Thursday, June 6, 2024

Thankful Thimble Thursday with a Christmas Tree

Hello and happy Thursday, friends! Thimble is more than ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.


Today, Thimble is grateful that this month we'll be halfway to Christmas. What's more, she's glad that she can enjoy a Christmas tree cat bed all year round.


Truth be told, Thimble doesn't use cat beds all that often. Even so, she really loves sitting next to that there Christmas tree cat bed, as well as rubbing her cute little face all over it.



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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. If I were a cat, I would hiss at _________.

2. _________ is a hidden gem in my part of the country.

3. _________ went downhill after _________.

4. _________ is the most worn item in my wardrobe.


We'll see you tomorrow, friends!



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Flashback Doodle of the Day

While Thimble shared a photo with summertime Christmas vibes, for today's doodle, how about we share a flashback with a bit more summertime Halloween feels?




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Tip of the Day

We have another quick and simple food and drink tip today. Especially for older, arthritic, or furbabies otherwise unable to get around well, try to place food and water bowls near their favorite places to sleep or hang out. If possible, you can also try to place bowls all throughout the house so that they have easily accessible options wherever they are at the time. This can help ensure that furbabies with less mobility are still getting proper nutrition and hydration.

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Adventures with Astrid: Green Grass and Creek Paths

We've had lots of rain lately, which means we have plenty of green grass to go around.


These shots were taken on one of the paths that goes over the creek in our neighborhood. It's very scenic, and Astrid also loves to see if any ducks are in the creek to gawk at.


Astrid and all of us here wish you a happy Wednesday!



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Flashback Doodle of the Day




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Tip of the Day

Keep in mind that, depending on factors such as a cat or dog’s size and health, some furbabies might require special considerations for the setup of their food and water bowls. For example, tall dogs, dogs with deep chests, older animals who have difficulty bending down, and animals with short snouts might do best with elevated bowls that are situated closer to the level of their chest or face. Food and water bowls elevated in this manner can allow for more comfortable eating and drinking, as well as easier chewing, swallowing, and overall digestion. Of course, on the other hand, do ensure that the bowl is not too elevated, especially for small dogs or cats, as having to reach up to eat would be uncomfortable for them. So, do be sure to take time to observe your kitty or pup’s dining habits, and to adjust their bowls to ensure they are able to dine comfortably.

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Tonks Tuesday in the Window

Hello, friends. Thank you for the prayers for my neighbor in yesterday's post. I found out this morning that she passed away in the middle of the night, with her husband by her side. They were not expecting her to pass so soon, but she was sleeping and at peace. She's now with her heavenly loved ones, including her angel kitty Tiki and angel pup Mikey. Angel Tiki was a sweet boy who appeared on our blog multiple times, as he visited our yard almost daily until he passed away last summer. I'm sure he greeted my neighbor at the gates.

A parade of my neighbor's family, friends, and co-workers drove by their house on Sunday. She was in her front yard and got to see all of it. We could see it from our house, as we live right across the street from them, and Tonks watched the entire time.



For the record, in that last photo, Tonks is actually watching a bird in a bush outside the window. We live in a one-story house, so that's not Tonks looking down at the street. She loves her some good bird-watching as well as neighbor-watching.

Sending you all wishes for sunshine today!



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Flashback Doodle of the Day




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Tip of the Day

We're continuing on with tips related our furbabies' eating and drinking habits. To start this off today, we’re here to remind you to be cognizant of the material out of which your furbaby's bowl is made. When possible, steer clear of plastic bowls. This is in large part because plastic can be easily scratched, and these scratches can harbor all sorts of bacteria and other microbes. This can lead to issues such as feline chin acne. Stainless steel bowls, or even ceramic, are often recommended. If you do use or have to use plastic bowls for any reason, be sure to clean them frequently, and to replace them as needed, such as if you notice scratches. This will help prevent bacterial growth and issues such as feline chin acne. Eating and drinking are of course crucial to our furbabies’ daily lives, so do be sure to pay attention even to details such as the types of bowl they are using.

Monday, June 3, 2024

Mancat Monday: Doodling and Dozing

I'd like to begin this post by requesting prayers for my neighbor and her family. This is the neighbor whose now-angel kitty and pup I used to watch when they'd go out of town. This neighbor is only in her 40s and has been battling metastasized breast cancer since the end of 2020. It has spread even more now, and there are now essentially no viable treatment options for her. She entered hospice care this weekend. They're a very faithful family, and a very kind family, and I know they would benefit from as many thoughts and prayers as possible during this time.



