of peace as you remember your angels.

***

Tip of the Day

Today's tip, in honor of Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, will offer some ideas on how you might be able to memorialize your Rainbow Bridge angels. Everyone has their own way of grieving and their own thoughts on memorials. Below are just some ideas that some may wish to use, while others may opt for other memorial options.

To begin, you can simply yet effectively memorialize your angel by displaying photos of them. You can even set up a little memorial corner or other area in your home, specifically for maintaining a memorial for your Rainbow Bridge angel. Whether or not you display it in a specific memorial area, you can also display your angel's clay paw, if you have one. You can also select a special urn for their remains, if you opted to keep their cremated remains.

Another option is to have customized portraits or other artwork painted or otherwise created for your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can have such artwork created based on your favorite photo of your angel, for example. Another option is to have custom jewelry created, using your Rainbow Bridge angel's image or name. Whether you wear such jewelry or put it on display, it can make for a lovely, unique memorial item.

If you can and want to, you can also create your own art or craft in honor of your angel. Whether this be a drawing, collage, or anything in between, this can help you feel closer to your angel. Or, you can write something in honor of your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can write a letter to them, write a poem for them, or simply write down any and all memories that you share with them. This is yet another way that you can honor and feel close to your angel, and you can choose to display or store away your personalized memorial items.

If you have a yard or garden where this is possible, you can also plant a tree or flower in honor of your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can also place a memorial stone or statue for them in your yard or garden, or even inside your home. In the case where you can and do bury your furbaby in your yard, you can also select grave markers, including customized ones, to mark their resting place in a special way.

Yet another potential way to memorialize your Rainbow Bridge angel is to make some sort of donation in their honor to a shelter or rescue, such as the one from which they were adopted. Donations can be monetary, or in the form of food, toys, or even your time. Other donations you can make include those to the cause for a cure, such as in the case that your angel passed away from or suffered from a particular disease.

The options for memorializing Rainbow Bridge angels are endless. Everyone grieves and honors lost loved ones in their own way, and that is more than fine. If you wish to memorialize your angel, simply think of what ways might feel best to you, and then pursue those options.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

We're sure most of you already know that today is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, initiated by Deborah Barnes of Zee & Zoey in 2015. We hope you all don't mind if we share the same Rainbow Bridge post that we shared over the last couple of years, but these words all still ring true.

On days like today, I do my best to not dwell on the sadness of having lost furry, feathered, and other friends who have gained their angel wings. Rather, I try to focus on the wonderful memories all of my angels have gifted me throughout the years. I am lucky to have shared my entire life with furry friends, feathered friends, and even friends of the aquatic sort. Needless to say, the memories are many.

Today, I remember my dear angel Rosie, who was my beautiful calico companion for 21 years.

I most certainly also remember Rosie's angel brother, that being the handsome and sweet tuxedo Sammy. I remember my angelic childhood pups, Banjo and Shellie, who would play with me and entertain me for hours on end. I remember my childhood feathered friends, Pippin, Robin, and Sweetpea. And of course I also remember my aquatic angels, such as Lieutenant Legs and Oscar.

Though I sometimes cannot help but feel sadness that some of my dearest friends have made the journey to the Rainbow Bridge, I will forever be grateful for the unconditional love and memories they gifted me. I will forever remember them. I will forever love them.

We are thinking of all of you who are remembering your sweet angels today and every day. Purrs, woofs, and prayers to you all.

***

Tip of the Day

Today's tip, in honor of Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, will offer some ideas on how you might be able to memorialize your Rainbow Bridge angels. Everyone has their own way of grieving and their own thoughts on memorials. Below are just some ideas that some may wish to use, while others may opt for other memorial options.

To begin, you can simply yet effectively memorialize your angel by displaying photos of them. You can even set up a little memorial corner or other area in your home, specifically for maintaining a memorial for your Rainbow Bridge angel. Whether or not you display it in a specific memorial area, you can also display your angel's clay paw, if you have one. You can also select a special urn for their remains, if you opted to keep their cremated remains.

