Thankful Thimble Thursday

Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge is on hiatus this week while his parents take a much deserved vacation. We'll be back to rhyming next week!

So, let's get right to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble is yet again here to share a strange bit of gratitude. Actually, she's not sure if she should be grateful for this or not.

There's a skeleton in Thimble's library. Is that good or bad? Thimble can't decide. This skeleton doesn't even go away after Halloween. It sits there all year round, even wearing a Santa hat during the Christmas season. Because that's how weird Thimble's human here is. Thimble has honestly sort of befriended the skeleton, because this sweet tabby girl is friends with anything she comes across, but she's still pretty sure this is weird.

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And now let's share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. _________ makes my skin crawl.

2. I enjoy _________.

3. I consider myself _________.

4. _________ and _________ are not a good mix.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip is about none other than costumes. As you might see upon visiting a pet store this time of year, Halloween costumes are sometimes just as popular for kitties and pups as they are for children of the human sort. That being said, though, it is best to only put and keep a costume on a furbaby who tolerates and enjoys it. Some cats and dogs simply do not like wearing costumes or other clothing items, and those such furbabies should not be forced to wear a costume for Halloween, or any time of the year. If you do try a costume on your kitty or pup, watch for signs of stress, such as attempts to remove the costume, or other restlessness. If you do notice any signs that your furbaby is not enjoying a costume you've chosen for them, remove it and simply let them don their birthday suit this Halloween.

A Footsie Flashback

Around this very time in 2017, pup Astrid had a cancerous tumor removed from her foot. To have it fully removed, she had the entire outer toe on her back right foot amputated. During all of that, I bought Astrid a mummy cookie in honor of her bandaged foot. Because why not be festive about it.

Do you see Astrid's booted foot there in that there photo? Both before and after her toe amputation, we would have her wear that boot for protection. Astrid as well as us humans were glad to be rid of that boot after her three-toed foot was all healed up.

Whether out of solidarity or revenge, Astrid even took that there mummy's back right foot, as you can probably see. Is that what we call karma?

Astrid has been without that toe for 4 years now. More importantly, she's therefore been cancer-free for 4 years. It probably goes without saying that we are so very happy and grateful for that. Way back when Astrid was diagnosed with cancer and was going through her surgeries, so many of you sent us purrs, woofs, prayers, and all sorts of good thoughts, and we are still so very thankful for that.

Happy Wednesday, wonderful friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Who remembers this doodle from last year, inspired by Garfield and his puppy pal Odie?

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Tip of the Day

We've made it to day 13 of our 31 Halloween tips. Today's tip is likely the last in our discussion on pumpkins, and it's also more than likely an obvious one. Nevertheless, we're here to remind you to take precautions and to keep your furbaby safe if you get festive by carving a jack-o'-lantern. Carving a pumpkin means pulling out knives or other sharp objects, which can of course be a danger to your kitty or pup. Do not leave any knives sitting where your furbaby might walk or jump, and certainly don't leave knives unattended. If need be, activities such as pumpkin carving can be, and perhaps should be, done in an area where your furbaby does not have access. This would allow for the prevention of any accidents. Also think about after you've carved the pumpkin, and do not leave the knives sitting dangerously in the sink or elsewhere. We've also already discussed safety around candles in jack-o'-lanterns, as flames are of course another danger. All in all, if you are carving pumpkins or partaking in other similar Halloween festivities, always be aware of your furbaby's proximity and safety.

Tonks Tuesday

Who remembers last year when Tonks showed off the large, stuffed scarecrow we keep in a mini rocking chair this time of year?

Tonks also sure loves to drag this poor fellow around the house. He regularly has to be returned to his chair, and then he gets sat on again. What a life he leads.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Can you believe we're still on the topic of pumpkins? We talked about the benefits of pumpkin, and even pumpkin seeds. All of that aside, though, always keep in mind the age and condition of any pumpkins to which your furbaby has access. This time of year, pumpkins are indeed often used as beautiful outdoor decorations or spooky jack-o'-lanterns. Pumpkins won't stay pretty forever, though, and we're sure you've all witnessed the ultimate demise of pumpkins. That being said, old pumpkins can indeed begin to rot, and if pumpkins in this state are consumed by your kitty or pup, issues such as gastrointestinal distress can occur.

