Wordless Wednesday

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Our Doodle of the Day:

Here, Astrid agreed to help me illustrate one of my favorite quotes 

by one of my favorite authors, J.R.R. Tolkien. 

Thank you, Astrid!

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Our Tip of the Day:

Today's random tip is one that we hope you'll never have to use, but that might be good to know just in case. In the event that your furbaby tries to make friends with a skunk and ends up sprayed, you don't have to go through an endless supply of tomato paste like is commonly suggested. First of all, it might be worth it to note that there are skunk odor removers on the market. On the other hand, there are also home remedies that can be used for immediately treatment. You can go about deodorizing your furbaby in a way similar to how a soiled rug or carpet can be cleaned. Baking soda can be mixed with some peroxide or dilute vinegar, along with a bit of dish soap if you wish, and carefully used to bathe and thereby deodorize your furbaby. Do indeed be sure to do this as carefully and safely as possible, ensuring that none of the mixture gets into your furbaby's eyes, as well as trying to keep them from consuming it. Especially if you use peroxide, do not leave the mixture in contact with your furbaby for too long, as it can potentially bleach fur. So, once your pup or kitty has been bathed, thoroughly rinse and remove the mixture from their fur. After this, proceed by then bathing them with typical shampoo, to remove any remaining cleaning mixture and leaving them truly clean and fresh. We of course hope that this tip is never needed, but in the case that a skunk tries to greet your furbaby, you can use such techniques to carefully attempt to remove the odor as quickly and effectively as possible. (Note: It is not recommended to prepare and store any peroxide cleaning mixture ahead of time, as it can build up pressure and potentially explode if closed up in a bottle.)

Toesies Tuesday

Who needs a high five? Anybuddy? Well, if you do, Thimble's got you covered!

We wish you a happy Tuesday!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

Remember how we've told you in the past that cats and dogs sweat through their paw pads? Well, those paws of theirs are indeed one of the primary modes through which our furbabies cool down. In other words, they cool from the bottom up.This is why, such as in an emergency case of overheating, putting cool water on a pup or kitty's paws and abdomen can help them to cool down. To prevent an overheated furbaby, though, in the heat of summer it is of course important to ensure that our cats and dogs have a means by which to stay cool. Even something such as a kiddie pool with some cool water, at least for those furbabies who enjoy it, is a great way for them to cool those paws and abdomen and therefore their whole body. A cold, wet towel can also be laid out for them to lie on and thereby can give them somewhere to cool off. When inside the house, perhaps make sure that your furbaby has a floor-level fan by which to rest, or that they can reach one of the vents through which to enjoy the air conditioning. Many furbabies even simply enjoy sprawling out in the open on laminate or hardwood floors, as these can feel cool on their paws and bellies. All in all, as you all know, it is crucial to ensure that your furbabies remain safe and cool in the heat of summer. In the case of overheating, heat stroke, or any such emergency, seek veterinary attention immediately.

Bathing Boycat

It's Mancat Monday, in case you forgot, and mancat Evan wanted to show off something manly today. He went through all of his options. Should he show you his wrestling moves? How he can pin housemate Toby to the ground in two seconds' time? Or, should he show off his skills of hunting down any and every milk carton ring in the house? Or perhaps he should show you all his butter eating contest skills?

In the end, though, Evan didn't choose any of those manly skills to show off today. Instead...

Yep, this mancat has some mad bathing skills all right! Evan knows how to lick those toesies squeaky clean. And those whiskers! Aren't they just so very manly?

Now, I wonder if Evan would mind my sharing a bathing blooper of his?

We bet you furiends of ours are squeaky clean, too!

Happy Monday!

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Our Doodle of the Day;

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Our Tip of the Day:

I'm sure we all know how our kitties have those spiky little tongues. And it's those spiky little tongues that trap hair when kitties bathe themselves, which can then lead to those hairballs we all know so well. This is why it can certainly help your kitty to keep up with their brushing sessions, as removing as much loose hair as possible can reduce those hairballs. There are other potential options for hairball treatment as well, especially for cases where a kitty continues to combat hairballs even with regular grooming. There are treats and food on the market that can potentially help prevent hairballs, for example. These types of foods are often high in fiber, to help with motility and moving those hairballs through properly. Not all kitties will respond to the same to hairball remedies, though, so if your kitty has trouble with those hairballs, do be sure to to consult your veterinarian.

Whisker Selfies

The title of our post says it all. For the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by our furiends over at The Cat on My Head, Evan indeed got a little help from his whiskers.

