Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Happy Thursday, friends! As always, we have a rhyme to share as part of Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

Every week, our host shares a photo prompt to help guide us on our poetic endeavors. This week's prompt is this image here:

I thought that was such a sweet photo. For one reason or another, it had me wondering how those two individuals first met each other. Then, for another or other reason, that idea snowballed into me thinking of the scene when the two humans first meet in the animated film 101 Dalmatians. Has anyone seen that movie and remember the scene when Pongo and Perdy's humans meet? It has a little something to do with them walking two spotted dogs and literally running into each other. I don't know why that's where my mind went, but my poem ultimately ended up as a silly rhyme inspired by that concept. As always, my poem therefore ended up having very little to do with the original photo prompt. If you care to read my meandering and perhaps boring poem, here it is:

Bongo and Birdy

Bongo and Birdy looked forward to their daily walks.

They knew it was walk time when their humans put on their socks.

That being said, Bongo and Birdy did not know each other.

That is, until one fine autumn day in the month of November.

In case you're even the least bit confused,

Let us give a bit more detail about these two.

Bongo, to begin, was one cool canine of black and white.

Birdy was a friendly feline with colors that made the dog and cat a lot alike.

Perhaps we should also give some details on the humans?

To begin, Bongo owned Herman and Birdy owned Susan.

Just as was the case with Bongo and Birdy,

Herman and Susan were strangers, to make it less than wordy.

They were also both proud septuagenarians,

Though they would both admit they were lonely every now and then.

Back to the story at hand, though,

We're on a day in November when a brisk wind did blow.

That time in the afternoon did finally arrive,

When it was time to go outside to stroll in stride.

Herman grabbed Bongo's leash on that day.

Way across town, with Birdy's leash, Susan did the same.

They all bundled up against the crisp wind,

And then, on opposite sides of town, their walks did begin.

They all walked here and there and near and far.

When you have perfectly good feet, who needs a car?

Bongo pulled on the leash in the direction of the park.

Birdy did the same, even though it was growing dark.

Herman and Susan both obliged,

Until they realized their furry friends were increasing their stride.

They were now running and going faster than fast.

At that pace, Herman and Susan knew their legs could not last.

You might have guessed where it's going by now,

But these four met when into each other they did plow.

Bongo and Birdy ran nearly headfirst into each other.

Herman and Susan collided next, neither a runner.

It took some time to untangle the leashes and get to their feet.

When they managed it, though, there came many apologies.

Actually, Bongo and Birdy were not in the least bit bothered,

But Herman and Susan profusely apologized to each other.

Again, you might have guessed it, but this all indeed happened for a reason.

Friends were made on that fine day of the autumn season.

It all may have started as a collision,

But of that fact they all soon lost vision.

Bongo and Birdy began a fun game in the grass in the park.

Herman and Susan took a seat on a bench, not caring that it was now dark.

That evening was the first of a great many,

When the four of them would keep each other company.

They would oft walk together or meet in the park.

It never mattered if it was daylight or dark.

Bongo and Birdy were best buddies from that day.

Herman and Susan, never again lonely, were the exact same way.

***

Now, of course, it's time for Thimble and her Thankfuls on this Thursday.

Unsurprisingly, Thimble is grateful for window seats and the glorious sun puddles they provide. Of course, both she and I are also thankful for that adorably fluffy tummy of hers. Thankfully, Thimble loves a good belly rub, which makes this here mom of hers very happy.

As always, we're also incredibly grateful for this wonderful blogging community and the friends it has provided us. Sending all of you purrs!

***

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. Whenever I _________, I _________.

2. _________ is not _________.

3. Good things come to those who _________.

4. _________ makes me grumpy.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Tip of the Day

We're not finished with our Pet Cancer Awareness Month tips just yet. Today, we want to remind you all that, just like us humans, it is possible for our furbabies to be affected by cigarette smoke, and cancer could potentially develop as a result. For this reason, if you smoke, avoid doing this in the home or around your kitty or pup. In addition, when out in public, do your best to keep your furbabies away from areas where smoking is common. Smoking affects more than just the smoker, so for the sake of both yourself and your furbaby, do try to avoid it.

