Cody Update:Staying Positive

CODY UPDATE: Last night he ate A LOT without the appetite stimulant. Came out and played and was much more bright and active. This morning he ate his entire breakfast, lunch and snack with no stimulant. He was bright, engaged and so much more like himself!

 Went to vet and had a PRELIMINARY, NON-FASTING re-check of his calcium only. His calcium is still above normal, but it HAS GONE DOWN from last Saturday. Cody is going to have a complete blood panel done either Fri or Monday (probably Monday).

 My regular vet saw him today, said he looks like he always does (a GOOD thing). There is a myriad of things that could be the cause of what is going on. We are all taking it step by step and there is a chance we won’t ever know what is going on (which to me, is not a bad thing!)

Thanks to Jenna from
Love is being owned by a Husky
for the adorable card!

 The complete panel will be mailed out when we have it done,  so it will take some time to know some things and hopefully rule out other things. Cody hasn't eaten since we got home about an hour ago. . I am not overly concerned because it was a stressful experience for him again,  having to be poked and prodded. We have  an appetite stimulant which I will only use if needed. Today, he ate the  majority of his food so if he doesn’t eat tonight I will give it to him late tonight or early tomorrow if he does not eat breakfast.

LOVE that my Vet is back to care for him!

Thanks to ALL for your love, caring and concern! I am feeling much more hopeful!! 

Will take each day as it comes, that's all we CAN do! 

Purrs and Prayers Still Needed

Hi every furry, it's me, Cody and I wanted to stop by just to give you a quick update.

As many of you know, I am not feeling well. Mom and I aren't going into detail right now because we don't know anything definitively at this point, but as soon as we do we will update you.

For those who do not know, I haven't been eating right and I was at my regular Vet Saturday and then they made me go to the Emergency Vet where they stabbed, poked, shaved and upset me with all of their pawing around trying to find out what is making me sick. I was an excellent boy, but I just wanted to go home.

I went home Saturday night and I ate all of my food. Then, I ate ALL of my food Sunday without any appetite stimulant!

I got up this morning and didn't feel like eating at all. Mom gave me my appetite stimulant about an hour ago and I haven't eaten yet. Mom is quite worried. We are supposed to call our Vet tomorrow when he is back in town (for follow-up testing), but if I haven't eaten by this afternoon, Mom said she is going to call his Associate.

Mom and I want to thank everyone for all of the caring emails, Facebook messages and Facebook comments we have received. We can't begin to thank you enough for your kindness and caring. We feel as if we didn't thank EVERYONE and if we didn't respond to you personally in a comment on Facebook, we apologize.

Please pray that I am feeling better soon.

I was supposed to have a give-away today for the Neko Nappers Pet House that you see above, but I am not feeling up to it right now. I called the sweet lady at Nekochan to tell her, and she was so nice! She said to just get better and we will hopefully have the give-away soon! I just want to be feeling more like myself so that I can handle the give-away purrfectly. (I love the Pet House and have been spending virtually ALL of my resting time in it! It makes me feel all warm, cozy and safe).

Thank you so much for your understanding, love, caring and support........we love and appreciate each and every one of you.

Cody and (Mom too)

UPDATE: I ATE!!! At 9:30 am Mom "delivered" my food to my cabin, (ordering in is ALWAYS good!) and I ate half of my container of Chicken Purrcata!!!   (Mom had given me the other 1/4 of my appetite stimulant at 8:30 she gave the first 1/4 at 7:30)  Mom is thrilled and told me I am a good boy!!!

Mom and I were also remiss by not saying anything about all of the others who have recently had kitties cross the bridge and poor Marge who needs help with that adorable Donkey boy "Joe". We are heartbroken by all of the loss, illness and horrible events taking place in the blogosphere right now, we send our love, sympathy and prayers to all,  and we pray that things improve for EVERYONE SOON!!!

It's FroliCat POUNCE™ Winners Time!!

OMC my furiends I am sooooooooo excited!! Today is the day I get to announce the THREE LUCKY WINNERS of my FroliCat Pounce Give-away!!  THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!!!