Another option is to have customized portraits or other artwork painted or otherwise created for your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can have such artwork created based on your favorite photo of your angel, for example. Another option is to have custom jewelry created, using your Rainbow Bridge angel's image or name. Whether you wear such jewelry or put it on display, it can make for a lovely, unique memorial item.

If you can and want to, you can also create your own art or craft in honor of your angel. Whether this be a drawing, collage, or anything in between, this can help you feel closer to your angel. Or, you can write something in honor of your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can write a letter to them, write a poem for them, or simply write down any and all memories that you share with them. This is yet another way that you can honor and feel close to your angel, and you can choose to display or store away your personalized memorial items.

If you have a yard or garden where this is possible, you can also plant a tree or flower in honor of your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can also place a memorial stone or statue for them in your yard or garden, or even inside your home. In the case where you can and do bury your furbaby in your yard, you can also select grave markers, including customized ones, to mark their resting place in a special way.

Yet another potential way to memorialize your Rainbow Bridge angel is to make some sort of donation in their honor to a shelter or rescue, such as the one from which they were adopted. Donations can be monetary, or in the form of food, toys, or even your time. Other donations you can make include those to the cause for a cure, such as in the case that your angel passed away from or suffered from a particular disease.

The options for memorializing Rainbow Bridge angels are endless. Everyone grieves and honors lost loved ones in their own way, and that is more than fine. If you wish to memorialize your angel, simply think of what ways might feel best to you, and then pursue those options.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day and Friendly Fill-Ins

We're sure most or all of you already know that today is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, initiated by Deborah Barnes of Zee & Zoey in 2015. We hope you all don't mind if we share the same Rainbow Bridge post that we shared last year, but these words all still ring true.

On days like today, I do my best to not dwell on the sadness of having lost furry, feathered, and other friends who have gained their angel wings. Rather, I try to focus on the wonderful memories all of my angels have gifted me throughout the years. I am lucky to have shared my entire life with furry friends, feathered friends, and even friends of the aquatic sort. Needless to say, the memories are many.

Today, I remember my dear angel Rosie, who was my beautiful calico companion for 21 years.

I most certainly also remember Rosie's angel brother, that being the handsome and sweet tuxedo Sammy. I remember my angelic childhood pups, Banjo and Shellie, who would play with me and entertain me for hours on end. I remember my childhood feathered friends, Pippin, Robin, and Sweetpea. And of course I also remember my aquatic angels, such as Lieutenant Legs and Oscar.

Though I sometimes cannot help but feel sadness that some of my dearest friends have made the journey to the Rainbow Bridge, I will forever be grateful for the unconditional love and memories they gifted me. I will forever remember them. I will forever love them.

We are thinking of all of you who are remembering your sweet angels today and every day. Purrs, woofs, and prayers to you all.

***

In addition to Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, we also have our usual Friendly Fill-Ins challenge today. If you'd like to join us but missed the fill-in statements yesterday, we'll share them again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. _________ is a privilege.

2. I was so embarrassed when _________.

3. I can't help but smile when _________.

4. _________ has gotten out of hand.

My answers are below in bold, and they are accompanied by their usual, long-winded explanations.

1. Clean water is a privilege.

(I recently saw footage of water sources in certain areas of Africa and certain other regions of the world, and it made me realize how something as simple as clean water can be a privilege. When we need a drink, we don't have to travel with buckets to a water source filled with bugs and bacteria. We just turn on a faucet or grab a water bottle. Not everyone is so lucky.)

2. I was so embarrassed when Astrid caused a woman to fall down in the lobby of our veterinary clinic.

(Astrid did not knock this woman down herself. Astrid didn't even touch the lady. Rather, Astrid barked at this woman's dog. This dog had been acting very calmly, but thanks to Astrid, the dog quickly got incredibly stirred up. This was all because Astrid does not like her own species and is sometimes quite loud about her anti-dog professions. Anyway, the woman's dog ultimately tried to run toward Astrid and thereby pulled its owner to the ground. I felt horrible, and embarrassed, because Astrid had started the whole interaction by barking and just plain being rude. This actually happened a while back, and though Astrid has gotten much better behaviorally thanks to age and training, I still feel embarrassed and bad when I remember that poor woman falling all because Astrid got her dog worked up.)