Did anybuddy else show off their whiskers in their selfie today? We'll certainly go have a look over at the Sunday Selfies blog hop, and don't forget to do so yourself!

Happy Sunday, everybuddy!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

We love ourselves some inspirational words, so we decided to share some of our favorites with you all throughout this week. Angel Rosie is kicking off these wise word doodles with this one here.

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Our Tip of the Day:

We've given this tip in the past, way back when, but we'll give it again. Please never pull on, trim, or in any way alter your kitty's (or even your pup's) whiskers! They help a cat to determine and navigate their surroundings, and are all in all a very important part of your kitty's physiology. The whiskers are able to do these amazing things because they are a highly sensitive source of sensory information. For this reason, even just brushing or touching cat's whiskers can be uncomfortable for them. That's how sensitive they are, which is why they do such a fantastic job of allowing your kitty to gather input from their surroundings. So, of course please never trim or pull on your kitty's whiskers, and also be careful to never get too rigorous around them when brushing or even just petting your furbaby. Some kitties tolerate it more than others, but always please be aware of those sensitive whiskers nonetheless!

Caturday Art with the Stars

Today, for Athena's Caturday Art blog hop, we wanted to do a piece in honor of all of the furiends who have gained their angel wings. It has been a rough few weeks, with many angels making their way to the Rainbow Bridge. Losing a furiend, a loved one, is never easy. But, we are also grateful to know that the furiends we have lost were blessed with lives full of love. Now, we are blessed to have them shining down on us.

Shine bright, angels.


Of course, don't forget to visit Athena to see what other furiends have created!

A lovely day to all!

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Our Tip of the Day:

Thinking about the loss of a furbaby is never easy, and of course neither is going through that loss when it occurs. So that you don't have to worry about such things during goodbyes, consider using your furbaby's youthful years to think ahead to what all you might want as a keepsake or memory after they are gone from this earth. Do you think you would you like a clay paw? You can buy kits to do this at home, or even look up ways to make your own. Similarly, for those kitties and pups who tolerate it, you can get pet-safe paint and create paw print art that way. You can even do this throughout their life, getting paw prints when they are kittens, and then more throughout their adulthood. What about your furbaby's hair, or whiskers? When your furbaby loses these throughout their life, perhaps collect them then. Though we know that everyone has different tastes, and some may want this while others won't, there are even companies who will place some of your furbaby's blood into pieces of jewelry. If this is something you might like, you can look into it and perhaps talk to your veterinarian about pulling a couple extra drops of blood during your furbaby's next blood draw. And don't forget the power that simple photographs and photo albums can hold, and consider keeping up on these when your furbabies are young. Sadly, our kitties and pups cannot stay with us forever, but their memories can.

Fill-In Friday

Here we are at another Friday. That's more than fine, because we love Fridays. Just one of the many reasons we are fans of Friday is that it means it's time for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by our friends at 15andmeowing and McGuffy's Reader.

Here are the fantastic fill-ins our hosts bestowed upon us this week:

1. A law I would like to see passed is _________.
2. My favorite card game is _________.
3. With Summer unofficially here, _________.
4. A favorite Summer memory is _________.

And here are my answers:

1. A law I would like to see passed is one that is far more strict regarding animal abuse and neglect.
(I know some places already, finally, have some laws regarding this matter. But, many of them are vague, or simply contain so many ifs, ands, or buts that abusers are often let off the hook easily, with little to no penalization for their heinous crimes. The abuse and neglect and torture of an innocent victim, including dogs and cats and all animals, should be seen and treated as exactly what it is, and that is inhumane and sadistic. I would like to see laws on this that actually reflect that, and that follow through with justice for the victim.)

2. My favorite card game is solitaire.
(I'm not a big card game player, but I have always enjoyed me a nice game of solitaire. I learned to player euchre with my dad and his euchre-obsessed brothers, but those guys will play for blood, and that's just too messy for me. So, solitaire it is.)

3. With Summer unofficially here, that means it's grilling season!
(Let's be honest, I don't have much talent at a grill. But, my dad does. I love the evenings when we all get together, have us some supper off the grill, get the fire pit going after that, have us some s'mores, all that good stuff. On Memorial Day we did just that, and it was the perfect way to kick off summer. Astrid thought so, too, as she got her fair share of hamburger as well.)

4. A favorite Summer memory is going to the library bookmobile.
(When I was a kid, the local library would send their traveling bookmobile throughout town during the summer months. Some days, they wouldn't disclose its exact location, and then you could hunt for it and win a prize when you found it. I loved this. I miss those bookmobile-filled summers.)