CONCATULATIONS TO

ALL THREE

LUCKY WINNERS!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Boxing Day! Oh and E = mc2

This is my first Boxing Day post! Why? Well, believe it or not, I am a cat that isn't always interested in boxes. It upsets my Mom greatly, me? Not so much! I never knew Boxing Day existed til a few years ago when I noticed kitties blogging about it. If you are like how I was, and have no clue what Boxing Day is, click here to learn all about it!

A few months ago I was expecting delicious noms from my furiends at Nutrish. (Nope, this is NOT a sponsored post, I just wanted to show you my box!!) Mom couldn't believe when she turned around after opening the box and saw this!!

I must have smelled the deliciousness

 that was inside of the box!!!

Speaking of Boxes! Back in October, Mom and I entered a contest on Cheri of the Cats Of Wildcat Woods blog. The contest was celebrating their kitty, Albert's 10th GOTCHA DAY and the question asked who Albert was named after. The first person to answer correctly would WIN! Well, Mom and I were the FIRST to answer correctly!! We have to admit though....we cheated. Want to know why? Well, the answer was Albert Einstein and this was super easy for us. The reason? We happen to LIVE with his "twin!!"

We even picked a super flattering photo of Albert Einstein and they STILL look alike!!! MOL!! So much so, that EVERYONE who meets Dad tells him he looks like Albert Einstein AND about 10 years ago my Dad was featured on the FRONT PAGE OF AOL because he had WON an  Albert Einstein look alike contest!!! MOL! Mom had signed onto the computer and nearly DIED when she saw Dad's face there!

Now, we know that E = mc2   is an equation that conveys the fact that "mass and energy are the same physical entity and can be changed into each other." That begs the question, Has my Dad morphed into being Albert Einstein or has Albert Einstein morphed into being my Dad? What do YOU think?

Regardless of your answer, we won  Cheri's contest because of being intimately connected MOL!!

Since we won the contest for being the first to answer the question correctly, we received these pawesome gifts from Cheri!

My apologies for not blogging about them sooner, Mom didn't let me open the box til YESTERDAY!! Cheri even included treats for Dakota! How nice was THAT?! (Oh, the wine and grapes in the photo were NOT won, they are a part of our placemat that Mom was too lazy to crop out of the photo).

Thank you so much Cheri for the delicious prizes!!!

Have a great Boxing Day all!

Love, 
Cody

Merry, Merry Christmas!

Meet Social Media Santa!!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE ALL!!!

Holiday Gift-Giving Tip: Don't Forget Your Veterinarian And Their Staff!

While you are busy finishing your wrapping and last minute gift shopping, be sure that you don't forget one of the most important people in your pet's life, next to YOU.....

your Veterinarian, and their staff!!!

Many of you are like me, you visit your Veterinarian more often than you are able to visit many family members!

We are blessed with a Vet who has allowed, and has patiently accepted many late night/weekend  phone calls and frantic texts, often containing photos of allergy flare-ups, etc., etc.  (Isn't it amazing that most of the time that we have to contact the Vet, it is a Friday night or other weekend day?)

Our vet has returned texts and phone calls when he was on vacation, on his day off and various other less-than-convenient times, and has never once acted as if I was imposing. If you have a Vet like that you are BLESSED!

Gifting your Veterinarian and their staff, can be expensive.

Our Veterinarian works with approx. 6 other doctors, a number of technicians, and a large front desk staff. Our Groomer is also affiliated with our vet, and there are a number of employees there as well.

 How do you gift them all?  Problem solved! 

I thought of an easy, affordable and greatly appreciated way to thank your Vet and their staff on a budget!

I purchased a tin of popcorn from our local drug store and a beautiful Christmas cake from our local grocery store, (that is shaped as one series of beautiful CHOCOLATE Christmas trees dusted with powdered sugar!)  I placed it all in a plastic gift bag from the Dollar Store and tied a cat toy (that Cody DOESN'T USE) around the top with ribbon to give it a festive feel! (One huge mistake, I had forgotten to take the price tag off of the cake, but oh well, it probably won't be noticed anyway!) The gift is delicious and large enough for all to share, our Vet puts it in their lunchroom where it can be enjoyed all day!