Astrid's Obligatory Window Shot

The title of this post pretty much sums it up.

This pup sure knows how to put on a pouty face while gazing out the window. You'd never know that 99% of Astrid's waking hours are spent with a giant, goofy grin on her face.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

***

Doodle of the Day

Yes, I'm still including cat-o'-lanterns in my doodles. I'm honestly starting to consider including them in random doodles here and there throughout the entire year, no matter the season. I really just love drawing cat-o'-lanterns.

***

Tip of the Day

Today's pet cancer prevention tip is to steer clear of products with potentially dangerous chemicals, such as certain lawn treatments and detergents. These types of products can be dangerous for a number of reasons, just one being that some of the chemicals in them have been found potentially carcinogenic. This goes for both our furbabies and our human selves. For this reason, always do your research, check ingredients, and when in doubt, simply do not use it.

Toesies Tuesday

We have for you today some extra special toesies. They're the back toesies of my hind limb paralyzed boy Evan. This sight isn't something most people see every day, but it's a sight I see every day, and I love it.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Doodle of the Day: Flashback Tuesday

For today's flashback doodle, I again decided to see what drawing I shared on this very date last year. It was one with a kitty, books, and autumnal sights. Those are three of my most favorite things, so I decided it was the one to share today.

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Tip of the Day

In case you missed it, we're doing a series of pet cancer prevention tips during this Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Today's tip is one we've mentioned on more occasion than one, and is one that many of you have probably heard. This tip is to always keep in mind that it is indeed possible for cats and dogs to get skin cancer, especially on vulnerable parts of the body, such as the ears and nose. For this reason, monitor the amount of time they spend outdoors in the sun, but also the amount of time they spend sunbathing in windows or doors. If your furbaby does spend a lot of time in the sun, perhaps look into pet-friendly sunscreen, and discuss safe options with your veterinarian as needed. There are also windows or window films that block out UV light, which is another option for keeping our furbabies and their skin safe during their sunbathing sessions. The sun can indeed be fun, but it can also be dangerous, so do keep a close eye on those furry sunbathers!

Mancat Monday

I was so glad when my boy Evan agreed to pose for the camera for his Mancat Monday post.

But, then he got distracted by the lights on the wall.

Those lights sure can steal Evan's attention. One of these days I'll get a video of Evan chasing the lights, because that sure is a sight to see.

Evan and all of us here wish you a marvelous Monday!

***

Doodle of the Day

Sometimes I see an image online or elsewhere and feel compelled to scribble up something similar in my sketchbook. That's exactly what happened when it comes to today's doodle. I saw an image along these lines, and I scribbled up something similar in my sketchbook.

***

Tip of the Day

Yesterday, we mentioned diet and its potential effect on a kitty or pup's immune system and risk of diseases such as cancer. Along this same line of thought,  keep in mind that obesity also puts kitties and pups at risk of a variety of diseases, potentially including certain forms of cancer. Over the past few decades, scientists have been discovering links between fat cells and cancer in humans, and now also our furry friends. For this reason, not only be aware of what types of food your furbaby consumes, but also how much. An active lifestyle is also of course important for warding off obesity and to help fight certain diseases. Also, as we always say, never hesitate to discuss with a veterinarian your furbaby's health, including their diet, weight, and risk of cancer.

Guest Sunday Selfies

We have some guest selfies for you again this Sunday. We've started a bit of series of posts starring my parents' 12 cats, since multiple of you friends of ours mentioned that you'd like to meet this clowder of a dozen. So far you've met my parents' kitties Trapper and Talon, who are the litter mates to my girl Thimble and our housemate Toby. Today, we have two lady cats for you. These girls are Gemma and Freya, and they began living with my parents in July of 2015. We'll start with Gemma.

As you can see, Gemma is a gorgeous dilute calico. Gemma was the first calico to join the family after we lost our 21-year-old calico angel Rosie. My mom knew she wanted another calico at some point after losing Rosie, since Rosie gave gorgeous calicoes such a good name. My mom knew a calico would someday enter her life when it was meant to be, but she also mentioned how wonderful it would be if one revealed itself for her birthday.

