A Rainbow Bridge Birthday Bash

Today is a special day. It's the birthday of my kitty angels Rosie and Sammy. My parents adopted these two blessings when I was just 4 years old.

My sweet Rosie lived to the age of 21, and she was with me from the time I was 4 until I had just turned 26. She passed in 2015. Anyone who visited our blog in its very early days would have gotten to know Rosie, as she was the star of the show back then.

Sammy, sadly, only lived to the age of 5. He passed in 1999 from an undetected heart condition. Those 5 years were filled with so much fun and joy, though.

Happy Birthday, Rosie and Sammy! I love you always and forever!

I unfortunately didn't get a new birthday doodle scribbled up for my Rosie and Sammy this year, but I really liked the one I created for them a couple years ago, so I'll share it again for their birthday today. 

As a bit of an explanation for that drawing, I've gotten into the habit of making Rosie and Sammy's birthday doodles Harry Potter-esque, which explains the general content and color choices in that there doodle. After all, Rosie and Sammy were my reading buddies. Since my sweet Sammy passed when he was only 5 and I was only 10, I never got to read Harry Potter with him. I did start reading it soon after his passing, though, 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 HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY,
ROSIE AND SAMMY!

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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. (Let's just pretend it's not 95°F today, okay?) 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.

Down by the Creek with Angel Astrid

I've mentioned many times over the years how our neighborhood has a creek that runs through it, and that offers some nice scenery on walks. As I've also mentioned many times, I'm so grateful I have photos of walks with Astrid, including many times when we visited the creek.

This girl was always so intrigued by the water and the critters we'd see in or around it.

Astrid actually preferred when we saw ducks or other birds, as winged friends were some of her favorite to observe. But, she also always checked the water for little fishies and such, which we on occasion would see. When we did see things moving around in the creek, Astrid would tilt her cute little head from side to side as she watched them. I loved it so much.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

A while back I scribbled up some pencil outlines for drawings that were going to be this year's summertime spooky doodles. I ended up liking them better as actual Halloween doodles, though, and so I adjusted them and am already getting those ready for September and October. That means I never got any new spooky drawings done for this summer, though. But, luckily, I scribbled up so many lengthy series of such doodles in the past that I still have a ton of flashbacks to share in that vein. Like this kooky spring or summer one starring my calico angel Rosie and none other than some zombies rising from their graves.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip on taking your kitty to the vet is one that we're sure all of you have heard, and that is to get your kitty used to the carrier. The first and foremost way to do this is to keep the carrier out, in sight, and accessible all the time. If the carrier is tucked away, then it very well may simply become a source of fear when it comes out once a year. Keeping it out at all times can help combat this.

What's more, try to make the carrier a place of comfort or fun. For example, place a cozy blanket in the carrier, so that it can perhaps be seen as a place to nap. You can also place toys in the carrier, as well as treats. Or, you can try to use the carrier as a feeding station, such as by putting one of your kitty's bowls of food in there. The carrier could also be where your cat is given treats. These methods can help your cat associate the carrier with things that are cozy, fun, or commonplace, in turn helping it to be seen as less of a threat. All in all, help your kitty get used to the carrier by turning it into a place where good things happen, rather than simply a place in which once a year they're locked up and taken somewhere unfamiliar. Associating the carrier with happy experiences can potentially make vet visits a bit less scary for the kitty in your life.

Angel Astrid's Woof Woof Wednesday in the Window

I was looking through old photos and found some cute and funny ones of my sweet angel pup Astrid. These were from quite a few years ago, and they were taken at my parents' house. There, Astrid would climb onto the back of their couch and watch out their big front window.

On this particular occasion, my parents' kitty Flitwick decided to join the big pup.

Flitwick is my girl Tonks's litter mate, as is my sister's house panther Winky.

Angel Astrid hopes you all enjoy a window view today. Happy Wednesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Astrid loved helping me cook and bake in the kitchen, so even though it doesn't star any canines, this old doodle still seems apt enough for today.