The gift on the bottom is a personal gift for our Vet himself. (That isn't a necessity for some, but for us it is, because in our world, our Vet is another cherished member of our "family".) We know our Vet quite well, and purchased a T-shirt featuring a player from one of his favorite sports teams.

So, if you haven't added your Veterinarian and their staff, to your list due to budgetary constraints, you can solve that problem with a little ingenuity and creativity!!!

 Our Veterinarians give selflessly to all of US and our furbabies, that it is the LEAST we can do for THEM!!

Winner of the prize pack of toys from the Jackson Galaxy Collection by Petmate!!!

Thanks to all who entered our give-away for the

prize pack of toys from the Jackson Galaxy Collection by Petmate!!!!

and the book 

CATIFICATION!!!

We are so excited to announce the lucky winner!!!

HUGE CONCATULATIONS TO:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keeping Out Old Man Winter, Written By: Nancy Peterson, Cat Programs Manager for The Humane Society of the United States

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY:This is a guest post by Nancy Peterson, Cat Programs Manager for The Humane Society of the United States. We thank Nancy as always for her superb contributions to our blog!

Winter is the perfect time to accustom your pet to being an indoor-only cat. An indoor lifestyle is safer for cats and also protects wildlife from injury or death caused by outdoor cats.

However, some outdoor cats don’t want to come indoors because they’re feral – too afraid of people to be handled or adopted into homes. Strays, friendly outdoor cats with no known owners, also live outdoors if no one adopts them. Feral and stray cats are known collectively as community cats, and they deserve our concern and care.

Photo Courtesy of  Neighborhood Cats

Many people feed community cats, but it’s Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) that will really be effective and reduce their numbers, nuisance behavior complaints, and public health concerns. With TNR, community cats are spayed or neutered, vaccinated against rabies, identified as sterilized with an ear tip (1/4 of the tip of the ear, usually the left, is surgically removed), and if healthy, returned to the area where they were found. Ideally, a caretaker provides community cats with shelter, food and water, monitors them for injury or illness, and traps any new cats who appear.

A caretaker’s role is especially critical during winter when even the most resourceful community cats need a helping hand. A properly-sized shelter is essential because one that’s too big makes it harder for the cat’s body heat to warm the interior. If you’re caring for several cats, provide shelters that accommodate three to five cats who will stay warm by huddling together. You can build a simple or a more elaborate shelter or buy a pre-made shelter. If you choose to build your own, scrap weather-proofed lumber may be available at low or no cost from a home supply store.

Photo Courtesy of
Christopher Humby
of Scaredy Cat Rescue

Make the door of the shelter just big enough for the cat to fit through and face the opening in a way to prevent wind, rain, and snow from entering. Place the shelter where it’s hidden from public view but allows you access, and elevate the shelter slightly off the cold ground. If possible, also try to place the shelter in a sunny spot against a warm building or near bushes that keep their leaves all year to provide additional protection from nature’s elements. For extra security, camouflage the shelter with branches and leaves.

Since hay may irritate kitty noses and cause allergic reactions, stuff the shelter with a thick layer of straw into which cats can burrow and stay warm. You can also stuff pillowcases with shredded newspaper or packing peanuts. On especially cold nights, provide microwaveable discs, which hold heat for 12 hours. Don’t use folded newspaper, towels, or blankets because they absorb body heat.

If it’s really cold and you can’t regularly check the shelter, avoid straw and stuffed pillowcases and line the shelter’s inner walls, floor, and ceiling with Mylar. It won’t draw heat from a cat resting on it, but will reflect back the cat’s body heat. If you have access to electricity, you can buy an outdoor heated cat shelter or heated bed to place in the shelter. Avoid salt or chemicals to remove snow or melt ice around the shelter or feeding station. These products may irritate paws or be toxic if licked.

Food and water bowls can be placed in a hidden feeding station made of a large plastic container situated on its side. So that cats don’t have to go far to access their food and water, place the container near the shelter, which will help them conserve energy and warmth.

