Thankful Thimble Thursday and the Letter P

Hello, friends! We're ready for another installment in the April A to Z Challenge, today with the letter P.

As we've mentioned many times now, our alphabetical theme is All Things Cat. That means we're sharing all sorts of random items, but in the shape of cats. Today, for the letter P, we have paper and a pencil.

That was one of my favorite of this month's doodles to scribble up, mostly because I had a fun time trying to figure out how to draw a cat-shaped pencil. It's far from perfect, that's for sure, but it was fun.

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Now, Thimble is of course here for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today is one of those days when Thimble is plain and simply grateful for her adorable little face. And I don't blame her. Honestly, look at this thing.

Thimble says you're free to give that nose a kiss. She'll also accept a chin scratch. Really, Thimble just loves attention and cuddles, so have at it.

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Last but not least, we have 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. A remake of _________ would be fun.

2. My favorite cartoon character is _________.

3. I wish I had better _________ skills so that I could _________.

4. I'm proud of the progress I've made with _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Tip of the Day

 

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month. For this reason, we're going to have a bit of a series of tips on how to recognize potential cases of cruelty, as well as what we can do to help. Today, we're going to start by giving a simple overview of what cruelty can look like. First, of course physical abuse toward an animal is cruelty. Neglect is another form of cruelty, and can include situations such as when an animal is left outdoors in extreme or unlivable conditions with no shelter, food, or water. In a similar line of thought is hoarding, which can include too large of an animal population for the space provided, extremely unsanitary conditions, and lack of nutritional, medical, and other basic care for the animals. Another example of neglect and cruelty to animals is abandoning an animal, such as in a vacated home or outdoors. Other examples of cruelty to animals include leaving an animal alone in a hot, or even cold, car, as well as any form of dog fighting.

There are, sadly, a great many examples of animal cruelty and neglect. Since animals can't speak for themselves, it is of course important that we all be aware of what cruelty is, and what forms it can take. Our vigilance and diligence may be the only way for some innocent, helpless animals out there to receive the help and care they need. So, do make sure that you are aware of the sad yet true facts of animal cruelty and neglect. This way, you can know it when you see it, and can thereby seek help for the afflicted animal or animals. Tomorrow, we will discuss some of the ways we can address situations of cruelty and neglect that we might witness.

Adventures with Astrid, Feathered Friends, and the Letter O

Hello and happy Wednesday, friends! We're ready for another day in the April A to Z Challenge, this time with the letter O.

Our A to Z theme is All Things Cat, for which I'm sharing drawings of all sorts of cat-shaped items. Today, for the letter O, we have for you none other than an orange.

I thought through a lot of options for the letter O. Do you know how orange won out? When I sat down to draw out the letter O, an orange was the only of the options I really felt like scribbling up. So, an orange it was.

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Of course, Astrid also has for you a little adventure today. In particular, she wants you all to meet some friends she made on a recent walk.

Do you see those feathered friends of ours up there in that photo? How about now?

Those geese in the upper righthand corner of that photo squawked away at us during this photo shoot. The funny part is that Astrid and I were already walking through this little park when the geese swooped in and landed ahead of us, only to then scold us for being too close. I told the geese that we just needed to walk by quickly, and Astrid is a good girl who is very non-reactive to even giant birds like geese, so we were able to pass by peacefully. Well, peacefully on our part. The geese were plenty loud about our invasion of space.

Have a wonderful day, friends!

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Tip of the Day

The last parasite we'll be discussing in this parasitic series of tips is Toxoplasma gondii, which causes the disease known as toxoplasmosis. Though different animals can be affected, including cats, dogs, and humans, cats are the most prevalent. A cat can get toxoplasmosis from eating the infected muscle or organs of an animal, such as by eating a mouse or uncooked meat. The parasite can thereafter be passed through the cat's feces, and then other cats, dogs, or humans can acquire the disease after coming into contact with and ingesting such fecal matter.

Some cats with toxoplasmosis will display symptoms such as fever, lethargy, respiratory distress, or neurological disturbances. Symptoms are most often seen in cats who are immunocompromised, such as young kittens or the geriatric and sick. In most cases, though, especially in grown, healthy cats, no symptoms are noticed. It is even possible for a cat to indeed have toxoplasmosis for years, but to simply never display symptoms. This can also be the case in other animals, including humans. That being said, developing babies in utero can be at high risk for toxoplasmosis. This is why it is often recommended that women refrain from scooping their cat's litter box when pregnant.

