Our Garden: Week 2

Hi Everyone! It's Cody and I am here to show you how our garden has progressed in only 2 weeks!! Since I am an indoor kitty I assigned Mom the task of taking photos because I haven't figured out how to work the camera yet! I "snoopervised" the proceedings so we should be just fine!

And awaaaaayyyy we gooooooooooo!!

Guess what THIS is???? It's CATNIP!!!!!
I'm getting a contact high
from just looking at this plant!

Our hot peppers don't seem to be doing as well as some of the other veggies

Greek Oregano, Sugar Snap Peas and a Fake Squirrel!!!
Mom had to figure out
how to get the peas to climb the railing
she tied the peas to the railing
with DENTAL FLOSS!!
MOL! MINT FLAVORED at that!
Look closely and you can see the floss! MOL!

Cherry tomato plant and look at our Romaine lettuce!
It has completely covered the cat plaque
from last week's post!

Sugar Snap Peas
Mom loves these mats she found
at Bed, Bath & Beyond

Roma Tomato Plant
Mom still needs to get a post
to prop the tomatoes
instead of using the American Flag!
She could probably get in trouble for that!

Another tomato plant

Tomatoes again with peppers in the background!
Mom had taken a separate photo
of the peppers but she goofed up somehow
and no matter what she did it kept loading sideways
I will show you those next week!

Well my friends that concludes our tour for this week!

Mom & I hope you enjoyed yourselves!

We would also like to apologize to Jonesie

for accidentally referring to HER as a HE last week!

Hey! What do we know?

We told you we are new to this gardening stuff!

We hope that SHE will forgive us!

To visit Jonesie, at HER blog

please click here!!

Alex Needs Your Purrs & Prayers-Wordless Wednesday

Read about Alex here

Pet Supplies Plus In Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Starts Construction On Kitty City, A New Cageless Adoption Center For Cats And Kittens

 Pet Supplies Plus of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan,  has started construction on Kitty City, a new cageless adoption center that will provide a free-roaming environment for adoptable cats and kittens waiting for good homes. 

Kitty City is the brainchild of store owner Addy Shattuck who has been adopting cats and kittens out of her three Pet Supplies Plus locations for 20 years.

Kitty City will enable cats and kittens to socialize with each other and look out of a floor-to-ceiling window in nearly 1,400 cubic feet of space equipped with perches, cat walks and other forms of kitty entertainment.  It will be constructed of plastic and glass to provide for a bacteria-free environment with multiple screens for ventilation.   A full-size door will enable prospective adopters to interact with the cats, which will come from Oakland Pet Adoption Center in Auburn Hills, Michigan and other shelters.  All cats will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated and health checked and can be adopted for $59. 

“Cats do not do well in a cage so we are creating an environment where they can be cats,” says Shattuck.  “It’s difficult to see the true personalities of these intelligent animals when they are confined in a small space.  We want the public to see just how unique each cat and kitten really is.  And we are hoping that a lot of them will find good homes as a result.”

 

Kitty City is scheduled for completion by August 2011. Pet Supplies Plus in Bloomfield Hills is at 2057 Telegraph, north of Square Lake Rd.  For information, call 249-333-7545.

SHEDMONSTER ("As Seen On TV"), REVIEW

I was recently given the opportunity of testing/reviewing the  ShedMonster, a grooming tool for dogs and cats. There are "As Seen On TV" products that perform as they promise that they will and those that do not, in my opinion the ShedMonster does not.





 However, Cody liked it! It barely removed any fur at all, but YES, Cody liked it!

Cody was actually rolling around with happiness
 even if Shedmonster barely removed his fur

To give the folks at ShedMonster the benefit of the doubt, Cody is an extremely short haired cat.  He does shed, but not as much as a cat that has longer fur.

We were given the ShedMonster for short haired cats to test/review. Here are comparison photos that show what fur the ShedMonster removed and the fur that my old standby cat comb removed:

Look closely,  the ShedMonster is on the left
and  has virtually no fur in its teeth
Check out the comb on the right (my cat comb)

another photo showing the same thing

my cat comb is loaded with fur

It's a no-brainer that I would stay with my current cat comb. For the record, Cody likes that as well.

ShedMonster also has a model for long haired dogs and cats. Maybe it works better? Anyone have experience with it? I am interested in hearing your opinions. If you would like to decide for yourself and are  interested in purchasing the ShedMonster, you can do that here



**I was not compensated  for this review. I was only given a ShedMonster to use for the purpose of this review.

Pet Owners Need to Prepare for “Above Normal” Hurricane Season, Keep in Mind Pets’ Emergency Needs, A Guest Blog By Wag'N Enterprises

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted an “above-normal” hurricane season this year, and pet owners need to be prepared according to a national pet emergency preparedness company.