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I admittedly spent a lot of time on the couch this weekend, where I finished a lot of new doodles. Evan loves when I sit down on the couch, turn on the TV, and do whatever it is I do. All he cares about is that he gets to snuggle up with his momma, and I'm more than happy with that.


Evan is my little shadow and my biggest cuddle buddy, and I love him so much for that.

Happy Monday, friends!



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Flashback Doodle of the Day

This is not one of the new doodles I recently finished, but it's one the favorites I scribbled up last year. It's also apt enough, as I put on a lot of random scary movies while drawing this weekend. Because why not.


I'll be sharing plenty of new doodles soon. Most of the newest ones I scribbled up are concept art and character art for yet more stories I'm having fun planning and writing. All of these doodles of course star a kitty and other furry and feathered friends, which you'll see soon enough.



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Tip of the Day

Let's continue on with our food tips. There is sometimes debate over the health benefits of a dry versus a wet food diet for our furbabies. In some cases, dry food can potentially help keep teeth free of tartar and other such issues. This is not a guarantee, however, as animals on a dry food diet can still end up needing dental cleanings and the like. Nevertheless, in some cases, a dry versus a wet food diet can very well affect the teeth. For example, does your furbaby have painful teeth, or no teeth at all? In this case, a wet food diet is often recommended. There are also special diets formulated for dental health, in the case that a cat or dog might benefit from this.

Not only are the teeth affected by dry versus wet food, though, but also other parts of the body. Wet food, for example, is obviously high in moisture content, and so it is often recommended in the diet of any furbaby who might benefit from taking in plenty of moisture. This would include animals with kidney disease, as well as those prone to UTIs, crystals, and so forth.

It's also important to think of the foods that cats and dogs eat in the wild. They often eat the meat of prey, which is not all that crunchy and which is high in moisture, and which therefore might indicate that wet food is more in line with how they would eat in the wild. Of course, though, sometimes it all comes down to the cat or dog's preference. Some cats and dogs refuse to eat dry food, and some refuse to eat wet food. In such cases, we have to take this into consideration and select foods that they will consume, as food intake is of course crucial.

Friday, May 31, 2024

Friendly Fill-Ins and Blurry Eddy

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. I feel _________ when I think of _________.

2. _________ is my greatest achievement.

3. I haven't had much luck with _________ lately.

4. _________ is the time of day when I _________.


My answers are below in bold.

1. I feel calm when I think of my kitties and pup.
(Have you ever tried to think of something really calming and happy when having your blood pressure taken, to try and keep it in the healthy range? I do that, and it's my kitties and pup I think about during those times. I've actually never had blood pressure issues, save for the occasional white coat syndrome, and though I can't claim scientific evidence, I like to thank my kitties and pup for helping me achieve healthy blood pressure readings. This is one of the strangest explanations I've ever given for a fill-in, but here we are.)

2. Rescuing and caring for my furry family is my greatest achievement.
(As a kid, one of my biggest dreams was to adopt my own furry clan and give them the best life I could. When I was able to achieve that, I felt like a true adult living my dream.)

3. I haven't had much luck with appliances lately.
(My dryer fully died recently. I am incredibly grateful in that my mom started using a new dryer recently but still had her old yet functioning one, and so she gave me her old one, which still works great. Getting a new dryer immediately was crucial, as Evan is towel trained as well as urinary incontinent, and so laundry is a priority around here. My hot water heater also started acting up recently, and though I was able to get the pilot light relit every time it went out, within a week each time it would go out again. So, I had some maintenance men come out yesterday, and luckily they found the problem and it was an easy fix. My air conditioner also has had a slow leak for many years and will likely need its coolant topped off soon enough. And we're not even going to talk about the screeching sounds my washer started making recently.)

4. Early morning is the time of day when I am most productive.
(I've become more and more of a morning person the older I've gotten. I think that mostly started as a matter of necessity, as I tend to be too tired after work to get a lot of my personal hobbies and passions accomplished. I really, truly want to work toward those hobbies and passions, though, and so I started working toward them during some early mornings. Some evenings I feel good and active and get a good deal done, but more often than not that's not the case, and so early mornings are my time, and I've honestly grown to love that.)


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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And now it's time for the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop, hosted by none other than Melissa and Mudpie of Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, & Meows.

As always, blooper queen Eddy is more than ready. After all, during one of her window whiffies sessions, she made sure to get some wonderfully blurry shots.



Eddy and all of us here wish you a happy Friday!



