Friendly Fill-Ins and Flashback Festivities

Happy Friday, friends! We hope all of our US friends had a blessed Thanksgiving yesterday, and that your day was filled with family, friends, and lots of food.

Now, who's ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins? In case you missed them yesterday, we'll share the fill-in statements again here. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. Black Friday _________.

2. A pet peeve of mine at this time of year is _________.

3. 'Tis the season for _________.

4. I never jumped on the _________ bandwagon.

I took a turn to feel these in myself, and here's how I did:

1. Black Friday is the day I deck the halls.
(Though I am always beyond tempted to decorate my house for Christmas far earlier, I do try to give Thanksgiving its just due. The day after Thanksgiving, though, that's the day when the Christmas decorations come out and the house becomes a winter wonderland.)

2. A pet peeve of mine at this time of year is Elf on the Shelf.
(I mean no offense to anyone who uses Elf on the Shelf for their children, but I personally find the little guy creepy and unnecessary. For those who don't know, Elf on the Shelf is an elf doll that parents will place around the home, telling their kids that said elf is watching them to know who is being naughty and nice leading up to Christmas. I wouldn't want to see that little fellow floating around my house, and I just don't know that I, personally, agree with this tactic to get children to behave.)

3. 'Tis the season for 24/7 Christmas music.
(It's officially the time of year when I play Christmas music at home, in the car, at work, and pretty much anywhere I go. All the time. Nonstop.)

4. I never jumped on the pumpkin spice bandwagon.

(It seems like as soon as September hits, it's pumpkin spice everything. I've never partaken in that sentiment. Though I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice everything else is simply a no-go for me.)

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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Every Friday, you get your dose of Eddy girl. Today, you're getting a flashback dose of Eddy doing what she loves to do this time of year.

Eddy's favorite thing about the Christmas season is, by far, the Christmas tree. I don't even try to stop her anymore, because no one will get between her and her Christmas tree. I have simply learned to decorate the Christmas tree around Eddy. In other words, Eddy-induced ornament casualties resulted in said ornaments being hung from garland on the wall rather than on the tree.

Nowadays, my favorite ornament on the Christmas tree is Eddy.

Wishing you all a festive Friday!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

November is National Pet Diabetes Awareness Month. So, for the rest of the month, we'll be giving tips related to this disease. To begin, we'll start with a tip that you all certainly already know. And that is, to be very vigilant with regard to your furbaby's behavior and appearance, keeping an eye out for signs of diabetes, and of course for signs of any disease. How often is your kitty or pup drinking? How often are they urinating? What is the volume of their urine? The color of it? Has their appetite increased? Has it decreased? Does their fur look dry and dull? Are they less active than usual? Have any of these things changed recently? How recently? These are just some of the questions that, as a pet parent, you have to ask yourself on a regular basis. Regularly observe and check your kitty or pup for any changes in their behavior and appearance. What's more, as always, if you have any concerns, consult your veterinarian.

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

On this Thanksgiving here in the USA, all of us here are grateful for so much. We are thankful for our home, we are thankful for the food on our table and in our bellies, and we are thankful for each other.

We are also so very grateful for the angels who have been in our lives, most certainly including Angel Rosie, who stars (alongside her turkey friend, of course) in the Thanksgiving doodle you saw at the beginning of this post.

It goes without saying that we are also beyond grateful for all of you, for this wonderful blogging community. When we started blogging years ago, we had no idea we would make so many amazing friends, both furry and human. If this kind, compassionate, creative, and all around incredible blogging community isn't something for which to be grateful, I don't know what is.

To our friends in the USA, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

To our friends in the rest of the world, HAPPY THURSDAY!

Needless to say, our Thanksgiving thankfulness is our contribution to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

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Of course, we still have the fill-in statements to share with you all prior to tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. Black Friday _________.

2. A pet peeve of mine at this time of year is _________.

3. 'Tis the season for _________.

4. I never jumped on the _________ bandwagon.

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In case you are looking for our usual Thursday poem as part of the Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge, you'll find it on our post from yesterday instead. So, if you'd like to read that rhyme, just click here!