All right, now we're moving on to Eddy. Today, she's showing off her utter lack of disinterest in the television.

Behind Eddy there is the television. She almost always turns her back to it. She'll sit in the window, sit on that there cat tree, face the fish tank, face the wall, face anything but the TV. This is the complete opposite of Thimble, who seems perfectly happy burning her eyeballs to get an up close and personal view of what's playing on the television. As active as she is, Eddy can't be bothered to have that same interest.

"Seriously, won't you turn that thing off already?" Sorry, Eddy, my bad.

Happy Friday, everybuddy!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

 

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Our Tip of the Day:

Our cats and even our dogs descend from wild animals who are predators, who live in a vast world in which they can watch and lie in wait for prey. This is why it is important that our now domesticated kitties and pups be provided with means to use this instinct, lest they become bored or unhappy with an uneventful life. Mental stimulation such as this is one very important way in which a furbaby can exercise his or her mind and even body. Depending on your home and resources, there are a variety of ways that you can provide this type of mental stimulation for your kitty or pup. You can ensure that your furbaby has a nice window view, for example, where they can watch birds and squirrels and even other cats and dogs and people. Aside form going outdoors, this is one of the most natural ways to provide mental stimulation. Another way, though, especially for those furbabies who enjoy the concept of watching a screen, is by putting on enticing television shows or movies, such as those portraying birds and other wildlife. There are even games and interactive videos online specifically geared toward giving your furbabies something to do. Then again, even a fun screensaver can do the trick. And don't forget the option of a fish aquarium, even a small one with a fake fish, as this can also keep a kitty or even a pup distracted and happy. And for those who enjoy them, interactive toys that move and allow your furbaby to catch their prey are also great for allowing your furbaby to express their natural instincts in a more physical sense. Whether it be through Bird TV or Squirrel TV or Fish TV or a fun ol' toy, be sure to help keep your furbaby's mind and body active and happy!

Princess Thimble Thursday

We were yet again going to attempt to post some pictures from a recent movie night here at our house. Remember how we told you last Thursday that we had that post all ready, but then little miss Thimble ended up not feeling well and so we instead spent last Thursday giving you an update on her visit to the dreaded V-E-T? Speaking of which, Thimble is on antibiotics for her UTI and is 100% her old self again!

Well, anyway, we're putting that movie night post on hold yet again. Why? Because Thimble informed me that, after the pictures I posted of her feeling ill last week, it is only fair that she get to post some glamour shots today. After all, she wouldn't want you guys forgetting just how fabulous she is.

So, here's the glam girl herself.

This glamorous girl also has a bit of an ornery streak, though. Remember us telling you how, after Thimble returned home from the V-E-T last week, Eddy was certain that she was a whole new, strange cat? After all, Thimble was covered in all sorts of strange smells, and so Eddy was having none of it.

Well, this past Sunday night, Eddy finally walked up to Thimble, rubbed against her, and all seemed well again. That is, until Thimble decided that she was holding a grudge for all of those hisses and growls she had so patiently endured for 4 days. When Eddy approached Thimble like old times, Thimble greeted her advances with a smack-down suitable for WrestleMania.

So, though now the girls will at least agree to be in the same room together again, there are still some squabbles and bickering. If I'm to be completely honest, though, this isn't too far off from how they were before. As I said last week, Thimble and Eddy were never really best friends, per se. What are sisters for? That being said, as I type this, Thimble and Eddy just settled next to each other for a side-by-side snack. Ah, now how to keep this up after Thimble goes back to the V-E-T on June 22nd for her recheck urinalysis.

Anyway, Thimble says that's enough about Eddy. This is her post after all. So, now Thimble is moving on to fantastic Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble is thankful for her glamorously adorable face, which always get her whatever she wants. She and all of us are also, of course, thankful for family and friends, like all of you!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

With summer upon us, that means lovely weather and more time outdoors. One risk this poses, though, is the potential for furbabies to get loose, such as during a walk or through an open door or window. This is not only something to consider for your own furbabies, but also for others in your area. So, for both the sake of your own furbabies as well as those of others, consider keeping treats on you in the case that your furbaby or another were to get loose. You can keep the treats in your purse, or even a small bag in your pocket. You can also keep some in your car, so long as they don’t overheat and spoil on hot days. This way, if you ever find yourself in a situation with a loose dog or cat, you can do your best to safely entice them to you with a treat, and thereby help them find their way back home. On this same line of thought, it never hurts to also have easy access to a leash or a cat carrier when you are out and about. You never know when you might a pup or kitty in need.