New Years Eve and our 1500th Post!

However you choose to ring in the New Year, be safe.........
we want you all around in 2016!!!

We are enjoying the above confetti for two reasons! 
One:It's New Years Eve!
Two: This is our 1500th post!!!
 (Dakota's blog is approaching the 1000 mark. Those who have more than one blog totally understand how hard it is to maintain two, and to those of you who have MORE than two blogs, you are over-achievers lol)

Thanks for joining us on this wild and wacky ride, you mean the world to us and we hope that you will come back and visit us in 2016!!!

May 2016 be a kinder and gentler year for ALL OF US!!!

Cheers to new beginnings!
Love, 
Caren and Cody

I'm Kicking 2015 to the Curb and Ringing in 2016 in the Cats of the CB Calendar

Hi and Happy Monday All! It's Cody, and I am hoping you are all recovered from the Christmas festivities this past weekend, if you don't celebrate Christmas, well, it's "festivus for the rest of us!!"

Mom and I were looking at our blogging schedule (or the lack thereof) for the next week or so, and we were pawing through our Cats of the CB 2015 Calendar (where I made an appearance in February of 2015 ), and now....I am featured this week in the NEW Cats of the CB 2016 Calendar,  kicking 2015 to the curb,  and ringing in 2016. Depending on which calendar you are using, (the old 2015 calendar includes the entire month of January 2016 and most of the first week of February), you just might miss me! Anyway, here I am.......

Have you ordered your Cats of the CB 2016 Calendar? I sure hope so, we would be lost without our daily calendar/planner, and we thank Mom Paula for all of her hard work putting these calendars together. Order your calendar now if you haven't already!

CLICK HERE!!

Christmas Cards Part 2

As promised, here are the cards that arrived

 after I had already made the video

The above card is from

Alasandra the Cats and Dogs

The above card is from Cat Wisdom 101

The above card is from

The Cats of Wildcat Woods

The above card is from Dolly the Doxie

The above card is from The Cat On My Head

The above card is from Bird Brains & Dog Tales

The above card is from Barks from Mr.Jack Freckles

The above card is from Sweet Purrfections

The cards above were all received via email.

The cards below are all of our "snail mail" cards!

I don't have a working scanner and stupidly,

I chose to hang the ones in the kitchen

 in a collage form....

so....not all of the names

 of who they are from

can be seen, which I wasn't 

thinking about when I did it.

The collages above are MUCH

wider than how they appear here

Thanks to ALL who sent us cards via email and snail mail, you made our day!! I am sure hoping we didn't leave anyone out!

"Happy Christmas" to All!

Cody and I were completely overwhelmed by the number of cards that we received, via email and snail mail!! While you are enjoying your holiday festivities,  we want to thank you for your friendship, love and support and for taking the time out of your busy schedules to visit us!  "Happy Christmas" to All! We LOVE YOU!!

If we missed adding anyone's card, this video was created on December 23, if any cards arrived after that, we apologize that they were not included. (This video only displays the cards we received via email, to see our snail mail cards, please visit Dakota). We hope to be posting the cards that came in after this was made, on December 27th.

For those who may not have received our card, here you go! It was created by Ann from Zoolatry and we love it! 

Purina Pro Plan #MenandCats Calendar Give-Away and Contest Winner

Photo Courtesy of Purina Pro Plan

From Purina and PR Newswire

After setting out to shred perceptions of traditional cat food and the people who typically love cats, Purina Pro Plan is proud to announce the winners of its #MenAndCatsContest. To celebrate the launch of Purina Pro Plan Savor Shredded Blend, cat lovers were asked to share a photo of an extraordinary man and his cat on Instagram or Twitter. These 11 winners best captured the relationship between man and cat and will represent each month of the 2016 Extraordinary Men and Cats Calendar, along with proud cat guy and “Devious Maids” actor Gilles Marini.