In addition, also keep wildlife in mind with regard to this, as old, rotting food may not sit well for them either. What's more, pumpkins that are left to sit outside and rot will sometimes ferment. If squirrels or other wildlife consume fermented pumpkins, they can potentially end up in a more or less drunken state. Therefore, be sure to compost or otherwise dispose of old pumpkins in a timely, safe, secure manner, for the safety of your furbabies as well as wildlife.

Another Haunted Mancat Monday

Once upon a time, Evan tried to enjoy his favorite window seat. And then an annoying little pest started haunting him. Again.

Poor Evan. That little ghost even insisted on photobombing him. How rude.

Evan hopes your Monday has far less hauntings than his!

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Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday's Halloween tip was about the benefits of feeding pumpkin to your furbabies. Today's tip is related to this, but is about a part of the pumpkin that isn't as often discussed with regard to a furbaby's diet. Though we've mentioned these before, we're again talking about pumpkin seeds. If fed in a manner that is safe, pumpkin seeds can have health benefits for our furbabies, just as they can for humans. For example, pumpkin seeds contain valuable nutrients, and they can have anti-inflammatory properties. It is also believed by some that pumpkin seeds have some deworming properties as well.

All of the above being said, if you decide to offer pumpkin seeds to your kitty or pup, of course do so safely. First, feed them only as an occasional treat or food topper. In addition, if the seeds are a potential choking hazard, you can cut them into small pieces. Also, of course, ensure that the pumpkin seeds are plain, and that they do not contain any added ingredients, such as onion, garlic, or even salt or sugar. We'll again also add that, should your furbaby have any health concerns, of course first discuss adding anything such as pumpkin seeds to your furbaby's diet with your veterinarian.

A Tardy Sunday Selfie

Hello, friends! For the first time in years, I almost didn't get a post put up for today. Shame on me. Some unexpected work showed up in front of me this weekend, and things just took a tiny little major detour. As I mentioned recently, my workplace will soon be interviewing a promising candidate to fill the void we have there, and then hopefully things can begin to return to some semblance of normal.

Anyway, since I showed up so late today, we're just going to throw in a photo of a cute kitty and call that good just for today. I'm working on our posts for at least the early part of this week now, in hopes of getting back on track with our preferred blogging routine. We really enjoy blogging over here, so we're eager to get back to it like we used to be able to. We'll get there.

So, here's a bright and sunny Thimble for you all.

And how about a flashback doodle to make this post frightfully festive?

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Tip of the Day

We're on the 10th day of our 31 days of Halloween tips. Now, we simply couldn't go this entire Halloween month without mentioning none other than pumpkins! As most of you likely already know, pumpkin can make for a healthy treat for a kitty or pup. Plain, cooked pumpkin can be an excellent source of fiber. This can help to keep the bowels regular, and so it could be something to keep in mind for those furbabies with irregular bowel movements. Pumpkin and the fiber it provides can also help move hairballs more easily through those kitty intestinal tracts. Fiber, such as that from pumpkin, can also help a kitty or pup feel full for longer, which means that it can also potentially aid in weight loss. All of these benefits are on top of the fact that pumpkin is also high in a variety of beneficial nutrients, such as vitamin A and vitamin C.

That all being said, do of course ensure that you only feed your furbaby cooked pumpkin of the plain variety. You can feed your furbaby pumpkin puree from a can, of course ensuring that it contains no spices or other added ingredients. You can also cook up your own pumpkin and feed it to your kitty or pup as a treat. What's more, these days, there are many types of dry and moist foods, as well as treats, that contain pumpkin as an ingredient. These such foods might assist certain furbabies with bowel regularity or weight loss. Of course, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your furbaby's diet and digestion, discuss options such as pumpkin with your veterinarian.

Caturday Art

We have another late and not-quite-to-plan post for today. Work was just a tad bit crazy the past couple of days, with us being down a person since one of my co-workers left. Luckily, we're very soon interviewing a very promising candidate for the job, so I'm feeling optimistic. Anyway, here's one of my favorite Halloween doodles I scribbled up last year.

Our new series of Halloween doodles will resume tomorrow, after I boot up the scanner today and get them all ready for our blog.

