An Earless Sunday Selfie

Evan recruited this here human to help him snap a selfie for today. Unfortunately, though, this here human did a disservice to the poor orange boy's ears. Talk about rude.

Rest assured, Evan does have ears, and they're adorable. You'll just have to take our word for it, thanks to this novice photographer of a human. Of course, Evan's earless selfie was snapped for the Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by the Kitties Blue over at The Cat on My Head.

Happy Sunday, friends!

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Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is yet another one inspired by spooky forest vibes. Just because, I guess.

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Did you know?

Did you know that the little folds of skin on the outer base of a cat's ear are called Henry's pockets? Scientifically speaking, these folds are cutaneous marginal pouches, but that's just a mouthful. Neither scientists nor veterinarians truly know an exact purpose for these folds of skin. That being said, some people believe the Henry's pockets might help cats better hear high-pitched sounds.

Caturday Art

I don't know if this is really a spooky doodle or not, but I was in a spooky sort of mood when I scribbled it up. I was actually watching a show in the suspense and horror genre when I was working on this doodle, and the aforementioned show is largely set in a spooky yet enchanting forest. There are also some creepy crows in this show. That all might explain why my doodle includes some spooky trees, and a crow. Don't worry, though, because of course I also included a kitty in the doodle.

If you're curious what show I'm referring to above, it's a French show that has been released on Netflix in English. It's called Black Spot in English, but its French title is Zone Blanche. I admittedly enjoy the suspense and horror elements it has to offer.

Of course, the above doodle is our contribution to Athena's Caturday Art Blog Hop!

Happy Caturday, friends!

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Did you know?

Did you know that the Norwegian Forest cat is often believed to be the breed most capable of climbing down a tree headfirst? Norwegian Forest cats stem from Scandinavia, where their ancestors traversed rough and rocky terrain. Scaling this sort of terrain required significant musculature and perhaps even especially strong and thick claws. Nowadays, Norwegian Forest cats often still retain these strong muscles and claws, which is why this breed tends to be deemed the most likely domestic cat to successfully climb down a tree headfirst.

As further explanation, cats' claws curve downward in a way that makes climbing up a tree relatively easy for them. This is because the curved claws can hook into the tree as the cat scales it. This same curvature of the claws, though, can make climbing down a tree headfirst difficult if not impossible for a cat. The curvature of the claws would instead make it easier for a cat to climb down a tree backwards, as that would allow the claws to hook into the tree. When it comes to Norwegian Forest cats, though, they're somewhat known for successfully traveling down trees headfirst. This is quite possibly due to their ancestrally inherited hefty musculature and strong, thick claws, which could allow them to better grip a tree even when going down it headfirst.

Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello and happy Friday! Shall we fill in some fill-ins? We are all about the Friendly Fill-Ins on Fridays. In case you 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. I am a stickler for _________.

2. By the end of August, I plan to _________.

3. _________ is my favorite thing about myself.

4. These days, my biggest priority is _________.


I tried my hand at these fill-ins, and my answers are below in bold.

1. I am a stickler for making desserts from scratch.
(I don't know why, but over the past decade or so I have become completely opposed to baking anything using a box mix. I have accumulated a huge collection of recipes for making cookies, brownies, cakes, muffins, pies, and other sugary goodness from scratch. I have nothing against others making things using box mixes, but doing so myself makes me feel like I'm cheating. Don't get me wrong, though, because I am no professional baker and my homemade concoctions are full of faults.)

2. By the end of August, I plan to have oodles of autumn doodles planned out.
(I'm already in the mood for autumn and Halloween, but I've sort of been holding myself back. Barely. Once September hits, though, I consider anything autumn and Halloween fair game, and I'll be prepared. My sketchbook will look like autumn threw up in it, and that makes me so happy.)

3. My love for animals is my favorite thing about myself.
(I never understand how there are people out there who do not feel a fondness for and connection to animals. I obviously have no respect for anyone who is cruel to animals, but I also admittedly have a lack of understanding for those who simply have no interest in animals. To each his or her own, but how do you not want furry friends? I am so glad I was blessed with a love for animals.)