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Tip of the Day

We're still in the midst of our series of tips all about decorating your home around your furbabies. Today's tip on that topic involves protecting your furniture from kitty claws. After all, cats do indeed have claws. That's simply part of who they are. That being said, that doesn't mean there aren't safe, humane ways of protecting your furniture from those claws.

To begin, of course place cat scratchers throughout your house in order to give your cats appropriate places to use their claws. Cats often like to scratch as a more or less territorial display, so make sure that at least some of their scratchers are somewhere visible and in the open. You can also place a scratcher near any furniture to which your furbaby's claws gravitate. This way, your kitty can have an appropriate scratching location where you can immediately redirect them should they begin to use the furniture instead.

We recently mentioned this next idea in another tip, but we'll say it again. To protect your furniture from cat claws while also giving your cat a proper place to scratch, you can wrap sisal rope around furniture legs, rails of staircases, and other similar locations. Again, this not only protects those home features from cat claws, but also simultaneously gives your cat another appropriate place to use their claws. Another potential form of protection against cat claws for your furniture is a heavy-duty couch or chair cover.

As we said above, cats indeed have claws. While those claws can sometimes find their way to furniture, there are proper ways to combat this. Simply research types of scratchers for your kitty to use, create your own scratchers using sisal rope, or find another way to protect the furniture while also treating your kitty and their claws in a humane way. When your kitty scratches furniture, calmly redirect them to a proper cat scratcher, so that they can learn where they should and should not sharpen those claws of theirs. Of course, also don't forget to regularly trim your kitty's nails.

Woof Woof Wednesday: Nose Art in the Window

I think we're way past due for a memory of angel pup Astrid gazing out her favorite window.

Astrid always painted that window with her nose art. Truth be told, though my sweet girl passed away nearly a year ago now, I still haven't cleaned her final nose art from that window. I don't know when I'll have it in me to do so. So, for now, her nose art lives on in that window.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is quite the random one. After all, I scribbled it up a few years ago when I felt like recreating Tigger and Eeyore. I wanted Tigger to be even more cat-like and Eeyore to be more dog-like, and so here we are.

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Tip of the Day

We're still making our way through our tips on litter boxes. Today's tip is a quick and simple one, and it's to use the times you scoop and clean the litter box wisely. In other words, use your litter scooping time to be observant of your kitty's urine and feces. Are there any changes to the urine or stool volume or frequency? Is it a different color? Is there blood or mucus in it? Is the stool especially hard, or especially soft or runny? What about the odor? Excrement never smells particularly nice, but is there any new change in its smell? Try to always be observant of these types of things when you're scooping your cat's litter box. After all, some diseases will have symptoms that show up in the litter box, and so it is indeed important to make sure you are regularly checking to make sure all is well in that box. Of course, if you do notice anything concerning while scooping the litter box, do not hesitate to make a call to your veterinarian.

Adventures with Angel Astrid

Today's memory of sweet angel pup Astrid is yet another one from a walk from a few years ago. It was a bright and sunny day, and we took a nice stroll along the creek that runs through our neighborhood.

Astrid always loved watching wildlife, both on walks and in her yard. I thought she was watching ducks in this photo, but I don't actually see any in the water there. Either way, something had her attention, and I hope she enjoyed watching whatever it was that piqued her interest.

Happy Wednesday to all!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I'm in a spooky mood and also recently watched the movie Frankenweenie, so here's a fitting flashback doodle I scribbled up for our "Halfway to Halloween" April A to Z Challenge a few years ago. Just as with all the other drawings from that old series, it stars my calico angel Rosie, and of course a little zombie dog.

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Tip of the Day

Today's summer safety tip is about your furbaby's care in the event that you are traveling this summer. We'll begin with if your furbaby is staying behind while you travel, in which case it is important to plan well in advance for their care. If your furbaby would do best being boarded, then be sure to schedule this well ahead of time, to ensure that they can stay at a veterinary or other boarding facility that you trust.

