Distracted Tonks Tuesday

It's Tonks Tuesday, so here's the calico herself looking out the window rather than at the camera.

Even when distracted, Tonks is pretty darn cute. We're pretty sure all of you would agree on that, right? Oh, and do you see that smudgy looking spot in the photo on this little calico's nose? That was actually caused by her nose, when she booped the camera and left her wet little nose print on the camera lens before I snapped this shot. That just adds an extra layer of cuteness, if you ask me.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback is a wacky doodle I scribbled up a couple years ago, starring our housemates Winky and Toby. I had actually completely forgotten about this one until I stumbled upon it in our archives.

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Tip of the Day

We're in the midst of doing a series of tips on getting your cat to the vet, which is sometimes far easier said than done. Today's tip on this topic is to do your research and to know about the clinic of choice prior to arriving there. For example, look up or call ahead and find out if the clinic you're considering is cat-only, cat-friendly, or provides a cat-only lobby. Finding a clinic that is in some way cat-friendly can make for an easier, calmer trip to the vet for your kitty. Before arriving, you can even find out which door to enter at a cat-friendly clinic to ensure that you are in the cat-only lobby, so that your kitty can feel as safe and comfortable as possible right from the start.

In addition, if or when possible, especially for skittish cats, you can try to find out a clinic's quietest, least busy time of the day, or day of the week. This way, if it's feasible and necessary, you can potentially schedule to take an especially scared cat when the clinic is as quiet as possible. Though certainly not all clinics do this, some clinics will have a day, or even partial day, when they will see only feline patients. If this is the case at your clinic of choice, try to schedule appointments for your kitty on this likely quieter, calmer day. It never hurts to be prepared, so for the sake of your kitty, find out important or helpful details of a clinic prior to your kitty's appointment. This can help things go more smoothly, and can help a cat feel as safe and calm as possible.

Mancat Monday: Evan the Doorman

It's Mancat Monday, and do you know what that means? It means you get a good ol' dose of Evan.

These photos sure are cute, but they also kind of make me sad. Why? Because this is what Evan does when he doesn't want me to leave the house. He stretches out in the doorway and tries to block my exit. If that doesn't make me feel guilty, I don't know what does.

The above said, these photos aren't the saddest they could be. After all, these are Evan at the back door. That means I was probably only going outside to quickly refresh the bird bath or feed the neighbor cat. Evan wasn't without me for long. It's when I go out the front door that it's usually a different story. I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but my clingy boy Evan is one of the main reasons why one of my current goals in life is to eventually make a job transition that allows me to at least sometimes work remotely from home. Evan would love that, and so would I.

Happy Monday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

The following wacky flashback doodle is being shared today simply because its prequel was shared on Friday. And also because it stars a certain orange boy.

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip on taking that kitty of yours to the vet is about selecting the best kind of carrier for your cat. There are a number of considerations to make when it comes to carrier type. The size of your cat, the size of the carrier, how willing your kitty is to enter a carrier, your cat's behavior while in a carrier, and the material out of which a carrier is made can all play a role in the kind of carrier you might want to use.

To go into a bit more detail, let's start with the size of your kitty. For example, take into consideration the comfort of a large cat when selecting a carrier. A small carrier will of course be less than cozy for a large cat, not to mention that it might not be easy to get a large cat into a small carrier in the first place. At the same time, though, it is important to make sure that you can carry your cat's carrier with relative ease. This is especially crucial for emergency cases, when you might need to move quickly and therefore won't want to have difficulty transporting a cat-filled carrier.

Another consideration to make is how easy it is to get your cat into the carrier. In our previous tip, we mentioned getting your cat used to the carrier. That being said, some cats may simply not be the easiest to coax into a carrier. With this in mind, consider what type of carrier will be easiest for you, your kitty, and your particular situation. If your cat is difficult to get into a carrier, for example, a top-loading one might be easier than a front-loading one. Then again, if it's possible and safe, you could set a front-loading carrier on its back end in order to load your kitty in through the door while it's standing up in that manner. Also keep in mind how sturdy a carrier is and how easily this might make it to load a kitty inside. Mesh or other flimsy carriers, for example, could collapse as you try to load a difficult cat inside, making the task even more challenging.

Yet another consideration to make is how your cat acts inside a carrier, and how details such as carrier material might be affected. For example, is your cat a digger while in their carrier? If so, a mesh carrier may not be the best option for them, especially if they are an insistent digger who might tear a hole in the mesh or dig at the zipper and escape. Also take into consideration if your kitty has a nervous bladder or nervous bowels. If your cat is known to urinate or defecate in the carrier, consider what type of carrier might be best able to withstand this and to be cleaned afterwards. A plastic carrier might be a good option in this case.

