Happy Labor Day!

In the United States, today is Labor Day. As the name suggests, this is a day to honor the labor force. No matter what shoes you fill, thank you to all those who work to make this world go round.

Today is a public holiday, which means this here human is happily enjoying a day off of work. Mancat Evan is just as happy that I'm home, because he's my shadow and my buddy and will be spending his day more or less attached to my hip. I don't mind that one bit. Let's face it, for the most part, Evan and I will be vegging out on the couch, enjoying cuddles, catching up on some hobbies, and probably taking a nap or two.

To all of our US friends, we're wishing you a relaxing Labor Day! To all of our friends outside of the US, we hope your Monday is magnificent!

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Did you know?

How about the same bit of trivia we shared on Labor Day last year? It's about working cats, though in a job you might not expect for cats. Did you know that more than one cat in history has served as a town's mayor? For roughly 20 years, from 1997 to 2017, a cat named Stubbs served as mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska. He was first elected as a write-in in 1997, and maintained his mayoral position after multiple uncontested elections. Omena, Michigan is another town with a furry mayor. For the past decade, Omena and its roughly 280-person population has had an animal serving as mayor. The most recent election had all animal candidates, including 2 cats, 13 dogs, a goat, a chicken, and a peacock. The winner and therefore new mayor was calico cat Sweet Tart. Do you think these towns are onto something?

Sunday Selfies

Yesterday we shared a doodle that was inspired by one of my parents' cats. The short backstory on this doodle was that my parents have a fuzzy cat named Gilly who likes to sit inside a lime green tunnel toy. We decided that she looks like a caterpillar when she sits in this tunnel, which prompted us to start calling Gilly none other than Caterpilly when we find her in the tunnel. I felt compelled to scribble up a doodle starring Caterpilly for yesterday's Caturday Art Blog Hop, which you can see here.

Now, my goal for today was to help Gilly snap a selfie or two in her Caterpilly form. So, I went to my parents' house and attempted to achieve that. Let's just say that Gilly wasn't 100% cooperative, but we tried our best nonetheless.

Is that not the fuzziest caterpillar you've ever seen in your life? In case you're curious, Gilly is indeed as soft as she looks.

Happy Sunday to all!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

We're doing another flashback doodle today, as I gear up to start sharing all of the new autumn and Halloween doodles I've been preparing. Of course it's an autumn flashback we chose for today, because it's September, and that's reason enough for us.

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Tip of the Day

Do you know how to tell apart domestic shorthair, domestic medium hair, and domestic longhair cats? This isn't always the easiest or most straightforward thing, but there are ways to do it. You all very likely know how to determine if a cat is a domestic shorthair. Many cats are indeed shorthairs, with fur that is relatively short and that mostly lies flat against the body. When it comes to medium hair cats, the fur along their back is typically somewhat short and flat like that of shorthair cats, but they generally haver longer and fluffier hair around their mane and on their tail. Then there are longhair cats, with hair that is more consistently longer and fluffier along their entire body. Depending on the cat's breed or even personal genetics, longhair cats can have hair that is anywhere from roughly 2 inches to 5 inches long.

Caturday Art

Today we have for you the doodle that was meant to be shared for the previous Caturday Art Blog Hop. It wasn't shared last weekend, though, because I didn't realize until last minute that I didn't have one of the colors I needed to complete the doodle. So, the necessary marker was ordered, it arrived this week, and I finished the doodle for today.

How about a bit of backstory? This doodle is based off of one of my parents' kitties, a 4-year-old calico who is one of the fuzziest cats I've ever met in my life. Her name is Gilly, and she's a sweet and silly little girl. Remember when we shared these photos of Gilly a number of months ago?

Where am I going with this post about Gilly? Well, there's is a bright green tunnel toy for the cats at my parents' house, and Gilly loves this tunnel. Sometimes, Gilly's head will peek out of one end while her insanely fuzzy tail protrudes from the other end. Given the bright green color of the tunnel, my mom often comments that Gilly looks like a caterpillar when she's in the tunnel. That led us to start referring to Gilly in her green tunnel as none other than Caterpilly. Recently, when I found Gilly in her tunnel when visiting my parents, I felt compelled to doodle up Caterpilly in my sketchbook, and so that's what we have for you today. Meet Caterpilly.

In case you're curious, the marker I had to order for this doodle was the lime green one. I already had this marker in my stash, but I rarely use it and so it had dried up. I have multiple other hues of green markers in my stash, but Gilly's tunnel is distinctly lime green, which is why it reminds us so much of a caterpillar. Though I tested out a couple of my other green markers, I really wanted to get that lime green aspect to it, and so that's why I had to wait to receive the marker to finish this doodle.