My mom's birthday is smack dab in the middle of July. So, one day smack dab in the middle of July 2015, I went to the pet store for cat litter. This pet store showcases kitties who are part of one of our local cat rescue groups, to help them get adopted. I walked in that day, and the first thing I saw was a dilute calico kitten face staring at me from one of the cages. My dad was actually with me that day, but he was in the car. So, I of course said hello to all the kitties, got a good look at the gorgeous calico kitten, checked out my cat litter, and went out to the car. I told my dad about the calico kitten, and he immediately wanted to see it. He went in, saw the gorgeous calico kitten for himself, and within 30 minutes he had gone home, gotten my mom, taken her to the pet store, and they were filling out an adoption application.

Guess what, though? Calico kitty had a sister in the cage with her. This kitty was a dilute tortie. Of course, my parents could not allow the sisters to be separated, so there they were filling out two adoption application, one for the calico now named Gemma, and one for the tortie now named Freya.

That photo of Freya right there does absolutely no justice to how gorgeous she is. It does, however, give an indication of her personality. You can actually see in both Gemma and Freya's above selfies that they aren't too keen on having a camera shoved in their faces. Actually, they're not too keen on having anything in their faces, not even the faces or hands of the humans they like.

The cat rescue group from which my parents adopted Gemma and Freya were open and honest about the fact that these girls were semi-feral and skittish little ladies trapped out in the country. My parents understood that and were perfectly fine with it. It indeed took a long time for these two little ladies to come out of their shells, especially Freya. Freya actually had to be put on anti-anxiety medications when she was barely a year old because she just needed a little extra help feeling secure. She no longer needs those medications, though, because though she is still a skittish girl on occasion, she is really very happy in her home and loves spending time with her humans. So does Gemma.

In case you're wondering, though these girls were more or less birthday gifts for my mom, they are both complete and total daddy's girls. They love my dad so much. Though they started out semi-feral, they both now enjoy sitting with their humans, but most especially with the leading man in their life. Gemma has actually become quite a lap cat, and you'll often find her sitting on my dad's legs when he's watching TV in the evening. Freya is more likely to sit next to you rather than on you, but you will indeed often find her curled up next to my dad. These girls also both love food, and they're always both first in line to get the daily canned food feedings.

Now, how about a couple of fun facts? When my parents brought Gemma and Freya home, at that time they only had two other cats, those being the boys Trapper and Talon we've already introduced. We mentioned in Talon's post that he loves anything and everything that lives and breathes and moves. Needless to say, when my parents brought Gemma and Freya home, Talon took to them immediately and thoroughly enjoyed showing them around the house. I honestly believe that it was Talon's attentiveness that really helped these semi-feral girls come out of their shells.

Second fun fact? Though it was Talon who showed them the ropes of living in their forever home, Gemma ended up forming a crush on Trapper. She still constantly seeks him out and forces him to cuddle with her. He's given up fighting it, because she is relentless in her pursuit of his love.

And how about a third fun fact? My dad named Gemma and Freya. His main goal in naming was them was to give them pretty names. Why? Because, obviously, they're pretty girls, and my dad knew their names had to reflect that. The cat rescue organization from which they were adopted had given Gemma the name of Mia and Freya the name of Dawn. But, as you can tell, they didn't keep those, and they have been known as Gemma and Freya since they were 10 weeks old.

Oh, one more fun fact? My girl Eddy is from the same rescue group as Gemma and Freya. In fact, it was when my mom and dad were adopting Gemma and Freya that I met Eddy, and I adopted her 3 days after my parents adopted Gemma and Freya.

Okay, that's all the fun facts we have for now. We hoped you enjoyed meeting Gemma and Freya! It's not exactly easy to get selfies of these girls, because anything being shoved in their face is a big no-no, so I don't do it often. But, we managed a selfie of each, and though they look thoroughly annoyed in them, we hope you can also see just how gorgeous they are.

Happy Sunday, friends!

