Tonks Tuesday with the Halloween Decorating Assistant

It's Tonks Tuesday, and today the calico wanted to show you all how helpful she is when her human of a mom is decorating for Halloween. After all, the below photo was taken when I was trying to decorate this shelf, but I was getting lots of help from Tonks and her curious paws. That's why the shelf is still a chaotic mess here, because Tonks wouldn't let me make it anything else. And I'm more than happy for the adorable calico's expert help.

I think every shelf in that photo has some piece of handmade Halloween decor. My area has a lot of craft fairs in October, and I love when the vendors sell Halloween goodies. I need to get some closeups of the handmade Halloween pieces, as they're barely visible in this chaotic photo.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a spooky and kooky day!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is another old illustration from a story I started years ago and that I hope to someday get back to. The drawing stars my angel Rosie at a library on Halloween night. Because why not.

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Tip of the Day

Today's Halloween tip relates to Halloween parties or other festivities of that nature. There are a number of potential dangers that such gatherings can pose. First, parties mean that guests are arriving, which means the door will be a busy place. When guests are arriving, keep your kitty or pup away from the door, such as by secluding them to a safe area away from the door, so that there is no chance of them escaping the house. Sometimes it might also be best to keep your furbaby secluded to a safe area during Halloween or other similar parties, for their continued safety. There will be extra foot traffic in the house when there are guests, which could potentially lead to your furbaby getting stepped on or otherwise injured.

In addition, there could be toxic foods present at a Halloween party, such as alcohol or chocolate. If your furbaby steals a taste of such foods, or if unwitting guests feed your kitty or pup treats of chocolate or other foods, there could be dangerous side effects. There is a variety of dangers to your cat or dog that can be present at festivities. Therefore, always do what you must to ensure your furbaby's safety during Halloween or other parties. Even if your kitty or pup is friendly and enjoys the company of others, there are still many dangers for a kitty or pup when gatherings are hosted at their home. If there is any doubt for their safety, or simply to prevent any accidental dangers, keep your kitty or pup confined to a safe area of the home during festive gatherings.

Mancat Monday with Evan and a Kooky Friend

In yesterday's post, Tonks shared some selfies with a piece of black kitty Halloween decor that I keep out year round at our house. I mentioned how the kitties have a kicker toy in a similar style, and I was able to get Evan to reluctantly pose with said kooky kitty toy. See?

Evan wasn't the most cooperative for this photo shoot, which is totally fine and understandable. You can see a treat in front of Evan there, and that's because moments before there was a whole pile of goodies to distract the orange boy. I'm not sure why he left that one treat, but maybe he was sharing with his little friend.

Evan and all of us here wish you a happily kooky Monday!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday's Halloween tip was the obvious recommendation to keep candy away from your furbaby, since chocolate and other such goodies are indeed toxic to kitties and pups. Today, we're going a tad bit further and reminding you that even the inedible parts of candy can pose a risk to our furbabies. We're referring to candy wrappers, sucker sticks, and other candy-related bits and bobs. These remnants of a scrumptious piece of candy can smell and taste good to a pup or kitty, and might therefore end up in their mouth. If ingested, wrappers, sucker sticks, and the like could result in gastrointestinal distress or more serious bowel obstruction or perforation. So, needless to say, don't only keep candy out of your furbaby's reach, but also wrappers and other leftovers after the candy itself is gone. Put any trash left behind by candy in a secure trash can where you kitty or pup cannot get to it, in order to keep your furbaby happy and healthy.

Sunday Selfies with Tonks and Her Not-So-Spooky Feline Friend

We have failed to participate in The Cat on My Head's Sunday Selfie Blog Hop in quite some time. Like I mentioned yesterday, though, I'm really trying to post every day in October. That means we indeed have some selfies to share today. These star Tonks, but she got some help from a not-so-spooky feline friend.

That there black kitty was from Target's Halloween line a few years ago. The kitties have a similar, smaller version in the form of a kicker toy. This kooky kitty stays out at our house year round.

Now, are you ready for Tonks's bloopery selfies with her Halloween friend?

If you look at Tonks's blurry yawn in that last photo, you'll notice that she only has one single canine tooth. Almost exactly one year ago today, both Tonks and Thimble went in for dental procedures to have some unhealthy teeth removed. Thimble lost more overall teeth, but Tonks lost three of her four canines, leaving her with just the upper right one. Her yawns are looking a little extra cute these days.