Now, as I mentioned yesterday, this will very likely be our last summery doodle. It's September now, which obviously means it's time for autumn to invade my sketchbook. I've been sharing extra flashback doodles these past couple of weeks as I work to prepare lots of new autumn and Halloween doodles for the upcoming weeks. We'll start sharing all of these new autumn and Halloween doodles this upcoming week. Some of them have a bit of backstory to them, so we'll have some fun facts to go with some of them.

Is that enough rambling for this post? Yes? I thought so, too. Happy Caturday to all!

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Did you know?

We're guessing a lot of you cat lovers out there can guess why kitties love tunnel toys. There are a variety of reasons, one simple one being that cats often like to tuck themselves into hidden spaces. In the wild, cats will often find concealed places to sleep, because this offers them a sense of safety and security. Especially in a house with multiple cats or lots of foot traffic, cats might enjoy tunnels to duck into when they need space to themselves. Another aspect of tunnels that cats might very well appreciate is the fact that both ends are open. In the wild, cats often try not to tuck themselves into spaces with only one entrance, because that can get them cornered and trapped. A tunnel offers two open ends, and so a cat can escape either end if needed, such as if a furry sibling is chasing them. Some cats even like the tunnels that have a third hole on the top, for an extra escape route as well as another vantage point. So, if you have the space and you think your cat will enjoy it, try to offer your kitty a tunnel or two in your home. They might very well enjoy playing in it, hiding in it, napping in it, or all of the above.

Friendly Fill-Ins

First, I want to send my most heartfelt condolences to my Friendly Fill-Ins co-host, Ellen of 15andmeowing. She recently said goodbye to yet another one of her beloved kitties. Her sweet kitty Polar Bear gained his angel wings.

Run free and fly high, Polar Bear. My thoughts and prayers are with Ellen.

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Ellen is taking a few days off from blogging, more than understandably, so the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge will be hosted only on my blog this week. In case you missed the fill-in statements yesterday, I'll share them again below. Ellen came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. To _________ or not to _________? is a question I ask myself.

2. I wish _________ would _________.

3. I'm on the fence about _________.

4. If you don't _________, you won't _________.

My answers are below in bold. I made them all about the furbabies this week.

1. To pet the kitty belly or not to pet the kitty belly? is a question I ask myself.

(Has a kitty ever rolled its adorably fluffy belly up to you and so you pet it, only to painfully realize the belly was a trap? The only kitties in my house who don't regularly do this are Thimble and Tonks. They both truly love belly rubs. On the other side of this coin is Eddy, who is probably the most criminal in her come-pet-my-belly-so-that-I-can-bite-the-hand-that-feeds-me traps. I usually fall for the trap, though, because I've got a thing for fuzzy kitty bellies.)

2. I wish more of my kitties would sit on my lap.

(There are 6 cats living at my house, and only 2 of them regularly humor the idea of sitting on my lap. These would be Eddy and Tonks. The other kitties will sit next to me and will even happily cuddle up to me, but my lap simply isn't their favorite thing. Even when we're in the dead cold of winter, my kitties don't flock to my lap. I find this devastating.)

3. I'm on the fence about replacing my kitties' oldest cat tree.

(The poor thing looks like it's seen a thousand better days. But, the kitties love it so much. They still use it every day. And, though it looks horrendous, it's still somehow pretty darn sturdy. It's torn, it's ripped, its all out of sisal rope, it's stained, and it looks like an absolute mess, but it has never once fallen over or lost any big parts or pieces. I was going to replace it, but since I so often see my kitties still enjoying it, I'm thinking I'll probably end up just adding another cat tree to the mix and only getting rid of the poor ancient and abused one when it truly tells me it has no last legs left to stand on.)

4. If you don't appreciate the unconditional love furry friends have to offer, you won't ever deserve it.

(This might sound harsh, but it's how I feel. People who reject or abuse the unconditional love an animal offers them, those people make me sick. It's as simple as 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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Who's ready for their Friday Eddy fix? Today we have a photo that Eddy actually sort of sat still for. She's off-center, but that's because she wanted to show off her beloved hoard of blankets behind her.

Eddy loves blankets. The ones to the right of her in this photo are clean ones haphazardly thrown into a basket, and Eddy loves pulling them out of there, hiding in them, playing in them, and just all around claiming them as hers. Sometimes blankets are a girl's best friend.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I love scribbling up autumnal doodles as soon as September hits. That being said, the illustration we shared for our poem yesterday was a bit summery, and the doodle I'll be sharing tomorrow is a summery one (since I only just recently finally got the necessary marker to finish it). That summery doodle I'll be sharing tomorrow will be the last non-autumnal one, I believe. To go alone with these final days of summery doodles, for today I chose a flashback doodle that I created last summer, but it was also inspired by the autumnal holiday of Halloween.