3. I can't help but smile when I see a furry friend.

(Whether I see one of my own furbabies while at home, whether I see a furry friend while out and about, whether I see a family member or friend's furbaby in person or in a photo, I can't help but smile. All the furry friends in my life never fail to make me smile. I don't even have to know the kitty or pup. Seeing a cat or dog I don't even know is often all I need to improve my mood.) 

4. Eddy's fishy treat addiction has gotten out of hand.

(Eddy prefers to live in my bedroom, so she's almost always in there. These days, I cannot enter my bedroom without Eddy loudly demanding treats from the stash I keep in there. Eddy used to refuse every single treat I offered her. Then, one day, I ordered chicken treats online for the other cats, I was instead accidentally sent fishy treats I had never before purchased, I decided to keep them and to give them to my kitties, and in that way I discovered that Eddy loves that one brand's fishy flavor of treats. Now Eddy is addicted to them, I always have to have them on hand for her, and she literally screams her head off demanding them every time I go in my bedroom. I've created a monster.)

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 shared some bloopers on Wednesday for Mudpie and Melissa's Pet Photo Fails! Blog Hop, but she figured you might still like your Friday fix of her. So, she thought she'd share a flashback, of course starring her adorable snaggletooth.

Happy Friday to all!

***

Did you know?

How about a little Rainbow Bridge trivia we shared on this same day last year? Did you know that the concept of the Rainbow Bridge not only stems back to poems from the 1980s and 1990s, but also way back to Norse mythology? In Norse mythology, there is a flaming rainbow bridge called Bifrӧst. It is said in the myths that the Bifrӧst rainbow bridge spanned from Midgard (Earth) to Asgard (the land of the gods). This is somewhat similar to the concept of the Rainbow Bridge pet owners know these days, so perhaps the poetry and other stories surrounding it were in part inspired by Norse mythology.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

We're sure most or all of you already know that today is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, initiated by Deborah Barnes of Zee & Zoey in 2015.

On days like today, I do my best to not dwell on the sadness of having lost furry, feathered, and other friends who have gained their angel wings. Rather, I try to focus on the wonderful memories all of my angels have gifted me throughout the years. I am lucky to have shared my entire life with furry friends, feathered friends, and even friends of the aquatic sort. Needless to say, the memories are many.

Today, I remember my dear angel Rosie, who was my beautiful calico companion for 21 years.

I most certainly also remember Rosie's angel brother, that being the handsome and sweet tuxedo Sammy. I remember my angelic childhood pups, Banjo and Shellie, who would play with me and entertain me for hours on end. I remember my childhood feathered friends, Pippin, Robin, and Sweetpea. And of course I also remember my aquatic angels, such as Lieutenant Legs and Oscar.

Though I sometimes cannot help but feel sadness that some of my dearest friends have made the journey to the Rainbow Bridge, I will forever be grateful for the unconditional love and memories they gifted me. I will forever remember them. I will forever love them.

We are thinking of all of you who are remembering your sweet angels today and every day. Purrs, woofs, and prayers to you all.

***

Did you know?

Did you know that the concept of the Rainbow Bridge not only stems back to poems from the 1980s and 1990s, but also way back to Norse mythology? In Norse mythology, there is a flaming rainbow bridge called Bifrӧst. It is said in the myths that the Bifrӧst rainbow bridge spanned from Midgard (Earth) to Asgard (the land of the gods). This is somewhat similar to the concept of the Rainbow Bridge pet owners know these days, so perhaps the poetry and other stories surrounding it were in part inspired by Norse mythology.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

We're sure most or all of you already know that today is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, initiated by Deborah Barnes of Zee & Zoey in 2015.

On days like today, I do my best to not dwell on the sadness of having lost furry, feathered, and other friends who have gained their angel wings. Rather, I try to focus on the wonderful memories all of my angels have gifted me throughout the years. I am lucky to have shared my entire life with furry and even feathered friends, and so the memories are many.