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Doodle of the Day: Flashback Sunday

I usually share a new doodle rather than a flashback doodle on Sunday. I even have a doodle all planned out for today. That being said, between fun Halloween activities, followed immediately by a really early Thanksgiving family gathering for which I spent an entire day baking pies and an entire day visiting with said family, I didn't get today's doodle done in time to post it today. So, I went through my doodles from last November, in search of one that caught my eye. I ultimately saw one that I'd completely forgotten I'd doodled, but that gave off what I hope might be cozy autumn vibes. I figured that was a good enough one to share today.

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Tip of the Day

Our pet cancer prevention tip for today is about food. Quality food, that is as natural and nutrient-dense as possible, is important for our furbabies for a variety of reasons. One such reason is to promote a healthy immune system that can sufficiently ward away diseases, including cancer. Foods of poorer quality not only put a kitty or pup at risk of an unhealthy immune and other systems, but can also potentially contain ingredients that are less than beneficial to their health overall. For both our furbabies and ourselves, some artificial ingredients and preservatives in certain foods have even been found to be potentially carcinogenic. For this reason and others, if possible, please do consider a high quality diet for your furbaby. Foods with natural ingredients are most ideal, as these will of course provide natural nutrients that can help keep your furbaby healthy and happy all around. As most of you already know, food plays a large role in life for a vast number of reasons.

Seasonally Confused Caturday Art

Our Caturday Art doodle for today was inspired by the sigh of our house on Halloween.

I snapped that photo midday on Halloween. It was still snowing at the time, and by the time trick-or-treaters showed up that night, there was roughly another inch of snow on the ground. That pumpkin-headed fella is the scarecrow I build up around my lamppost every year. If you look closely, you can also see snow-covered zombie hands sticking up out of my yard, as well as a light-up ghost back there.

Though I tried not to make my doodle blatantly Halloween, I still felt inspired to create something along the lines of the above photo. Of course, there's still a cat-o'-lantern in the doodle, because I just couldn't help myself. So, are you ready for a seasonally confused doodle? Yeah? Good. Here you go.

Warm wishes to all!

***

Tip of the Day

It's Pet Cancer Awareness Month, so we have another cancer prevention tip for you today. We're here to talk a bit about vaccines. While vaccines can be important for the prevention of various diseases, especially for those furbabies who go outdoors or are in another way more susceptible to disease, it is still crucial that you be knowledgeable about the potential side effects of some vaccines. In some cases, vaccines can lead to injection-site tumors, commonly cancerous fibrosarcomas. To help prevent these, you can keep furbabies, such as cats, indoors. This could render some vaccines far less necessary, since your furbaby would likely not be exposed to the diseases certain vaccines cover. In other cases, such as if your furbaby does go outdoors or might be exposed to certain diseases, simply do your research. Ask your veterinary office what types of vaccines they use, as some vaccines do not contain the components typically believed to cause injection-site tumors. Vaccines are often a highly debated subject in any case, so always be knowledgeable about them, about what kind your veterinary office uses, and which vaccines your kitty or pup might need.

Friendly Fill-Ins

Happy Friday! We hope that those of you who celebrate Halloween had a happy, haunted, and safe day yesterday! Are you hyped up on Halloween candy? Yes? No? Maybe so? Well, either way, are you ready to give the Friendly Fill-Ins a shot? In case you missed the fill-in statements yesterday, we'll shared them again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I never read _________.

2. I mainly read _________.

3. The beginning of a new month _________.

4. _________ makes me feel silly.

I filled these in myself, and my answers are below in bold.

1. I never read romance novels.
(Many books have romantic subplots, and I generally don't mind that, especially if it's written in a believable way. That being said, I definitely do not gravitate towards books that are plain and simply in the romance genre. That's just not my thing.)

2. I mainly read fantasy novels.
(I'm pretty sure I've mentioned my love for fantasy before, probably on multiple occasions. Though fantasy is very likely what I read the most, I also still read a fair share of books in genres like mystery, suspense/thriller, horror, and even historical fiction.)

3. The beginning of a new month means writing the wrong date for days on end.
(My day job is at a place where I have to write the date roughly a gazillion times every day. It's also a place where if you make an error when writing on a document, you have to write an error code and initial your error. Every time a new month rolls around, I always end up having to write countless error codes on documents because my brain and writing hand always get stuck in the previous month.)