Another option is of course having your furbaby stay home and having a trusted pet-sitter come in to care for them, or to have your cat or dog stay with someone you trust. No matter what route you take for your furbaby's care while you are away from them, be sure that whoever is looking after them has all of the resources and information they might need. Make sure that your furbaby's food is stocked up, as well as their medications, litter, and anything else of importance. Ensure that their caregiver knows the details of their care, including what, when, and how much they are fed, as well as any medication administration instructions they might need. Don't forget other resources a pet-sitter might need, such as any pertinent details of your furbaby's medical history, as well as the contact information for their veterinarian.

Then there are the times that our furbabies travel with us on vacation, and it is also important to plan accordingly in this case as well. To begin, make sure that you pack all that your cat or dog might need. This would include food, treats, water, medications, leash, carrier, and anything that is significant for their daily care. It is of course also important to plan in advance for pet-friendly lodging at your travel destination. Are you staying at a hotel? If so, is that hotel pet-friendly? Or, are you staying with family or friends? If so, do they have a pet-friendly home? Are there other animals at this home, and if so, will it be safe for the animals to interact? Be sure that any such details are ironed out well in advance.

With all of the above planned out, there is then the actual act of traveling with your furbaby. If you are traveling by plane with a pup or kitty, this will of course require you to learn of the airline's requirements, and that you do so with plenty of time to spare. A veterinary visit and a certificate of health may be required by some airlines. Regardless of whether a certificate of health is required, it is important to discuss with a veterinarian whether your furbaby is safe for travel by plane, especially if they are sick, geriatric, or if they do not travel well. If it is by car that you are traveling, ensure that your cat or dog has a cage or seatbelt for safe restraint during travels. Make sure that your furbaby has a chance to eat, drink, and bathroom during long trips. At the same time, make sure that they are safe from escape anytime you stop and open any car doors.

Summer is a time for travels for some people, and perhaps even their furbabies. Whether you leave your furbaby home or take them with you, always plan well in advance. Always keep in mind your furbaby's health and happiness, and discuss any concerns with a veterinarian.

Adventures with Angel Astrid

Today's memories with sweet angel pup Astrid are from one of the times we took her to meet up with some family at an outdoor gathering. We did this a couple of times with her, and it allowed for some rather majestic photos of the sweet girl.

Though she was never the most outwardly social dog, Astrid did enjoy being included in things. Her face would light up and she'd smile so big when she realized she was going on an adventure with her people. She loved to "go for a ride", which was one of her favorite phrases to hear.

When we were around others, Astrid would never opt to walk around asking people to pet her. That said, she was far from aggressive and would happily just hang out with myself, my sister, and my parents. She also absolutely adored my grandma and her husband, as well as a couple of my uncles and one of my cousins. Oh, and she always wanted petted by one of my neighbors. She was a very particular dog and only had a select few people she truly liked, but when she did like someone, they were her best friend. And if she didn't particularly like someone, she just ignored them.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

The final tip in our wildlife series involves some additional things you can do to help keep the wildlife safe in their environment. First, as you all surely already know, please refrain from littering. Do not toss trash willy-nilly, but instead place it in a secure trash bin, or a recycling bin if relevant. This includes any and all items, as any variety of things can lead to dangers for wildlife. For example, the handles of plastic or paper bags can get stuck around the necks of wildlife critters, or any variety of items could be swallowed and lead to a choking hazard. And that's just naming two potential examples.

To further protect wildlife, please cut the aforementioned handles on plastic and paper bags before tossing them into the trash or recycling. This ensures that wildlife won't get their heads or limbs stuck in the handles. This also goes for milk jug lid rings, plastic or other rings that multipacks of soda come in, and anything else of that sort. Please simply cut such things before tossing them out in order to prevent strangulation or other injuries to wildlife.