Cats may be chilled by eating frozen food and keeping canned food from freezing in the winter may be challenging. One option is to warm canned food at home and then place it in insulated bags for transport. You can also place canned food inside a well-insulated shelter far from the doorway, which may allow the cat’s body heat to defrost it if it freezes. To avoid this potential problem all together, you may decide to feed dry food only.

Despite their thicker fur and toasty shelter, cats use more energy keeping warm when it’s cold, so feeding them a higher calorie food may be helpful. However, don’t feed so much food that there are leftovers that attract other animals, including wildlife. 

Photo Courtesy of
Christopher Humby
of Scaredy Cat Rescue

A thick plastic container that is deep and wide will keep water from freezing longer than a thin plastic or ceramic container. You can also mix sugar or salt into the water, which will lower its freezing point. Salt will lower the freezing point a bit better than sugar. Start with a half to one level teaspoon of either in one quart of water and adjust the amount as needed. Don’t place water in the shelter because the cats will get chilled if it spills and avoid metal bowls since their tongues can stick to the metal. You can also remove a tire from its metal rim, stuff it with rocks, and place a water-filled plastic container in the center space. The black tire will absorb heat from the sun and warm the rocks enough to keep the water from freezing. A solar-heated water bowl is an even simpler option that can prevent or delay freezing.

Even their thick winter undercoat won’t protect cats from frostbite if they’re exposed to severe cold for a prolonged period of time. Frostbite, the loss of blood circulation, can affect a cat’s ear tips, nose, tail, toes, and any body part where the hair is thin. If the early signs of frostbite – pale, gray, or bluish areas – aren’t treated as soon as they appear, the skin in those areas may ultimately die. You may see swelling, blisters, and black or dead skin as circulation returns and the skin thaws. If you can touch the cat, the area may be cold, brittle, and painful. Frostbite is not to be taken lightly so seek veterinary care right away.

Community cats live in many places in the United States, Canada, and around the world where winter climates challenge their survival. Thanks to TNR resources in those places and dedicated caretakers, community cats have full tummies and warm shelters when old man winter comes calling.

DOUBLE Winners of the Book: Double Trouble A-Z: The Adventures of Bugsy And Knuckles By Lou Belcher

Hi and Happy Caturday All!!

Thanks to all who entered our give-away for:

It is now time to announce our

"DOUBLE"

WINNERS!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can visit Pam and Sammy over at their blog:

"ONE SPOILED CAT"

and you can visit Claire at her blog:

"THE SWISS CATS "

HUGE CONCATULATIONS TO BOTH!

It's the FroliCat POUNCE™ !! Enter to Win!!

Hi my furiends! It's Cody and boy oh boy do I ever have a PAWTASTIC toy to show you!!!

It is the:

FroliCat POUNCE™

And it is my LATEST OBSESSION!!

Before I tell you about it, allow me to tell you when my obsession with the FroliCat™ line of toys began. Grab a soft cushion and some noms and sit back and listen! 

Way back in 2010 before Mom had a clue as to how to blog, she had a guest blogger stop by and talk about the:

 FroliCat BOLT™

Photo Courtesy of http://www.frolicat.com/

Mom was so impressed with this product that she HAD to get me one, and she did! FroliCat™ is a line of innovative cat toys, brought to you by ***Radio Systems Corporation. The toys are super fun and not only provide the ultimate in interactive play, but they are also ideal for your cat, dog, ferret, rabbit, etc. to play with on their own!. (Well, the human has to turn it on, but that's it! The toy does the rest! Your human can join you in play, but they don't have to! It's great for when your human is feeling lazy as mine often does!)

. All FroliCat toys are designed to engage your cat in enthused play!! 

That was back in 2010 and I STILL have my FroliCat Bolt! To this day it remains one of my favorite toys! But now, there's a NEW TOY IN TOWN!!

Meet the FroliCat POUNCE!!!!

