Thankful Thimble Thursday: The Neverending Ghost Story

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! Though we plan on getting back to Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge very soon, this week we're jumping right to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Thimble is of course here to share her gratitude. And today, Thimble is thankful that, soon enough, a certain spooky someone will be tucked back into his holiday tub and no longer able to photobomb her.

Thimble might be wishing away Halloween, but this here human sure isn't. I feel like I've let the season slip away, despite it being an all-time favorite of mine, and so I plan on making this weekend really count. That goes for both our blog and in my life off of the computer.

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Last but not least, how about the fun fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. _________ keeps me up at night.

2. If I could improve one of my senses, it would be _________.

3. If I were home alone and heard footsteps in the house, I would _________.

4. I would want the epitaph on my tombstone to say _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Halloween Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Do you want to give your furbaby an extra fun treat for Halloween? We're thinking most of you already know that pet stores typically offer festive toy options around the holidays, including Halloween. Nevertheless, we're reminding you to consider looking for the pet store's festive holiday section, or for festive options in the general toy aisle. If necessary and feasible, you can even use such festive new toys to help distract a furbaby who gets anxious or excited by the sounds and overall hustle and bustle of Halloween night festivities, such as trick-or-treaters visiting the house. Of course, if you are handing out candy, festive new toys should be given in a safe area of the home, away from the door. And, yet another caveat is to always check new toys for any potentially dangerous parts and pieces. You know your kitty or pup best, so when picking out new festive toys for them, always keep in mind their tendencies to chew on or eat certain toys. It's fun to be festive, but it's also very important to be safe.

Adventures with Astrid: The Return of Walks

Sorry for the late post, friends! I was honestly waiting to share a photo that was taken just this morning, as it shows Astrid on the first walk she's been allowed to go on for over a month. First because of her torn CCL in her knee, and then as part of the initial stages of her recovery from surgery, Astrid has not been on a walk since September. Though she's still on a variation of crate rest, now three weeks into surgery recovery she is allowed two short walks per day. The photo below is of Astrid this morning, reacquainting herself with one of her favorite facets of walks.

Astrid is indeed wearing two leashes. The grey one at the lower part of the photo has her attached to my waist. That's her usual leash on walks. The blue one with the lower loop is an additional leash that she has to use for the next 6 or so weeks, as she is not allowed to run, jump, or in any way get excited and do anything beyond light walking, and so extra leverage is needed to keep this hyper girl calm and close to me during walks.

A lot goes into her short walks right now, since she is still very much so in recovery, but both she and I were so excited to get out on for even just those 10 minutes this morning. I know she looks quite stoic in that photo, but Astrid was smiling for the vast majority of this walk. And aside from some occasional and very much so expected stiffness in the knee, she's using that back right leg very regularly. Both her, myself, and her veterinarians are very happy about that.

Now, that all said, it's just days away from Halloween. So, here's a somewhat more spookily festive photo of Astrid that was taken many, many weeks ago.

Astrid not only loses her window seat to her real, live-action kitty siblings, but also to this Halloween kitty toy. That is, when she's allowed to jump onto the couch to sit in the window, which is not currently a thing while she's in recovery. 

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Halloween Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip in our Halloween series is one that we have given before on many different occasions. In case an unexpected escape happens on Halloween, such as if your furbaby gets out of the house when the door is opened for trick-or-treaters, be sure that they have ID on them. A collar tag and microchip with your contact information could potentially help a lost furbaby get back to you more easily and quickly. Of course, don't only make sure that your furbaby is wearing identification, but also make sure said contact info is up-to-date. If your address or phone number changes, do not hesitate to put the correct one on your kitty or pup's collar tag and to update their microchip information. No one ever wants to think about their furbaby getting loose and lost, but accidents can happen, especially on busy nights like Halloween. So, always err on the side of caution and have your furbaby identifiable in case of an escape.

Tonks Tuesday: The Haunting Continues

Tonks wants to know if any of you have had the same problem she recently experienced. She fell asleep the other day, and when she woke up, an uninvited someone was right there next to her.

Poor Tonks is being haunted yet again.

The calico has something she wants to admit, though. You see, she actually kind of likes her ghostly invader.

Yikes. Keep it PG, Tonks. Who's haunting whom?