“In the midst of a fire, flood, tornado or hurricane, the likelihood that you and your pets will survive the emergency depends largely on emergency planning done today,” said Ines de Pablo, executive director of pet emergency management division at Wag’N Enterprises.

NOAA forecasted the Atlantic Basin’s severe weather activity will exceed the normal seasonal average with 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes – all the more reason to be prepared ahead of time, de Pablo said. 

Although residents in storm-afflicted areas commonly keep personal records handy in case of emergencies –phone numbers, medical records and emergency supplies – it’s easy to forget similar preparation for your pets, de Pablo said.  Pet owners need to have immunization/health records and emergency vet contact information printed and ready should powered electronics be unavailable during and after a storm.  An extra supply of your pet’s food, water and medicine should also be readily available.

De Pablo said it’s also important to understand that post-disaster agencies may be slow to respond, depending on the severity of a weather-related event.

“You are your own first line of defense and your pet’s, too,” she said.  “Pet owners can take steps so that a first responder’s job is easier, should an emergency take place.”

Wag’N Enterprises offers eight important tips for emergency preparedness:

·         Pets should wear a collar with its regular identification, county license, microchip and rabies tag at all times.

·         Pet owners should carry a record of their pet’s medical history, a photo of their pet and emergency contact numbers (veterinarian, local animal control, etc.).  A Wag’N Pet Passport is a good solution to put all information together in one place.  

·         If there’s a storm evacuation, it’s important to know whether or not your pet is allowed in the shelter.  So, it’s important to plan in advance for shelter alternatives that will work for you and your pet.

·         Create a “grab and go” bag for your pet that’s light yet stocked with everything your pet needs during an evacuation.  Wag’N offers a preparedness checklist here for pet owners to reference.

·         Pet owners should keep a list of all their emergency contacts’ (friends, neighbors or family members) contact information, and pre-printed copies of lost pet posters readily available in their grab and go bag.  The Wag’N Rover Respond’R is another valuable tool pet owners should use to keep important information handy in their vehicles as well.

·         Once a pet emergency management plan is made, practice the plan with your family, considering multiple hazard scenarios and giving yourself various time frames to evacuate.

·         Prepare your human and pet first aid skills. Pet owners should take a Pet First Aid Class from a certified Pet Tech® instructor and also have a Pet First Aid Kit.

·         Always keep paper and electronic copies of the following information, preferably in a resealable bag:

1.    Pet’s veterinarian information

2.    Emergency animal hospital

3.    National poison control (800.222.1222)

4.    Paper maps of your neighborhood, town, county as well as regional maps. 

5.    Veterinary and immunization records

6.    Pictures of owner(s) with pet(s) for proof of ownership

For more information, please visit http://www.wagn4u.com or contact Dave Payne at 678.551.0780/dave@fetchingcommunications.com.  Wag'N is active on Twitter and FacebookFacebook.

About Wag’N Pet Safety Gear

Founded in 2007, Wag’N offers pet parents and first responders the necessary gear, supplies and training to effectively mitigate, prepare and respond to emergencies that impact pet health and safety. Executive Director of Pet Emergency Management Division, Ines de Pablo, holds a Master’s Degree in Risk, Crisis & Emergency Management from the prestigious George Washington University in Washington D.C. and has over a decade of extensive field training experience under her belt.  Wag’N Pet Safety Gear is a branded and extensive collection of purposefully designed tools and services giving people and their pets’ peace of mind in case of an emergency.

We Have A Garden!! And The Winner Of Our Nature's Logic Give-Away Has Been Selected!

Hi everyone it's Cody! Mom  and I are so excited to be taking part in our first Thursday gardening post!

Mom has wanted to try growing a container garden on our balcony for quite some time now. She wasn't sure if it would work, so she let a number of summers go by without planting one. Not this year!!

Mom's friend Cheryl, came over last week and helped Mom plant a container garden!! I have to take you on a tour from the inside because I am strictly an indoor kitty. It will still be fun! C'mon!!

We have a small balcony on second floor

Here is another view

Yet another!! These are cherry tomato plants and romaine lettuce

On the left are sugar snap peas!!

Catnip!! I can smell it now!
Wait til you see this next week
It has already gotten sooo much bigger!

Mom is proud of her brainiac idea
of turning a useless footstool
into a plant stand
Simple minds, simple pleasures, ya know?

These are pepper plants, at least I hope they are lol
We have planted sweet peppers and hot peppers
They have already gotten so much larger
and of course a plaque about cats

One of our tomato plants
We planted cherry tomatoes and Roma tomatoes

I am amazed because these pictures were taken a week ago and already everything has grown sooo much! When I show you our garden next week, you won't believe your eyes!