Have a spooky good Sunday, friends!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since today's selfies co-star a certain black cat, today we'll share a flashback Halloween doodle that stars two other sorts of black cats.

I remember having a lot of fun with that there doodle. It has all sorts of my favorite Halloween things, like carving pumpkins, scary movies, spooky and kooky decor, and all sorts of other freakishly festive fun.

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Tip of the Day

We're just in the early stages of our October-long Halloween tips. Today, how about we get one of the most common Halloween tips out of the way? That's right, today we're talking about candy. The long and short of it is that you should never leave candy sitting out where your furbaby can find it and help themselves. Whether it be candy you're saving for yourself, or the candy dish you've prepared for those trick-or-treaters, always keep it well hidden from the kitties and pups.

As you all certainly know, chocolate can be very toxic to our furbabies. Another candy danger includes artificial sweeteners like xylitol, which can be found in sugar-free candy, among other foods and goods. This candy discussion can also include raisins, and the double whammy that is chocolate-covered raisins. After all, raisins are toxic to kitties and pups just like chocolate is. To be on the safe side, no matter what kind of candy you're handing out this Halloween or have around the house, keep it hidden away from curious paws and maws.

In the event that your furbaby finds the candy, know the potential signs of toxicity. These can vary, and might include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or even neurological symptoms. Should you think or know that your furbaby has gotten into your candy stash, or should you observe any signs of toxicity, do not hesitate to seek veterinary assistance. It also does not hurt to have on hand a poison control number, such as the ASPCA at 1-888-426-4435.

Baturday Caturday Art

I'm trying really hard to share a blog post all 31 days of October. Weekends often get excessively hectic with little time for booting up the computer, and so I've somehow gotten in the habit of only posting during the workweek. But, for this spooky season, it's my goal to post every day.

So, I do have a new doodle to share today for Athena's Caturday Art Blog Hop. It indeed stars a cat. Well, it stars two cats. Sort of. I took some artistic liberties with this one.

This drawing was inspired by an image I stumbled upon online. It was months ago that I saw that other piece, which portrayed similar-ish cat bats flying above a Halloween-ish setting. My cat bat looks very different from the ones in the image I saw, though. Actually, this whole drawing looks completely different from that one. But, what I can say is that the other art piece inspired me to draw my own cat bat, and this is what I ended up with. The kitty pumpkin turned out looking far more peeved than I intended, but the end result seems fitting enough.

Have a kooky Caturday, friends!

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Tip of the Day

Our month-long Halloween tips continue. We've mentioned being aware of what decorations you use, and of course keeping in mind your furbaby's safety. Today we're expanding on that. We're here to remind you to also keep in mind wildlife, as well as stray and feral cats, when decorating outdoors. Cords to light strands, for example, can be just as dangerous to outdoor animals as they can be to indoor animals. The same goes for candles, such as those in jack-o'-lanterns that you might set up on your porch. So for the safety of animals outdoors, keep cords outdoor-safe, and keep them as safely and securely hidden as possible. Just as we mentioned for indoor furbabies, you can use battery-operated or other artificial candles to prevent burns or fires when lighting jack-o'-lanterns outdoors. Again, though, do keep in mind that batteries and plastic pieces can also pose threats to animals.

One other particular outdoor Halloween decoration we want to address are artificial cobwebs. Please use these with caution, or don't use them at all. These fake cobwebs could lead to animals outdoors becoming dangerously tangled. What's more, ingesting them can lead to issues such as bowel obstruction. Decorations such as artificial cobwebs might be fun and festive, but always keep the safety of both indoor and outdoor animals in mind when using any such products.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Ghostly Pal

Hello and happy Friday, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, 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. It's impossible to _________ when you _________.

2. _________ is great until _________.

3. I wish I could solve the mystery of _________.

4. _________ is one of the creepiest _________ I've ever encountered.


My answers are below in bold.

1. It's impossible to stay sad when you are surrounded by kitties.
(I've had some sad days lately, especially since losing Astrid. Though I still wish every day that I could have my precious pup back, my kitties have made the grief easier to bear. They always know how to make me feel happy and grateful, even in dark times.)

2. Finding a new favorite books series is great until it ends.
(It's also sad when you find a new series of books that's unfinished and you read through all the available ones and then have to start waiting for the new ones. I mentioned how last year I started a fantasy series that I now love, one of the main characters being a talking tortie Persian cat. When I started the series there were already six books out, some of them being nearly 700 pages long, and I loved every single one. Within a few months of me finishing those the seventh book came out. I read it immediately, and now I'm again waiting for the next book. The only thing that'll be worse than the wait is when the last book comes out and I'll have no more of them to read at all.)