There can be a great many considerations to make when selecting a carrier for your kitty. Those we mentioned above are just some considerations you might need to make. It all depends on your particular furbaby, their personality and behavior, as well as on you and your capabilities or preferences.

Yet More Kooky Caturday Art

My battle with Blogger continues. Even so, here we are for today. Finally. And what we have for you today is yet another kooky doodle. This one was actually supposed to be shared with a poem a couple weeks ago. It involves a train, some Harry Potter-esque concepts, and it's just weird and wacky and here it is.

Happy Caturday, friends!

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Tip of the Day

Today's tip on taking your kitty to the vet is one that we're sure all of you have heard. It's one that we've definitely mentioned more than once before, and that is to get your kitty used to the carrier. The first and foremost way to do this is to keep the carrier out, in sight and accessible all the time. If the carrier is tucked away, then it very well may simply become a source of fear when it comes out once a year. Keeping it out at all times can help combat this.

What's more, try to make the carrier a place of comfort or fun. For example, place a cozy blanket in the carrier, so that it can perhaps be seen as a place to snooze. You can also place toys in the carrier, as well as treats. Or, you can try to use the carrier as a feeding station, such as by putting one of your kitty's bowls of food in there. These methods can help your cat associate the carrier with things that are cozy, fun, or commonplace, in turn helping it to be seen as less of a threat. All in all, help your kitty get used to the carrier by turning it into a place where good things happen, rather than simply a place in which once a year they're locked up and taken somewhere unfamiliar.

Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello, friends! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. Are you? 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. I'd like to peek into _________'s closet.

2. I secretly enjoy _________.

3. There's no use crying over _________.

4. If I don't _________, I _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. I'd like to peek into another cat lady's closet.
(I'm thinking I'm not the only one whose t-shirt collection is mostly related to cats. Right?)

2. I secretly enjoy when plans are cancelled.
(I rarely have actual plans with others, but when I do, I really don't mind when they're cancelled. Anything that lets me stay home with my furbabies makes me a happy camper. This probably makes me sound incredibly antisocial. And that's probably the truth.)

3. There's no use crying over material possessions.
(I do completely understand that there are certain material items that can have a lot of sentimental value. That said, material items can't offer comfort or support in true times of need. What's more, these material items won't mean a thing when we're taking our last breath. So, I for one try not to let myself even consider shedding a tear over materialistic things. There are far more important things in life.)

4. If I don't eat when I'm hungry, I get cranky.
(Sometimes I even just get downright hangry.)

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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For your Eddy fix today, you yet again get to see this girl enjoying some window time. And the window is even open (for a moment and with supervision, that is). Our temperatures have not only been dipping below 90°F this week, but they're even sometimes dipping below 80°F. That calls for some window whiffies, if you ask us.

Eddy hopes you're all also enjoying some cooler weather and window whiffies!

Have a fantastic Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Since it's summer and yet we're in the process of sharing both new and flashback doodles of a sort of spooky nature, this one from a couple years seemed apt enough.

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Tip of the Day

Since I seem to live at the vet these days, what with Evan's regular sanitary shaves as well as plenty of other kitties in the house due for their annual exams in the summer, I figured we'd yet again repeat a series of tips on how to get that kitty of yours to the vet. In addition, National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day is coming up this month, so why not. We'll start this series with the simple tip to socialize and get your kitty used to interaction at an early age, if possible. Getting your cat used to people is ideal for helping them cope with future outings to the vet. This of course may not always be possible, depending on a particular cat's age and personality at the time of adoption or rescue. However, when possible and safe, start socializing your cat around people, even simply visitors to your home, when they are young.

What's more, try to get your cat used to hands-on checks. If it's safe for both you and your cat, you can get in the habit of looking in your cat's ears, having a look at their mouth and teeth, and so forth. This of course can help them get used to all that goes on when they're at the vet's office, while at the same time also helping you check for abnormalities that might need to be addressed. All in all, starting early with socializing and hands-on interaction, when it's a safe option, can possibly help your kitty feel more comfortable about getting examined during their trips to the vet.

Thankful Thimble Thursday

Hello, friends! Try as I might, I didn't manage to finish my poem for Angel Sammy's Thoroughly Poetic Thursday challenge. It really is almost done, though, so we'll be sharing it and its illustration tomorrow or this weekend. So, we'll head right to Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop for now.

So, what's thankful girl Thimble grateful for today?

Thimble's thankful for her endless IT skills. There's nothing stomping on the keyboard can't fix.