Thank you for joining me on my very first garden tour!

 I will try and make next week's better! Be sure to visit Jonesie and his garden here. 

He is a master gardener and really knows what he is doing!

Now...on to some more fun stuff!

Mom went to www.random.org and picked the winner of the

  Nature's Logic Give-Away!!

I am sooo excited to tell you who won!

It

was

DAISY!!!!!

"CONCATULATIONS" DAISY!

Daisy is a girl-kitty after my own heart!  She requested canned rabbit! Rabbit!

 Do you believe it? Daisy and I BOTH eat rabbit!!

 We are cats with discriminating taste that is for sure! In the unlikely event you don't know Daisy you should really check out her blog here, she wears lots of pretty clothes and has a fun kitty brother named Harley. She is so much fun to follow! Now that she eats rabbit like I do, I'd pretty much follow her anywhere!

Thanks to all who entered!!

Have a great day and be sure to "stop and smell the roses!!!"

Love, Cody

Farewell To Hootie, A Cat Saying "Good-Bye" To Another, "Wordy" but Necessary Wednesday

Those of you who are regular readers of Cat Chat are familiar with guest posts that I have published by Linda Wasche, the owner and founder of "Nooter's Club" (see widget on right-hand sidebar), the directory of low cost spay/neutering facilities around the country. Linda also acts as my additional eyes and ears in the community, bringing to my attention various cat related adoption events, fundraisers etc. that I otherwise may have unintentionally missed.

Linda and I  met as a result of this blog and often I don't know what I would do without her.

Her love of animals and her tireless work on their behalf is exemplary.

Tonight, I found this, in my inbox.  Here are Linda's words describing what you are about to watch:

"I recently lost my cat, Hootie, to kidney failure.  Hootie was adopted from Oakland Pet Adoption Center in Auburn Hills, MI and was a wonderful and very loving cat.  One of my other cats, BJ, is seen here, in this YouTube post saying goodbye to his friend.  Even though we had Hootie for only 10 months,  he was a big part of our family.  I think you will be amazed and touched by what you see.  I think these cats know so  much more than we think.   - Linda"




Please join me in sending  Linda and BJ purrs and prayers for strength in this difficult time.


To those who stopped by to find out who the winner of the Nature's Logic cat food is, I apologize for the delay. I will post the winner tomorrow. When I received this video I felt it was important to share Hootie with all of you and to have you, the most caring people in the world, along with your  kitties and doggies, give Linda, BJ and Hootie the love that you are ALL known for!!

Happy First Day Of Summer!!

Today, much of the world is celebrating the first day of summer.

In honor of this day, which many of us in the Northern U.S and Canada NEVER thought would arrive (after the winter we had last year), I bring to you a song I wrote and posted last summer. It is to be meowed or sung to the tune of Mungo Jerry's famous "In The Summertime." If you use your imagination, some of these guys actually LOOK like they could be CATS with all of their luxurious "furs!"

Without further adieu, I bring to you Cat Chat's version of

 "In The Summertime, Cat-Style!!"

"purr purr-purr uh, purr purr-purr, uh

purr purr-purr, uh, purr purr-purr, uh..."

"In the summertime when the weather is hot

You can stretch right out and be on your favorite cot,

When the weather's fine

You got playing, you got romping on your mind

Have some nip, have a climb

Go out and see what you can find"

"If her Daddy's rich, take her out for some filet,

If her Daddy's poor, just stay in and play,

Speed around the house,

really speed, really speeeed big time my friend,

When the sun goes down, you can make it

make it home before day's end"

"We're no threat, we kitties, we're not dirty, we're not mean

We love everybody, but we do as we please

When the weather's fine

We go fishing or go climbing up some trees

We're always happy

Life's for living, yeah that's our "felineosophy"

"Sing along with us, mew-mew-mew-mew-mew

purr-purr-purr-purr-purr yeah, we're hap-happy.......

mew-mew-mew-mew-mew...."

"Purr purr-purr, uh, purr purr-purr, uh

Purr purr-purr, uh, purr purr-purr, uh...."

"When the winter's here, yeah it's sleepy time

Bring a toy mouse

Wear your finest fur, it'll soon be summertime

And we'll sing again

We'll go jumpin' or maybe we'll settle down

If she's got "noms" or if she's got mice

Bring your kitty friends and we'll all go into town...."

Happy First Day Of Summer All!!

Remember, keep a fresh supply of water available at all times for your kitties, outdoor kitties take your flea meds!

Keep your kitties  away from pools, lakes, BBQ's, fire pits, dangerous garden plants and other outdoor hazards.

Make This A Great Summer For You And Your Favorite Felines!!