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Our Tip of the Day:

Our final Thanksgiving tip on this very Thanksgiving day is to be aware of your furbaby's safety if you are having a gathering at your home. Opening doors and foot traffic of course increase when guests arrive, which can put your kitty or pup in peril for more reasons than one. Begin by keeping your furbaby away from the door as guests arrive. What's more, you might also want to consider setting up a safe and quiet room where your furbaby can spend the majority of the holiday gathering. This is especially important if your kitty or pup is afraid of strangers, if he or she is active and might get stepped on or cause someone to trip, or if you think your guests might unwittingly give your furbaby dangerous scraps from the table. It's of course nice to think of your furbaby joining in on holiday festivities, but keep their safety in mind first and foremost.

Wordy Wednesday Rhyming

Our post today is different than our usual Wednesday post. Well, one thing is the way it usually is, and that's your dose of pup Astrid.

Now, though, we're doing things a little bit differently. Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the US, we're trying to keep tomorrow's post mostly focused on Thanksgiving and giving thanks. So, to keep tomorrow's post as focused on that as possible, we decided to share our usual Thursday poem today instead. That means we're participating in Angel Sammy and Teddy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge a day early this week. We hope our hosts don't mind.

Each week, our poetic hosts share a photo prompt to help spark our creativity. The photo for this week's poetry is this fun and fantastical one here:

As a fan of all things fantasy and whimsical, I was incredibly excited to see this image that our hosts shared. That being said, my mind was nevertheless also in a holiday mindset as I scribbled up my rhyme. That's how I ended up with this, as always, weird and wacky poem:

Garden Gnomes and Turnip Trolls

Each and every holiday,

Friends and family did invade.

This irked Jack the cat to no end,

And away these guests he wished to send.

This year, one invader brought eggnog,

As well as a bumbling and drooling mutt of a dog.
Jack was nothing if not old, wise, and grey,
So didn't he have the right to tell the invaders they could not stay?

Before he knew it, Jack the cat's home was swarming with folk,
Something which the feline had hoped was nothing but a joke.
Alas, though, guests were traipsing all over the place,
And that mutt of a dog was using the living room to run and race.

The turkey and its aroma were now emerging from the oven,
A fact that Jack the cat would, on most occasions, be loving.
Right now, though, he'd trade that turkey for some peace and quiet.
Instead, the house was turning into a place more fit for a riot.

As Jack moseyed past the turkey and pies and cranberry sauce,
Suddenly at his side appeared that bumbling, drooling dog.
The mutt said, "I have something I need to ask you.
Can you tell where I can go to the loo?"

Jack the cat growled and hissed,
But he didn't want the dog to, well, miss.
A fastidious feline, that's what Jack was,
And so toward the back door he gave the dog a shove.

Jack gazed out at the garden of turnips and mums,
And suddenly a chirruping and purring cat he did become.
"Come on, your loo is out here," he said to the dog,
Who did run and jump and annoyingly hop.

A gnome stood aside the mums, and the dog did cringe at the sight.
"Do you think that there gnome might, well, bite?"
"Unfortunately, no," Jack the cat replied,
As he glared at the gnome with a hiss and a sigh.

"Over there," Jack said as pointed to the turnips.
"Use the loo over there, and make it quicker than quick."
"Really?" the dog asked as it tilted its head and stalled.
"Won't that leave some folks a tad bit appalled?"

Jack waved a paw and told the dog, "Don't worry about that.
Now go do your business, and do it faster than fast."
At least the mutt proved himself obedient,
For he walked amongst the turnips, tiptoeing as he went.

Suddenly, the ground beneath the dog did jolt and roll.
Jack declared, "Oh, look, you've awoken the turnip troll!"
Getting cozy in the garden with a purr and a mew,
Jack said, "Don't make him mad, or he'll most definitely eat you."

"Oh me, oh my! I'm so sorry, Mr. Troll!"
The dog did quaver as behind a tree he hastily strolled.
"Please don't eat me!" the dog did yelp,
As he looked around, likely in search of help.

The troll, however, only let out an earth-shaking laugh.
Above the ground, of his bulbous head you could see only the upper half.
He said, "You're mighty funny, dog, yes, you sure are that!"
"Wait, you're not going to eat me?" the mutt whimpered and asked.
The troll questioned, "And what on earth makes you say that?"