In addition, before tossing them in a bin, do your best to rinse out cans and other food or drink containers. For one, this can perhaps help reduce the likelihood of wildlife eating food that is potentially unhealthy for them. Also, rinsing food containers can help reduce the likelihood of wildlife sniffing out leftover debris and therefore breaking into and going through trash and recycling bins, something that we surely all wish to avoid.

We share this land with a great many critters, and it's important that we keep this land safe for all of its inhabitants. So, please refrain from littering or otherwise contributing to situations that can be dangerous to wildlife.

Happy Birthday, Thimble, Toby, Trapper, and Angel Talon! (And Happy Mother's Day!)

Today is a very special day. The post's title probably gave it away, but it's my girl Thimble's 12th birthday!

This little lady is one of the sweetest, happiest, and just generally amazing creatures I have ever met in my life. Not to mention, just look at how cute she is. Honestly, just look.

Nearly 12 years ago, my grandma discovered that her neighbor had found a litter of 4 kittens and had placed them, for some reason, in a bucket. And then he'd just left them there. They were no more than 3 weeks old, and ever since then we've referred to them as the "bucket babies". My grandma rescued these little kitties, and then my parents, my sister, and myself took them in to bottle feed them. The intention was to adopt them out when they were old enough. Guess how that went.

So, it's not just Thimble's birthday, but the birthday of all the bucket babies. That includes her three brothers. There's of course handsome Toby, who owns my sister.

Then there's Thimble's much larger twin, that being dapper Trapper. He owns my parents.

Sadly, Thimble's third brother, sweet Talon, passed away last April because of the horrible thing that is cancer. He was one of the most intelligent and social kitties I've ever met. He owned my parents and was very close to his brother Trapper, and we all miss him so very much.

Happy Birthday, Thimble, Toby, Trapper, and sweet angel Talon! I hope you all have the most amazing, blessed day. I'll be giving the three earthside birthday babies lots of cuddles and toys, and I'll be thinking about Talon all day.

Last year, I scribbled up Harry Potter-esque birthday drawings for all of my furry babies. When I was looking in my archives for the one I created for these four last year, I realized I never even shared it here on our blog. I ended up finishing it about a week after their birthday, in part because I started it before Talon passed and then couldn't bring myself to finish it any sooner. So, here's their magical birthday celebration.

The scarves they're wearing relate to the "houses" that kids are sorted into at the magical school in the Harry Potter books. I would consider Thimble and Toby to be in the Hufflepuff house, as that one is for those are who are kind and calm. Thimble and Toby are indeed laidback like most Hufflepuffs. Trapper belongs to the same house as Harry Potter himself, that being Gryffindor. That's the house for those who are brave and bold, and that is indeed Trapper. Talon belongs to Ravenclaw, which is the house for those with great intelligence.

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It's Mother's Day in the United States (and I believe also in Canada), so we also want to wish all the mothers out there an extra special day! Whether your children are human and two-legged or furry and four-legged, mothers make this world go round. 

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Tip of the Day

Today's wildlife tip is another about birds. Hummingbirds, that is. These majestic little creatures love them a sweet drink. To make some sugar water for hummingbirds, you can mix 1 cup of cane sugar with 3 to 4 cups of water (extra mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to roughly one week). Despite popular belief, though, please do NOT add red food coloring to the sugar water. Adding a chemical dye can potentially be harmful to hummingbirds. Rather than lace their drink with artificial colors, you can simply use a bright (such as red) hummingbird feeder to attract them. There are indeed feeders specifically designed for hummingbirds and their preferred sweet drink. Of course, don't forget to clean said feeder in between fillings, as the sugar water mixture can potentially lead to mold if the hummingbird feeder is not maintained properly. Hummingbirds can make for grand Bird TV, just as long as you take the right precautions.