To help prevent the transmission of toxoplasmosis, you can keep your kitty indoors, where they are less likely to come into contact with the feces of an infected animal or to ingest infected tissue from prey. Also ensure that any meat you feed your cat is cooked. Also keep all litter boxes scooped and cleaned. To protect yourself, always wash your hands well after scooping the litter box. Accidental transmission can occur simply from a person scooping the litter, not thoroughly washing their hands, and then touching their mouths or food. Dogs can also acquire toxoplasmosis by ingesting fecal matter, so keep your dogs away the litter box and fecal material they might find outdoors.

We're sure you all know this by now, but if you notice any concerning symptoms in your kitty, of course always have them examined by a veterinarian. Any questions or concerns regarding your cat's risk for diseases such as toxoplasmosis can of course be discussed with your vet as well. Even diseases such as toxoplasmosis, which often give off no symptoms at all, can be lethal in a compromised, untreated furbaby. So, as always, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Tonks Tuesday and the Letter N

Hello and welcome to another installment of the April A to Z Challenge!

Our alphabetical theme is All Things Cat, for which I'm sharing drawings of cat-shaped objects. Today we've reached the letter N, and what I scribbled up is a bit random. After all, today, N stands for nimbus clouds. The short description of nimbus clouds is that they're typically grey and result in rain or snow. The clouds I drew are more of the cumulonimbus variety, but either way, here you go.

Sharing potential rain clouds is apt enough today, as we're indeed expecting some rain and all that jazz. We hope you're all staying dry, though!

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Now, it's still of course Tonks Tuesday. Today, the little calico is keeping an eye out for those raindrops. She loves watching anything and everything that moves outside, rain included.

Tonks and all of us here wish you a terrific Tuesday!

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Tip of the Day

 

We're still in the midst of our tips on parasites that can affect our furbabies. Our previous tip related to Giardia, and the parasite of today is very similar to this. Today's parasite is coccidia, which is another single-celled protozoa that can infect the intestinal tract. Coccidia is similiar to Giardia in more than just that regard, though. Just like Giardia, coccidia most commonly causes diarrhea, and is passed in the feces. It is also possible for a furbaby to become infected with coccidia if they ingest an infected rodent.

Also just like with Giardia, sometimes a cat or dog will show no signs of infection even if they have coccidia in their intestinal tract. Young kittens or puppies, geriatric furbabies, and those otherwise medically compromised are at the highest risk. In compromised cats and dogs, diarrhea caused by coccidia infection can lead to dehydration and other complications, which can be life-threatening.

Like the broken record that we are, we're of course reminding you again to keep an eye on your furbaby when outdoors, and to keep their environment as sanitary as possible. As we said earlier, ingesting the feces of another animal infected with coccidia can lead to infection. Also ingesting debris or water near where such animal defecated could lead to an infection with coccidia.

And, again, if your furbaby has diarrhea, seek veterinary care as soon as possible. Take a fecal sample to the appointment, so that your veterinarian can do a test for coccidia and other parasites. When a diagnosis is made, discuss with the veterinarian the treatment options. Give prescribed medications, which may include antibiotics, probiotics, or another, and do so for as long as the veterinarian prescribes. Stopping medications early, even if symptoms subside, can result in a recurrence. Then again, if a treatment plan is not working, discuss that with your veterinarian as well. Diarrhea, among any number of symptoms, is not to be taken lightly, so do your best to stay on top of it.

A Birthday Boy...with L and M on the Side

We're going to kick this post off with the most important part, and that is...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EVAN!

My sweet, sassy, amazing orange boy turns 11 years old today. I'd be lying if I said that number didn't scare me a little, but I'm so blessed to have enjoyed those 11 years with my boy. And I'm hoping and praying for 11 more.

For anyone who doesn't know, let me try to give a short version of Evan's lengthy life story. I met Evan when he was 6 weeks old. From what I learned, for his first few weeks of life he was living in a barn with his mama cat and litter mates. However, a coyote made its way into the barn. Tiny kitten Evan was the only survivor, though he was left with paralysis in his hind limbs.

Over the years, Evan has also become urinary incontinent, he had a urethral blockage at the end of 2022, he now has megacolon and struggles with occasional constipation, and he also currently has a slowly healing hematoma on his right ear. The latter is obvious in that photo above.