That there is, indeed, just a snapshot from a memory with my angels Rosie and Sammy. That photo shows my sister with Rosie and myself with Sammy. These two litter mate kitties were always the best reading buddies for my sister and myself.

Our longtime blog friends will very likely remember Rosie. She was still with me when I started this blog a few years ago. My family adopted Rosie and her brother Sammy when I was 4 years old, and Rosie was by my side until I was 26 years old. Rosie's brother Sammy also played a significant role in my life, even in his, sadly, short 5 years of life.

As a child, I loved to read. I loved to be with my kitties. Put those two facts together, and you'll get that I loved to read with my kitties. I remember feeling nothing but peace when with my Sammy and Rosie.

I just now quite randomly realized how strange it is that I didn't even think to draw glasses onto my childhood self in my doodles for this week. I wore glasses from the age of 4 to 12, but since my ocular condition was one that does not affect adults, I no longer have to wear anything but reading glasses. Nearly every picture of me from my childhood portrays me in glasses, but when scribbling up this week's doodles in honor or Rosie and Sammy, I failed to even remember that I wore them all those years ago.

If I'm to be honest, I was very self-conscious about my glasses as a child. What's more, as you can see in the photo above, as a child I even had to wear an eye patch to help correct my vision. That patch made me even more self-conscious than the glasses already did in the first place. My angel kitties Sammy and Rosie, though, they never once judged me for my face or what I wore on it. I remember feeling so comfortable around them no matter what I looked like, and how wonderful that felt.

Actually, Sammy loved to rub against my glasses. Once, he got so overzealous that he knocked the screw out of one of the earpieces on my glasses while rubbing against them. My parents and I couldn't find the tiny little screw anywhere, and I needed my glasses for school the next day, so we had to run out and buy another pair of glasses that night.

Well, that tangent up there wasn't entirely how I planned for this post to go. I even almost deleted those last couple paragraphs above. Now, though, I think I'll keep them in there. After all, that part of this post just goes to show how, growing up, I found great solace in spending time with my furbabies. They taught me about unconditional love, about what it means to never judge others. Whether you're a child or an adult, there is no better teacher in lessons on unconditional love than a cat or a dog.

And so, on this Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, I am thinking back on all of the beautiful, fond, happy memories I have gained thanks to all of my Rainbow Bridge angels. I have on my mind and in my heart pup Sacket, whom, sadly, I know only through photographs because I was just a baby when he left. I remember my budgie bird Pippin, and his successors Robin and Sweetpea. I remember my incredibly intelligent Banjo and my sweeter than sweet Shellie, who were my pup playmates. And, of course, I remember my dear angel kitties Rosie and her sweet brother Sammy, the best friends and reading buddies a girl could ever have.

We are keeping all of you and your angels in our thoughts and prayers today, friends. May your Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day be filled with fond memories. I know mine will be.

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Today, we're taking a bit of a break from our feline vet visit tips in order to share a tip for Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day. Today's tip will offer some ideas on how you might be able to memorialize your Rainbow Bridge angels. Everyone has their own way of grieving and their own thoughts on memorials. Below are just some ideas that some may wish to use, while others may opt for other memorial options.

To begin, you can simply yet effectively memorialize your angel by displaying photos of them. You can even set up a little memorial corner or other area in your home, specifically for maintaining a memorial for your Rainbow Bridge angel. Whether or not you display it in a specific memorial area, you can also display your angel's clay paw, if you have one. You can also select a special urn for their remains, if you opted to keep their cremated remains.

Another option is to have customized portraits or other artwork painted or otherwise created for your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can have such artwork created based on your favorite photo of your angel, for example. Another option is to have custom jewelry created, using your Rainbow Bridge angel's image or name. Whether you wear such jewelry or put it on display, it can make for a lovely, unique memorial item.

If you can and want to, you can also create your own art or craft in honor of your angel. Whether this be a drawing, collage, or anything in between, this can help you feel closer to your angel. Or, you can write something in honor of your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can write a letter to them, write a poem for them, or simply write down any and all memories that you share with them. This is yet another way that you can honor and feel close to your angel, and you can choose to display or store away your personalized memorial items.