Thankful Thursday with Angel Rosie and Thimble in the Sun

Today is Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

To begin, I'm so very grateful for the over 21 years I was blessed to share with my sweet and beautiful angel Rosie. She passed away on this date in 2015. That was one of the absolute worst days of my life, but I always want to remember Rosie with nothing but the pure happiness she brought me for over two decades.

My family adopted Rosie and her brother Sammy when I was 4 years old. Sadly, Sammy passed away at the age of 5, when I was 9 years old, of an undetected heart condition. Rosie, though, was with me until I was 26 years old. I am forever grateful for her companionship, unconditional love, and everything she taught me in life.

I love you, Rosie! Always and forever!

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Now, Thimble still wanted to share her thankful today as well. And, yet again, Thimble is so very grateful for sunshine!

Thimble wishes you all lots of bright and shiny sun!

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Last but not least, we have 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. I know I am having a good day when _________.

2. I _________ when I am _________.

3. _________ makes me feel helpless.

4. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

In honor of my sweet angel Rosie, here's a doodle I made of her hanging out in a library many years ago. She was always my reading buddy, so it's more than fitting for her.

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Tip of the Day

 

As we mentioned yesterday, we're doing a bit of a different sort of series of tips, that being one all about wildlife. We're staring today with some tips on feeding none other than geese, ducks, swans, and the like. First, keep in mind that not all areas allow the feeding of these birds, for a variety of reasons. So, first make sure that you're in a location that is safe and appropriate for feeding wild birds such as geese and ducks.

Now, on to feeding these birds of whom we're starting to see more and more in these springtime days. First and foremost, despite popular belief, bread is not an ideal food to feed geese and ducks. Bread does not have much in the way of nutritional value for these wild birds, and often can do more harm than good, such as by causing wing deformities. So, what should you feed animals such as geese? You can offer them some regular birdseed, keeping in mind that sunflower seeds are not one that is ideal for them. You can also give them certain fruits and vegetables, like grapes, kale, and Romaine lettuce. That being said, make sure that these foods are bite size, or else there is the risk that the geese or ducks could choke. So, cut grapes at least in half, and chop up kale or lettuce that you offer. If you offer birdseed or other small foods, mound them up in small piles for ease of eating.

Also ensure that you take safety precautions, both for yourself and the wild birds. For example, it is typically best that you not feed the birds directly out of your hands. In addition, place the food you feed them in a safe area, such as away from roads. In general, you simply have to use common sense, and if you're not sure something is safe, simply don't do it. Interacting with wildlife can be an inspiring and unique experience, but it is always best to keep both their safety and your safety in mind.

A Belated Halfway to Halloween with Angel Astrid

I know we're now mostly past the "Halfway to Halloween" part of the year, as that was more so the last day of April and/or first day of May. But, I was scrolling through photos of my sweet angel pup Astrid and was reminded of the mummy cookies I got her from our local pet store every Halloween season.

I've shared these photos many times, but I just love them. There were multiple Octobers in Astrid's life when she had surgery on her back right leg, such as to remove a cancerous tumor on her toe and then years later to fix a torn CCL (ACL). To add a little humor to those events, I would always get her a mummy cookie to enjoy while she was bandaged up.

I've always loved how in that photo above you not only can see Astrid's booted back right foot, but then she also removed the mummy's right leg. So very fitting.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

All of the above also inspired the following drawing, which I created as part of my "Halfway to Halloween" April A to Z Challenge many years ago. It stars a bandaged up angel Astrid as well as my calico angel kitty Rosie.

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Tip of the Day

In yesterday's tip, we discussed keeping our furbabies at a safe distance from those bird feeders we put out for the wildlife. And now we're going to share a repeat series of tips on feeding wildlife, and interacting with wildlife in general. While we all certainly love animals and so might very well enjoy visiting with them and feeding them, this is something you nevertheless always have take into careful consideration. It is important to determine whether feeding wildlife in a certain area is wise, or even allowed. There are some areas where feeding wildlife is prohibited, for a variety of reasons.