Evan is on 7 medications, some of them given multiple times a day, some of them only given as needed. He also gets groomed roughly every two weeks, to keep his back end spick and span. My Evan has been through a lot, but he is a tough little guy. He's my hero.

If you'd like to hear Evan's story from his viewpoint, you can actually read it and many other amazing kitties' tales in the recently released anthology Purrseverance: Inspiring Stories of Cat Resilience and Hope, compiled by Sierra Koester of Fur Everywhere. Evan's story is called "My Name is Not Scooter", but the book is filled with 16 wonderful short tales from the eyes of amazing cats.

That's not even one of the new toys Evan got for his birthday. That's a toy we've had for years, and Evan has recently grown a newfound love for it. He'll surely be giving it lots of birthday playtime today.

Admittedly, Evan did pee on that very carrot recently. When I put it through the washer, it came out with its catnip smell very much so reinvigorated, which might very well be what has Evan so enamored with it. Perhaps he peed on it for that very reason. Actually, he peed on it when he was unhappy with me medicating him one day, and the carrot was a casualty of what I call Evan's rage pee, but I digress.

Once again...Happy Birthday, Evan! I love you so much, my perfect little momma's boy. I hope your day is as amazing as you, and I promise you endless cuddles and lots of treats.

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Now, we again failed to post this weekend. That's a problem I'm really trying to fix, but it's obviously still a work in progress. That said, we missed Saturday's April A to Z Challenge. So, today we have for you that letter and today's letter, those being L and M.

Our alphabetical theme is All Things Cat. I've been doodling up items in the shape of cats, so can you guess what we have for L and M? We'll actually get right to it. L is for laptop...

And M is for music...

Can you guess what N will stand for tomorrow? Honestly, I don't think anyone will guess it. It's a slightly weird and rather random one.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Tip of the Day

Today we're talking about another intestinal parasite. This time, though, it's not a worm. The parasite we're talking about today is Giardia, which is a single-celled protozoa. In short, Giardia causes diarrhea in cats and dogs, as well as humans. Diarrhea caused by Giardia is often very malodorous, sometimes somewhat green in color, and may contain mucus or blood.

How does a cat or dog become infected with Giardia? It is passed in the feces of infected animals. This means that eating the feces of an infected animal, or eating grass or other debris near where an infected animal has defecated, can result in infection with Giardia. Drinking water near where infected animals have defecated is another way that Giardia can be passed from animal to animal.

This all being said, many healthy animals can have Giardia present in there intestinal tract and not show symptoms. It more commonly becomes a problem in very young, very old, or otherwise sick animals. It is also more common in highly populated areas, such as in a shelter. If diarrhea resulting from Giardia is severe enough, the situation can become life-threatening, due to dehydration and other complications.

So, though we can't always put protective bubbles around our furbabies, do your best to help prevent Giardia from affecting your furbaby. Try to keep them from ingesting the feces of other animals, of course, or from ingesting grass or water in areas where other animals may have defecated. Also be sure to keep their feeding, sleeping, and play areas, especially those outdoors, sanitary.

If you do notice your kitty or pup has diarrhea, do not hesitate to take them and a fecal sample in for an exam by a veterinarian. Especially if your furbaby is very young, geriatric, or sick, do not hesitate to have them seen if they are displaying diarrhea. Your vet can test a stool sample for Giardia, as well as for other parasites. Of course, also be sure to administer medications and follow other treatments that your vet prescribes for your furbaby. Also, as we always say, never hesitate to ask your veterinarian about any concerns you have regarding Giardia and your furbaby's risk, treatment, or prevention.

It is also worth noting that, though nowadays is is believed not as prevalent as originally thought, it is still possible for humans to get Giardia from cats and dogs. For this reason, always be sure to wash your hands after cleaning up their waste, especially if they are known to have Giardia. Giardia is not something to take lightly, neither in our furbabies nor ourselves.

Friendly Fill-Ins, Glowing Goddess, and the Letter K

Hello, friends! Let's start with the Friendly Fill-Ins today, shall we? 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. The last thing I cooked was _________.

2. When I go out to eat, my usual order is _________.

3. I feel most comfortable when _________.

4. I purchase _________ on a very regular basis.


My answers are below in bold.