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Flashback Doodle of the Day




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Tip of the Day

Today's food tip is all about those carbs. When we think of carbohydrates, things like pasta and bread may come to mind. But, carbohydrates in other forms are also an important aspect in pet food. In a dog or cat's food, carbohydrates often come from plants or grains, such as corn, rice, oats, or wheat. Just as in humans, carbohydrates can serve as a source of energy and fuel for our furbaby's body. That being said, carbohydrates are one aspect of pet food that may hold different levels of importance for cats and dogs.

Dogs are omnivores. This means that, even in the wild, they get their nutrition from both animal and plant sources. For this reason, carbohydrates in the form of plants and grains are of course important in commercial dog food, just as meat products are. 

On the other hand, cats are strict carnivores, and in the wild they gain much of their nutrition and energy from the protein and fat of their prey. This is why plants and grains in commercial cat food is sometimes debated. Some studies indicate that cats in the wild do consume a small percentage of plant and grain carbohydrates, such as from whatever vegetation their prey may have eaten. Regardless, most commercial cat foods do contain carbohydrates from plants and grains, some in far higher percentage than others. This is where reading labels and comparing protein versus carbohydrate levels can be important for cat owners to do.

Not only is it important to consider a cat's strict carnivore ancestry, but it's also important to realize that for cats as well as dogs, a diet with a higher carbohydrate content can potentially lead to digestive concerns, such as diarrhea or flatulence. In addition, just as can be the case with fats and even protein, an excess of carbohydrates in the diet can potentially lead to weight gain. This is all just one more reason why it is so important to research, understand, and discuss with your veterinarian the best diet for your kitty or pup.

Thursday, May 30, 2024

Thankful Thimble Thursday in the Sun

Hello, friends! It's Thursday, and so Thimble is of course here to partake in Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.


As has been the case more than once lately, Thimble is so very thankful for all the sun she's been able to bathe in these days.


Do you see that sun? Do you?


Thimble and all of us here are wishing you lots and lots of sunshine of your own!



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And now, we have for you 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. I feel _________ when I think of _________.

2. _________ is my greatest achievement.

3. I haven't had much luck with _________ lately.

4. _________ is the time of day when I _________.


We'll see you tomorrow, friends!



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Flashback Doodle of the Day




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Tip of the Day

We're currently in the process of re-sharing a series of food tips we first posted some time ago. We've so far talked about protein and fiber in pet food, and now today we're moving on to fat. Fat, like other nutrients, plays important roles for not only us humans but also our cats and dogs. Fats are yet another source of energy for the body and its cells, they aid in healthy skin and coat, and they are also important for growth overall.

In pet foods, some fats can come from the protein source, such as chicken and beef. However, there are also other potential sources of fats in our furbabies' food. Fats can of course come from oils, such as fish oils or plant oils. The important thing is to make sure that your furbaby's food includes good quality fat sources, and in a healthy balance. For example, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which often come from sources such as fish or plant oils or chicken fat, are very beneficial, but most importantly so in proper amounts. Less quality fats and oils would include lard and other similar ingredients, and therefore do be cautious if you see these on a pet food label.

Of course, any fats in too large of quantities could lead to health concerns. For example, obesity and pancreatitis can both potentially stem from or be worsened by diets high in fat. For reasons such as these, as we've said before, try to educate yourself on your cat or dog's health and the best nutrition for them, and of course discuss this with a veterinarian as needed.

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Woof Woof Wednesday in the Window

It's Woof Woof Wednesday. You've seen a lot of pup Astrid out and about on her walks lately, but do you know what you haven't seen much of lately? The pup in her favorite window.


This isn't one of the usual shots of Astrid pouting while gazing out her beloved window. Instead, you get this goofy grin on this goof girl in this goofy pose.


We hope Astrid's smile makes you smile!



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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle stars special versions of Eeyore and Tigger. I know Tigger is the feline star of Winnie the Pooh, but I've admittedly always been a huge fan of sad little Eeyore. I love me an underdog (underdonkey?).




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Tip of the Day

Our food talk continues today with a little something known as fiber. Fiber is a very important nutrient that, for one, aids in digestion for not only us humans but also kitties and pups. In terms of digestion, fiber can play more than one role. Depending on the circumstances and the particular type of fiber consumed, it can assist with both constipation and diarrhea. That's not all, though, as fiber can also play a beneficial role in weight loss. Fiber can make food more bulky, and in turn can help a kitty or pup feel full, which can then lead to less gorging and therefore aid in weight loss. Still, though, fiber's roles in a cat or dog's health does not end there. Studies have also indicated that high fiber diets can benefit those with diabetes, such as by helping to control blood sugar. For all of these reasons and more, be sure to educate yourself on your furbaby's fiber intake and overall health and diet, and of course discuss options with your veterinarian.