The Adventures of Periwinkle and Stinky

 

Periwinkle got up early that morning to decorate for today's Adventure before Stinky arrived.  She took time to groom her furs and think about what she had planned.  This was a new take on an Adventure they did before, but she knew it was something they should share with their pals.  Soon, the Teleportation Tunnel began to shake, and with a WOOSH, Stinky tumbled out right into her waiting paws.  They giggled, whisker-kissed, and paw-patted.  Stinky told Periwinkle he knew what they were doing.  She laughed and said she figured he would when he saw the banner she put out.

Periwinkle said, “Oh, Stinky! Can you believe it? Summer is almost over, and the little humans are heading back to school!”  Stinky was surprised when Periwinkle told him school started the previous day where she lives.  Periwinkle continued, “Stinky, back-to-school time means there are some important things that our humans—and our furry friends—need to remember. There will be more cars, school buses, bicycles, children walking, and lots of excitement around the neighborhood. So we need to be extra careful.  Stinky said, “ Exactly! Let's give everypawdy some tips.”  Both agreed that they had shared info other years but would focus on pets this year too.

🚌 Watch Out for School Buses

Right away, Stinky said, “I know this one! When a school bus stops and the red lights are flashing, cars need to STOP!

Periwinkle added, “That's right. Never try to pass a stopped school bus. Children may be getting on or off the bus, and they can sometimes move into the roadway unexpectedly. And drivers should slow down around school zones, too!" Stinky agreed! “Absolutely. Put down the phone, watch carefully, and be ready for children crossing the street.”

🚶🐕 Watch for Kids and Pets 

Both tabbies agreed that back-to-school mornings can be busy. Children may be walking to school with their dogs, cats may be outside, and pets can sometimes get frightened by all the activity. Cats should stay safely indoors! Keeping cats indoors is especially important when there is increased traffic around the neighborhood, but cats should NEVER be outside unattended.

For dogs who go on walks, make sure they are securely leashed and have identification information on their collar or tag.

🚗 Drive Extra Carefully

What should humans do when they're driving? Slow down! Especially in school zones, residential neighborhoods, and near bus stops.

Remember:

• 🚦 Obey school-zone speed limits.
• 🚌 Stop for school buses when required.
• 🚸 Watch carefully for children crossing.
• 📱 Never text while driving. 
• 🚲 Look for bicycles and scooters.
• 🐾 Watch for pets near roads and driveways.
• 🚗 Check carefully before backing out of a driveway. 

🎒 Keep School Supplies Away From Pets

Stinky asked, “What about all those shiny pencils and crayons?”

Periwinkle reminded him that they may look like toys to curious kitties, but school supplies aren't for chewing! Keep things such as pencils, erasers, glue, markers, crayons, rubber bands, and small objects where pets can't get into them.  Because if it fits in a paw, somepawdy is going to investigate it! Periwinkle said, “That's exactly why our humans need to keep an eye on us."

Don't Share the Lunchbox!

Stinky gasped and asked, “What if the kids bring home something delicious?” Periwinkle said, “They can share appropriate treats, but pets shouldn't eat human lunches without permission. Some foods that are perfectly fine for people can be dangerous for pets.” Stinky frowned and asked, “So I shouldn't steal a sandwich?” Periwinkle rolled her eyes and said, “Correct.” Stinky continued, “What about just one little bite if it’s a Churu sandwich?” Periwinkle rolled her eyes again and said “ STINKY!”

😹😹😹

🏡 Give Pets a Quiet Place

They continued adding that back-to-school time can change the household routine. Children may be leaving earlier, coming home later, and bringing friends into the house. Make sure your pets have a quiet, comfortable place where they can retreat when things get busy.

💕 Remember Your Furry Friends

They both agreed that the first days of school can be exciting for kids—but some pets may miss having their favorite humans around during the day. So, when the kids come home, they should spend some special time with their pets. Stinky exclaimed, “Exactly! A little playtime, a walk, some cuddles, or simply sitting together can help everyone get used to the new routine.”

The Tabbies put a Checklist together as a reminder...

Stinky added, “ And don't forget the most important rule!” Periwinkle responded, “ Which one?”

Stinky said, "Everybody—kids, kitties, doggies, and humans—needs to get to school and home safely!" 🐾 Periwinkle agreed and replied, "Well said, Stinky!" Stinky said,  "Thank you. Now... about that snack I was promised. Periwinkle giggled and said, "I knew that was coming."

Periwinkle's Mom set up the outside table for them to enjoy their snack.  While they ate, they looked into each other's eyes and told each other how much they appreciated their time together.

They took some time to watch a video about a cat who goes to school!

After the snack, they snuggled for a bit and spent time whisker-kissing, paw-patting and saying "I love you" to each other.  They fell asleep paw in paw. When they woke up, Stinky visited with Periwinkle's Mom and fursibs and thanked her Mom for the snack.  One more whisker kiss and "I love you" and he entered the Teleportation Tunnel for the trip home.  Periwinkle spent some time cleaning up from their snack and then took a nice, long nap!

