A Christmas Caturday in the Library

I realized recently that it's been a while since I last doodled a true library scene. Books are one of my favorite things to draw, in addition to kitties and pups, of course. That being said, I simply can't help but doodle all things Christmas in December. That means that for today's doodle I not only scribbled up some semblance of a library, but I also tried to make it a cozy Christmas one.

We hope you all have a cozy Caturday! Perhaps consider finding yourself a good book and a kitty or two to curl up with. You won't regret it.

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Tip of the Day

We're going to backtrack a little bit and give one more Christmas tree safety tip. If you want to have lights on your tree, but burns or electrocution are a concern with your furbaby around, or if you are concerned about electrical fires, then perhaps consider using battery-operated lights for your tree or elsewhere in the house. Some of the Christmas lights at our house are battery-operated. Our battery-operated lights even come with a remote control, with a timer option, making it easy to turn them on and off, all without the risks of electrical cords. Also, to save on the cost of batteries, we use rechargeable batteries.

That all being said, though, always base such decisions on your individual furbaby and his or her personal behaviors. The battery pack for the lights we use is very sturdy as well as well-hidden, and the kitties and pup at my house have never proven themselves chewers of such things. For this reason, my particular furbabies accessing the batteries is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, batteries can indeed be dangerous if chewed or consumed, so do keep this in mind when shopping around for anything that is battery-operated. But, if your furbaby is a cord chewer, or if you have any other concerns of the electrical nature, then perhaps look into battery-operated or other safe lighting options for your Christmas tree. Of course, still be careful of the dangers of any loose cords, whether they be attached to battery-operated or electrical lights.

Friendly Fill-Ins on Flashback Friday

Hello and happy Friday! We're ready to fill in some fill-ins. Are you? In case you missed the Friendly Fill-Ins statements yesterday, we'll share them again below. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I look forward to seeing _________ at the holidays.

2. I can see _________ outside my _________ window.

3. _________ always puts me in a festive mood.

4. My favorite holiday tradition is _________.


I got a bit wordy filling these in myself, but if you're prepared for that, then here you go:

1. I look forward to seeing all the festive decorations at the holidays.
(Seeing family is nice as well, of course, but I decided to go a little less traditional for this answer. I am a huge sucker for Christmas lights, Christmas trees, and pretty much all other decorations. I've been known to drive around or walk pup Astrid here and there looking for festive decorations in people's yards. I also always feel so happy and festive when I go inside someone's home or business and they've decked the place out for Christmas. Our veterinary office does this every year, right down to a fully decorated Christmas tree in the lobby, and since Evan is due for his annual exam in December each year, I always happily get a view of it all. Evan's not as happy about that as I am.)

2. I can see my glowing snowmen outside my front window.
(I have two rather large light-up snowmen as part of my outdoor Christmas decor. They were actually from my childhood home, and my mom gave them to me when I moved to my house. They are known for being extremely bright, and I can easily see their glow outside even when the window blinds are drawn for the night. I am quite fond of my bright and blinding snowmen.)

3. Christmas music always puts me in a festive mood.
(As soon as I start listening to Christmas tunes, I feel all ready to get festive. I always have my favorite Christmas music playing when I decorate the house, and then pretty much every minute of the day through Christmas and the entire Twelve Days of Christmas. I'm never wanting for Christmas music, because I'm always either listening to the local radio station that plays Christmas music 24/7 from Thanksgiving to Christmas, or a music app on my phone that has options that include my absolute favorite Christmas songs. I also use that app to listen to Halloween tunes during that spooktacular season, but, as always, I digress.)

4. My favorite holiday tradition is family time on Christmas Eve night.
(This answer of mine is not a very specific one, but that's because the entirety of Christmas Eve night is my favorite part of the holiday season. On Christmas Eve, my parents, my sister, and I always go to the Christmas Eve service at our church, we have a fun Christmas Eve supper that sometimes involves pizza, we open gifts, we watch Christmas movies, and all around have a wonderfully festive evening together. Don't worry, the furbabies get to enjoy the festivities on Christmas Eve, too.)

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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Since Eddy is not too fond of some of the other cats in the house, and since she prefers to live in her safe haven that is my bedroom, and since she loves Christmas trees, Eddy gets her very own Christmas tree in my bedroom. That being said, Eddy has not yet allowed me to photograph her climbing her beloved tree during this Christmas season. That's why we're doing a Flashback Friday sort of thing today.