Happy Thursday!

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

1. I'd like to peek into _________'s closet.

2. I secretly enjoy _________.

3. There's no use crying over _________.

4. If I don't _________, I _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Ready for another weird and wacky doodle from a past summer spooky series? Yes? Good. Here you go.

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Tip of the Day

Today is the last tip in our series on decorating your house around your furbabies. What we're talking about today is flooring. When purchasing, designing, or renovating a home, be sure to take your furbabies into consideration when it comes to details such as flooring. For example, carpeting might require extra cleaning efforts if you live with furbabies prone to vomiting or other accidents on the floor. A better option in such a case might be a hard surface flooring. Some of the easiest floors to clean and maintain with furbabies include tile and laminate floors. Of course, hardwood is another option. When it comes to this, though, do try to ensure that the type of wood used on your floors is indeed hardwood. For example, oak, maple, walnut, and cherry are all hardwoods that are resilient, as well as able to be refinished relatively easily. On the other hand, try to avoid softwood flooring when living with furbabies, whose paws and claws can far more easily cause damage to less resilient woods. Softwoods include pine, cedar, and redwood, all of which might not be able to hold up against the pitter-patter of clawed furbaby paws. All in all, if you are blessed enough to share your life and home with furbabies, you may indeed need to consider how to best decorate your home to suit both you and your furbaby.

Adventures with Astrid

In today's edition of Adventures with Astrid, the pup is here to share another one of her favorite paths in our neighborhood.

Astrid loves going this route. It leads to a pretty little scene, and she can never get there fast enough.

We're admittedly going to wait until next week to show you the final destination. At that time, you'll also get to see why we never skip Astrid's annual leptospirosis vaccine.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

As we've mentioned, these days we're sharing a mix of new and flashback doodles of a sort of spooky nature. Today's kooky, spooky flashback was chosen for the sheer fact that I'll be mowing this week.

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Tip of the Day

We're in the last stretch of our tips on how to decorate your home around your furbabies. Yesterday's tip involved helping give your kitty or pup a window view by putting a cat tree, couch, or chair beside the window. Today's tip takes this concept in another direction, and involves looking into ways to make your home even more accessible to and traversable by your feline furbabies. For example, there are cat shelves on the market that can be placed along your home's walls, and which can be placed in ways that allow your kitty to not only rest on the shelves, but to also to travel the perimeter of a room by way of those wall shelves. There are plenty of other similar features available on the market as well, including walkways, bridges, ladders, and all sorts of items that can allow your furbaby to travel throughout the house in this fun, unique way. If interested, you could intersperse such wall shelves or walkways throughout the house. Or, if you have the space and ability, you could dedicate one room in the house to this, so that said room is some semblance of a playroom or jungle gym for your kitty. In the wild, cats often travel or sleep on elevated surfaces, such as trees or mountains. That's why many cats enjoy setups such as wall shelves or walkways, as this can mimic the environment of their wild ancestors.

Nosy Tonks Tuesday

It's Tonks Tuesday, so are you ready for a cute calico? Yes? Good, because we have just that for you.

Do you see that cute little nose? Tonks wasn't being very cooperative during this particular photo shoot, but she did sit still just long enough for me to snap a photo from beneath as she sat on the cat tree. I'm quite happy the angle gave me this view of her adorable little snout. And do you see her cute little nose freckles? I'm totally not biased when it comes to just how adorable Tonks is.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Doodle of the Day

As we mentioned yesterday, most of our upcoming new doodles are of a sort of spooky nature. Sort of. Maybe they're just kooky. Like this weird and wacky doodle here.

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Tip of the Day

For today's tip on how to decorate your home around your furbaby, we're here to remind you to make sure your kitty or pup has a safe window view. Indoor cats and dogs are of course safe from the dangers of an outdoor life, but it is still important that they get the mental stimulation provided by a view of the outdoors. To allow for this window view, try putting pet-friendly furniture near the window. Placing a cat tree beside the window is a perfect option for cats, for example. Of course, though, you can even simply position a couch, chair, table, or other pet-safe piece of furniture so that a window view is possible for your kitty or pup.

There are a couple of other considerations to make when it comes to window views for your furbabies. First, if it's possible and safe, you can try to feed birds or squirrels in view of the window, so that your kitty or pup can have the added mental stimulation of having wildlife to watch. What's more, make sure all windows are securely closed and safe from potential escapes. Also make sure that any nearby window blinds or curtains do not pose a risk to the safety of your cat or dog. It is important to ensure your indoor cat or dog has a window view in order to keep them happy and sharp, but it's equally important to ensure their safety.