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Did you know?

Why do some cats roll their bellies up to humans, and then bite the hand that pets it? The answer to this might be quite simple. The stomach is a vulnerable place on a cat's body, on any individual's body. It's where vital organs can be found. In the wild, cats rarely expose their belly, as that would expose a vulnerable and vital part of them to predators or enemies. If a wild cat does roll up their belly and expose it, it will very likely only be when they're somewhere they feel safe, and around other animals or potentially humans with whom they feel safe. The same essentially goes for our house kitties. If your feline friend exposes his or her belly to you, it's a symbol that they feel safe around you. For some kitties, though, this is only a symbol of their love, not an invitation. Some cats simply still have that instinct to attack whatever might be touching their belly, where their vital organs are. There are obviously some cats out there who love belly rubs and won't attack the hand that pets it. For other kitties, though, the wild instinct kicks in, and so a hand touching the belly becomes a target. When it comes to belly rubs, or any type of petting, try to keep an eye on a cat's body language. What's more, for your own good as well as theirs, respect a cat's preferred boundaries and space.

Thoroughly Poetic Thankful Thimble Thursday

 Welcome to Thursday! Are you ready for Angel Sammy's Thoroughy Poetic Thursday challenge?

As always, our host shared a photo prompt to guide our poetic endeavors.

I'm personally not much of a beach person, but I obviously wanted to do something at least sort of beachy to go with this photo. I mentioned this prompt to my sister, and she immediately had an idea. I don't know why I didn't think of this idea myself, because it relates to my boy Evan.

For those who don't know, my orange tabby Evan is hind limb paralyzed. Because of this, he and his back legs sometimes sit in some very interesting poses. Just one of the ways he sits that I find adorable is when he climbs onto something like a couch or stool and then dangles his paralyzed little legs in front of him off of the piece of furniture. When Evan sits like this, it always reminds me of those artsy images you see of mermaids sitting in a similar manner on rocks, or something along these lines. My sister has also said that Evan reminds her of a mermaid when he's in that pose, and so she told me that I should use that concept to go with the above photo prompt. I totally agreed.

The Mercat

Joe and Jean visited the beach each and every year.
The ocean air and the sand at their feet made them smile from ear to ear.
Walks on the beach were their most favorite thing.
They strolled and collected seashells from morning to evening.

This year's beach trip proved as relaxing as ever.
It also offered an experience they would always remember.
It all occurred one fine afternoon beneath a bright blue sky,
When the sand was warm and the tide grew high.

Seashells and starfish made the beach a magical place.
Joe and Jean collected the shells in a friendly little race.
Such an activity added an extra bit of fun to their beach vacation,
Adding yet another layer of enjoyment to that sunny, sandy haven.

On the fine afternoon in question, Joe spotted a seashell pretty and pink,
And so he picked it up before it could wash away and sink.
When he stood and looked back up, he gasped.
He pointed to the ocean and said, "Jean, would you look at that!"

Joe and Jean watched and smiled as a dolphin swam in the ocean,
Jumping and playing in happy dolphin motions.
Then there was yet another gasp.
This time Jean pointed and said, "Goodness me, what is that?"

Joe and Jean squinted to see a rock just off the shore.
On that rock sat something that left them with questions numbering a dozen or more.
Were they really seeing what they thought they were seeing?
If so, it was barely believable enough for believing.

On that rock sat a creature with pointed ears and whiskers on a face orange and furry,
And beneath that were scales and fins on a tail splishing and splashing in a manner quite blurry.
The perplexing creature seemed to return their gaze,
And then it did seem to give them a wave.

Jean said, "Really, truly, what on earth is that?"
The creature took it upon itself to shout, "I'm a mercat, that's what's that.
You haven't heard about my kind in ancient lore or fun tales?
Us mercat are indeed out here swimming with the dolphins and whales."

Joe and Jean's mouths hung open in shock.
The mercat waved again, shrugged, and then dove off of its rock.
The couple visited the beach each remaining day of their trip,
In no small part to see if they again saw that creature amongst the tides and ships.

Every single day, Joe and Jean did indeed spot that strange entity.
Each time, the furry and finned thing greeted them by shouting and waving.
Joe and Jean had never before heard or seen a so-called mercat,
But after that beach stay, they always remembered it just like that.