1. The last thing I cooked was a chicken sandwich and fries.

(I bake a big batch of chicken breasts at least once a week to have ready for various meals. Most recently, with one of those I made a chicken sandwich with my favorite toppings, those being ketchup, mayo, pickles, and lettuce. As a side, I chopped up some potatoes, salted them, popped them in the oven, and thereby made some baked fries. That's one of my favorite meals of all time.)

2. When I go out to eat, my usual order is a burger and fries.

(I didn't mean for this answer to be so similar to #1, it just so happened that the most recent meal I made at home is similar to what I also like getting from restaurants. I don't eat out very often, but if I do, unless it's a Mexican restaurant or a steakhouse, I almost always get a hamburger or chicken burger with a side of fries. Extra props to the restaurant if they serve sweet potato fries.)

3. I feel most comfortable when I'm home.

(I've given variations of this answer for so many fill-ins. It's just simply true, though. Home is my favorite place to be. After all, it's where my kitties and pup are. And it's where I can lounge around in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, but I digress.)

4. I purchase chocolate milk on a very regular basis.

(The most obvious answer would be that I constantly buy cat and dog food, cat litter, Evan's medications, and all that jazz. I wanted to give a less obvious answer, though, so I'm here with my chocolate milk. I'm lactose intolerant, so my chocolate milk is actually almond "milk", and it's dark chocolate. I happily drink a great big glass of it every day.)

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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Now, how about we move onto the letter K? After all, that's where we currently sit in the alphabet for the April A to Z Challenge.

Our theme is All Things Cat, so I'm sharing doodles of items shaped like cats. Today, for the letter K, we have for you a kite.

We've been having plenty of wind here in our corner of the world lately, so we really should go grab us a kitty kite and give it a try.

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Of course, we wouldn't let Friday go by without giving you your Eddy fix. This girl learned that Thimble has been sharing photos of herself enjoying the bright and shiny sun, so Eddy wanted to the do the same today. 

Just look at that glowing goddess! Feel free to bow down. Eddy is always up for some worshippers.

Happy Friday, friends!

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Tip of the Day

Though rare, did you know that our furbabies can get lice? The lice our kitties and pups can get, though, are not the same that we humans get. In fact, lice are species-specific. Humans get a certain kind of lice, dogs can become infested with a different kind of lice, and yet a different type of lice affects cats. In other words, we cannot get lice from our furbabies, and they cannot get it from us. Again, though, lice in our furbabies is not terribly common. Still, it is important to know that it's not impossible.

Signs of lice might include your furbaby itching, scratching, or biting at affected areas of their body. You also might even be able to see the lice or their eggs, more or less white in color, on your furbaby. A lice infestation and its symptoms will likely more heavily affect cats or dogs who are sick, elderly, or have a compromised immune system.

Just as we have noted with all of the parasites we've previously discussed, if you have any concern that your kitty or pup is infested with lice, of course have them seen by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Your veterinarian will be able to prescribe a treatment for eradicating lice. In addition, don't forget that with parasites such as lice, your furbaby's environment will also need to be rid of the infestation. As always, discuss any and all concerns with your veterinarian.

Thankful Thimble Thursday and the Letter J

We've reached another day of the April A to Z Challenge, and we're at the letter J.

Our alphabetical theme is All Things Cat, and so I'm sharing drawings of items shaped like, well, cats. Today, for the letter J, I went with what we call joules. Joules are a unit of energy, relating to light and heat. 1 watt equals 1 joule per second, so, as an example, a 40 watt lightbulb equals 40 joules per second. All that said, for this letter J that is joules, we have for you a kitty lightbulb.

That's a weird one, huh? Truth be told, I had that lightbulb drawn before I ever picked what any of our A to Z doodles would be. I randomly asked my mom one day to name some ideas of things for me to draw in the shape of cats, and one of her answers was a lightbulb. That up there was the silly little result.

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Now, Thimble is of course ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for a number of things, such as naptime, and those naps being in the bright and shiny sunshine.

Thimble hopes you all have a sun puddle to snooze in today!

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Last but not least, 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. The last thing I cooked was _________.

2. When I go out to eat, my usual order is _________.

3. I feel most comfortable when _________.

4. I purchase _________ on a very regular basis.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

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Tip of the Day

 

A couple days ago, we talked about ear mites. These mites are not the only kind that can infest our pups and kitties, though. As many of you likely already know, there are other mites that can affect the skin of our furbabies.