Photo Courtesy of http://www.frolicat.com/

Now, how did I learn about the FroliCat POUNCE? Back in November, Mom attended the Novi Pet Expo and was wandering around aimlessly looking for something SUPER FUN to bring home for ME! She happened upon, stumbled into, the PetSafe booth and was IMMEDIATELY drawn to the FroliCat POUNCE! Why? Because it had a MOUSE and if there is ANYTHING that gets me MOVING, it's a MOUSE!!! "I'm all about da mouse, 'bout da mouse, no kickers, I'm all about da mouse, 'bout da mouse, no kickers..." well YOU get the idea!!! This isn't any ordinary mouse either, this mouse has a NAME!  His name is Marshal Maus™ !!  (He's a formal kinda guy!)

Now occasionally Mom comes in handy for something! Mom KNEW that she had to get this for me, and ever the cheapskate, thoughtful Mom that she is, she went home and contacted a "Magic Elf" that she knows, to see if she could not only get the FroliCat POUNCE for me to review, but she  also wanted to be able to have a give-away for YOU!

The "Magic Elf"  DEFINITELY worked some MAGIC! Within TWO DAYS I had the FroliCat POUNCE!!!  When it arrived I didn't quite know what to make of it, even Dakota was mesmerized!

What is the FroliCat POUNCE™ ?

POUNCE is an automatic, rotating, hide-and-seek cat toy. Marshal Maus™ is an electronic mouse, (that runs on batteries!!),  who zips around the circular path, zooming forward, reversing direction, hiding under obstacles, and occasionally twitching back and forth. The unpredictable movement stimulates your cat’s natural instinct to hunt, chase, and pounce on prey.

Speaking of "umpredictable" check out my reaction when I first watched the FroliCat POUNCE in action! Be sure to watch my head!!

If you notice, it didn't take me long to get the hang of it!!! Soon, I was so confident, I decided to try and eat that Marshal Maus! Mom had to intervene to prevent me from causing his early demise!


Mom and I both couldn't be more thrilled with the FroliCat POUNCE and have NOTHING negative to say about it! It couldn't be easier to operate. It runs on THREE AA batteries, (not included), has FOUR DIFFERENT SPEED SETTINGS (so you can control the speed of the mouse and the "teasing" factor!)  Also, once you turn it on it STAYS ON FOR 10 MINUTES!!!!!

It's so PAWESOME that my "Magic Elf" has said that I could have a GIVE-AWAY!! THAT'S RIGHT!!  THREE LUCKY KITTIES THAT RESIDE IN THE U.S.A WILL WIN THEIR OWN FROLICAT POUNCE!!! (An approx. $40.00 VALUE!!)

Entering is easy!! Just enter on the Rafflecopter below, the lucky winners will be announced on Saturday, December 27th!!! GOOD LUCK!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Radio Systems leads the industry in the development of innovative pet behavioral, containment, and lifestyle products and services. For more information, visit PetSafe.net.

In full disclosure: We were not compensated for this review/give-away. Since Mom reached out to the "Magic Elf" to receive/review the FroliCat POUNCE and asked if we could have a give-away, she chose to NOT  ask for compensation. 

Secret Paws, My Favorite Holiday Tradition!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Rachael Ray Nutrish. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  As always, thank you for reading and supporting our sponsors.

Hi my furiends!

It's Cody!  I am one thankful and oh-so-happy kitty!!!! Remember a few days ago when I told you  my Secret Paws package had arrived and Mom wouldn't let me open it? 

Well, Mom FINALLY

gave me Purrmission

to OPEN IT!

Ok, let me back up the bus a bit, I had to wait until sundown on the first night of Chanukah before Mom would let me near my package! The nerve! She had already made me wait for DAYS and the SUSPENSE was killing me!

Mom is one tough piece of kibble when she wants to be, that is for sure! Because it was the first night of ******Chanukah, Mom first made me paw around and find my pawsonal Menorah. Then, she made me put on my Yarmulke while she proceeded to document this debacle for all the World to see. Making me dig around and find my Menorah was completely ridiculous if you ask me, we don't ever LIGHT mine, because Mom says candles are too dangerous, but she wanted all of you to see the cute kitty Menorah she pawchased a few years back.

The things I have to endure to make this woman happy! Once this ordeal ended, Mom then requested that Dakota, Dad and I gather around their Menorah:

 (battery operated mind you, so much for tradition!) while we recited the candle lighting blessing for Chanukah:

Then, it was FINALLY time for me to find out WHO my Secret Paws package had come from!