4. These days, my biggest priority is getting all of my furbabies to their necessary vet visits.
(Astrid and Tonks both recently had their annual exams, and Thimble just had her annual exam as well as a dental. My feisty girl Eddy is still overdue for her annual exam, and I'm heavily focusing on finding a way to get her to the vet without a vicious fight. And though Evan isn't due for his annual until December, he just recently started licking his left side and as a result has a patch of short fur there. There is nothing I can see on Evan's side where he keeps licking it, it doesn't bother him when I touch the area, and he's acting totally normal all around, so I'm confused and he'll be going in to have that strangeness looked at soon. Every summer, I feel like all of my extra attention becomes dedicated to the furbabies' vet visits, and they are not happy with me about that.)

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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For your Eddy fix today, this little lady cat was all about the closeup shots. I'm always curious to see what the camera decides to focus on when I snap a photo. After all, as a complete photography novice, I seem to have no control over this. For the first photo below, the camera actually almost focused on the entirety of Eddy's adorable profile.

For the second photo, it looks like the camera was primarily into Eddy's tabby stripe on the side of her head, as well as her eyeball.

And for the third photo below, the camera pretty much only cared about the inner corner of Eddy's eye.

So there you have it. That is indeed the side of Eddy's head in all shades of random focus. We hope you enjoyed!

Eddy and all of us here wish you a happy Friday!

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Doodle of the Day: Flashback Friday

Today's flashback doodle is from March of 2018, and it was yet another of my doodles inspired by books and cats. I remember getting the idea for this one after I saw a similar image on Pinterest. Of course, the image I originally saw didn't involve a cat, so I fixed that issue in my doodle.

I remember taking an undue amount of time figuring out how to make those books look stacked in a stairway fashion. Though the thought of drawing books in that configuration again makes me cringe, I'm feeling an inkling to recreate this doodle. I wonder if I'll be brave enough to do that.

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Did you know?

Did you know that there are a variety of specific and sometimes strange words to denote a person's love for a particular animal? For example, we've mentioned in the past how ailurophile is another word for a cat lover. A dog lover can be described with the word canophile, or cynophile. A person who loves birds could be called an ornithophile, or an aviphile. When it comes to someone who loves horses, they can be called a hippophile. Do you like snakes? If so, you're an ophiophile. There are a great many terms that can be used to describe those who love animals, even if they're not always all that easy to pronounce.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

We're ready for another Thursday of rhyming. Are you? After all, it's time for Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

As always, our host shared a photo prompt to help guide our poetic endeavors. This week's prompt is this magical image here:

I really enjoy images like this. That's probably the fantasy fanatic inside me. That being said, this image gave me all sorts of different fantastical vibes, but then my poem veered way off the path I originally intended for it to take. It's another weird and wacky one. It's also needlessly long, and the title sounds like that of a cheesy Hallmark movie. I'll just leave all the weirdness below as it is, though, and let you all judge it as harshly as you'd like.

Magic in the Maples

Maplewood Forest was filled with none other than maples.
Of course, magic was another one of its staples.
That was indeed the norm there, all the magical things,
Right down to the fairies and their fairy rings.
There were of course also witches and their cats,
And a gnome or two who popped up here and there for a chat.

The only catch was that this forest and its magic was invisible to mortals.
Well, that is, at least sort of.
Most humans simply couldn't see the magic,
Which really was something downright tragic.
But every once in a while a human stumbled upon Maplewood Forest,
And that's exactly what happened to young Nellie Norris.

Nellie was simply walking home from school one day,
Taking her usual path beneath the blue sky's bright sun rays.
The next time Nellie looked up, though,
She did not know where she was, no.

All around Nellie stood maple tree after maple tree.
They were beautiful, yes, but they were not usually there to see.
Nellie had simply been following her usual boring path home,
And then somehow into a mysterious forest she had roamed.

She could not deny the magical magnificence of this forest,
But there was a worrisome mother at home expecting Nellie Norris.
It was a bit alarming that Nellie now could not find her way out.
She could not unsee or escape the maples that were strewn all about.

She had heard stories of magic in mysterious maples,

And now she hoped they were graceful without being fatal.

Nellie had to admit that she was in need of help.
She felt so lost she thought she might let out a yelp.
She walked a few yards further,
Hoping beyond hope she wouldn't find anyone keen on murder.

Nellie caught sight of a quaint little cottage,
Surrounded by a fence that was just a tad bit rotted.
She passed through the white pickets of the fence,
Which led to a home that she was certain must belong to a witch.

Truly, Nellie could not help but assume a witch lived in the little house.
If she wasn't correct, then she was a mouse.