That was Eddy and her Christmas tree last year. The setup looks about the same this year, so this flashback isn't far from the current truth.

That there flashback shot also isn't far from the truth. Eddy was the first tree-climbing kitty I ever shared my life with. She's still an avid and eager Christmas tree climber. 

Happy Friday to all!

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Festive Doodle of the Day: Flashback Friday

I'm in a Christmas sweater sort of mood. Even my Thoroughly Poetic Thursday poem yesterday was all about those Christmas sweaters. I was pretty sure I scribbled up a couple doodles with Christmas sweater subject matter last year, so I went searching. I indeed found some sweater weather sort of flashback doodles. One even had a little to do with my Eddy and her tree-climbing ways.

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Tip of the Day

Continuing with our Christmas safety tips, today we're here to tell you to beware of ribbons. Ribbons can be dangerous in the same way that tinsel can. If ingested, ribbon can cause dangers such as obstruction or laceration of the gastrointestinal tract. This is why it is important to ensure that your furbaby does not have access to ribbon this holiday season. Avoid using ribbon when wrapping presents, or do not place presents with ribbon where your furbaby can reach them. Ribbon may seem like a fun and festive part of Christmas, but it can also mean dangerous situations for the furbabies in your life.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

Another Thursday has rolled around, and that means we have another rhyme to share. It is, after all, the day of Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge.

As always, our host shared a photo prompt to guide us as we get poetic. This week's prompt is this intriguing one here:

I'm slightly determined to make every poem this month revolve around Christmas. So, when I saw that incredibly interesting photo above, I did my best to to think of how to make my poem for it a festive one. I don't know how well I achieved the final goal, but here's my attempt:

Sweater Weather

Laundry day had come again.

Into the wash went the dirty clothes of young Ben.

Wearing his one clean shirt not in the wash,

Ben went outside to play with his cat and dog,

Whose names happened to be Boss and Hogg.

It was a cold December day,

But Ben and his furry friends hardly noticed the cold as they played,

Not even when snowflakes began to fall this way and that way.

The trio hopped and skipped in the snow until Ben's mother they had to obey.

"You three get inside where it's warm!" was what Ben's mother did say.

Though Ben, Boss, and Hogg had great fun frolicking in the snow,
It had most certainly left them all soaked to the bone.

Ben ran to his closet to change into dry clothes,
But he found no dry clothes in there at all, no.
There was a good explanation as to why.
After all, all of his clothes were hanging up to dry.

The house was filled with clothes strung all about.
When it came to dry clothes, Ben would have to go without.
That ended up not being the case, though,
Because Ben's mother saw his plight just so.

"Your clothes are all still too wet to wear," Ben's mother agreed.
Then she added, "But I have a fix for that, indeed."
In the family room stood the Christmas tree.
Beneath it were wrapped presents that numbered three.

"You weren't meant to open these until Christmas," Ben's mother said.
"But," she added, "why don't we open them right now instead."
The three presents were labeled for Ben, Boss, and Hogg,
The boy and his best friends the furry cat and dog.

Ben tore at the paper wrapped around his gift.
Then from the top of the box the lid he did lift.
Inside was something soft and warm.
It was a sweater Ben's mother then insisted he adorn.

Boss and Hogg also had their very own new sweaters.
Ben's mother said, "I made these for you three just for this type of weather.
They'll keep you warm until your other clothes dry.
I knitted them myself, and that's no lie."

If Ben were being honest, he wished to put the sweaters back in the boxes.
They weren't exactly what a boy his age would call awesome.
Ben's sweater was red and on its front quite a design took up the space.
Front and center, his mother had knitted upon it Ben's very own face.
The knitted version of Ben wore a festive hat of green.
That was in fact the case for all three.
Boss and Hogg's furry faces also decorated their new sweaters, indeed.

"You can have these gifts early," Ben's mother said with a smile.
"They'll keep you three warm for a good long while."
Ben could not deny that his mother was right.
The three were all cold and wet and must be quite a sodden sight.

Knowing that his mother had a very good point,
He pulled on the new sweater, and its warmth did not disappoint.
In their new sweaters, Ben, Boss, and Hogg now felt warm and toasty.
Even Ben's cheeks were no longer cold and rosy.