The Adventures of Periwinkle and Stinky

 

It was Tuesday morning, and Periwinkle was busy grooming her furs while waiting for her handsome fiancé, Stinky.  She had already decorated the Teleportation Tunnel with shiny paw-print stickers and hung a bright banner that said “Welcome Back to School!”

 

When Stinky popped out of the tunnel with a WOOSH, they spent some time whisker kissing and paw patting.  After a bit, he looked around and was confused.  He looked at Periwinkle and said, “Wait… we're cats, we don’t go to school. What’s all this for?”  Periwinkle giggled and said, "I know, silly, but we have a lot of friends who do, and I thought we should go over some impawtent facts like we did a few years ago."

Stinky agreed (although the thought of SCHOOL sounded pretty confusing to him.)  Periwinkle took him by the paw and, together, they went over some things they should share.

 Tip 1: Get Ready the Night Before
Periwinkle set up a table with backpacks, lunchboxes, and notebooks.
"Tip number one," she said, "is to pack your bag before bedtime. That way, there’s no morning meow-mergencies!"  Stinky agreed since you didn't want to forget your snacks or treats.  He was glad to see Periwinkle had their backpacks out.

Tip 2: Wake Up With a Smile
“Getting enough sleep helps you wake up happy,” said Periwinkle. “Try going to bed a little earlier and taking more naps.  Of course, as cats, we're pretty good at naps!" Stinky yawned dramatically. “I need 20 hours of sleep. I’m practically a professional!” 

Tip 3: Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Make sure you eat the nourishing breakfast your Mom or Dad gives you.  Don't ONLY eat treats like Temptations or Churus!"  “Breakfast gives your brain power,” Periwinkle explained.
“I don't mind breakfast now that I don't get those icky meds in it" said Stinky.  Periwinkle was glad Stinky was taking his meds transdermally now.

 Tip 4: Be Kind and Make New Friends
The kitties set out stuffies of every shape and size—puppies, turtles, even a giraffe. “Everyone gets a little nervous on the first day,” said Periwinkle. “Smile, say hello, and be the friend you’d like to have,” added Stinky, handing out paw-pats. 

Tip 5: Ask Questions and Try Your Best
“Even if you don’t understand something right away, that’s okay!” said Periwinkle.
Stinky held up a sign: “Mistakes help you learn!”  The tabbies laughed because even the graphic they had AI make had a mistake on it (did you notice it?)

Stinky said, "I hope our friends who have 2 leggers in their families like our tips.  I'm glad cats and woofies don't go to school."  Periwinkle said, "Actually, some woofies do go to school." 

 Stinky's eyes got big.  He really didn't want to go to school.  Periwinkle continued, "While dogs don't attend school in the traditional sense, they can participate in educational settings through various programs. Some schools have comfort dogs to provide emotional support to students and create a positive school climate. Additionally, dogs can be enrolled in obedience training classes to learn basic commands and socialization skills. In some European schools, dogs are integrated into the classroom, assisting with tasks like selecting dice for math, providing support during difficult situations, and even performing tricks as rewards."

In answer to his comment about cats and school, she said, "No, cats do not typically go to traditional school. However, some cats have become local legends for accompanying their owners to school, like Kiki, who walks her human, Sunny, to and from school daily. While cats don't attend classes, they can be trained and learn tricks through positive reinforcement. There are also cat-specific training programs and even cat daycare centers, according to Catschool and Hello-Pets-Inc."

Stinky did some research of his own.  "Here are a few fun facts: Families spend a significant amount on back-to-school shopping, with one report showing a record $628 per child in 2025. Before erasers, kids used white bread to erase pencil marks. The tradition of giving apples to teachers dates back to the 16th century in Denmark, when parents paid educators with food. The first school buses appeared in 1915, with the familiar yellow color adopted in 1939." The tabbies made a funny chart too.

 Periwinkle added, " Speaking of school buses, don't forget the rules for drivers."

They also wanted to share the Cat Blogosphere's graphic to remind everyone to be careful. 

“School is a big adventure,” purred Periwinkle. “And we hope we helped our pals get ready for it!” added Stinky, giving everyone a brave little meow.

Here's a video of Kiki...

After watching the video, they had a quick snack of churus and took a nap.  They spent some time paw patting and whisker-kissing before Stinky had to head home.  One last whisker kiss and a WOOOSH, and he was on his way home.

Toon Tuesday

 Even though school started here a few weeks ago, Mom remembers going back right after Labor Day when she was a kitten so we're sharing a back-to-school toon.

Don't forget to visit The Cat On My Head to see what Stinky has planned for today's Adventure!

Click HERE to Teleport over.

Caturday Cat Art

Since school started last Monday, we thought we would use Adobe Firefly to create back-to-school artwork.  We used the prompt "back to school tabby cat" for our creation .  We're sharing all 3 that it made.  Aren't they cute kitties????

We're joining Athena's Caturday Art Blog Hop

See more Caturday Cat Art HERE.

Toon Tuesday

 School started here last week so we thought a school toon would be purrfect!