After all, the wreath on the door was none other than a pointed hat,
And on the fence outside sat a blue-eyed black cat.
That's all not to mention the cauldron sitting over a fire in the yard,
And it certainly wasn't a simple pot of lard.

A green liquid bubbled in the pewter confines,
Giving off the aroma of chocolate and plums and brine

In truth, Nellie tried the neighboring home first,
Since it looked just a tad bit less cursed.
It was a giant toadstool with a door,
Surrounded by smaller toadstools galore.
No one answered when Nellie knocked on that door, though,
So she simply had to resort to asking a witch to help her return home.

It took a great deal of courage for Nellie to finally knock knock knock.
She wasn't sure whether to feel fear or relief when she heard the door unlock.
A woman with blonde hair and a blue dress stood across from Nellie,
Holding in her hands a sandwich lathered with peanut butter and jelly.

Nellie decided she should probably just cut to the chase,
So she asked her question with a smile on her face.
"Can you please help me find my way home?
I sort of just appeared in this forest in a manner quite unknown."

The blonde witch took a bite of her sandwich as she looked Nellie up and down.
"Yes, you certainly don't seem to belong here," she said with a smile and then a frown.
"The only problem is that I can't really leave home right now.
I have a potion brewing, and if I leave it unattended my house will turn into a cow."

With another bite of her sandwich, the witch added,
"But don't go feeling upset and rattled.
Good ol' Roger can help you, Nellie Norris.
He knows all the ways out of Maplewood Forest."

Nellie was going to ask the witch how she knew her name,
But she figured any answer would just be one in the same.
So Nellie instead asked, "Who's Roger?"
"Oh," the witch said, "he's that cat over yonder.
Don't worry, he doesn't usually scratch,
And he bites even less than that."

Nellie thanked the witch and turned on her heels.
The black cat still sat on the fence and watched her with eyes of steel.
"You're Roger?" Nellie asked.
"Obviously," was how the cat answered that.
"You can help me get back home?"
"Yes. I don't know why you'd want to leave, though."

Roger the cat jumped from the fence and pawed at its slats.
Nellie had more than a few questions about this cat.
After the cat slapped at the fence with a rhythmic tune,
He said, "I expect I'll be seeing you again soon."

The fence swung open of its own accord.
Nellie wasn't sure if she was meant to wait or move forward.
Roger the cat answered her unspoken question with a sigh.
Then he said, "I thought you wanted to leave. Goodbye."

Roger pushed Nellie's legs forward with none other than his head.
With that, she was quickly and thoroughly through the opening of the fence.
She turned around to ask Roger what that was all about,
But there was no Roger, no fence, and no witch's house.

Nellie stood upon the usual path she took home.
Amongst maples she no longer did roam.
She had returned to one world from another,
And she did so just in time for supper.

Are you curious about Nellie Norris?
Do you think she ever again found herself in Maplewood Forest?
We'll give you a spoiler, if you'd like.
She did indeed return, and far more than twice.

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And now it's of course time for Thimble and her Thankfuls.

This little lady cat wanted to share yet another photo from the same photo shoot we've been sharing for the past couple of days. With this photo, Thimble wanted to show how thankful she is for her pup Astrid. At the same time, she's also thankful she is that she almost always wins the window seat when she and Astrid vie for it.

Thimble is sorry that her human couldn't manage better lighting and other photography skills for this photo. But, this is what Thimble wanted to share for Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop, even though this here human made it less than an ideal shot.

And, of course, we're also thankful for all of you!

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Last but not least, we have the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I am a stickler for _________.

2. By the end of August, I plan to _________.

3. _________ is my favorite thing about myself.

4. These days, my biggest priority is _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Did you know?

Did you know that studies have led scientists to conclude that, historically speaking, cats have proven to be better hunters than dogs? The studies in question looked at 2000 ancient fossils, and it was these fossils that led to the conclusion that species in the feline family have historically been better hunters and have had better survival skills than species in the dog family. How, exactly, did the fossils lead to this conclusion? In studying these fossils, researchers found that there used to be at least a couple dozen species of wild canines, whereas today there are more like 10 canine species existing in the wild. Cats were a significant reason for this decline in canine species. Researchers have gone as far as to conclude that species in the feline family led to the extinction of 40 different canine species throughout history. Members of the canine family, on the other hand, are believe to have not led to the extinction of any feline species. Historically, feline species competed for food sources with canine species, and it would seem that the feline species often won the prey in the end.