Jack the cat could not help but huff and growl.
"Can't you be a proper old grouch of troll?" he hissed with a scowl.
The troll shifted beneath the ground and did ask,
"And why on earth would I go and do that?"

"If you were a truly trollish troll, you could scare away all these guests."
Jack shook out his fur as he added, "As it is, I'll be getting no rest."
"Oh, there are guests?" the troll did bellow.
The ground shook in a manner not even remotely mellow.
"Why don't they bring the party out here?" the turnip troll suggested.
"Around such festivities I would quite like to be amid."

Grumbling, Jack the cat turned to the gnome by the mums and hissed.
"I take it you don't have a single mean bone in your body either?" he asked, miffed.
The gnome's beady little eyes nearly popped out of its bearded little head.
"Why, of course not!" it declared, more serious than the dead.

"Fine," Jack the cat had no choice but to say.
"Just use whatever loo you must, dog, and don't delay.
If I must put up with all this nonsense at the house in which I reside,
Then I insist on at least getting first dibs of that turkey inside."

I guess that poem sort of relates to Thanksgiving, but we thought we'd share it a day early nonetheless. So, tomorrow we'll see you for Thanksgiving, on which we'll be participating in the aptly timed Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop. Of course, tomorrow we'll also share the fill-ins statements for this week's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends! Happy Wednesday-before-Thanksgiving to our US friends!

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Our Tip of the Day:

We've been discussing foods that may or may not be safe to share with your furbaby on Thanksgiving. Keep in mind, though, that food safety isn't just related to food preparation and eating. Safety precautions should continue even after you've finished your meal. What are we getting at? We're reminding you to be aware of dishes in the sink and food scraps or wrappers in the trash. If your furbaby licks off of plates in the sink that contain remnants of dangerous foods, or if they find their way into the trashcan where scraps or bones reside, then emergencies can result that way as well. So, be aware and take precautions to keep your pup or kitty safe from dangerous foods even after the feast is over. Immediately rinse or wash plates and keep the sink clear of dangerous food debris. Also take out the trash if it contains dangerous food items, or keep it securely hidden away from your furbaby.

Toesies Tuesday

Guess who gets to have back-to-back posts yet again?

Evan! That's right, my hind limb paralyzed boy is showing off his, well, paralyzed toes.

More often than not, whether Evan is sitting or lying down, one back foot faces down and the other faces up. Most commonly, it is exactly as seen above, with his right foot being the one faced down and his left foot faced up. This is probably because Evan has always seemed most comfortable and likely to sit with his hind legs positioned out to his right side. We just thought we'd share that little tidbit with you.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

Do you know what holiday food we haven't yet mentioned in this Thanksgiving series? Cranberries! This here human loves cranberries, but are they safe for our kitties and pups? In moderation, plain cranberries can be given as a small treat to a dog or cat who enjoys them. That being said, it is best to steer clear of cranberry sauces and juices, as those contain excess amounts of sugar and other potential additives that might not be the best for your furbaby. Also be careful with special cranberry dishes, in case they contain not only excess sugar but potentially also toxic ingredients such as alcohol. As always, when in doubt, simply don't offer it to your furbaby.

Since we're on the topic of fruits, we'll go ahead and run through a couple of other fruity treat options for your kitty or pup. If fed in moderation, berries such as blueberries and strawberries are healthy for cats and dogs, as are bananas. Apples are also generally a healthy treat option, but only if you are careful to refrain from feeding your furbaby the seeds. That being said, keep in mind that when fruits like apples are made into pies, added ingredients such as sugar are not so healthy for your furbaby. Of course, also remember that fruits like grapes and raisins are toxic to cats and dogs, so never feed those. Even cherries can be dangerous, especially if consumed in large quantities, as cyanide poisoning can result due to the contents of the stem, pit, and even leaves. So, to be safe, don't feed your furbaby cherries, cherry pie, and most certainly not chocolate covered cherries this holiday season. Ultimately, if you are not certain that a particular fruit or other food is safe for your furbaby, simply don't feed it as a treat.

Mancat in Motion

Sometimes I forget that the sights provided by my mancat Evan are not all that typical. After all, the average cat is not hind limb paralyzed like my Evan. That's why, for both myself and for all of you, when I catch Evan doing something that is unique to him, I try to grab my camera to capture him in action.

