Tonks Tuesday and the Ghostly Sniff Test

Just like Evan did in yesterday's post, today Tonks is giving our chronically loitering ghostly pal a sniff test.

Not only did the calico girl find the ghost a tad bit stinky, but she also found him boring. After all, though it's a bit hard to tell, Tonks is yawning in this next one.

Now, we mentioned last week how Tonks and Thimble went to the vet for their annual exams and senior panels. Tonks lost some weight, but the only concern on her bloodwork was elevated eosinophils. This can be caused by allergies, which Tonks does indeed have. This poor girl does a lot of itching and scratching this time of the year, and so her vet believes that elevated value on her bloodwork is indeed due to those pesky allergies. I will be keeping an eye on her weight, as one other more unlikely yet still potential cause for the increased eosinophils on her bloodwork is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Currently, though, Tonks is incredibly active and happy, and aside from weight loss she's showing no signs that would indicate she has IBD. She's not considered underweight at this point, but she doesn't have much to lose.

As always, I'll be keeping an eye on Tonks and trying to get the picky girl to eat better. I scoured pretty much every store in town for some of the finicky girl's hard-to-find favorite foods, and I was actually pretty successful in finding a few of the flavors at unexpected places. She's eating a bit better now with those as options, though she always has been and always will be one of those kitties who simply is a picky eater.

Thimble will give you all an update on her blood results on Thursday. Right now Thimble is doing good, but her bloodwork indicates a couple of potential future issues that I'm trying to research and purchase hopefully preventative supplements for. More on that Thursday.

Have a terrifyingly terrific Tuesday, friends!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

On Saturday I shared a flashback Halloween doodle starring a kitty and its amputated, sentient leg. The whole thing was inspired by Thing from The Addams Family and Wednesday. Today's flashback spooky doodle also includes that kitty and its Thing-like leg.

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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 it's of course kindest not to force such furbabies 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 trying to remove the costume or 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.

Evan Gets Ghosted on Mancat Monday

It's Mancat Monday, and poor Evan is having to share the spotlight. With whom? Well, let's just say he got ghosted.

Evan spent an undue amount of time sniffing that ghostly pal of ours up and down. I'm not sure what he smells on him, but Evan seemed to find it offensive. Don't worry, though, because that little phantom only haunted Evan for a short time.

Evan and all of us here wish you a magnificent, preferably ghost-free Monday!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since my orange boy snapped a photo with our friendly ghost for today, this doodle seemed like a good one to share.

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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 anywhere your furbaby can reach. 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.

Sunday Selfies with Pumpkinhead and a Blurry Black Cat

It's Sunday, and we have some rather odd selfies to share for The Cat on My Head's Sunday Selfies Blog Hop.

In a recent post, I commented on how I have a number of Halloween decor pieces that are handmade by various local crafters. As I mentioned, there are a lot of October craft fairs in my area, and it makes me so happy to see vendors selling crafty Halloween pieces. Today I'm sharing one such bit of handmade Halloween decor that I've had for probably a decade now. Helping share this piece's selfie is a blurry black kitty, that being our housemate Winky.

I actually didn't buy this handcrafted pumpkin-headed fellow. I was a vendor at this craft fair 10 years ago, and there were various raffles and prizes in which the vendors could participate. I won this one, and I remember some of the other vendors kind of laughing at this grungy guy that I won. I didn't know why they were laughing, because I loved this thing from the moment I set eyes on it. I love oddball, one-of-a-kind pieces like this, and I get so excited to put this guy in his rightful place every Halloween season.

Winky found out about the upcoming day known as Tocktober and wanted to get a head start, so she of course wanted to share that there blurry buttocks of hers in one of these shots. Oh, and that precarious spot isn't where Mr. Pumpkinhead actually goes. Both Tonks and Winky were helping me decorate on this day, and I had to wait until they were preoccupied elsewhere to put him where he goes because otherwise they were getting real handsy pawsy with him.

All of us wish all of you a wonderfully spooky Sunday!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's selfies involve a pumpkinhead and a black kitty, so this weird flashback doodle seemed apt enough.

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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 and the wildlife.

Caturday Art: It's Creepy and It's Kooky

While I work on coloring in more of this year's new Halloween doodles this weekend, today we're sharing a flashback. I scribbled this one up just last year, and I was inspired to draw it after rewatching the Wednesday show on Netflix. You know how the Addams family includes Thing, the disembodied hand? Well, last year I suddenly had a story idea that involved a character much like that, except for the feline sort. My disembodied paw is still buddies with its source material, though. I know it's weird, and I'll never deny that, but I'd honestly love to get around to writing this story idea in the not too distant future.

Shall I stop rambling and just share the doodle already? Yes? Here you go.

Have a creepy and kooky Caturday!

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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. We're talking about those 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.

Friendly Fill-ins and Eddy's Festive Feline Friend

Hello, 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. My plans for October include _________ and _________.

2. Sometimes it is easier to _________ than _________.

3. I didn't mean to _________, but it turned out that way.

4. I'd rather deal with a haunted _________ than a haunted _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. My plans for October include more yard work and all things Halloween.

(A few weeks ago I finally got all the overgrowth and volunteer trees cut down in my yard and piled it all up in the back of my yard. This upcoming week starts the free yard waste pickup days my city offers in the autumn, so now it's time to get out there and get all the cut debris bundled up for the city to haul it away. Aside from that, this month I do still want to finish all of my Halloween doodles, work on my current Halloween writing project, do some Halloween baking, read more Halloween books and watch more horror movies, and all that Halloween jazz.)