Woof Woof Wednesday with a Kitty on the Side

Yesterday we shared some photos of Thimble and pup Astrid posing their toesies together. I briefly mentioned that while the photos looked like a cuddle fest, it was actually the result of the two girls battling for the favorite window seat in the house. Can you guess who usually wins this battle?

Do you see who won? Do you see her back there?

Yep. Though pup Astrid outweighs Thimble by over 60 lbs, Thimble wins the window seat probably 9 times out of 10. Don't let these girls fool you, though. There are enough windows in this house for all the furbabies to nap in, they just like to fight over this one because what's life without sibling rivalry?

Happy Wednesday to all!

P.S. In case you're not sure what sort of a furniture configuration you're seeing in the above photos, it's all simply proof that my house is decorated around the furbabies. There's a couch, which is what Astrid is lying on. Thimble is on a pillow that is on top of a small table, and that table has a white foam buffer on it, because Astrid is known to slide tables into walls. Can you believe that Astrid was once so eager to get in the window seat that she literally punched a hole in the wall getting up there? So, we use foam and other protectors when and where we can, for the safe of both the furbabies and the house itself.

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Doodle of the Day

I'm trying not to turn my inner Halloween eagerness into blatant Halloween doodles just yet, but a lot of good I'm doing with that. Today's doodle was inspired by none other than a Halloween decoration I recently saw at a Michaels craft store. This decoration involves a fake typewriter with a skeleton hand posed on top of it, as if typing a frightful tale. I pretty just drew my rendition of the decoration, but of course added a kitty and a pup to the mix for good measure.

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Did you know?

Did you know that dogs are long distance runners while cats are sprinters? This most especially refers to the way dogs and cats catch their prey. Especially when considering dogs and cats in the wild, they catch prey in relatively different manners. Dogs are primarily landbound and are more disposed to running long distances to chase and catch prey. When it comes to cats, on the other hand, they can more easily climb and jump, and they therefore often hide and catch prey by surprise. When cats need to run after prey, they are more so sprinters than long distance runners, unlike dogs. Both dogs and cats are considered predatory species, but when you think about it, their predatory ways are not necessarily the same.

Toesies Tuesday

Two certain furbabies around here teamed up for today's Toesies Tuesday shots.

I'm going to pretend Thimble and Astrid really were cuddling in these photos, and that they weren't just shoving and fighting each other for the window seat.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Doodle of the Day: Flashback Tuesday

For today's flashback doodle, I honestly was simply curious to see what I was scribbling up this time last year. It would seem last August I was doodling cats and books. What a shocker.

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Did you know?

Did you know that polydactyly is more common in cats than it is in dogs? In other words, it's not terribly hard to find cats with more toes than is considered normal. That being said, though it's less common, it is also possible for dogs to have extra toes, and there are even certain dog breeds that more often display this feature. Dogs are like cats in that, in a typical case, they have five toes, including a dewclaw, on each of the front paws, as well as four toes on each back paw. Dogs with an abnormal amount of toes might have dewclaws or other extra toes on the rear paws, or even double dewclaws on the front or back paws. Polydactyl cats still remain more common in general, though, and people like Ernest Hemingway can even be thanked for promoting a keen interest in these types of felines.

Mancat Monday

On a bright and shiny day, one of Evan's favorite places to be is in the sun puddle that shines through the front door.

Evan will park himself in that ray of light for as long as he possibly can. Sometimes I have to tell him that he needs to take a break from that lovely sunshine. After all, I don't want my ginger boy to burn!

Can you guess what happens when I tell Evan he needs to take a break from sunbathing?

He argues. Are you surprised? Yeah, me neither.

Wishing you all a sunny Monday!

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Doodle of the Day

Anybody up for another spooky read? Yes? No? Maybe so?

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Did you know?

Did you know that Edgar Allan Poe had a beloved cat named Catterina? We're thinking some of you do know this, especially since a certain famous tortie named Mudpie has mentioned Catterina before on her and her human's blog, Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows. Some have said that Poe's Catterina was a black cat, but it is now commonly believed she was a tortoiseshell cat. Either way, Catterina is believed to have played a significant role in the lives of both Poe and his wife, Virginia. It is said that Catterina often kept Poe company when he wrote, and that she kept Virginia company during her battle with tuberculosis.