Toesies Tonks Tuesday

As the title of this post suggests, little calico Tonks has some adorable toesies to share for your enjoyment.

Don't you just want to give those toesies a tickle? This here human may or may not have done exactly that after this photo was snapped. Don't worry, though, because Tonks actually loves tickles to both her toesies and tummy. Feel free to give them a tickle yourself, friends. Tonks sort of loves the attention.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is another one that expresses my wishfulness for autumn and Halloween. I know it's still only August, but a girl can hope and dream.

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Tip of the Day

Since we're already talking nonstop about the vet, and since National Take Your Cat to the Vet Day is next week, we figured we'd go right on ahead and do a series of tips on how to get that kitty of yours to the vet. 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.

Mancat Monday: Halloween in August

Hello, friends! I know we've fallen back into the habit of missing weekend posts, posting late in the morning, and all that jazz. Lately, when not working my full-time job, I've been putting a lot of hours into some art and writing endeavors, some related to organized events and some related to personal projects. My part in a number of those finished up this past weekend, and so I'm really hoping to get back into a better routine. Of course, I'm still working on my personal art and writing endeavors, and I actually have over a dozen new drawings that are just waiting to be shared. With my schedule a tad bit less crazy this week, I'll be getting those drawings all scanned to finally start sharing. Some of those kooky little doodles would actually go well with today's post, but you'll see them soon enough.

All that said, it's Mancat Monday, and so of course Evan is here to grace you all with his presence. Even better, he wanted to help this mom of his share some fun mail that showed up in our mailbox recently. The wonderful Ellen of 15andmeowing sent me some Halloween-in-August goodies, and I could not be more grateful for how kind and thoughtful she is.

Thank you so much, Ellen, for helping me bring Halloween to the summer! I appreciate it so very much! I can guarantee that sign will be one of those that stays out in my house year round. And the socks will of course be worn no matter the month.

Happy Monday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle goes well with the rest of this summertime Halloween post, so 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, also consider if the type of wood used on your floors is 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, softwood flooring might not be the best choice 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, all the way down to the floors.

Friendly Fill-Ins and a Blurry Bath

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


1. Sometimes I like _________ and sometimes I don't.

2. If I had a nickel for every time _________, I would be rich.

3. _________ is already _________, but I'm not complaining.

4. I haven't yet decided _________.

My answers are below in bold.

1. Sometimes I like potatoes and sometimes I don't.

(I like potatoes in pretty much any form. Baked, mashed, scalloped, in the form of fries, it's all good to me. When I'm in the mood, that is.)

2. If I had a nickel for every time a kitty woke me up at night, I would be rich.

(At least then I would be tired and rich. Mostly courtesy of my sweet tabby girl Thimble, who doesn't believe in a full night of sleep.)

3. Halloween is already in stores, but I'm not complaining.

(I love me some Halloween and all things autumn, so I myself find great joy in seeing Halloween in stores in the summer. It personally helps me get through the last hot and humid weeks of summer.)

4. I haven't yet decided what book to read next.

(This is a constant struggle for me these days. My to-read list is daunting, which brings me both joy and anxiety. Even when I'm in the middle of one book, I'll be wondering in the back of my mind what book I should pick up next.) 

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? Yes? Well, today's shots might as well be bloopers. They star Eddy basked in the terrible lighting of the sunny window, blurry as she bathes next to her year round Christmas tree. Even blurry and terribly lit, though, Eddy is a cute little lady, so here you go.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday we gave the tip of using couch and chair covers, or spare blankets on furniture, in order to help protect against accidents or shedding. Today's tip relates to this, and is to select covers and blankets that might most easily mask your particular furbaby's hair. This can also go for upholstery, rugs or carpets, and even your clothing. You can try to match such things to the color of your furbaby, such as white or light items if your kitty or pup is white, or black or dark items if your furbaby is black. Then again, you can also opt for blankets, rugs, and clothing with varied patterns, as a busier design can indeed more easily hide furbaby fur that has been shed. Our furbabies' hair can indeed find its way onto nearly anything, but you can help mask it throughout your home or on your person by selecting items that will best hide it. Of course, regular washing and vacuuming can help prevent some evidence of shedding, but since it's unavoidable altogether in a home run by kitties or pups, you can find ways to somewhat mask the rogue fur.