One reason why it might not be wise to feed wildlife in certain areas is that, of course, some human food is not healthy for the wildlife. Some foods can even lead to sickness in such animals. In addition, feeding wildlife can cause them to lose their fear of humans or predators, and that can be dangerous for them. They can especially be put at risk if they are fed near roads or other high traffic areas, where they can lose their fear of cars and other such dangers. Also, feeding wildlife without caution and care can lead to disease transfer. For example, some wildlife carry diseases that can be contracted by us humans or our furbabies. This means that not only can we be dangerous for wildlife if not careful, but they can be dangerous to us.

In known, controlled environments, such as your own back yard, feeding wildlife is of course more safe. Then again, you still have to be cautious of what and how you feed these animals, so that they can remain healthy and safe and so that nearby humans and their furbabies can remain safe. We already mentioned yesterday putting bird feeders and food for wildlife out of reach of your furbabies, for their own safety as well as that of the wildlife. Over the next couple of days, we'll be discussing some tips on what to feed wildlife, so stay tuned if that is something that might interest you.

The Letter Y and Halfway to Halloween with Angel Astrid

Welcome to the penultimate day of the April A to Z Challenge!

Indeed, there are just two days left of sharing fan art covers for some of my favorite books. Today's stars both a cat and a dog. We're at the letter Y, and I absolutely took some liberties with this one. Today, for the letter Y, we have The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. Why? Because both his first and last name have the letter Y.

[Reminder/Disclaimer/whatever you want to call it: This is not a real, true cover of this book. My name is also not Ray Bradbury, and so I am admittedly not the author of this book. I'm just someone who likes books and cats and dogs, and of course Halloween, and so I drew this unofficial version of the book's cover.]

As I've mentioned the past couple of days, late April and early May are celebrated by some (like myself) as being halfway to Halloween. So, for the last couple days of this month's challenge, I wanted the books I chose to have a little something to do with that. That's in part why I rigged Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree to work for today. It's a fun old book about some trick-or-treaters who learn some festive lessons about Halloween, and that seemed perfect for today

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Since it is indeed halfway to Halloween, how about a memory of sweet angel pup Astrid hanging out with one of our pieces of black cat Halloween decor?

That there black cat stays out year round at our house. Astrid wasn't too keen on posing with it, but at least she had her beloved window to distract her from this here human's nonsense.

Wishing you a wonderfully kooky day!

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Tip of the Day

As the weather grows warmer, time outdoors with your furbaby may very well increase. For example, you might walk your dog, or even your kitty, more often or farther. Or, time out in the yard might simply increase. That's why this is the perfect time of year to remind you all to take precautions to keep your outdoor furbabies safe. When venturing away from home, keep your furbabies on leashes, or otherwise keep them safely at your side. When it comes to safety in your own yard, ensure that leads and fences are secure and resistant to escape attempts. In addition, ensure that your outdoor kitty or pup is donning identification, such as by means of a tag on a collar and an updated microchip. All of these precautions are important for ensuring that your furbaby remains safe and sound with you, or that they can find their way back to you should the unthinkable happen and they become separated from you. A lost furbaby is certainly a nightmarish situation for all, so do all that you can to prevent it.

Woof Woof Wednesday: Sunshine and a Tongue

Since my sweet angel pup Astrid loved her favorite window seat, I simply have to share memories of her enjoying it. She especially loved when the sun was shining through the window. In this particular photo, Astrid also decided to show off her adorable tongue.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I've been working on my drawings for this year's April A to Z Challenge. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm worried I might fall behind on the drawings and not have one to share every day in April. I'm still trying my best, though life is really lifing lately.

My doodles for this year's April A to Z Challenge will be bookish in nature. That said, a couple years ago I scribbled up some drawings starring my furry babies as characters from a new books series I've been enjoying. Astrid got to star as a two-headed puppy that showed up in one of the books, so here's that one for you all to see again.