Don't miss out on today's Periwinkle and Stinky Adventure at The Cat On My Head.  Those two tabbies have such fun together!  Click HERE to teleport over!

The Adventures of Periwinkle and Stinky

 

Periwinkle paced back and forth by the Teleportation Tunnel.  This was the first time Stinky was coming to her house since his walkabout.  She still was amazed when she thought of where he was (If you missed it, click HERE)

She heard the familiar WOOSH and ran to the Tunnel.  Stinky tumbled out into her paws and they hugged and shared whisker kisses.  It was so nice to be together again.  After a few minutes, Stinky asked where they were going today.  "We're staying here at my house today.  I don't want you to get over tired" replied Periwinkle.  She could see by Stinky's expression that he was disappointed.  "I know you want to go out and do exciting things but we have something impawtent to share today and I want to make sure you are fully rested and back to your regular weight before we go anywhere else" she said.  Stinky knew she was right and so they headed to the dining room where Periwinkle had her Mom's laptop set up.

Stinky still had no idea what they were doing but figured whatever it was it was okay since they were together.  Finally Periwinkle told him.  "Today is the first day of school and I thought it would be a good idea to give all our friends who have little sticky people in their families some tips today,"  she said.  "What?  We're going to SCHOOL?" he replied.   Periwinkle giggled and said that cats are not allowed in school but that they could still be helpful.  Relieved, Stinky sighed and started looking at what Periwinkle had prepared.

"First, it's impawtent to have the right supplies and to make sure you have your name on everything so it doesn't get lost or mixed up.  Your parents spend a lot of green papers to get you what you need.

Water bottles are a must.  You have to keep hydrated.

Of course, backpacks are a necessity.

Here are some fun facts about School:

• The oldest public school in the United States—Boston’s Latin School—was founded in 1635. Among the school’s alumni are Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams.

• For centuries, an elementary education was only available to America’s wealthy. This changed in the 1840s when reformers tried to get tax funding for schools because they thought that if education was free, more people would attend, resulting in better citizens and decreased crime rates.

• Prior to the 1930s, most Americans only completed eight years of school. During the Great Depression, communities had little work to offer so they began enforcing a high school education for teenagers to keep them out of the work force.

• At one time, geography determined when students attended classes: in small rural areas, school went from December to March and from May to August so that kids could help plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. In urban areas, schools were off in the summer when hot, crowded classrooms could foster the spread of disease.

Art Class

• Crayola produces nearly 3 billion crayons each year, an average of 12 million daily.

• The average pencil can write 45,000 words or draw a line 35 miles long.

• Before the invention of erasers, a rolled-up piece of white bread was used to erase graphite.

• By the time a child turns 10, he will have worn down approximately 730 crayons and will have spent an average of 28 minutes per day coloring.

• In the Color Census of 2000, blue was voted the favorite crayon color, while tan, tumbleweed, and spring green were voted the least-favorite colors.

 Periwinkle explained that, where she lives, most kids ride their bikes or walk to school, but they take a school bus in some places.  Periwinkle also told Stinky that her Mom told her about the Grate Skeezix the Cat and that he would wait for the yellow bus to take him to school every year. "Here's a video of some kitties on a school bus.  They seem to be having fun"  she said.

They both enjoyed watching the video and were glad that THEY didn't have to go to school.  Stinky started to laugh and said he found the purrfect school bus.  Periwinkle giggled when he showed her.

"Speaking of school busses, it's also impawtent to follow the rules for driving," said Periwinkle.

Together, they decided to make a list of things for little sticky people to remember when they went to school.  Both laughed at the one about underwear because their fursibs, Raz and Cooper Murphy told them about Cat Scouts and how Angel Scout Timmy's underwear always ended up on the flagpole.

Periwinkle also said that bringing your lunch or lunch money was also something to remember.  "Speaking of lunch," she said, "why don't we head out back for a snack?  I know you still have to gain some of your weight back from your walkabout,"  Stinky agreed and the tabbies spent some time enjoying the nice weather and their snack.

After their snack, they both agreed they were glad THEY didn't have to go to school.  They took a quick nap and visited with Periwinkle's brofur Raz and her Mom.  After some time whisker kissing and paw patting, it was time for Stinky to head home.  Periwinkle told Stinky to take the backpack and water bottle she made for him.  He thanked her and stepped into the Teleportation Tunnel to head home.  

Wordy Wednesday

Today is the first day of school here.....where did the Summer go?  This little guy looks like he's ready!!

One of the things we think about on the first day of School is our pal Skeezix who went to the Bridge a few years ago.   Skeezix really wanted to go to skool and would wait with Mr. Tasty Face for the short bus.   If you don't know Skeezix, click HERE to read his post about the first day of skool.

Unfortunately, the short bus never came to pick him up and he was disappointed over and over.  Read all about that HERE.

Our Dad is a volunteer at the Satellite Beach Police Department and is  going to be doing radar speed checks in the school zones today....watch out speeders!  Our pal Sammy made this graphic for him.....

graphic by Sammy