***

Now, of course, it's times for Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop. 

As always, Thimble is here to express some gratitude.

Today, Thimble is indeed thankful for sunrays, her adorable tabby stripes, and her adorably large ears. She is not as grateful, though, for photobombs from her brother Evan's ear.

Siblings, huh?

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Last but not least, let's share 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. To _________ or not to _________? is a question I ask myself.

2. I wish _________ would _________.

3. I'm on the fence about _________.

4. If you don't _________, you won't _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Did you know?

I did some research to see if there is any folklore on mermaid cats, or mercats, as in our poem for today. I didn't find much on that subject matter, but my research did bring me to the Cat Sìth. Have you ever heard of the Cat Sìth? In folklore, the Cat Sìth is a feline figure who haunts the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as a big black cat with a white spot on its chest, and it is said to steal souls. According to some of the folklore, the Cat Sìth is something along the lines of a witch who can turn into a black cat. This transformation can occur 9 times in the witch's life, with the ninth transformation into a cat being permanent. What's more, the Cat Sìth has a canine counterpart called the Cù Sìth.

Woof Woof Wednesday

Sometimes, when the camera shows up in your face, you simply have to avert your eyes.

Astrid wants to know if any of her furry friends have to put up with the pawparazzi like she does? This pup is quite honestly getting sick of it. She says her human here needs a new hobby.

Despite Astrid's annoyance with the camera, we wish you all a happy Wednesday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

I'm in the middle of preparing lots of new autumn and Halloween doodles in my sketchbook. As I work on those, how about a flashback to one of my autumnal doodles from last year? This one stars the entire furry clan at at my house, and it also stars the vintage truck imagery I've come to enjoy a great deal.

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Did you know?

Did you know that, when compared to both cats and humans, dogs have better peripheral vision? Since many dogs have eyes that are situated at least somewhat on the side of their head, that allows them to have better side vision, or peripheral vision. To further explain this, a dog's field of vision covers 240 degrees. This is compared to a cat's 200 degrees of visual coverage and a human's 180 degrees.

A Rainbow Bridge Birthday Bash

Thimble's here to tell you that we're having us a birthday bash today. Whose birthday bash? It's angels Rosie and Sammy's birthday bash!

That there is actually a photo of Rosie and me from one of my birthdays years in the past. I believe it was taken 10 years ago, on my 21st birthday. I remember it was taken when I was on a break between two of my college courses on my birthday that year, and so I stopped by home for a snuggle with Rosie. My sweet calico Rosie was never huge on being held, but she still always gave me enough patience to squeeze a hug out of her. I loved my Rosie hugs. I would love to give her a hug for her birthday today.

Now, how about a childhood memory with both of my birthday angels? I shared this same memory last year, but it means a lot to me and so I'll share it again this year.

That there is a photo from the olden days. On the left is Rosie sitting with my sister, and on the right is Sammy sitting with me. I remember Rosie and Sammy keeping my sister and I company so many times as we read, did schoolwork, watched TV, and as we simply grew up. Also, I am indeed wearing an eye patch in the photo above, in case you had or hadn't noticed. That eye patch was thanks to a childhood eye condition. I remember feeling insecure about that eye patch, but I never minded wearing it around Rosie and Sammy, because they never judged.

My angels Rosie and Sammy were born on September 1, 1993. My family adopted them when I was just 4 years old. Sammy only lived to 5 years of age, sadly, due to an undetected heart condition. Rosie, however, lived to the wonderful age of 21.

Though I wish my angels Rosie and Sammy could have lived forever and that they were still here with me, I won't feel sad today. I'll feel happy that these two angels filled my childhood, and my adulthood, with more joy than I can ever begin to express.

Happy birthday, my sweet angels! I love you forever!

In case you were wondering, we do know for a fact that Rosie and Sammy's birthday was September 1. That's not a guess, but an actual known birth date. I always loved that that was their birthday. Autumn is my favorite season, and I start celebrating it on September 1. Rosie and Sammy have always been my autumn angels.

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Did you know?

How about the same fun trivia about cat age that we shared for Rosie and Sammy's birthday last year? Did you know that the oldest recorded age for a cat is 38? A cat named Creme Puff was born on August 3, 1967, and she lived until August 6, 2005. Her owner was Jake Perry, who had another cat named Granpa. Granpa was said to  have been born in 1964 and to have passed away in 1998 at the age of 34. It has been pondered whether the diet of Perry's cats had anything to do with their longevity, as it is said he fed them turkey bacon, eggs, asparagus, broccoli, and even coffee with heavy cream.