Bright and Shiny Thankful Thimble Thursday

It's time for Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop, and Thimble is ready.

The little tabby girl herself is not only grateful for sunshine, but also for the lights and reflections it casts on the walls and ceiling. She loves those bright and shiny little friends of hers.

Obviously, Thimble, as well as this here mom of hers, is also thankful that Thimble is downright adorable. Do you agree? Thimble is certain you all do.

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Now, let's share 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. Sometimes I like _________ and sometimes I don't.

2. If I had a nickel for every time _________, I would be rich.

3. _________ is already _________, but I'm not complaining.

4. I haven't yet decided _________.

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today we have yet another spooky doodle from many, many summers ago.

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Tip of the Day

In case you haven't seen our past couple of tips, we're currently in a series all about decorating your home around the furbabies in your life. Today's tip on this topic is to use couch or chair covers, or even just regular blankets, on your furniture. This can help protect the furniture beneath from excess pet hair, as well as from all varieties of accidents that can happen in a home with kitties or pups. We also mentioned in yesterday's tip that you can use furniture covers or blankets to help protect couches and chairs from kitty claw, or even claws of pups. In addition, some cats or dogs might be a bit more on the greasy side, such as Sphynx cats or furbabies with certain ailments, and furniture covers can also help keep couches and chairs clean in this way as well. There are covers designed to fit and protect entire pieces of furniture, or you can simply place a spare blanket on your furbaby's favorite chair or on their favorite part of the couch. Either way, furniture coverings can help protect your couches and chairs from direct damage. Whereas it's not exactly easy to clean an entire chair or couch, if you use a cover, you can easily remove it and throw it in the wash.

Adventures with Astrid

On today's adventure, Astrid decided to take you all to one of her favorite parks.

We went from being in a drought a few weeks ago to now getting rain almost daily. That means the grass is green, and wet, and Astrid finds it very tasty.

Astrid had just been told to stop eating the grass in the above photo. You can clearly see the guilt on her face, can't you? That's probably why she immediately went back to eating it after that photo was snapped. Astrid has been a grass eater since puppyhood. She has full bowls of food at home, and we often take water on our walks, which she refuses to drink. She'd simply rather munch on grass on her walks. Yum.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's weird and wacky flashback doodle stars our housemate house panthers, Winky and Toby. 

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Tip of the Day

We're still in the midst of our series of tips all about decorating your home around your furbabies. Today's tip on that topic involves protecting your furniture from kitty claw. After all, cats have claws. That's simply part of who they are. That being said, that doesn't mean there aren't safe, humane ways of protecting your furniture from those claws.

To begin, of course place cat scratchers throughout your house in order to give your cat appropriate places to use their claws. Cats often like to scratch as a more or less territorial display, so make sure that at least some of their scratchers are somewhere visible and in the open. You can also place a scratcher near any furniture to which your furbaby's claws gravitate. This way, your kitty can have an appropriate scratching location where you can immediately redirect them should they begin to use the furniture instead.

We've mentioned this next idea in another tip, but we'll say it again. To protect your furniture from cat claws while also giving your cat a proper place to scratch, you can wrap sisal rope around furniture legs, rails of staircases, and other similar locations. Again, this not only protects those home features from cat claws, but also simultaneously gives your cat another appropriate place to use their claws. Another potential form of protection against cat claws for your furniture is a heavy-duty couch or chair cover.

As we said above, cats indeed have claws. Those claws are simply part of who they are. While those claws can sometimes find their way to furniture, there are proper ways to combat this. Simply research types of scratchers for your kitty to use, create your own scratchers using sisal rope, or find another way to protect the furniture while also treating your kitty and their claws in a humane way. When your kitty scratches furniture, calmly redirect them to a proper cat scratcher, so that they can learn where they should and should not sharpen those claws of theirs. Of course, also don't forget to regularly trim your kitty's nails.

Tonks Tuesday: Not-So-New New Toys

It's Tonks Tuesday, and today calico girl Tonks is sharing her excitement that this human mom of hers recently swapped out a bunch of toys from the toy bin. One of the toys that emerged was that big fuzzy kicker you see in lower part of this photo, and Tonks loves it so very much.

