A Thankful Poetic Thursday

First and foremost, today we are sending our purrs, barks, and prayers to Marg of Marg's Animals.

Marg was admitted to the hospital yesterday morning, and in the afternoon she had surgery for the placement of a pacemaker. She is recovering and doing well, for which we are so very thankful. That's why today we are beginning our Thursday with Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

We are thankful that kind and caring Marg is doing well. She is a great friend to so many, and all of her furbabies are so very lucky to have her. All of us here are sending our warm well wishes your way, Marg!

As per usual, we are also partaking in the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge, hosted by the ever so handsome Angel Sammy and Teddy.

Today we have reached the final letter of the alphabet, that being Z. We have enjoyed this round of poetry so very much, and we will be continuing with it when it starts up again next. Our fun and fantastic hosts have a new idea for the next round of this poetic challenge, so be sure to visit them and see what fun is in store!

Oh, but of course here is our Z of a poem.

Zorro the Zoologist

Have you ever played bingo

With a pretty pink flamingo?

Have you ever had a laugh

With a funny, friendly giraffe?

If anyone has, it’s Zorro,

For he is the zoology pro.

Zorro the Zoologist has a great many friends.

His love for all creatures knows no end.

Spending time with all sorts of species

Makes Zorro the Zoologist feel quite peachy.

If you have any questions about the panda bear,

Zorro the Zoologist has plenty of facts to share.

He can even teach you a thing or two about the chimpanzee,

And about all sorts of creatures who live in the trees.

Zorro the Zoologist is the one you should seek,

If you need facts on anything with fur, scales, or beak.

After all, Zorro the Zoologist has much knowledge to impart,

For he is not only kind but also quite smart.

As always, we drew our inspiration from a real life Zorro. To visit him, just click there on his name! And, of course we doodled up a little something for Zorro the Zoologist.

Stay tuned tomorrow for another of our Black Cats of Christmas doodle. Though his doodle may not be as festive, don't you think Zorro is a mighty handsome black kitty?

Wishing you all a wonderful Thursday!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Today’s tip is a very long one, and it relates to a fact that especially all cat parents really should know. And this is that there is currently no true treatment for heartworms in cats. There are treatments available for dogs that can kill the adult heartworms, but this does not work the same for cats. One reason for this is that the drug used to treat heartworms in dogs has been found, in some cases, to cause sudden death in cats. This is often due to dead or dying heartworms causing blockages and cardiac failure. Another reason why treatments may not work is because the life cycle of a heartworm is different in a dog versus a cat.

In dogs, the lifespan of a heartworm is longer, around five to seven years. This lifespan includes larvae entering the body after a mosquito bite, traveling to the heart, and then growing into mature, reproducing adults. Dogs are an optimal host for heartworms.

In cats, the heartworm lifespan is far shorter, often two to three years. What’s more, cats are not a prime host for heartworms, and a cat’s body itself often overcomes the heartworms, typically before they can even enter into adulthood. This is why far less adult heartworms are found in cats than are found in dogs. Even immature heartworms, which are typically what would circulate in the blood and be indicative of disease in a canine heartworm test, are often not found in the blood of cats. This is why cats are less commonly diagnosed with heartworm disease. Then again, though, it is not impossible for a cat to have heartworm disease, and in this case, heartworms cannot be killed as they can in dogs.

For cats, one of the only options for a cure is to have the heartworms surgically removed. This, of course, can be tricky and risky. Symptoms of the disease can also perhaps be controlled and the cat made comfortable with various medications and supportive treatments. Given that a cat might be able to outlive the heartworms, it is possible to treat the symptoms while the heartworms go through their cycle and ultimately die. As mentioned earlier, though, heartworms can live for two to three years in a cat, and there is still always the risk of pulmonary or cardiac failure while the heartworms remain.

With such limited treatment options for heartworms in cats, it is incredibly important to again note that the best option is to keep your cats on heartworm prevention. The risk of heartworm disease might seem small, but it is a risk nonetheless. And, just as always, it is better to be safe than sorry.

And, there is one last note for pup parents. Though there is a more successful heartworm treatment for dogs, heartworm disease can cause permanent damage. This can lead to lifelong issues, such as of the heart and lungs, even after the heartworms are eradicated. For this reason, heartworm prevention is of course also recommended for dogs.

So, there you have it. That was an incredibly long Tip of the Day, but we wanted to share these facts about heartworm for the safety all of our furry friends.