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Tip of the Day

It is not only important to prevent your furbaby's access to dangerous products during the Halloween season, and to know the signs of potential toxicity, but also to know when and where veterinary offices are open in your area. It is it course ideal that emergencies be prevented by taking precautions. Sometimes, though, accidents and emergencies do happen. For this reason, it is important that you are aware of the hours and locations of veterinary clinics in your area. What time does your regular veterinary clinic close? Are there emergency clinics in the area? If so, when are they open, and where are they located? Planning ahead for potential emergencies may sometimes prove unnecessary, which is a good problem to have. But, in the event of an emergency, such as if your kitty or pup breaks into the candy stash on Halloween, you can save precious time and potentially your furbaby's life by knowing ahead of time where you can take them for immediate veterinary care. This is important any time of the year, but of course including during holidays such as Halloween, when dangerous products and situations may be more prevalent. It's also important to know what's going with your veterinary clinic during this pandemic, so that you know the protocols ahead of time.

Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello and happy Friday, friends! Shall we dive right on into the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? If you'd like to join in on the fun, please do! My co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. I wish I could train _________ to __________.

2. I am planning to get _________ for _________.

3. I know it's time to _________ when _________.

4. I felt brave when I _________.

My answers are below in bold. This week I made them all about the furbabies, or at least mostly.

1. I wish I could train my kitties to pick up their toys.

(My cats' toy bin is easily accessible to them, and they regularly dig toys out of there and throw them all over the floor. Mainly, Tonks does this. They're having fun and that doesn't bother me one bit. It just means that every time I want to give the floor a good clean, I go around and pick up all the toys, and it's somehow a rather involved activity given how wild the kitties go with their toys. What's more, Tonks is not afraid of the vacuum, so I can be vacuuming the floor I just rid of cat toys, and the whole time I'm doing that she'll be throwing toys out of her toy bin, often right into the path of the vacuum.)

2. I am planning to get a gnome-eating cat statue for my parents and sister for Christmas.
(Does that sound weird? I actually already bought the statues I speak of. My family was all watching TV together recently, and we saw on a show this type of statue in someone's yard. It was quite literally a statue of a cat eating some gnomes. I know that sounds gruesome, but this is the kind of humor my family and I all share and appreciate, and we all admittedly laughed out loud when we saw the statue on the TV. So, I found something similar and ordered one for each of them for Christmas. Oh, and I got myself one too.)

3. I know it's time to take Evan in for a sanitary shave when he starts turning colors.

(I have no doubt this answer makes absolutely no sense at first glance. Some of you might remember me mentioning how my hind limb paralyzed boy Evan has urinary incontinence. Because of this, he can get rather messy, but since he doesn't really appreciate me doing much cleaning back there, he goes to our vet's grooming service for regular sanitary shaves. I indeed do know when he's due for one when his fur back their goes from orange to nearly black. Actually, that means he's past due. Neither the vet nor I know exactly why, but when Evan's fur gets too long and therefore holds onto urine that he leaks, said fur turns dark, nearly black. With a lot of scrubbing, which Evan loathes, you can rub off the darkness from his fur, so there's just something about his urine that affects his fur like that. All labs indicate that his urine and blood are currently looking good, so the vet and I just go with it.)

4. I felt brave when I adopted my first special needs furbaby as an adult.

(When I adopted Evan, I was very happy but also admittedly a bit nervous. All that combined made me feel a bit brave, I guess, but really I was just incredibly grateful.)

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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Does anyone remember our silly little Halloween book club from last year? The kitties and I read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving as well as The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. Of course, some furry cuties modeled the chosen reads for me.

We'll be reading these again this year, because we're festive like that.

Have a fantastic Friday!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

In honor of the aforementioned book club, how about this bookish doodle we shared on this exact date last year?

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Tip of the Day

We've been discussing potential dangers and toxins associated with Halloween. Today, we're going to finish that topic with a couple of slightly random yet still relevant Halloween products with which to be cautious. We're referring to items such as glow sticks and fake blood. These items sometimes make appearances on holidays like Halloween, and they might very well contain ingredients that can potentially be toxic to kitties and pups. Glow sticks can especially be dangerous if they are bitten or otherwise punctured, and fake blood can also pose a risk if ingested. Be cautious, therefore, of using these items, as well as any other items that might be dangerous to your furbaby. If you do have any of these items at your home, keep them securely hidden away, so as to prevent any emergencies.