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Halloween Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

We've been giving all sorts of tips related to pet safety during trick-or-treating and other Halloween festivities. And, today, we have yet another tip related to that. Then again, it is almost Halloween, so perhaps it's permitted.

Today's tip is to help your kitty or pup get rid of some extra energy by engaging them in some form of activity before any Halloween festivities begin. This way, your furbaby would have less pent up energy and therefore less anxiety or frustration while they are tucked away somewhere safe while you hand out candy or celebrate this spooky holiday in another way. Helping your kitty or pup use up that extra energy of theirs could involve playing a game such as fetch with them, or directing their attention to interactive toys. If your fubaby is one who needs or likes walks, then you can also drain and prevent pent up energy by taking them for a walk prior to trick-or-treat hours. This would again enable them to release some of their energy before being secured in their safe room while you hand out candy. All in all, pent up energy can lead to issues such as anxiety or frustration in a cat or dog. This is why it might be a good idea to take your kitty or pup for a stroll, or to play with them in the house, prior to locking them up somewhere safe and away from the door on Halloween night.

Mancat Monday: Busting Ghosts and...Black Cats?

It's Mancat Monday. It's also the week before Halloween. And so, mancat Evan thought he'd show you what a good ghostbuster he is.

I guess Evan also takes down black cats? Don't worry, though, because he only does so with the imposter versions.

Evan thought he'd show you bits and pieces of his ghostbusting on Halloween itself. For today, how about all of the winning moves Evan used on the wannabe black cat?

That last shot may or may not be Evan doing a victory dance on his victim's body. 'Tis the season?

Happy Monday, friends!

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Festive Flashback Doodles of the Day

I still haven't shared a number of my favorite flashback Halloween doodles yet this year. So, how about two of them today? Since it's Mancat Monday, starring orange boy Evan, how about two doodles also starring none other than orange kitties?

Starting tomorrow, my goal is to share a new Halloween doodle every day over the next week. We'll see how well I do with that with life really happening these days, but I really hope to meet my goal. Either way, though, we'll also be sharing a few more flashback Halloween doodles over the next week, even alongside new doodles, because sharing some of my favorite old Halloween doodles helps me feel spookily festive. Anyway. Enough with the rambling, yeah?

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Halloween Tip of the Day

Today's Halloween tip is to know your local area's trick-or-treat details in order to be prepared, whether or not you are handing out candy or otherwise joining in on the festivities. Two of the important things to know are when trick-or-treat hours are, and what indicates whether trick-or-treaters should come to your door. Like last year, this year there may be some other special instructions to learn, thanks to pandemic life. It's important to know these Halloween festivity details so that you can have your pup or kitty home from a walk before traffic increases, for example, or to have your black cats and other furbabies safely inside before people begin filling the streets in search of tricks or treats. If you are handing out candy, it's good to know trick-or-treat hours so that you can have your kitty or pup tucked securely away from the door before the first trick-or-treaters arrive. In many areas, a house with its porch light on is one where trick-or-treaters can go for some loot. In the event that you're handing out candy, be sure to only have your porch light on when you're furbaby is in a safe area of the home, again away from the door. If you are not handing out candy, it's of course still important to know the hours and other details of Halloween festivities in your area. This will ensure that you can have your porch light off at the correct hours, in order to avoid knocks at the door or the doorbell ringing and scaring your furbaby needlessly. It's always good to be informed of the details of anything that might affect your furbaby, and that includes Halloween night festivities.

Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello, friends! Are you ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? We are, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.


1. Every October, I _________.

2. If I were going to a costume party, I would go as _________.

3. _________ is my favorite scary story.

4. I would _________ if there were a zombie apocalypse.

My answers are below in bold.

1. Every October, I feel like time flies.
(It always feels like summer trudges along at a snail's pace as I wait for my favorite months of the year, October being at the top of that list. Then, once October does roll around, it feels like it passes by in a flash. That pretty much goes for the entire last quarter of the year, actually.)

2. If I were going to a costume party, I would go as a cat.
(Cliché? Yes? Well, that won't change my answer. I don't do parties, but when I hand out candy on Halloween, I dress up in a giant black cat onesie I have, complete with ears, whiskers, and a tail. You can't go wrong with a cat.)

3. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is my favorite scary story.

(This is one of those questions for which I might have a different answer depending on the day you ask me. Though I've read the book The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and actually enjoy it, the book itself is not really what I'm claiming to be my favorite. What I like is the overall ambience of the story, or the atmosphere. I've always been drawn to dark, macabre concepts, and the imagery of the Headless Horseman is one of my favorites.)