Mom helped me open the box (I wanted to chew the tape but she felt that scissors were a better idea, go figure),  and I was completely blown away when I pawed open the envelope that was inside and saw this!

MY SECRET PAWS WAS NONE OTHER THAN

MELISSA AND TRUFFLES FROM

Click to visit their blog!

Secret Paws, My Favorite Holiday Tradition!

This is my third year participating in the Secret Paws gift exchange and it is a tradition that I hope will continue for as long as I continue to blog! Mom Paula does a most pawtastic job of coordinating all of the kitties, and it is a most anticipated event!

Mom and I were overcome with emotion when we saw all of the presents inside!!!! They were wrapped so beautifully!!! Mom didn't want to destroy the beautifully wrapped packages by ripping into  them,but I talked sense into her, I had waited long enough! There were a BUNCH of packages for ME!!

THERE WERE PACKAGES FOR MOM

THERE WERE EVEN PACKAGES FOR DAKOTA!!!

Mom was especially touched that Melissa and Truffles were so incredibly thoughtful to include Dakota! (To see what he received visit his blog!!)

Before I show you  all of the wonderful prezzies that I received look at what Mom got!

How appropriate that a kitty named Truffles, would get Mom chocolate TRUFFLES???? Mom was so touched at the thought that went into all of our gifts that she wouldn't stop screaming! Here is a photo of BOTH sides of the mug for you to see. Mom LOVES it!

Then, Mom was super touched by the kitty notepad because it reminded her of a photo of who else? ME, when I was a kitten!!!

Next, it was FINALLY time for ME to open MY GIFTS!!!!!!! I received not one, but TWO different kinds of kitty treats!!!  I also received a cat nip toy by one of my all time favorite makers of catnip!!!

And....a brand new Kicker toy from the Jackson Galaxy Collection by Petmate!!

I could barely contain MY excitement with all of these goodies and Mom was blown away!!! But...I KNEW there was MORE!!! I remembered when I was standing on the table smelling the packages, I smelled a MOST familiar and deeply loved scent!!

I knew that delicious aroma too well!  I smacked my lips with anticipation because I KNEW what it was!!! I pawed and pawed and sure enough, I was correct! It was:

"OH NO SHE DIDN'T!!!"

 OH YESSSSSSSSSSS SHE DID!!!!!

Melissa and Truffles both know that 2014 was my first year as an Ambassacat for Nutrish For Cats, a position that is near and dear to my heart and one that I treat with the utmost seriousness!!!! Mom was fussing that I was almost out of my Nutrish, and then...Melissa and Truffles sent me some!!! My all- time favorite flavor is the Chicken Purrcata, check out the delicious pieces of chicken!!!

I couldn't wait to dig in!!!

Thank you Melissa and Truffles

for your incredible generosity!

You made Mom, Dakota and I happier than you could ever know and we are beyond grateful! Thank you for all of the time, thought and effort you put into making us so incredibly happy! Now, if you will excuse me........there is a bowl of Chicken Purrcata with my name on it calling to me from the kitchen!!!

Love, Cody

******For the Fuzzy Tales Clowder and other curious cats! Mom found the answer to your question, "Why are there different spellings for the word "Chanukah?" Well, here is your answer that Mom found online:"With so many ways to correctly get the point of Hanukkah across, the proper spelling really turns into a matter of preference and mass appeal. If you want to fit in with the crowd, opt for the Hanukkah spelling, now the most widely used of the choices." So, ever the rebel who could care a rat's tush about "fitting in with the crowd"....Mom happens to visually prefer the spelling that uses a "C" and that is the one she chooses to use! So there you have it!

Royal Cat Boutique: Kitty Treadmill Winners!!!!

Thanks to all who entered my give-away for the Kitty Treadmill from Royal Cat Boutique and THANK YOU for your patience with the Rafflecopter debacle!!

It is now time to announce the THREE incredibly LUCKY winners!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

HUGE CONCATULATIONS!!!

I know some kitties who are gonna be 

SUPER HAPPY!!!