Wordless Wednesday Snooze

***

Our Festive Doodle of the Day:

Black Cat Christmas: Day 2

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Yesterday we discussed some of the potential symptoms of heartworm disease. If your kitty or pup is showing signs of potential heartworm disease, or if you have any concern of the disease for any reason, of course schedule an appointment for them to be seen by their veterinarian as soon as possible. Discuss testing with the veterinarian, and of course ask questions as needed to understand the process. Keep in mind that there is a relatively simple heartworm blood test for dogs. It is recommended that this testing be done at least annually, or as needed. That being said, testing for heartworms is not as easily done in cats. We will discuss this a bit further tomorrow, but typical blood tests for heartworms do not always offer as definitive results in cats as they do in dogs. In cats, a heartworm antigen or heartworm antibody test can be done. Another option is to have imaging done, such as chest x-rays. Though not always simple or easy, as long as you and your veterinarian work together, it is possible to determine if your kitty has heartworms.

Tuesday Festivities

As you all have probably noticed, we are all ready for Christmas around here. Our Christmas trees are up (much to Eddy's delight), and our halls are decked. This year, we also took our festivities one step further.

What are those, you ask? They're our furbaby Advent calendars!

I recently saw online how someone had an Advent calendar for their dog. From the beginning of December to Christmas Day, they would open up a respectively numbered door and out would come a treat. So, I went on a hunt for an Advent calendar for not only pup Astrid, but also one for the kitties.

Alas, this was far more difficult than I thought it would be. The Advent calendar I saw online was one from the UK. Advent calendars for furbabies must be far more popular there, as I found plenty of vendors who sold only to the UK, but scarcely any in the US. Those I found in the UK do not ship to the US, though understandably so, as food items are often involved in the calendars. Finally, though, thanks to Etsy, I did find a shop called MeatloafsKitchen, which sells an Advent calendar for pups just like that for which I was searching. (This is not a sponsored or affiliate post, we are simply sharing an Etsy shop that made Astrid's day!)

Let me tell you, though, unless I'm looking in all the wrong places, kitty Advent calendars seem to be nonexistent. So, I set out to create my own version. I'll begin by saying that since only about 25-50% of the kitties around here eat treats on a good day, I decided to instead fill our feline Advent calendar with other little goodies, such as toys and niptastic paraphernalia. That probably sounds like overkill, but we have already decided that both before and after Christmas, we will be sorting through our toy baskets and donating toys to shelter and rescue furbabies.

The kitties' Advent calendar is in the form of a numbered gift bag that my sister found at terrific Target. I placed 25 new toys in the bag, and one is pulled out every day. Thimble is the most enthusiastic about the Advent festivities, and she comes running whenever she sees the bag come out to play.

Pup Astrid's Advent calendar is the one lying down in the photos above. It is very much like a traditional Advent calendar you buy that contains chocolates. It is a box with 25 little doors, behind which lie some seriously adorable dog treats.

This pup also now knows the sight and sound of her own Advent calendar. Needless to say, both Astrid's and the kitties' calendars have to go into hiding in between uses.

We hope all of you friends of ours are having a fun and festive week!

***

We are continuing with our doodles in honor of furbabies we feel often get less attention than they deserve. So far, we have done a Ten Days of Tortie series in honor of lovely torties, a Tails of Tiny Tim series in honor of specially abled furbabies, and now we are moving on to our Black Cat Christmas series.

Black Cat Christmas: Day 1

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Our second tip relating to heartworms is to know the potential symptoms. Since heartworms can affect the heart and lungs, early symptoms can often resemble those of asthma. Coughing and a lack of desire or an inability to exercise are commonly seen. Other potential signs of heartworm disease include decreased appetite, weight loss, and vomiting. The more severe the heartworm infection, and the longer it is present, the more pronounced the symptoms may be. Severe cases may also involve fluid buildup in the abdomen, as well as acute symptoms of pulmonary or cardiac failure, often due to heartworms causing a blockage. If you have any concerns that your cat or dog might have heartworms, seek veterinary care as soon as possible.

Our heartworm tips will continue tomorrow, this time with some info on testing for the disease.

Mancat Monday

Hi, friends! It's Evan here today. I wanted to share with you all how excited I am about the sunshine we've been having.

Yep, there I am trying to enjoy the sun through the dirty front door again.

I see the mom here try to clean the door sometimes. Then, it's so funny, pup Astrid will walk over and paint it with slobber again. Yeah, that's right, you can blame pup Astrid for the dirty door.

Have you friends of ours been having any sunshine lately? We sure hope so!


Now, we are participating in the Sparks blog hop, hosted by Annie of McGuffy's Reader.

We searched for a positive, inspiring thought for today, and here is what we chose:

"Behind every scar there is an untold story of survival."

Wishing you all a wonderful Monday!