If you have a yard or garden where this is possible, you can also plant a tree or flower in honor of your Rainbow Bridge angel. You can also place a memorial plaque or statue for them in your yard or garden, or even inside your home. In the case where you can and do bury your furbaby in your yard, you can also select grave markers, including customized ones, to mark their resting place in a special way.

Yet another potential way to memorialize your Rainbow Bridge angel is to make some sort of donation to a shelter or rescue, such as the one from which they were adopted. Donations can be monetary, or in the form of food, toys, or even your time. Other donations you can make include those to the cause for a cure, such as in the case that your angel passed away from or suffered from a particular disease.

The options for memorializing Rainbow Bridge angels are endless. Everyone grieves and honors lost loved ones in their own way, and that is more than fine. If you wish to memorialize your angel, simply think of what ways might feel best to you, and then pursue those options.

Mancat Monday Mischief

Evan was all ready for his Mancat Monday photo shoot. He was posing in the window, looking all handsome, and couldn't wait to show you all the results. But, then there was an intruder on his photo shoot.

Tonks, you're totally in Evan's shot.

Little sisters. You can't live with them, and you can't live with them.

Just look at Tonks back there! Good grief.

Tonks was certain she needed to teach Evan some new poses.

Evan was not impressed.

Friends, do any of you have siblings who totally ruin your photo shoots? Evan really, really hopes he's not the only one. He's disgruntled that his little sister Tonks turned his Mancat Monday into a day of bloopers. Evan hopes you can all forgive him. And Tonks.

Have a magnificent Monday, friends!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

I'm going to do just a little copy and paste magic, and repeat a tiny snippet of what I said yesterday, for any of your friends of ours who might have missed our explanation for our newest series of doodles. So, this week, we're having us some extra special doodles. This is in part because Tuesday, August 28th, is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day. More so, though, it's because this upcoming Saturday, September 1st, is the birthday of my angel Rosie and her brother angel Sammy.

My family adopted Rosie and Sammy when they were 8 weeks old, and I was 4 years old. Sammy passed away unexpectedly at the age of 5, but Rosie lived by my side for 21 years. In honor of both Rosie and Sammy, for this entire week, I'm going to share doodles that portray growing up with them. They played such a huge role in my life, that this week of Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day and their birthday seems like the perfect time to dedicate all sorts of doodles to them.

Fun fact? My angels Sammy and Rosie were real saints. I would indeed play dress-up with both of them, those poor kitties. In case you were wondering, Sammy enjoyed it, and Rosie tolerated it.

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Our Tip of the Day:

Today's tip relating to taking your cat to the vet is in regard to nonrecognition aggression. In relation to vet visits, nonrecognition aggression is typically when one cat goes to the vet, and when he or she returns home, one of the other resident cats does not recognize them. This is typically because the returning cat smells unfamiliar, with odors from the vet. Though it can be a disconcerting and scary thing to witness, nonrecognition is not terribly uncommon. What's more, there are ways to potentially prevent it, and to help your cats recover from it.

One way to combat nonrecognition aggression is to take your cats to the vet together. This way, neither of them will come back home smelling differently than the other. This method is easiest if both cats travel well and can safely visit the vet together. So, if nonrecognition is a concern in your home and it's a viable option, do consider taking your cats to the vet together to prevent future aggression between them.

There are other options to help prevent nonrecognition aggression. One is to use a synthetic pheromone spray, or a diffuser, to help keep all cats as calm as possible. Yet another option is to gently wipe down the cat returning home from the vet, in order to remove as much of the vet clinic smells as possible. Similarly, when a cat returns home from the vet, you can also wipe them with one of their usual blankets from home, to help transfer their usual scents back to them. Of course these are not fail-safe methods, but they can potentially help prevent nonrecognition aggression between cats.

All of the above being said, sometimes nonrecognition aggression might occur despite your attempts to prevent it. If it does occur, first and foremost, separate the cats who are involved, in order to keep them both safe. Then, reintroduction might be similar to how you introduce two unfamiliar or new cats to each other. Slowly and safely allowing them to sniff, see, and then interact with each other might take some time, but your kitties can indeed return to one big happy family with time and patience.