That there is simply Evan dismounting from a box. He loves boxes. He loves to sit on boxes, in boxes, with boxes, and all that jazz. Of course, though, his methods of getting onto and off of boxes are a bit unique, as he does have to work around his paralyzed hind legs. As you can see, though, Evan always manages!

When I first brought Evan home as a kitten, if I'd see him trying to jump off of something, I'd run over, pick him up, and place him safely on the floor. After getting to know Evan much better, though, I came to realize that he not only wants to manage on his own, but also can and will. So, I no longer run to his aid when he wants on or off of something. In fact, 99.9% of the time, he simply doesn't need my aid. He's an independent mancat, after all.

Have a marvelous Monday, friends!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

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Our Tip of the Day:

We've previously mentioned sweet potatoes and green beans, and how these vegetables are safe when fed plain, but are best left out of your furbaby's diet if prepared in a casserole or with other added ingredients. Today, we're here to remind you of some of the other vegetables that could make for nice Thanksgiving treats for your pup or kitty, of course as long as they are fed plain. One common and nutritious vegetable is carrots. This orange vegetable can provide a large variety of beneficial nutrients, such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and others. Other veggies that are generally safe as a snack for a kitty or pup include broccoli, celery, cucumbers, spinach, and peas. So, if you're pup or kitty wants to be included in the Thanksgiving feast, go for a safe and healthy option, such as a plain vegetables. Of course, though, even when it comes to veggies, it is still best to feed them to your kitty or pup in moderation. And, as you've heard us say many times now, always be aware of any ingredients that are added to foods prior to feeding them to your furbaby. If a veggie dish has been topped with onion, garlic, excess salt, or other similar seasonings, then it is no longer an ideal or safe treat for your kitty or pup.

Guest Selfie Sneak Peek

My sister (who just so happens to be the human mom to our housemates Toby and Winky) has been on a fun little vacation for the past week. While on vacation, she met some new friends. Next Sunday we'll be sharing lots of selfies and some information on these new friends she made. For today, though, we're going to leave you with a little sneak peek.

Isn't this such a fun new friend to have? If you'd like to see and know more about the likes of this little critter, stay tuned for next week's Sunday Selfies here on our blog! You'll be seeing lots more where this came from then.

Now, don't forget to visit the Kitties Blue over at The Cat on My Head in order to see lots more selfies!

Have a spectacular Sunday, friends!

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Our Doodle of the Day:

Here in the US, Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday. Obviously, that means you'll be seeing some turkey doodles over the next couple of days. After all, 'tis the season.

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Our Tip of the Day:

Surely I'm not the only one who always feasts on some green bean casserole for the holidays? If green bean casserole is on your Thanksgiving table, keep in mind what all ingredients are used to make it before you let your furbaby try some. A lot of green bean casseroles involve potentially dangerous ingredients, especially after you add the classic mushroom soup and onions on top. The onions themselves are of course a hazard, as are added sodium and other ingredients that sneak their way in there. For this reason, it is likely best to hold off on sharing green bean casserole with your kitty or pup. That being said, though, if you have plain green beans to serve, those can make a great and nutritious treat for that furbaby in your life!

Caturday at the Autumn Cabin

I feel like the title of this post is nothing if not cheesy. At the same time, it pretty much sums up our doodle for today.

We'll keep this one short and sweet and will go right on ahead and wish you all a cozy Caturday!

Of course, our doodle here is our contribution to Athena's Caturday Art Blog Hop. Don't forget to visit Athena to see the masterpieces created by all of our friends!

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Our Tip of the Day:

We've been discussing the safety of our furbabies when it comes to common Thanksgiving foods. This topic would feel incomplete without a mention of none other than stuffing. Is this Thanksgiving staple safe for your furbaby? More than likely, it is best that you simply avoid feeding any of that stuffing to your kitty or pup. Why? Because many stuffings include ingredients such as onion, garlic, salt, butter (which could especially be a problem for furbabies with lactose intolerance), and other components that could have uncomfortable or dangerous side effects. If the stuffing is plain, without any potentially dangerous ingredients, then a small taste might be fine for your furbaby. But, more than likely, that Thanksgiving stuffing will contain some ingredients that are best avoided in your cat or dog's diet.