***

Our Doodle of the Day:

This doodle is the last one in our Tails of Tiny Tim series, at least for now. In case anyone missed the explanation in a previous post, this series is meant to honor specially abled furbabies. This particular doodle we have today is our way of honoring those furbabies who might be specially abled in a less obvious way, such as not in a noticeably physical sense. Some furbabies combat cancer, as the purple ribbon symbolizes, as well as of course diseases such as kidney, thyroid, diabetes, and others. This doodle is for these such furbabies.

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Ellen of 15andmeowing recently suggested I do a series of tips on heartworm disease, after her kitty Sammy had a bit of a scare after his heartworm test came back positive. Luckily, Sammy's followup antigen test was negative, but we still liked the idea of helping to spread the word about heartworms. So, today is the first day that we’re offering some tips and facts about heartworm.

We'll start simple and remind you all that heartworms come from mosquitoes, and a dog or cat can become infected if they are bit by a mosquito carrying larvae. This can occur in either indoor or outdoor furbabies. For indoor animals, you can try to keep all windows and doors closed, in hopes to prevent mosquito entry into the house. However, they can enter through cracks, or simply when you open the door to enter or exit. What’s more, it is possible for mosquitoes to be out and about year round, even in the winter. For this reason, our first, very significant tip is to simply ensure that you keep your dogs and cats on preventatives that include heartworm coverage, and that you do this year round.

We will be back tomorrow with further heartworm information.

Secret Santa Paws Selfies

Hi, friends! Guess what? I, Toby, get to take charge of the blog today!

Do you see what's behind me there?

Do you see it? Do you see that box up there on the table?

That's from our Secret Paws! That's right, our Secret Santa Paws already got our gifts to us. We're so excited!

But, do you know what? The human lady here is making us hold out a bit longer until we can open it. She says we have to wait until a little closer to Christmas. Can you believe that? She's so cruel, the human lady here is.

Well, at least we can entertain ourselves in the meantime by wrapping up the goodies we got for our Secret Paws. We'll be sending the gift box out very soon, and we're just as excited about that!

Oh, I almost forgot. I snapped those Secret Santa Paws selfies up there as part of the Sunday Selfies blog hop, hosted by none other than the Kitties Blue over at The Cat on My Head.

We hope all of you friends of ours have a super Sunday!

Purrs,
Toby

***

Our Festive Doodle of the Day:

This doodle is part of our Tails of Tiny Tim series, which honors specially abled furbabies. It is meant to represent my girl Eddy. Eddy came to me as a kitten with a head tilt and facial nerve paralysis, both of which she permanently maintained. She owns these little quirks of hers and is downright adorable.

***

Our Tip of the Day:

A series of tips on Christmas tree safety simply would not be complete without a comment or two on tinsel. Long story short, please do not use tinsel if you have furbabies in your life. This stringy stuff can be quite tempting to kitties, for example, but can also be extremely dangerous. If consumed, it can cause problems such as gastrointestinal obstruction or laceration. Keeping that in mind, if your furbaby does swallow tinsel and you find some hanging from their mouth or even anus, do not pull on it, as this can cause even further internal damage. If you find yourself in a situation such as this, seek veterinary care as soon as possible. Again, though, to prevent such incidents, it is highly recommended that you simply do not use tinsel as part of your Christmas decorations.

A Christmas Carol Caturday

Those of you who have been visiting us over the past couple of days might not be surprised to see this as our doodle of the day.

This doodle is the third installment in what we call our Tails of Tiny Tim series, which is our way of giving specially abled furbabies some much needed attention. Just as with our Ten Days of Tortie series, we'll be doing another bout of doodles for specially abled furbabies after Christmas, so that we won't feel compelled to make them all so festive in nature.

For those who might not know, this particular piece is inspired by my calico angel Rosie. She had a faulty eye removed at the age of 21, and had a number of other health issues that made her my brave specially abled geriatric girl.

That there doodle is also our entry for Athena's Caturday Art blog hop. Do be sure to visit Athena to see the art that all of our friends have created!

We are wishing you all a spectacular Caturday!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

Yesterday we mentioned the importance of securing your Christmas tree against any furry climbers in the home. Today, we have another Christmas tree safety tip, this time regarding those light strands and ornaments. As you all certainly already know, always be careful of cords and the dangers they pose, such as if chewed on or if a furbaby becomes tangled in them. If your furbaby only seems interested in the lower branches of the tree, perhaps only place lights on the upper portion. Or, if necessary, do not use lights at all, or always unplug them if left unattended. The same sort of rules can apply to ornaments, if need be. You can avoid placing them on the lower portion of the tree, or not use them altogether. If glass ornaments might become broken and cause potential injuries, consider using only plastic ones. Also consider the dangers of ornament hooks, or the choking hazards the ornaments themselves might pose. At our house, for these reasons, ornaments are not included on the tree but are instead hung from strands of garland that are attached to the wall, out of certain furbabies' reach. You don't have to throw your festive spirit out the door if you have adventurous and Christmas tree-loving furbabies, you simply have to take necessary precautions.