Photo Courtesy of Purina Pro Plan

Photos were judged based on three criteria including relevance, composition and originality. Visit proplan.com/menandcatscontest to see the winning photos of these proud cat guys and their furry felines:

• Mr. January – Gilles Marini and Penelope
• Mr. February – James Petix and Fin, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Mr. March – Joel Smallbone and Adelina, Franklin, Tenn.
• Mr. April – James Benedict and Mr. Eggs, Thomasville, Ga.
• Mr. May – John Zeigler and George, Tumwater, Wash.
• Mr. June – Matthew Eagan and Inny, Placerville, Calif.
• Mr. July – Peter Mikhail and Luna, Wesley Chapel, Fla.
• Mr. August – Chris Nguyen and Kuma, Rahway, N.J.
• Mr. September –Tyler Smith and Moose, Smith Bottom, N.J.
• Mr. October – Santino Nava and Tesla, Tacoma, Wash.
• Mr. November – Dwayne Molock (@iAmMoshow) and Sushi, Tali & Megamam,Portland, Ore.
• Mr. December – Jon Lorentz and Beamer, Orange County, Calif.

The winners will also receive a year supply of Purina Pro Plan's new Savor Shredded Blend, an all-new mealtime experience that combines crunchy kibble and tender meaty shreds to provide both extraordinary nutrition and exceptional taste.

About Purina Pro Plan Cat food

Purina Pro Plan Cat understands that every cat is different in her own, wonderful way. That's why Purina Pro Plan has a wide range of dry and wet cat foods and snacks, sold exclusively at pet specialty stores. In three unique nutritional platforms – Savor, True Nature and Focus –each formula is designed to provide advanced nutrition to help bring out the best in your cat. For more information, visit www.proplan.com/cat.

About Purina Pro Plan Rally to Rescue 
Rally to Rescue is a partnership of Purina Pro Plan and select pet rescue organizations across the country who give adoptable pets the care they need and the loving homes they deserve. Since 2005, the brand has helped small rescue groups by providing Purina Pro Plan nutrition, promotional support, marketing materials and networking opportunities. To learn more about the Purina Pro Plan Rally to Rescue network, visit www.proplan.com/rally-to-rescue or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rallytorescue.  

About Nestlé Purina Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is a global leader in the pet care industry. Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness.

The calendars will be donated as a fundraising initiative to Purina Pro Plan Rally to Rescue, a network of hundreds of small rescue groups nationwide, allowing them to raise money for their organizations as they work to give all cats the love, care and forever homes they deserve.

To buy the 2016 Purina Pro Plan Extraordinary Men and Cats Calendar, visit proplan.com/rally-to-rescue to find a rescue group near you.

GIVE-AWAY!!! As a thank you for Cody and I helping to spread the word about the contest winners and NEW Purina Pro Plan's new Savor Shredded Blend,  cat food,  they are allowing us to have a give-away! One reader who is 18 and over and who resides in either the U.S. or Canada can enter to win one on the rafflecopter below! Because we understand that everyone is busy getting read for the holidays, there is only ONE MANDATORY entry requirement on the rafflecopter. Good Luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In full disclosure: We were not compensated to help spread the news about the contest winners. We were sent a complimentary calendar for our own use and were offered one calendar to give away to one of our readers. It was our choice as to whether or not we wanted to share the information and conduct a give-away.

Our 10 Favorite Cat Products of 2015

Hi Kitties!!!!  It's Cody, and I KNOW that each and every one of you have been PURRFECT this year! So, you deserve some extra special presents for sure!! Before Santa makes his rounds in just a few days, if you are having trouble thinking of some more things to add to your wish lists , I'm here to help you out!! I picked my 10 Favorite Cat Products of 2015,  just for YOU!!! Oh,  there are some  for your human thrown in for good measure! Enjoy!! Love, Cody

 Neko Napper Pet House!!

FroliCat™ POUNCE™ by PetSafe® 

The Cheese by PetSafe

FroliCat™ FLIK™

Gracey Tote!