2. Sometimes it is easier to give Eddy her way than to negotiate with the tabby terrorist.
(My kitties usually get their way, but there are times and situations when I'd kind of like a say in things. Most of my kitties humor me enough to allow for this. Except for Eddy. She's my skittish, semi-feral girl, and she wants what she wants and doesn't want what she doesn't want. If she wants to rip the entire bottom out of my bed's box spring, she's doing to do it. If she doesn't want me to medicate or handle her without bloodshed on my part, I don't have any say in the matter. I love my wild girl so much, and she's going to get her way.)

3. I didn't mean to schedule three vet appointments for one day, but it turned out that way.

(I did actually mean to schedule two appointments, when I took Thimble and Tonks together for back-to-back appointments this week. Evan's grooming appointments are often auto-scheduled, though, because he goes every two weeks. I didn't have his grooming schedule in front of me when I made Thimble and Tonks's appointments, and so I noticed later that they were all hours apart on the same day. So, this past Wednesday, I dropped Evan off at grooming before work, went back to the vet and took him home when he was done, went back to work, and then went back home and to the vet with Thimble and Tonks at 4 pm. It was an eventful day.)

4. I'd rather deal with a haunted piece of furniture than a haunted house.

(I read a book a while back that involved a haunted house, but it also included pieces of furniture that were individually haunted. I'd like to think I could destroy or otherwise dispose of a piece of furniture that's giving me trouble. If you've got a whole haunted house on your hands, though, that sounds far more intimidating and like a far bigger headache with a far bigger pile of paperwork.)

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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Last week, Eddy shared some photos of her hanging out with our usual ghost pal that haunts us every spooky season. This week, Eddy has some bloopers to share of her excitement to hang out with our freakily festive kitty friend.

Eddy isn't keen on most real, in-the-flesh and in-the-fur cats, but she was more than happy to give this stuffed one a head rub and purrs.

Of course, in true Eddy style, all the photos from this meetup were blurry bloopers.

Eddy and all of us here wish you a wonderfully freaky Friday!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

I'm a big fan of Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, especially the creepy concept of the Headless Horseman. A few years ago, I recreated that concept, but of course with cats.

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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 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.

Thankful Thimble Thursday with a Not-So-Spooky Tushy

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! Thimble is of course here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful that she has an adorable tushy that makes our Halloween decor look even better.

This particular photo shoot resulted in all bloopers from this tabby girl, as she was just too excited to sit still.

These photos were taken when I still had a bunch of our decor just sitting on the table, waiting to be put somewhere half sensible. Thimble was having fun claiming it all as hers. Then I brought in our usual ghost pal as well as the black kitty we've shared before, and that made her even more excited.

All that Halloween fun aside, Thimble (who is 11 years old) as well as Tonks (who is 7 years old) went in for their annual exams and senior panels yesterday. We're still waiting on the results to come in at some point today, but overall our vet was happy with how they both look. Last year they both needed multiple teeth removed due to resorptive lesions, but this year their teeth look good, so I'm very grateful for that.

I'm especially eager to get the blood results because Tonks lost a somewhat decent amount of weight for an already relatively small girl. She has steadily weighed around 9.5 lbs for a few years now, and yesterday she weighed in at 8.8 lbs. I myself don't really see the weight loss on her, and she's also thankfully still incredibly active and playful and just her usual happy self. She's always been a picky eater and only wants canned food, but her most favorite flavors have all been incredibly difficult to find anywhere lately. I have over 20 flavors of canned cat food at home right now, and she likes only about a quarter of them. And even those are often rejected, even when she comes in begging for food. This isn't new for her, though, and I really hope her bloodwork all comes back looking okay. Her vet said that otherwise Tonks looks great and he would not consider her underweight right now, but that she's a small girl and can't stand to lose much more. I completely agree, and so I'm already amping up my attempts to find more brands and flavors of food to try and get her to eat more.

I've rambled enough, haven't I?

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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. My plans for October include _________ and _________.

2. Sometimes it is easier to _________ than _________.

3. I didn't mean to _________, but it turned out that way.

4. I'd rather deal with a haunted _________ than a haunted _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Thimble and Tonks informed me that being shoved into boxes and taken to a place where they were poked and prodded yesterday was nothing short of a horror show. So, for today they asked me to share a doodle that demonstrates that. This one seemed apt enough.

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Tip of the Day

It's 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. Of course, it is 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 certain veterinary clinics. 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 veterinary care in an emergency situation. 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.

Woof Woof Wednesday with Angel Astrid and Our Ghostly Pal

Pretty much every year the furry babies share photos of a certain little fellow who haunts us during the spooky season. I wish I'd gotten a new photo or two of my pup Astrid with our annual ghostly pal before she passed in September, but I do have lots of photos of my sweet angel pup Astrid with him in the past.

Astrid was such a good sport about me shoving props at her. She'd always humor me, or at least tolerate me. Sometimes she even seemed happy about it.

I'm so glad I have memories like this with my sweet Astrid. I hope you all can enjoy a smile as happy as Astrid's, today and every day.

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Spooky Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is a few years old and a bit chaotic, but it's one of my favorite Halloween doodles I've ever scribbled up. It stars my kitties as well as angel pup Astrid, all doing my favorite thing to do on Halloween night—staying home to watch scary movies and eat candy.

I'm still working on new Halloween doodles for this year. I actually have nearly a dozen of them outlined, and I just need to actually color them in and all that jazz. The only one I haven't outlined yet is the one I want to share on Halloween itself, which will have a similar vibe as the one above, but with some new (and hopefully improved) details.

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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.