Fill-Ins and Festive Fun

Hello, friends! We love Fridays. Who doesn't? One of our favorite things about this fantastic day of the week is the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by our wonderful friends over at 15andmeowing and McGuffy's Reader.

Here are the fun fill-ins for this week:

1. I can't believe _________ is still sold.
2. I have ___________ on Craigslist.
3. Going into December, the weather outside is _________.
4. My current weakness is _________.

And here's what I managed to say for myself:

1. I can't believe cigarettes are still sold.
(I don't mean to preach here. I know some people smoke, and that is of course a personal decision. It does make me sad, though, to know what damage this can cause to both humans and animals.)

2. I have bought a vacuum cleaner on Craigslist.
(Actually, my sister bought it for me. I am notorious for being the death of vacuums, no matter how careful I am when using them.nAfter the death of a recent vacuum cleaner, my sister found and bought me another for $10 on Craigslist. The best part is that this one works like a charm and has also managed to survive me for quite some time now.)

3. Going into December, the weather outside is unseasonably warm.
(We had some extremely cold days a couple of weeks ago. The past few days, though, have been anywhere from 50°F to 70°F. I will admit that though bitter cold and icy conditions are not always ideal, I am one of those people who likes having seasons. I also quite enjoy having a white Christmas. So, I wouldn't mind if it finally decided to be winter soon.)

4. My current weakness is sweet potatoes.
(This is one of those weird answers, isn't it? Sweet potatoes are a food that I think a lot of people associate with the holidays, yet I have been addicted to them for months now. I love to cut them up in cubes, bake them, and then eat them as finger food, hot or cold. I eat them every day.)


Now it is time for your Eddy fix. You're going to be seeing a lot of festively blurry photos like this over the next few weeks.

I don't think we've mentioned yet that this year, for the first time ever, we have two Christmas trees in our house. This is because my grandma no longer wanted hers, she she knew I would use it, and so she gave it to me. (Thanks, Grandma!) So, now we have a Christmas tree in the library and one in the back sitting room. Needless to say, Eddy is ecstatic and often can't decide which one to climb first. Her selfie from this past Sunday was taken by our old tree, which is currently set up in the library. This picture today is in my Grandma's tree, in the back sitting room.

I was so worried that, no matter what precautions I took, Eddy would knock over the new tree, because it's far skinnier and lightweight than our original tree. But, Eddy climbs it all the time, I'll admit, and never does anything more than knock an artificial branch or two (or three, or four, or five) loose. Then again, that's really all she can do, as after last year, I no longer hang ornaments on the trees. They hang from strands of garland attached to the wall, out of Eddy's reach.

For those who might like a view of Eddy's victims our Christmas trees, here is the tree we've been putting up for years:

The lighting scheme of this one might look strange to some. It's supposed to resemble a candle, going from white to orange on top. This is how my church decorates their trees, and I've always loved it.

And, here is our newest tree addition:

See the size difference? That's why I was worried my grandma's tree would not survive Eddy. But, thank goodness, it is holding its own just fine. Way to go, oh Christmas tree!

So, are any of our furry friends Christmas tree climbers? Eddy hopes she's not the only one!


Lastly, we have our festive doodle for today. It is another one in our Tails of Tiny Tim series, which honors specially abled furbabies in A Christmas Carol sort of way.

We also meant to post our positive thought for the Sparks blog hop on Wednesday, with our first Tails of Tiny Tim doodle. This here human's brain forgot, though, so we're posting it today instead, with this pup of a Tiny Tim. Our Sparks is plain and simple, and here it is:

"You don't have to perfect to be amazing."

Do be sure to visit McGuffy's Reader to see all of the Sparks for the week!

Happy Friday!

***

Our Tip of the Day:

This time of year, we're thinking that some Christmas tree tips might be in store. To begin, if you put up a Christmas tree, make sure it is securely in place. This is especially important if you have a kitty or pup who enjoys climbing or otherwise giving the tree lots of attention. You can try putting the tree in a corner of a room, if that helps to keep it safe and upright against furbabies. Moreover, to be extra safe, you can find a way to anchor the tree to the floor or wall. Another option, especially if your furbaby is overzealous in their love for the Christmas tree, is to block their access to it altogether, whether that be with baby gates, closed doors, or another means. Whatever it takes, if you put up a Christmas tree in a home with a tree-loving furbaby, do be sure to try and find a way to prevent a fallen tree and potential injuries.