There are a number of different mites that can affect our pups or kitties. In dogs, mites that cause sarcoptic mange are perhaps most common, and are also highly contagious between dogs and also to humans. Mites that cause demodectic mange are perhaps a bit less common, as a healthy immune system can often suppress them, and they are also far less contagious. Cats have certain mites that more commonly affect them, such as cheyletiella mites and mites that cause notoedric mange. Both of these are contagious, similarly to the mites that cause sarcoptic mange.

No matter the species of your furbaby, they can potentially be affected by mites. Depending on the type of mite, as well as the pup or kitty's overall health and the severity of the infestation, you might see a variety of symptoms. When it comes to mites and mange, keep an eye out for itching and scratching, hair loss, scabs or scaly skin, and discoloration of the skin, just to name a few.

If you think you see any signs related to mites, or signs of any dermatological issue, have your furbaby seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Not only is itching and scratching uncomfortable, but lesions and secondary infections can result. Left untreated, mites and their side effects can become a risk not only to your furbaby's comfort and happiness, but also to their health.

All of that being said, keep in mind that treatment for mites will likely not only include medications prescribed by your veterinarian. Mites will also need to be eradicated from the environment. You may need to pitch bedding and rugs, or at the very least efficiently wash them in hot water. Do whatever it takes to ensure that your furbaby and their environment is as sanitary and safe as possible, so that they can live a happy, healthy life.

Adventures with Astrid and the Letter I

Hello and happy Wednesday, friends! We're ready for another day of the April A to Z Challenge, this time with the letter I.

Our A to Z theme is All Things Cat, which means I'm drawing items in the shape of cats. Today, for the letter I, we have for you an iced drink. As for me, specifically, I would choose iced tea, the sweetened variety.

What's your favorite iced drink? Hopefully you can enjoy that very drink soon, even better if it's in a kitty cup.

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And now we have for you the Adventure with Astrid part of this post. This week, Astrid wanted to take you all down one of her favorite paths in our neighborhood.

For the record, there's a sidewalk right behind us in the photo, which we travel on this path. But, this creek that runs all over neighborhood makes for some nice photos. There will be even prettier photos when more green stuff grows in.

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

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Tip of the Day

 

Our parasite talk today is all about ticks. These nasty little guys can find their way onto your kitty or pup (or yourself) from wooded areas, shrubs, and tall grass. They can make their way into your yard, especially (though not limited to) if you live near a wooded or other similar area. This means that animals who go outdoors can always be at risk for ticks. Then again, it is not impossible for animals with limited outdoor activity to pick up a stray tick as well.

Ticks pose more danger than one. First, to put it simply, they suck your furbaby's blood. It would most likely take a good deal of time for a tick to cause anemia in their host, but this is still something to keep in mind. What's more, ticks can transfer dangerous, sometimes life-threatening diseases to a cat or dog (or human, or other animal). Lyme disease is one such disease, and it can cause swelling, pain, and arthritis in the joints. Another disease that ticks can transmit is Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can result in fever as well as lameness, similarly to Lyme disease.

Obviously, for reasons such as those listed above, you certainly don't want ticks on your furbabies. Especially if your furbaby goes outdoors, and most especially if they visit areas with lots of trees and tall grass, the best way to protect them from ticks is by way of preventatives. There are indeed preventatives on the market that cover ticks, often while at the same time preventing against other parasites we've already discussed, such as fleas and intestinal worms. So, discuss these options with your veterinarian. Again, as we've said before, it is always safest to purchase quality products, such as those offered at your veterinarian's office.

We'll also take this time to note that, if you see a tick on your furbaby, don't just start pulling at it. Ticks can attach themselves, especially their heads, very securely to an animal's body. This means that if you pull on them, you might very well remove their bodies, all while leaving their blood-sucking heads still on your kitty or pup. For this reason, if you see a tick on your furbaby, assess the situation and determine if you know how to or are able to remove it safely and in its entirety. There are some tricks and even products, such as tweezers specifically designed for tick removal, that can assist in removing a tick completely. However, if you are not positive that you can manage this, as it is not always an easy thing, then contact a veterinarian and seek assistance in removal of the tick.

How about a bonus tidbit? Opossums are known to be incredibly efficient tick-eaters. It has even been said that one single opossum can consume over 5,000 ticks in one season. So, if you have opossums in your yard, leave them be. They could very well keep that tick population down, leaving your furbaby and yourself safer for it.