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Tip of the Day

As part of National Pet Poison Awareness Month, we're now talking about the risk of poisonous bites your kitty or pup might receive from other critters. Depending on where you live, or where you might be visiting with your furbaby, you might find it necessary to be on the lookout for critters such as snakes and spiders whose bites can have toxic effects. When it comes to snakes, some of the dangerous ones include certain coral snakes and rattlesnakes. As for spiders, as most of you certainly know, black widows and brown recluses are among the most dangerous. Bites from such critters can result in any number of dangerous or life-threatening side effects, including cardiovascular shock, respiratory distress, neurological damage, and tissue damage, among others.

When outdoors, especially in areas where snakes, spiders, or other venomous critters are a known possibility, always monitor your furbaby and keep an eye out for danger. As needed, research the wildlife of areas you will be, so that you know what snakes, spiders, and other critters of which to be cautious. Of course, if your kitty or pup is bitten by a spider or snake, especially a known venomous one, do not hesitate to seek veterinary care. In many such cases, counteracting the venom in a timely manner is crucial.

Rest in Peace, Homer

Hello, friends. This is not the post I expected for today. I will share my Friendly Fill-Ins and link below, but I first want to give a moment for a very special kitty.

Last night, one of my parents' kitties passed away very unexpectedly. He was a healthy, robust, active, and all around amazing boy named Homer.

I just snapped that photo of Homer when I was at my parents' house this past Saturday. He was staring at my hands, as he was a firm believer that hands were always supposed to be petting him. He did indeed gets lot of pets and cuddles after that photo was snapped.

Homer would have turned 9 years old at the end of this month, and he's never had any health issues. Last night, though, he collapsed at home. He got back up after what my parents thought was perhaps a seizure, though he was not acting himself at all. They called me and I went with my mom to the emergency vet with Homer. When we got there, they rushed him to the back but then came out to tell us that he was was doing okay. His heart and lungs sounded good at the time, and they said he was purring and flirting with all of them, as he loved to do. They seemed hopeful that he'd just suffered a seizure and that they'd discharge him and we'd monitor him at home and go from there. Soon after, though, Homer's respiration started to decline, they ran some quick cardiac tests that came back abnormal, and ultimately his heart stopped. They tried CPR, rescue meds, and everything possible, but sweet Homer gained his angel wings. We were at the emergency vet until nearly midnight, and it was plain and simply an unexpectedly terrible night.

It's most likely Homer suffered some sort of cardiac event. Diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are sadly somewhat common in cats, and they can suddenly kill a kitty who otherwise seemed healthy up to that point. A very similar thing happened to one of my childhood kitties, Sammy, who passed away at home very suddenly at the age of 5. Homer could have also had myocarditis or any other number of similar issues.

Because my parents are also blessed to share their life with three of Homer's full litter mates, a necropsy is being done on Homer. His three siblings are also going to be tested for HCM and other potential cardiac issues at our regular vet. My mom has already reached out to our regular vet, whom we have a lot of trust in, and the vet is already getting Homer's siblings scheduled for him to do a cardiac blood test and ultrasound. One of Homer's sisters has a history of coughing, so we don't want to delay the tests. Though Homer's sister has been seen for her cough and nothing was found to be abnormal at that time, no true cardiac testing has been done yet and so my parents are moving forward with all of that for sweet Homer's siblings. Homer was the far more cool and collected one of the litter, though. His siblings are all exceedingly more wild, so I'm sure the vet will have fun wrangling them for the cardiac bloodwork and ultrasounds.

I will be sharing a better memorial post for Homer soon. It might be part of this litter's birthday post, as that will be March 31st. It's unfortunately been quite a while since I've shared Homer on our blog here, but just know he was a sweet and handsome boy with a big personality. We will miss him forever, and we'll also love him forever.

I'm sorry all of the above is so long and rambling. I truly find it cathartic to just purge that all out on the keyboard, and you friends of ours are always the recipients of that.