4. Realizing I worried for nothing makes me feel silly.
(This fill-in and my answer were prompted by a recent health "scare" I had with Evan. Be prepared for a dreadfully long explanation now. The other day, I noticed Evan had a decently sized brown spot on the bridge of his nose. I figured he had simply gotten something on his nose, especially given that I hadn't even noticed the spot earlier that same day. I could not get the spot to rub off of his nose, though, and neither could my sister. I figured at that point it must be a scuff or scab, and then I started thinking the worst. My boy Evan loves sleeping by our big glass screen door, especially when it's bright and sunny. He's also a ginger boy, and all that combined then had me convinced that the spot on his nose was skin cancer. This all happened over last weekend, and by Saturday night I was contemplating when I should get him in to be seen by the vet and have the spot tested the following week. That Sunday night, though, Evan came over to me and I noticed that, of course, part of the brown spot was gone. I rubbed a finger over the spot, and suddenly it was more than happy to rub off. The whole time it was just something stuck to Evan's nose, and his nose is now perfectly normal and fine. Though worrying about our furbaby's health is nothing to feel silly about, I really did feel silly about this one. I had already expressed my concerns about skin cancer to my sister and parents, and yet the whole time the spot really was just something stuck to Evan's nose.)

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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We mentioned during Eddy's set of Halloween bloopers last week that she had yet more Halloween bloopers to share this week. Again, these bloopers star the spooky little dude who always tries to annoy the furbabies here all throughout October. In these bloopers, you'll see Eddy let the ghostly little ghoul know what she really thinks of him.

You showed him, Eddy. He sure got the end of that deal, though, the poor little ghost. Eddy hopes that prompts the spooky dude to never come back again. He might obey, at least until next October.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Doodle of the Day: Flashback Friday

For today's flashback doodle, I decided to share the exact same doodle I originally shared last November 1. This doodle was actually one I scribbled up for a Thoroughly Poetic Thursday poem I wrote for the beginning of last November, but it does illustrate my general thoughts on November. This month is a confusing one, at least for me, because I'm always still hanging onto my love of Halloween, yet Thanksgiving is just around the corner for those of us in the US, and all the while you're reminded of Christmas everywhere you go. So, I thought this mishmash doodle would suffice for today.

This doodle is also pertinent to me for a number of other reasons. First of all, it snowed yesterday, on Halloween. Also, I already have a family Thanksgiving gathering going on this weekend. Due to some scheduling issues, my mom's side of the family is indeed celebrating Thanksgiving incredibly early this year. For that reason, I'll be baking pumpkin pie and prepping for a Thanksgiving feast today, right after Halloween. I feel so seasonally confused right now, and that doodle up there kind of fits my thoughts on the matter.

All of the above being said, I'll forewarn you that I'm not quite ready to part ways with Halloween doodles just yet. I don't think I'll be sharing any more blatant Halloween scenes, but I'm thinking that some cat-o'-lanterns and maybe other witchy kitty things will still play roles in some upcoming doodles. We hope you all don't mind.

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Tip of the Day

Just as we did in October, this November we'll be sharing repeat tips from last November. This is because last November's tips touched on topics that seem important enough to repeat. This month's repeat tips will include topics such as cancer in pets, diabetes in pets, and Thanksgiving pet safety. So, here we go.

November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month. Our first tip on this topic is actually about none other than spaying and neutering. Spaying and neutering your furbabies is not only important for of population control, but also because, like humans, they can develop cancers of the reproductive tract and related systems. This can include uterine cancer, mammary cancer, and prostate cancer.

What's more, timing of spaying and neutering can also be crucial. It is important to ensure that a kitty or pup is of course old enough and big enough for neutering, but also not too old. This is because, for example, there is an increased risk of mammary cancer in female cats and dogs who are allowed to go through one or more cycles prior to being spayed. We could go on and on about this topic, but let's suffice it to say that, as most of you certainly know, it's incredibly important to spay and neuter your cats and dogs for more reasons than one. We'll even say it again. Please spay and neuter your kitties and pups, and do so before they can be affected by an increased risk of cancer.