Thanks to Mungo Jerry's "In The Summertime" for the inspiration for this parody.

EVIL CAT A Fluffy Kitty Gets Mean By Elia Anie

Think cats are all sweetness and light? "Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows?" Think again.

Have a sarcastic side? Yes? Then Evil Cat is for you!

"In 95 side-splitting, devious, duplicitous and sinister illustrations, Anie's fiendishly clever kitty creation will win your heart-all the while plotting to take over the world and destroy the existing order and decency surrounding him."

"From purposely giving terrible haircuts to the family dog, to deliberately prank phone calling a do-not-call list, the hijinks of this EVIL CAT are, no doubt, not so very different from those pulled by readers' real-life duplicitous felines!"




ABOUT THE AUTHOR: After studying physics and theatre in college, Elia Anie pursued stage acting, playwriting, photography, and video production. Her love of travel has taken her as far as the Arctic and Antarctica. She recently animated her first short film about misbehaving cats. She is also the author of Evil Penguins.
 Author website:www.Evil-cats.com and twitter.com/EvlCat.

Official U.S. Release - June 2011
                   

ISBN:978-0399536731

Visit the publisher website at www.penguin.com

Happy Father's Day To All Of The Kitty Daddies!!!

My Dad is very special:

He looks like Albert Einstein

I try to take his food cause the rabbit diet doesn't cut it

He loves me for the good kitty that I really am

I sleep on his shirt when he isn't home, just to have him close

He is extremely intelligent

I wish all kitties had a Dad like mine!

I love you Dad!

Happy Father's Day!!!

Love, Cody

Cat Photo Art Note Cards By “Joy’s Barn Lions” Guest Blog By Joy DeLisle

Barn Lions

cat photo art note cards

I am an amateur photographer; I started photographing my barn cats for fun four years ago when they were just kittens.  I love snapping photos of cats outdoors in their natural surroundings.  Then, with my computer as my “dark room”, I add my own artistic style.  I work with a cat photo until a glimpse of their soul is revealed.  Sometimes it’s already there without any searching on my part.  I try to add a bit of fancy to the cat picture to make it appealing to send as a card.  I print my cat images on 4.25 x 5.5” blank note cards.  I gave boxes of my cards as gifts, now I offer them for sale.  I thought it would be a good way to raise money to help cats.  For every card sold, the profit is used or donated to help with cat spay/neuter needs.  I dedicate my time and resources for this cause. 

My goal is to help neighbors with spay/neuter costs for feral or barn cats by coordinating efforts with “Kat Snips” or the “Forgotten Felines” program.  We help provide information, applications, contacts, traps, fees for those seeking help, as these programs are usually not advertised.  Past recipients of donations were Faerie Tales Cat Rescue & Kat Snips. 

My website is www.barnlions.com where you can learn about our progress, sign up for our newsletter, request a brochure, and find contact information.

My cards are for sale on line from my Etsy shop, “Joy’s Barn Lions” at www.etsy.com/shop/joysbarnlions.  I also will take orders by email, mail or phone and I accept all major credit cards.  My email address is barnlions@hughes.net.

“The Barn Cat News” email newsletter is sent twice a year to announce new items.  I’m always adding new cards, new prints, and special holiday box sets.  If you are interested please send me your email address. 

In the works, a new size (5x7) blank greeting card with an actual photo adhered to the front of the card.  The cards will feature unique 4x6 prints on metallic paper.  By the way, boxed assorted cards make great gifts.

Recognition in the Community

Barn cat photo art prints were exhibited at The Filmore Art Show, Stockbridge, MI and at the Art Exhibition & Wine Tasting Fair at Our Lady of Fatima, Michigan Center.  Both exhibits brought a big increase in card sales and awareness to available cat programs in the area.

I plan to select four such selling venues each year.  I am still researching the shows that will benefit the cats the most.  Your input is welcome.  Those announcements can be found on my website or in the email newsletter.

Barn Lions is located in Grass Lake, Michigan, in the Waterloo Recreation Area. 

DISCLOSURE: I received no compensation for featuring Joy on Cat Chat. I happily stumbled upon Joy on Twitter. After meeting her there I visited her website and completely fell in love with the quality of her work and asked her if I may feature her on Cat Chat. The information packet Joy had sent to me was charming and highly professional. Her love of cats and photography is superbly conveyed by the quality of her work. Please visit her site, you will not be disappointed!

VIDEO: Top 10 most popular cat breeds

A special thank you to Glenn Gilbert from The Oakland Press for sharing this video with me which he received from The Times Herald.

"It's A Bird! It's A Plane...!" Semi-Wordless Wednesday

LOL that I created on www.icanhascheezburger.com