Looking at his best furry friends, Ben let out a smile.
The sweaters were a tad bit ugly, for that there was no denial.
But in their sweaters, Ben, Boss, and Hogg were dry and warmer than warm.
Ben thought that, in truth, perhaps it didn't matter what he wore.
Instead, perhaps the thought of the gift meant far more.

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And now we of course have Thimble and her Thankfuls.

This season, Thimble is so very grateful for her favorite Christmas decorations. This girl especially likes that little Christmas village behind her in that photo above. She was very paws on in helping this mom of hers set it up. She also likes to serve as that little village's very own Catzilla as often as possible.

That all being said, Thimble is not so impressed with some of her mom's decorations.

Thimble wants to know if you see that monstrosity down there on the right side of the photo? This here human of hers had so much trouble letting go of Halloween that she kept some of that spooktacular holiday's decor out and then tried to make it work with the Christmas theme. That's why there's a skeleton head wearing a Santa hat in the living room. Thimble is not impressed, and she's even tried to slap that dastardly decor out of the room. Thimble is at least still grateful for all the other decor that is more properly festive, especially when it's the perfect size to slap around.

As always, we're also incredibly thankful for this wonderful community!

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Last but not least, how about we share the 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 look forward to seeing _________ at the holidays.

2. I can see _________ outside my _________ window.

3. _________ always puts me in a festive mood.

4. My favorite holiday tradition is _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Tip of the Day

Our last Christmas tree tip relates to real trees and how they might affect your furbaby. If you have a real tree, be cautious of letting your kitty or pup drink from any accessible water in the tree stand. It is possible that certain chemicals, such as fertilizers or even pesticides, are used in some tree lots. Some of these chemicals can then end up in the water that the tree is resting in, and this can potentially lead to toxic side effects for your furbaby. Another concern relates to stagnant water in the tree stand, which can harbor potentially harmful bacteria. In addition, be careful of pine needles falling from real trees, and even artificial trees, for that matter. These needles are pointy and sharp, and if consumed this can potentially lead to internal damage. So, keep that tree water covered or somehow out of reach, and keep those fallen pine needles cleaned up, so that your furbaby and the Christmas tree can live in harmony.

Christmas Cookies and Kitty Toys

One of our Christmas traditions around here is letting the furbabies enjoy their very own Advent calendars. Probably unsurprisingly, I have discovered that it's far easier to find such calendars for dogs than it is to find them for cats. For the past 3 years, I've gotten the same Advent calendar for pup Astrid.

That there Advent calendar filled with fun little cookies for canines is from the Etsy shop Meatloaf's Kitchen. We're not sponsored by that nice little shop, but Astrid has enjoyed their Advent calendar for years now.

Don't worry. Pup Astrid doesn't usually have to pose, pout, and wait for her daily Advent treat.

As if these photos weren't already full of poor lighting and low quality, how about a blooper of a certain pup stealing her treat?

Remember how I mentioned above that it's proven far more difficult to find kitty Advent calendars? It's especially difficult because not all of the kitties around here like the same kinds of treats, and some of the kitties around here don't eat treats at all. We worked around all that by coming up with a makeshift kitty Advent calendar.

I found that Advent calendar of a gift bag a couple years ago. Every year, I fill it with a bunch of kitty toys, and of course the kitties get one of the new toys every day. The kitties have learned what the sight of that bag means, and so they all come running when it appears.

Needless to say, Advent calendars at our house have to be hidden away when not in use. Otherwise, curious noses and paws would very likely find their way to them.

Wishing you all a wonderful Wednesday!

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Festive Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

We're nearing the end of our Christmas tree tips, but not just yet. Today's tip is to be aware and cautious of edible tree decorations. Whether they be something such as candy canes, cookie ornaments, or strings such as those made from popcorn, be very careful if there is anything edible on your Christmas tree. This can be dangerous if your furbaby eats potentially dangerous goods off of the tree, or even if they eat too much of an otherwise safe human food. Of course, a furbaby trying to reach edible tree decorations could also lead to falling trees and related injuries. So, for the sake of your furbaby and the tree, it is likely best to avoid decorating with edible goods. As we've said before, it is still possible to be festive, but do be sure to keep your furbaby's safety in mind as well.

It's Tree Time

In his Mancat Monday post yesterday, Evan hinted at what you'd be seeing today.

Do you see what's in that there Christmas tree?