4. I would live an introvert's dream life if there were a zombie apocalypse.
(Zombie apocalypse, you say? I'll just stay in my house with my furbabies, thank you very much. That's what I prefer doing on any given day anyway. Obviously there would be a lot more to it than that, but my family and I often joke that a zombie apocalypse might be what it takes to really enjoy some true isolation away from society. That is, until the walking dead show up at your door looking for their next meal.)

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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Are you ready for your Eddy fix? Just like the other kitties and even the pup this week, Eddy was a tad bit haunted during this photo shoot.

First of all, can I just comment on how gorgeous Eddy's eyes are? Well, at least the one eye you can see there. I'm totally not biased or anything. Her eyes are just the most beautiful aquamarine, and that photo does them no justice at all.

Oh, and Eddy heard that her nemesis, that is calico Tonks, gave the ghostly invader a little kiss this week. Not to be outdone, Eddy did so as well.

Have a fantastic Friday, friends!

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Festive Flashback Doodles of the Day

Since I mentioned The Legend of Sleep Hollow and its Headless Horseman in my fill-ins today, how about this flashback doodle?

Actually, why not this one as well?

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Tip of the Day

Today's Halloween tip is one we're sure you all know, and it's to practice proper door safety. We mention this regularly. This is of course most relevant if you are handing out candy on Halloween night, or if you are hosting a Halloween party with a number of arriving guests. Knocks on the door, the doorbell, children or adults in strange costumes, and all of the hustle and bustle of Halloween can scare some furbabies. On the other hand, some cats or dogs might enjoy guests, and so they might be attracted to the door on Halloween. Either way, if you have increased traffic at the door on Halloween, there is always the chance that your kitty or pup could escape if proper precautions are not taken. This is why it is important to practice proper door safety, so that you can avoid escapes.

There are of course a number of options for keeping a cat or dog from escaping out a busy door on Halloween. First, you can set up a safe room for your cat or dog and keep them in there during the Halloween festivities, so that they have no ability to escape from the house when people show up at the front door. Depending on how your house is set up and how determined your kitty or pup is to reach the door, you can also put up baby gates or pet gates to keep a cat or dog in an area of the house away from the door. If your furbaby is leash trained, and as long as the leash is securely held, your kitty or pup can also be kept safe in the house by attaching them to their leash, with of course someone or something holding said leash. You best know your furbaby as well as the setup of your home, so use whatever method is the safest, most surefire way of keeping your kitty or pup from escaping out a busy door on nights like Halloween.

Thankful Thimble Thursday

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! We're ready to get right to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

As always, a cute little tabby named Thimble is here to express her gratitude, and today Thimble is grateful that she's adorable even when she's blurry and not the center of a photo. She's also thankful she's not as weird as this here human mom of hers.

Thimble is not at all impressed with that sign on the wall. Not only does it star exactly zero kitties, but just look at this thing.

Sorry you don't like the sign, Thimble. As a fan of horror movies and all things Halloween, though, this here human quite enjoys this little thing. My sister got it for me for my birthday this year, and it hangs up all year round, because why not. It's an homage to some of my favorite movies to watch especially during this time of the year.

And don't worry, next week you'll get a lot more of Thimble's adorable face. Though, I can't promise she won't have a spooky little intruder with her. After all, next week will even more so be all about Halloween here on our blog.

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Now, how about the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge? My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. Every October, I _________.

2. If I were going to a costume party, I would go as _________.

3. _________ is my favorite scary story.

4. I would _________ if there were a zombie apocalypse.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Halloween Tip of the Day

Just yesterday, we gave the tip to avoid walking your pup or kitty on Halloween during trick-or-treat hours, in order to avoid the increased foot and road traffic that could lead to dangerous situations. On the other hand, today's tip involves some ideas for staying safe should you and your furbaby find yourselves out and about on Halloween night. If you're out on a walk on Halloween night, or any night for that matter, be sure to take a flashlight, as well your cell phone in case of emergency. At the same time, though, don't be distracted by using your phone instead of observing your surroundings. What's more, ensure that your furbaby's leash and collar include reflectors, and that you yourself are wearing reflectors in some way, so that both of you can remain seen and safe.