ENJOY!

LOVE, CODY

Happy Chanukah 2014

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY: Due to JibJab being in the process of removing embedded codes from their videos, hence, taking away the option of posting their videos on our blogs, (we learned this AFTER we PAID to download a video), Cody and I are repeating our Chanukah post from 2012. OUR CHANUKAH 2014 POST WILL APPEAR ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18th (lucky for us, Chanukah is "EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS") where we will also reveal what Cody's Secret Paws 2014 sent to him!!! So, for now, please enjoy our post from 2012!

Chanukah (yes...there ARE multiple spellings of the word) begins tonight at sundown....

What is Chanukah?

From Chabad.org:

Chanukah -- the eight-day festival of light that begins on the eve of the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev-- celebrates the triumph of lightover darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality.

Chanukah customs include eating foods fried in oil -- latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts); playing with the dreidel (a spinning top on which are inscribed the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hei and shin, an acronym for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, "a great miracle happened there"); and the giving of Chanukah gelt, gifts of money, to children.

Click here for the complete story of Chanukah, and here for a comprehensive "How To" guide for the observances and customs of Chanukah.

My ALL TIME FAVORITE Chanukah song is by Adam Sandler....enjoy his crazy humor!

To those who celebrate,

HAPPY CHANUKAH!

Enjoy your "Eight Crazy Nights"

Love, Cody and Mom

In full disclosure: We contacted Chabad.org and received permission to post part of their article. We offer our heartfelt thanks!!

Enter to win a prize pack of toys from the Jackson Galaxy Collection by Petmate

Hi all it's Cody!!! I am so excited to take over the blog today, especially with the holidays coming, because today is the FIRST of  THREE pawesome give-aways that we have that will all take place before the end of December!!! 

Today I have some super cool toys to share with you! A few months ago Mom  and I were contacted by the nice people at Petmate asking if we wanted to review some toys from the one and only, renowned cat expert, Jackson Galaxy, who now has the  Jackson Galaxy Collection by Petmate !! The peeps at Petmate said we could also  have a give-away! Of course I jumped at the chance!

Click to visit!

But...since I am a cat, there WERE some "strings attached!" I had to answer a few questions to determine what my "play style" is.

Here are the questions that I had to answer:

When you play with your cat, does he:

a)     Jump from furniture, swatting at the toy

b)     Crouch low to the ground, hunting the toy

c)      Ignore the toy and continue to sleep on the couch

A stranger visits your house, does your cat:

a)     Stare at the visitor while perched high on his cat tree

b)     Hide under furniture, stalking the visitor's feet

c)      Ignore the visitor and continue to sleep on the couch

When your cat finds a bug in the house, does he:

a)     Bat and play with the bug

b)     Stalk the bug until he kills it

c)      Ignore the bug and continue sleeping on the couch

Count up your responses:

If you answered mostly "A" then your cat prefers air play – the Jackson Galaxy Air Prey Wand is her toy of choice!

****If you answered mostly "B" then you cat prefers ground play – the Jackson Galaxy Ground Prey Wand is his toy of choice!

If you answered mostly "C" then your cat prefers sleep over play – the Jackson Galaxy Comfy Cocoon is perfect for those long cat naps!

As you can see by the red highlighted questions above, I prefer Ground Play! Spot On!!

The toys that I received to review were all (except one), considered to be great for kitties with this preference!

 Before I tell you about the items that I received, Mom wanted me to tell you a few things about the packaging of the products. Over all, Mom thinks the packaging is PAWESOME!! The colors are super cool  and on the back of the packaging there is a CAT MOJO TIP such as "Cats have varied responses to catnip. Some will zone out, others will freak out, and about 20% of cats won't respond at all." Mom thought that the tips on the back of the cardboard packing was super clever! That being said, Mom's BIG complaint about the packaging is the products are attached with that THICK plastic stuff that makes it hard to get the product off of the cardboard!  But...enough of Mom's complaining. Let me tell you about the toys that I received.

I am going to tell you about the toys I tested beginning with my LEAST favorite, and then going up to my MOST favorite, (which in my case was a TIE, I had TWO favorites!)