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We'll share the Friendly Fill-Ins now. 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. The longest I have been without electricity is _________.

2. I am so tired of waiting for _________.

3. I can't believe I still remember _________.

4. I wish I could go back and experience _________ for the first time again.


My answers are below in bold. I'm sorry if they don't make a whole lot of sense. I didn't get them finished before the awful events of last night, so I filled them in after and my mind was not fully in it.

1. The longest I have been without electricity is a little over 24 hours.
(I'm lucky in that I've never experienced a truly lengthy power outage like some folks have. The 24 hours I experienced happened to just 6 houses on our block a couple years ago. A relatively small tree limb fell on a line. We could see it and alerted the power company, but it took them over 24 hours to come out and repair it.)

2. I am so tired of waiting for good books and movies to come out.
(This is such a First World problem, I know. That said, it feels like books and movies just aren't as good as they used to be. Or, at least, they aren't always what I'm personally looking for. Lately, when there are books or movies I'm truly excited for, I tend to find out about them before they've even released. And then the wait is torture. There is at least one book I'm eagerly waiting to be released in a couple months, and there's a new movie I'm very excited to watch, but I'm waiting for it to come out on streaming. Again, talk about First World problems.)

3. I can't believe I still remember the lyrics to songs I haven't heard in decades.

(My mom and I were recently listening to a certain playlist of songs from a couple decades ago. I hadn't heard the songs in roughly those couple of decades, and yet I was actually able to sing along to most of them. They were songs I liked back then, though, so apparently they stuck with me all this time.)

4. I wish I could go back and experience reading my favorite books for the first time again.
(I've always thought it would be interesting to have selective amnesia, so that you can choose to forget a particular book or even movie or TV show. This way, you can enjoy it for the first time all over again.)

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.

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I'll get back to posting doodles and tips next week. Right now, nothing I have seems appropriate for today.

Woof Woof Wednesday with Angel Astrid...and Thimble

Last week, I showed photos of my sweet angel Astrid with her kitty brother Evan. They grew up together, as they were just about 2 months apart in age. Evan isn't the only kitty who was fond of Astrid, though. My family brought home my girl Thimble and her 3 brothers, the boys all being adopted by my parents and sister, when Astrid was about a year old. The kittens were just 3 weeks old at the time, and all of them were enamored with Astrid the second they set eyes on her. It's like they imprinted on her, and they all loved her from the moment they met her.

The above said, how about some flashbacks of my little Thimble happily hanging out with my sweet angel pup Astrid?

Thimble loved Astrid so much, as we all did.

I remember those two constantly battling each other over that window seat. Though, "battle" isn't really the right word. Thimble very often won, as Astrid was such a sweet pup who never put up much of a fight against her kitties.

Happy Wednesday to all!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

I'm sure I don't need to tell you all, but as part of our tips for National Pet Poison Awareness Month, we're here to remind you that many human medications are indeed toxic to our furbabies. One of the most common pet poison emergency culprits is ibuprofen. It can be very dangerous and even fatal if ingested by your kitty or pup, and its side effects can include gastrointestinal distress or even kidney failure. Ibuprofen is of course not the only human medication that can have dire consequences for our cats and dogs, though. Decongestants such as excess pseudoephedrine can also be toxic, as well as medications for treating blood pressure and ADD/ADHD, just to name a couple. Needless to say, keep any and all human medications hidden away in a secure cabinet, drawer, or other such confines.

It is also worth noting that certain topical creams and ointments that we humans use can also be dangerous for cats and dogs. These such medications can be sneaky as well, since you might apply a potentially toxic cream to your skin, then you might forget about it, and then your furbaby might lick your skin or even clothing that touched the topical medication. This, in turn, can possibly result in toxicity. As a couple of examples, creams for pain management or hormone treatment can easily contain ingredients that could lead to life-threatening side effects for your kitty or pup. So, not only should you safely store medications, but you must also be diligent about how you might be exposing your furbaby to toxic ingredients.