Photo Courtesy of Triple T Studios

Kitty Couch Sofa Cat Scratcher

Feline Be Mine

CatLadyBox 

NOTE:Items in boxes vary EVERY MONTH
THE ARTIST FEATURED ABOVE
MIGHT NOT BE IN YOUR BOX!!

Pet Sympathy Gifts from Luxe Pets:

Photo Courtesy of Luxe Pets

PURRFECT FOR CATS

 1 liter capacity Torus Water Bowl

Photo courtesy of Heyrex.com

AND OUR ABSOLUTE

FAVORITE ITEM

THAT WE REVIEWED IN 2015: 

FROM PET TREE HOUSES

KIT-TY TREE DELUXE WITH TOPPER

Well kitties, there you have it! Of all of the products we reviewed in 2015 those are our faves!! Hoping Santa is super good to each and every one of you, and if not, just click on the product names above, grab your human's green papers or credit cards, the phone and start ordering!  Sometimes we kitties have to take matters into our own paws!!  Love, Cody

Mrs. Claus Would LOVE a BISSELL PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet...So Will YOU!!

Ho-Ho-Ho my friends!!! Still looking for the purrfect holiday gift for that hard-to-please certain someone? You're in luck!!

I had a secret talk with Santa, and he told me about a product that Mrs.Claus LOVES to use when cleaning up after those messy reindeer, and I have a hunch that YOU will love it too!

PowerFresh® Pet Lift-Off® Steam Mop 

Photo Courtesy of BISSELL

Ok, so I didn't really speak to Santa and I have no clue if Mrs.Claus has a BISSELL PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet, but if she had her choice of products that would effectively clean up reindeer footprints and "droppings", I have a sneaky suspicion that this would be her choice!

If you are reading this blog you more than likely have a pet. Many of you have MULTIPLE pets. We all know that with pets come messes. Oftentimes, the messes are hard to clean up, or they clean in such a way that we are never sure if all of the bacteria and irritants have truly been removed.

I was lucky enough to have been afforded the opportunity to review the BISSELL PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet (specifically designed for pet owners, because BISSELL UNDERSTANDS pet messes), and I jumped at the chance.

I had first reviewed a BISSELL product years ago and loved it. I am also partial to BISSELL because their headquarters are located in Michigan (which is the state I reside in).  Loving BISSELL products as I do, when I first heard about the PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet I was intrigued.

Why the Bissell PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet?

When used as directed, eliminates 99.9% of germs and bacteria* using only water for a natural clean. *When using the microfiber cloth pad, use as directed, results may vary.

The Lift-Off POD allows for above-the-floor steam cleaning.

It includes multiple cleaning attachments for cleaning on a variety of surfaces above your floors including appliances, counter tops, windows, grout, and hardware.

The flip down EasyScrubber™ on the back of the foot makes removing tough, sticky messes on your floor simple and easy.

If you have been following my blog for a while, you know that I am blessed to have my dear friend Cheryl clean for us. I had never had a cleaning person in my life prior to Cheryl, and I am only lucky enough  to have her because she had already been cleaning for my husband before he and I had met! When my husband and I lived together before we were married, he made a declaration that "Cheryl stays!!" He didn't have to tell me that twice!! While I LOVE to cook, I do NOT love to clean! Having someone else do it for me every-other-week is a true gift/luxury! When I do have to clean, I want something that WORKS and is easy to use! The BISSELL PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet is the answer!!

I am not as mechanical as I would like to think that I am, I had Cheryl test this product for me a few weeks ago when she was over to clean for us. If ANYONE knows about cleaning products, it would be Cheryl.  Cheryl not only cleans TONS of homes, she is a veritable "neat freak" in her home as well. If Cheryl tells me she likes a product, I listen. Cheryl LOVES this product and she swears that it is easy enough for me to use too!

We tested it on three different types of floors in our home, (Pergo, linoleum and bathroom tile), and the PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet performed like a champ on ALL of them. It even steamed away GUM that my husband had hidden in his bathroom under a  rug. The gum was so adhered to the floor that no way did I think it would EVER come off, but it did! 

The PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet is super easy to use, and you do not have to wait long for the unit to heat up enough to create steam. It's fast!! Listen to what Cheryl had to say about it:

Something else that both Cheryl and myself LOVE about the PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet is that it is probably the ONLY floor cleaning product in our home that does NOT set "off"  our Shetland Sheepdog, Dakota!!! He will bark at pretty much anything. The slightest sound will set him off. When you watch the short video below you will see he looked at the mop for a second, he wasn't sure at first, but then became comfortable enough with it to immediately go back to enjoying his treats.

Most Importantly...It WORKS!!

Check out the dirt that was picked up:

BISSELL Understands Pets and the Messes they Make!

 In the early 2000s, they discovered that everyone  at BISSELL shares a love for pets (72% of them are pet owners!).  BISSELL  discovered that the reason many people did not want pets was because of the messes they were known to make around the home. When BISSELL  discovered  this was a deterrent to many would-be pet adopters, they knew they had to do something. In 2001, they began adoption efforts in partnership with Petfinder.com, and in 2005, they launched the SpotBot® portable deep cleaner, their first product designed specifically for cleaning up after pets. Under the leadership of Cathy Bissell (parent to three black labs), they continue to support the pet community through contributions to U.S. pet charities.

BISSELL GIVES BACK!!!!

  In 2011, Cathy Bissell founded the BISSELL Pet Foundation, a non-profit organization that advocates for lost, abused, neglected and abandoned pets by raising funds through the sale of BISSELL pet products. Since its inception, the BISSELL Pet Foundation has been able to award more than $500,000 to over 375 organizations in 43 states. Their goal is to raise $250,000 annually through pet product sales to support the life-saving work of the foundation. BISSELL is  deeply committed to helping pets find homes and to showing BISSELL customers that, with the right cleaning tools, pet ownership can be full of joy and companionship, rather than fur balls and “surprises”.

"A History of Good Business Since 1876.

It started with spilled sawdust..."

From BISSELL: Like many well-intentioned people who set out to have a relaxing Saturday, we didn’t mean to start cleaning—it just happened. In 1876, Melville R. Bissell and his wife, Anna, owned a small crockery shop in Michigan. Because they were constantly cleaning sawdust off the carpet of the shop (know the feeling?), Melville invented a unique carpet sweeper and patented it. When customers and friends began asking where they could buy the carpet sweeper, a new business was born.

It’s a BISSELL woman’s world

That’s the theme here at BISSELL. When Melville Bissell died in 1889, there was no question who would run the company. His wife Anna stepped in to lead the business, becoming the first female CEO in America. She aggressively defended the company’s patents and marketed sweepers successfully throughout North America and Europe. In fact, in the late 1890s BISSELL gained its biggest fan in Queen Victoria, insisting that her palace be “Bisselled” every week. Palace attendants must have loved the extra free time they had after royal messes became much easier to clean up.

To this very day, BISSELL is still family-owned and passionate about helping you effectively and easily clean your home so you can put down the vacuum, enjoy life and come home to a deeper clean. All in all, whether your messes are baby food or red wine, mud or chocolate, cat hair or pet accident, we’re here to help you embrace those messes, erase them in a jiffy, and get on with the most meaningful aspect of your home—living in it.

I hope you will give this product a try!!

Both Cheryl and I highly recommend the BISSELL PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet!!! We give it EIGHT PAWS UP!!

SIGN UP FOR EMAIL ALERTS FROM BISSELL:

(at the bottom of BISSELL.com), and you will  receive weekly emails chock full

of discounts!!!

 Also, BISSELL is currently running some holiday promotions,

with some offering promotions as high as  50% off. Click on the link below to learn more:

BISSELL Online Coupons& Specials

 In full disclosure: I was sent a BISSELL PowerFresh Lift Off Steam Mop Pet in exchange for my always honest review. I did not receive any other form of compensation.  Cat Chat With Caren and Cody only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.

Secret Paws Moved Mountains to Get Here!!

Ok, that might be a slight HUGE exaggeration, but once you hear who my Secret Paws is, you will see what I mean!