Another important factor if walking with your furbaby on Halloween night is to know where it might be safest to walk. Obviously, dark alleys are not the way to go, but you also want to ensure that you don't end up with a scared furbaby on the busiest trick-or-treating street. So, if you must head out for a stroll with your furbaby during trick-or-treat hours, think ahead about what route you should take. As we previously hinted, it should be a safe, well-lit area, but also one that won't be hustling and bustling with trick-or-treaters. This is especially important if the pup or kitty being walked is skittish or aggressive in any way. All in all, think ahead and make plans for where you can most safely take a walk with your furbaby should you need to go out on Halloween night.

Also, one last note we want to make is to watch your furbaby closely when walking them on Halloween, as well as on the following days. Trick-or-treaters might leave behind candy, candy wrappers, parts of costumes, or other unsafe goods. So, do keep an eye on that furbaby and make sure nothing unsafe makes it to their mouth when walking during the Halloween season, and year round.

Adventures with Astrid: This Is Boo Sheet

It's been just over a week since Astrid's surgery to fix the torn CCL in her knee, and all things considered, Astrid is doing great. What I mean by that is she's already able to walk on her leg again, and that makes Astrid very happy, and much more active than she's supposed to be. Astrid is ready to get to her regularly scheduled programming, but the timeline of her instructed recovery means she can't go off of her cage rest until nearly Christmas. And you better believe the pup herself thinks this is all a bunch of boo sheet.

We've had to get creative in our ways of keeping both Astrid and ourselves somewhat happy and sane. Even so, Astrid wanted to show you all the cookie she got that pretty much describes her life right now.

Astrid hopes you all can see the abuse in this photo. She's locked in a cage. Her doctor even ordered this abuse. The horror!

Honestly, Astrid is only in her cage in this photo because her beloved Pawpaw (this here human's dad) came over. That's actually his hand passing her the cookie. That said, Astrid loves her Pawpaw so much that we have to crate her when he first arrives at our house because otherwise she'll do all the no-no things, like jump four feet into the air and thereby probably bust her new knee. We'd like to skip that part, so cage it is when Pawpaw arrives.

But don't worry, Astrid didn't have to stay in her cage. She didn't even have to eat her cookie in her cage.

That there is actually one of the many makeshift ways we're keeping Astrid and ourselves happy and sane. Though Astrid is crate trained, she is not happy about having to be in there all the time. So, we've created a couple of small areas of the house where she essentially gets sequestered. That usually involves dragging over random things to block her from escaping, and from getting on nearby furniture. Because she's stubborn, Astrid is also usually tied to something heavy, such as a coffee table or something of the sort.

Oh, and you can see her nicely shaved leg in that last photo. Her incision is on the interior of her leg, so you can't see it, which is a good thing, because it's a big one. What you can see on her knee in this photo is a great big skin tag she has. This girl has grown all sorts of lumps and bumps in her older age, most of them being harmless fatty lipomas, but even so, her vet and we are doing our best to keep an eye on them all.

All of that rambling aside, since it's Halloween season, how about one more photo of Astrid? This one was taken before the pup's surgery. Actually, it was taken before she even tore her CCL. It was also taken in her favorite window, which she can't use the couch to access until December. Poor girl. But, at least that means maybe this ghost in the window won't be able to haunt her?

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Festive Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

We're 19 days in, and our Halloween tips are still going. And, indeed, we have another Halloween-inspired tip for you today.

Yesterday, we mentioned the importance of keeping black cats, and of course all furbabies, indoors on Halloween to prevent them from becoming victims of tricks and pranks. Today's tip is similar, and it is to avoid going on a walk with your dog, or even your kitty, during trick-or-treat hours. This is for a number of reasons, including the obvious one that foot traffic, and even potentially car traffic, will be increased during trick-or-treat hours. This is something that could pose a risk especially for skittish dogs or cats, as they might become frightened of the Halloween hustle and bustle. What's more, not only will more people be out and about on Halloween night, making extra traffic and noise, but many of them will be dressed in strange and potentially frightening costumes. These factors could lead a nervous dog or cat to panic, and to potentially get loose and lost. Of course, increased traffic could also lead to accidents and injuries, such as if a nervous or excited dog or cat gets loose and makes their way into the street. All in all, it is important to always take into consideration your furbaby's safety, which might very well mean house arrest during those trick-or-treat hours on Halloween night.