3. I wish I could solve the mystery of the dead pumpkin patch.
(For the past few years, my parents and I have planted a pumpkin patch in their back yard. It's been really successful up until this year, when all of the pumpkins started growing wonderfully before they all just suddenly died. The only guess I have is that a certain beetle we kept seeing might have destroyed them, but this was never an issue in the past, and so it's still a bit of a mystery. I hope to solve it so that next year's pumpkins survive.)

4. The Amityville Horror is one of the creepiest books I've ever encountered.

(I don't believe I'm very easy to scare. I've read lots of books deemed scary, but the only one that's truly given me the creeps all the way through was The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson. The only other one that's come even close to scaring me was Pet Sematary by Stephen King. I love a good scare, so if anyone has a book recommendation that might terrify me, please do share.)

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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Fair warning, though it's also probably not a surprise, that most of the spooky shots Eddy has to share this year are bloopers of some sort. I did get all the kitties to participate in Halloween photo shoots last weekend, but Eddy is the prime example of a kitty who doesn't believe in sitting still for the camera. Especially not when she's handed spooky props to investigate.

Save for the lighting that turned Eddy into a silhouette, that one up there isn't that blurry. I can't say the same for the next one, when she chose to get handsy pawsy with her ghostly pal.

Eddy hopes you're all having a fantastically spooky season!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Our past two Halloween tips were about potential hazards of Halloween decorations. Wreaths, garland, and festive trinkets can pose dangers, as can candles in or out of jack-o'-lanterns. And, of course, don't forget cords for strands of lights or other decor. Relating to these previous decor tips, today we're talking about ways you can keep your furbaby safe while also getting festive.

First, of course, keep any and all potentially hazardous items high off of the ground, or out of the reach of your furbaby in any other way necessary. In addition to this, you can tape down or tuck away cords to lights or other decor. There are even pet-safe and child-safe cord covers, under which cords can be tucked away from curious paws. But, what about when it comes to candles? Aside from refraining from burning them, or keeping them out of reach or in a room away from your furbaby, you can try battery-operated or other similar artificial candles. You can use safer option in festive candle holders, or even to light your jack-o'-lanterns. Of course, though, do keep in mind that batteries and plastic parts and pieces can also pose their own risks to furbabies. So, while fake candles might not burn your furbaby, it is still wise to keep an eye on your furbaby around such items, especially if your kitty or pup is a chewer.

A Thankful Thursday Brought to You by Tonks

It's Thursday, and on a rare occasion, Thimble has agreed to just this once let Tonks take over for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Yesterday, in my precious angel Astrid's first Halloween post of the season, I mentioned how I bought her spooky cookies from the pet store before she significantly declined and gained her angel wings. This is the selection of cookies I picked for her this year.

It truly breaks my heart that Astrid never got to eat those. As I mentioned yesterday, I'll likely give some of those to the neighbor dog. A couple of those designs have some sentimental meaning given the circumstances around which Astrid had them in the past. This especially goes for the mummy. After all, Astrid had three surgeries in Octobers throughout her life, and each time I'd get her a mummy cookie to celebrate being all bandaged up. I'm working on figuring out how to use resin and anything else I need to preserve and display at least the mummy cookie in Astrid's honor.

All that said, where does Tonks come into this? Well, Tonks helped inspect Astrid's cookies when I brought them home and took the annual festive food photo this year.

Tonks did the same thing with last year's Halloween cookies. Last year's selection was much bigger, but I was devastated that they didn't have the usual mummy cookie then. See him missing from last year's lineup?

Sweet Astrid also supervised last year's Halloween cookie photo shoot.

Don't worry, because Astrid got to eat a cookie early last year, since she noticed their arrival and watched their photo shoot. Though, she wasn't the first one who got a bite of last year's cookies.

Tonks is always ready to help with anything and everything, apparently including taste testing dog cookies.

The calico left behind the icing chunks she removed, so I guess she deemed it unworthy. Astrid certainly enjoyed every last one of those cookies, though.

Tonks as well as my angel Astrid hope you all get to enjoy some festive food this season!

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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. It's impossible to _________ when you _________.

2. _________ is great until _________.