The first item that I tried was the:

CAT CRAWL

It is a mesh tunnel and of all the products of Jackson's that I tried, it was probably my least favorite. Nothing against Jackson, but I am NOT a kitty who enjoys being in an enclosed space, so this wasn't a favorite. MANY kitties DO love tunnels, if you are among the kitties who do, you will LOVE this!

I am going to have Jackson tell you more about it!

IMPORTANT NOTE: I did NOT receive the square box that went with the mesh tunnel. Maybe I would have liked that better?

The next item that I tried that I wasn't a big fan of was the:

TWISTED KICKER

Designed to encourage a cat’s need to stalk and attach to its prey, the Jackson Galaxy Twisted Kicker™ includes made-in-the-USA catnip pods at each end. Available in denim with a sisal center band or in plush velvet.

Mom and I were a little disappointed with this one...neither of us could smell any catnip.

Now...let's move on to my two FAVORITES!!!

 I am a HUGE fan of wand toys and I prefer playing with my toys on the GROUND. I don't love my wand toys being swung in the air. Jackson has a most UNIQUE WAND TOY that BOTH Mom and I LOVED! You can see photos below of me checking it out.

Isn't that feather cool? I LOVE chasing feathers!

Want to know what it is called? Of course you do!

It is the:

AIR PREY MOJO MAKER!!!

****Ok, I was confused. In the test above I came out mostly "B's" saying that I PREFER GROUND PLAY, but the Petmate pawson sent me an AIR PREY toy....I don't get it.....  maybe it is because I LOVE chasing flies and moths that get inside the house and run after them, I don't know. It all turned out ok though because the Air Prey Mojo Maker ended up being PURRFECT for me!

Mom and Dad both thought that it is well-made and Mom in pawticular LOVES the retractable rod!! She thinks it gives the toy more versatility, me? I don't care, just let me PLAY!

  Give a listen to Jackson explaining it below:

HERE IS MY VIDEO OF ME PLAYING WITH IT!
(please excuse my Dad, Mom usually uses my toys with me, Dad didn't understand he was supposed to use the toy in the AIR, not the ground)

The Galaxy Wands are already a winner of the Cat Fancy 2014 Editor’s Choice Award, recognizing 2014’s best products for cats.  Available in an Air Prey or Ground Prey option, The Galaxy Wand features a telescoping wand and an interchangeable toy that allows cat families to direct interactive play.  Air Prey is for cats that like to climb tall furniture and chase flying objects, while Ground Prey is for cats that prefer lurking under furniture and chasing anything that goes by.

Now, here comes the toy that I am THE MOST EXCITED ABOUT!!  If you know me, you know that:

 "I am all about the mouse, 'bout the mouse, no crinkle toys, 

I'm all  about the mouse, 'bout the mouse, no crinkle toys...

I'm bringin' mousies baaaaack...."

excuse me for bursting into song but I LOVE MICE!

AND I LOVE MY

MOTOR MOUSE!!

That's me movin' in for the KILL! Mom didn't know til she was writing this post that if you pull the tail the mouse MOVES! I love it!!!

IT IS THE CUTEST MOUSE EVER!!

I'M IN LOVE!!

One of YOU has a chance to be in love too!!!!! The nice peeps at Petmate are allowing me to have a GIVE-AWAY!!!! ONE LUCKY READER WHO RESIDES IN THE U.S. WILL WIN A PRIZE PACK (I am not sure of what toys you will receive so I can't give you the dollar amount that it will be worth, (it will depend on what type of kitty you test as!)  YOU WILL ALSO WIN A COPY OF  CATIFICATION!!  By Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin, (Mom reviewed it a few months ago and you can read that review here):

ENTERING IS EASY!! Just enter on the rafflecopter below....there are TWO mandatory entries (and some others to earn extra chances, but be sure you enter the TWO MANDATORY ENTRIES TO BE ENTERED INTO THE GIVE-AWAY) THE LUCKY WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23RD, JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS!!! GOOD LUCK!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In full disclosure: we were not compensated for the review/give-away. We were sent the above toys in exchange for our honest review.