Silly me, I forgot to say hi to all of you!! Hope every furry is doing well!

I am so excited buzzed from all of the Valerian Root that I received, that I can barely think straight to tell you about who my Secret Paws is!!

This past Tuesday was a day like any other.  I was laying around, watching the clock, wondering if it was too soon to start whining for dinner when Dad came in with a box! Mom looked up and said, "Oh!! I bet that is from Cody's Secret Paws!!"

The second Mom and I looked at the labels on the box, we knew EXACTLY who it was from!

It was from Pixie and Zorro of the Swiss Cats Blog!!!

 Mom and I could barely contain our excitement! Mom has been obsessed with Switzerland ever since she first saw Heidi starring Shirley Temple. Mom has always wanted to visit Switzerland and receiving a package from there is probably as close as she is ever going to get to BEING there!  I wanted to inspect the package more closely to see if I could smell The Alps!!

The second the box was opened I KNEW that there was something or some THINGS that smelled intoxicating!!! I could not wait to get a closer look!

Mom said before I could do that, I mustn't be greedy, I had to read the card that Pixie and Zorro's Mom, Claire, had taken the time to write for me:

After I read the lovely note that  Claire, Pixie and Zorro had written for me, it was time to get down to the serious business of opening presents!! I didn't know where to begin!

It didn't take me long before I zeroed in on the one that I would open first!

It was a super cute catnip pillow that had Christmas colors on it and it had Valerian Root inside!! I LOVE IT!!

Mom took a video of me playing with it too!

There was a cat tunnel that Mom said was the nicest she has EVER seen!

You will see a better photo of this further down in the blog where it is shown open....but in the meantime, Mom is dying for you to see one of HER favorite gifts that Pixie, Zorro and Claire sent to me!  Mom says it is the most adorable Santa Mouse she has EVER seen!

I just LOVE mice and I LOVE the color red!! This little guy is gonna be LOTS of fun!!! But...I'm not done yet! I received another catnip kicker that is called the Wild Catnip Stick,  that is ALSO red:

After I played with this one, I was pretty buzzed, it was time to let the room spin 'round and round....

Did you notice how I just STOPPED? Yep kitties, that was it for me! All of that nip and Valerian Root got to me and I slept for HOURS and HOURS after I was done playing. Don't worry, I was fine and I DID make sure I got up for my 10pm snack    buffet!!! 

Guess what kitties? Claire, Pixie and Zorro didn't forget my Mom either, they included a beautiful Swiss calendar where Mom can live vicariously and gaze at scenes of Switzerland and pretend that she lives there!!

Isn't that beautiful!? Mom LOVES it and is touched that Claire included Mom in the Secret Paws box as well! 

We Want To Say Thank You!!

to Pixie, Zorro and Claire for picking out such pawesome, fun and thoughtful gifts!!!! You can see all of them in the photo below and you will also see the tunnel unfolded in this photo. The artwork on the tunnel is unique and Mom is in love with it! I am too! I normally don't use tunnels much but Mom was shocked when I immediately went inside this one, she tried to get photos but I wouldn't look out of the hole, so she gave up.

These gifts are just catabulous and Mom and I will put them to good use!! THANK YOU!!! We would also be remiss if we didn't thank Mom Paula from Sweet Purrfections and her kitties,  the hostesses, Truffle and Brulee for all of their hard work on Secret Paws 2015!!

 It isn't easy coordinating all of the purrticipating kitties, giving us all of the information we need to mail our gifts, etc., etc., and we want Mom Paula to know how much we appreciate her hard work!!!

The Secret Paws event is one of our favorite of the year, and without Mom Paula, Truffle and Brulee, we wouldn't have all of the fun that we have with it, so THANK YOU!!!

Thanks again to Zorro, Pixie and Claire for such generous and fun presents!!!!! I will be playing with them often and Mom will think of you every time she gazes longingly at the scenes from Switzerland! Thank you!!! We love you! Thanks for being so kind!

Cody and Mom