3. I wish I could solve the mystery of _________.

4. _________ is one of the creepiest _________ I've ever encountered.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Depending on when you see this post, you might notice that today's doodle will be serving as our Halloween blog banner. This is another one I scribbled up as an illustration for a story that I hope to someday get back to writing, when the time is right. That story as well as this doodle star my angel Rosie.

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Tip of the Day

As we mentioned yesterday, we're dedicating October to tips all about Halloween. We already discussed keeping wreaths, garland, and other similar Halloween decor either pet-friendly or out of your furbaby's reach. Today, we're expanding on this with a tip that we've covered in a variety of ways in past tips. We're talking, yet again, about candles. This time of year, candles often become more popular because of cool weather, and because of the delicious scents often associated with this season of autumn. What's more, candles often come into play when we carve jack-o'-lanterns. Jack-o'-lanterns can pose just as much of a risk as open candle flames. Curious paws or faces, or even wagging tails, could be burned by candles out in the open or those in a pumpkin. Fire could also result if a kitty or pup knocks over a candle, or a jack-o'-lantern containing a candle.

For the above reasons and more, light plain candles or those in jack-o'-lanterns only if they are safely out of reach of your furbaby, even if that means lighting them in a room not accessible to your kitty or pup. It is also of course best that candles or jack-o'-lanterns be left lit only if you are available to monitor the situation. If you are not able to keep an eye on a candle, jack-o'-lantern, and nearby furbabies, then do not leave any flames lit.

Candles and jack-o'-lanterns can make for very festive decor. However, flames can of course pose a risk to your furbaby, and also to your home in general. Therefore, always put the safety of your furbaby and everyone else in the home first when it comes to fiery festivities this time of year.

Kicking off Spooky Season with Angel Astrid

As I mentioned last week, Wednesdays will still be dedicated to my now angel Astrid. Now that spooky season has officially begun, I wish so badly I'd gotten even just one or two autumnal photos of Astrid this year before she passed in early September. I put up my indoor Halloween decorations a week before she passed, but she happily spent most of her time in the back yard on her last days. So, I didn't have many chances to photograph her next to any of my spooky decor.

I also bought her Halloween cookies from the pet store in late August, and while I got photos of the cookies themselves, Astrid was also snoozing in the back yard on that day and so I never got any photos with her modeling them like in years past. She also never got to eat any of them, which breaks my heart. While I will likely give some of them to the neighbor dog, I do have a plan to preserve and craft with one or two of the most sentimental cookie designs that I got Astrid every year. I'll share that when I've managed it.

All that said, I have lots and lots of flashback photos and memories of Astrid from autumns and Halloweens that I was blessed enough to spend with my sweet pup. So, for today, how about Astrid in her Halloween sweater? I bought it for her a couple years ago, when she outgrew some of her other Halloween attire. She was 10 years old when I got her this sweater, and at that time she was still a very active girl.

Astrid ran around in that sweater on that very day there for quite some time. I remember it being cool, crisp, and just generally beautiful outside. It was Astrid's favorite weather, and she was one happy and slightly hyperactive pup that day. When she did finally settled down, I made sure to get a photo of the entire jack-o'-lantern's face on her back.

This sweater will absolutely be going in the keepsake box I'm putting together for Astrid. She spent many autumnal days and went on many autumnal walks in it.

I also wanted to share the above photos because of the below doodle, which is the first and so far only Halloween drawing I've completed for this year. I plan on scribbling up more drawings this week and all throughout October, but it was very important to me to get this doodle done first.

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Spooky Doodle of the Day

Today's brand new spooky doodle of course stars pup Astrid in none other than the festive sweater she's showing off in the photos above.

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Tip of the Day

Given how much we love Halloween here, we're going to make a series of tips on Halloween last all the way through October. We're going to start today with none other than the festive decorations. Most people might be more cognizant of their decorations and how they might affect the resident furbabies around Christmastime. However, also keep pet-safety in mind if you put up Halloween decorations. Halloween decorations can come in all shapes and sizes, such as wreaths, garland, and all sorts of trinkets and goodies in between. If you're anything like us, you have all sorts of black cats and pumpkins out on display this time of year. No matter what kind of decorations you put out, make sure that anything your furbaby might chew on is out of their reach. Small pieces of Halloween decor, or parts and pieces of off larger pieces of decor, could lead to choking, obstruction, or perforation of the bowel if ingested. So, while you don't have to refrain from being festive and decorating for Halloween (or any holiday), you simply need to take your kitty or pup's safety into consideration when placing all decor.