In that photo there, Tonks is requesting that I give the big fuzzy kicker toy a toss for her to catch and toss around before we lather, rinse, and repeat that game a few dozen times. Whatever Tonks wants, Tonks gets.

The kitties around here really do love when "new" toys, those being ones we've had for years, suddenly show up to play with. I try to regularly swap out their toys to give them "new" things to enjoy, and it usually does the trick.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is another one from many years ago, and I share it probably every single summer. It's another spooky doodle that gives away my desire for autumn and Halloween despite the fact that it's still summer. Anyway, this one was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and his beloved tortie cat, Catterina.

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Tip of the Day

It's World Cat Day, our kitties often indeed do rule the household. That often means they more or less have free roam of the place. Sometimes, though, that might become a bit difficult for them, for a variety of potential reasons. If your cat, or dog, is allowed on furniture, make sure that they can easily and safely access it. This is something to especially take into consideration for cats, or dogs, with mobility issues. Geriatric, arthritic, injured, and any other specially abled furbabies may require some form of help getting onto couches, chairs, beds, tables, shelves, and so forth. Sometimes all you have to do is put low stools or boxes next to the furniture, as long as said stools or boxes are safe and sturdy. There are also pet stairs and pet ramps available on the market, which can be placed beside beds, couches, and other relevant furniture. So, if your furbaby is allowed on furniture, keep in mind what might affect their ability to get onto said furniture. Age, injuries, and other such factors can make it difficult for your cat, or dog, to reach elevated locations. Take all such factors into consideration, and help your furbaby adjust as best and as safely as possible.

Mancat Monday: Totally Not a Baboon

Hello, friends! We had an eventful weekend that involved us losing power. It wasn't even storming, and it wasn't windy. There was a little bit of rain, but apparently that was enough to prompt a tree to take down a power line in our neighborhood. We're back up and running now, though, and just in time for Mancat Monday. Evan isn't all that thrilled today, however, because he's yet again at the vet's groomer getting his usual sanitary shave.

Every time Evan comes home freshly saved, I tell him what a handsome mancat he his. And that he kind of looks like a baboon. But Evan says he's totally not a baboon, and so I can just shut my mouth. The handsome part is of course correct, though.

For anyone newly visiting us, or for anyone who might not remember, Evan gets sanitary shaves at the vet's groomer because he has hind limb paralysis as well as urinary incontinence, and because he won't let me shave him myself at home. Sanitary shaves keep him clean, and have so far worked to reduce the UTIs he used to have more regularly. And they indeed make him so very handsome.

Happy Monday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today we have a quick and admittedly kind of sloppy spooky summer doodle I scribbled up last year. There are a few new spooky, ghostly doodles coming up soon, but for today here's this one.

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Tip of the Day

Today we have the last tip in our litter box series. This tip is to consider using some sort of litter mat or tray, in order to keep your home environment free of as much rogue litter as possible. Litter often comes out of the box when our kitties dig and dig in the litter, or on our kitties' paws when they leave the box. This can ultimately result in litter not only outside of the box, but also throughout the house. To combat this, try placing a litter mat or tray under or outside of the litter box. There are such mats and trays available on the market, which are specifically designed to catch stray pieces of litter so that it can't travel throughout the rest of the house. For a cheaper option, though, you can also use a rug to catch litter, or you can even try something such as a boot tray. Another option is to place the litter box within a larger container, such as a giant storage container or a kiddie pool. This would allow for rogue litter to at least partially remain in that outer container, rather than spreading throughout the house. 

All of the above being said, litter mats and trays may not always be able to trap every piece of litter. So, to further help keep litter at bay and your house clean, do be sure to sweep up stray litter as often as possible. It's not a bad idea to make a habit of sweeping up rogue litter each time you scoop the box.

There are a number of options for helping keep stray litter from spreading throughout the house. You can buy specifically designed litter mats or trays, you can try a similar makeshift option, and you can of course keep a broom at the ready in the litter area. Of course, do make sure that any mats, trays, or other methods you use do not deter your kitty from using the litter box in the first place.