I spy something furry and calico. Do you? How about now?

Eddy was my first Christmas tree climber, and she certainly still is a tree climber. Tonks refuses to be left out, though, and she climbs those Christmas trees to her little heart's content. She also has no shame and quite honestly loves when you find her in the tree. She'll even roll her belly up to you while balancing on the branches. Somehow, no Christmas trees have ever fallen over at my house, which is some sort of Christmas miracle.

How about a little bonus material? As I've mentioned before, I save most of my photos to my Google Drive. Google then loves to take my photos and create all sorts of things for me, without even asking me first. I actually get really excited when I'm notified that Google has created a new animation for me, especially when they look something like this:

Have a terrifically festive Tuesday!

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Doodle of the Day: Flashback Tuesday

Given that this post stars a certain troublemaker of a calico, I was looking for a flashback doodle that might star that very troublemaker calico. While looking, I indeed found a flashback Christmas doodle starring a calico, but not a calico named Tonks. Instead, I stumbled upon a doodle from last Christmas that starred my calico angel Rosie. I had completely forgotten about this doodle, but now I remember it. I always love finding a way to honor my angel Rosie, and so I'll just drop that flashback doodle of her right here.

I can't remember when I first saw or heard the "A Christmas Feral" pun, but it was years ago and I still love it.

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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.

Merry Mancat Monday

Evan quite enjoys getting cozy in festive style.

One of Evan's favorite places to snooze is actually the rocking chair beside the Christmas tree in the living room. The problem, though, is that it's not always a place of peace and quiet.

Do you all see what's up there in that tree? That's just a sneak peek for what's to come in tomorrow's post. It's all shades of festive tomfoolery around here.

Happy Monday!

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Festive Doodle of the Day

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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. If you do decorate your tree with lights, always unplug them if left unattended.

The same sort of rules can apply to ornaments, as needed. You can avoid placing them on the lower portion of the tree, or refrain from using 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.

Sleepy Sunday Selfies Co-Starring the Christmas Tree

I haven't forgotten that I've been using Sundays to introduce my parents' 12 kitties to you all, following multiple requests for me to do so. However, I really wanted the first day of December to include something at least a tad bit festive, and I didn't have any festive photos of any of my parents' kitties. So, my Christmas enthusiast of a calico was the chosen one for our Sunday selfies today. What you're about to see is absolutely nothing compared to some of the Christmas photos I have of this calico gal.

That sleepy selfie was just snapped yesterday, and it might not look like a festive shot at first. However, this girl has been known to claim the prime snoozing spots near the Christmas trees in the house. That's how much she loves them. In the above photo, she's indeed within feet of one of her beloved Christmas trees.

As I mentioned above, though, these festive photos are nothing when it comes to this little calico lady's relationship with the Christmas trees. You better believe I already have tons of photos of her climbing them. Tabby girl Eddy also still loves to climb the Christmas tree that's in her favorite room of the house, that being my bedroom, but she's far less likely to let me photograph her in said Christmas tree. I already have probably a dozen pictures of Tonks climbing the two freshly assembled Christmas trees she has access to in the house, but I'm still working on getting even one photo of Eddy climbing hers this season. Be prepared to see lots of kitty-in-Christmas-tree photos from us, especially from a certain bold calico.

Wishing you a warm and cozy Sunday!

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Doodle of the Day: Flashback Sunday

I overestimated how much time I'd have to work in my sketchbook in the days surrounding the Thanksgiving holiday. That being said, I'm catching up on my doodles today, and for now we'll go ahead and share a festive flashback doodle from last year. I decided to share the doodle we shared this very same day, December 1, last year.

I remember doodling that with Eddy and Thimble in mind. What they're each doing in that there flashback doodle still applies today. Eddy still loves climbing her tree, and Thimble still loves knocking things off of flat surfaces.

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Tip of the Day

We seem to be repeating old tips these days. 'Tis the season, it would seem. That being said, over the next few days, we'll be repeating some Christmas safety tips that we gave last year. Actually, I believe we've repeated these festive tips for a couple years now. It's an important topic this time of year, though, so we'll keep going with it.

How about we start with that good ol' Christmas tree? 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, wall, or even a heavy, sturdy piece of furniture. There is also the option of weighing down the base of the tree, such as with weighted bags, as long as they are of a safe and secure sort. 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.