Our Secret Paws Will Arrive for Some (Kitty...or Kitties!) TODAY!

We received notification about our Secret Paws gifts that we sent!!!  They will be delivered by AMAZON....(see below!)

Hi caren, your gift will arrive: Friday, November 30

Ok, so Cody is right, I AM a "slacker!" Last year I mailed at the deadline (I think) and had a miserable time getting a street address (because I had gone to FedEx to mail my package) and no way was that going to happen this year. So, yep, I took the easy way out and ordered our Secret Paws items online AND had Amazon WRAP THEM and ship them! Easy Peasy!! I am pretty certain some "kitties" (yep, that's a clue!) are going to love their gifts regardless!! Enjoy!! 

Much love from Cody and I!

Book Gift Guide: My Favorites of 2018

DISCLAIMER: THERE ARE NO AFFILIATE LINKS OF ANY KIND IN THIS POST. YOU WILL SEE LINKS TO AMAZON, BUT I AM NOT AN AMAZON AFFILIATE AND WILL NOT MAKE A DIME WHEN YOU CLICK TO PURCHASE ANY THESE BOOKS, NOR WAS I COMPENSATED FOR POSTING THIS. THE BOOKS LISTED AS MY FAVORITES ARE NOT IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER. 

As we approach the end of the year, it is the time that many of us decide to take better control of our lives and that usually begins with taking better care of our health.  The first book I am featuring doesn't pertain to cats at all but is a MOST IMPORTANT BOOK for taking control of our health, which will help us to live a better life and that is why I have decided to add it to my list of favorites of 2018! It is written by Dr. Phoebe Chi, MD who is a public health physician specializing in health education and disease prevention and management. She also has her own blog  and is the pet mom of a darling cat and dog!

"Born in the Eastern Hemisphere. Raised in Texas.
Lovingly nicknamed “PuppyDoc” by her peers.

Enjoys caring for people,
volunteering abroad, free jazz, good art,
and fuzzy animals."

Being Empowered for a Healthy Heart: A personal guide to taking control of your health while living with chronic conditions

"Living with a chronic illness can feel like a constant battle.Conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, COPD, and depression not only require vigilant management, but they can negatively affect your day-to-day functioning and deprive you of the quality of life you deserve.

This book is designed to equip you with the tools you need to overcome the symptoms of pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, anxiety, and stress while effectively managing and reversing the diseases that cause them. By encouraging you to create personal healthy living goals and then providing valuable tools to help you achieve them, this guide will give you the confidence you need to take control of your health."

"Be inspired and revitalized as Dr. Chi takes you on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment through a combination of essential health information and original poetry —a unique fusion that will both strengthen the body and touch the soul."

"In this book, Dr. Chi guides you to become empowered in the self-management of your chronic conditions, with each chapter containing practical exercises and personal health trackers to help you better monitor and manage your symptoms and conditions."

A PARTIAL LIST OF COVERED TOPICS:

 Getting the most out of your healthcare visits 
  Taking and managing medications 
 Heart-healthy eating 
 The low-sodium diet 
 Exercising with heart conditions 
  High blood pressure 
 Type 2 Diabetes 
  Chronic pain 
 Stress management 
 Relaxation techniques 
 Fighting fatigue 
 Insomnia and sleeping problems 
 Urinary incontinence 
 Staying healthy during the holidays 
  Depression and anxiety 
 How to stay motivated 
 Tobacco and smoking cessation

Available on Amazon, purchase here

COLORING BOOKS

A great way to combat holiday stress or anytime stress is through coloring! Below you will find our favorites of 2018.

"Color Your World" with Cat Coloring Books

  by L.A. Vocelle

To purchase each of the books

that I am listing here 

click on their respective title

 Cats and Geishas Coloring Book

Cats and Flowers Coloring Book

"Curious Cats" by Susan T. Hall

HEART-WARMING

CAT BOOKS

To purchase each of the books

that I am listing here 

click on their respective title

"My Life in a Cat House" 

(A Curl Upwith a Cat Tale Book), by Gwen Cooper

"True Tales of Love,

Laughter, and Living

with Five Felines"

To read my review click here

Homer and the HolidayMiracle: A True Story

"Homer, the world-renowned Blind Wonder Cat, returns this holiday season with an ins-purr-ational tale filled with holiday cheer!

Fifteen years earlier, doctors had warned that Homer—a tiny, sightless kitten—was unlikely to survive and probably wouldn’t have much of a life even if he did. Miraculously and against all the odds, however, Homer grew into a feline dynamo who scaled seven-foot bookcases with ease, saved his human mom’s life when he chased a late-night burglar from their apartment, and rose to global fame—paving the way for other special-needs animals once considered “unadoptable.”

Now, only two weeks before Christmas, with doctors once again decreeing that Homer didn’t have much time—that he wouldn’t even make it to Christmas Eve—Homer showed everyone that he still had one more miracle left in him. The heroic blind cat proved again, once and for all, that hope and love aren’t things you see with your eyes. You see them with your heart.

Humorous and heartwarming, Homer and the Holiday Miracle will leave you filled with the true spirit of the season. It’s the ideal stocking-stuffer for the cat lover on your list—and the perfect holiday treat for yourself. Read and rejoice!"

CAT HUMOR

To purchase, click on the book title

"I'M NOT SORRY": Poems By Cats"by Rosa Silva

to read my review click here

CAT ART

To purchase, click on the book title

CATICONS:4,000 Years of Art Imitating Cats by Sandy Lerner

There you have it! I hope you will consider adding these books to your holiday gift list, better yet, purchase these for yourself!!  Look for our list of our favorite products for cats and their humans on December 3rd!

I am one Thankful Cat!

Hi my furiends! Today I pushed Mom away from the computer because I wanted to take the time to mew to you about a few things.

I may spend a large portion of my day sleeping, but during the time I am awake I am quite observant. Not much gets past me. As we are approaching the end of 2018 I have noticed that our world seems to be much colder, harder, and frightening than ever before. I watch my Mom when she turns on the TV every morning muttering (or crying) about yet another awful event that has taken place. Many of these events pertain to humans lashing out at each other, but often it is also humans lashing out at animals. This makes me sad. I don't want to become a fearful cat, I want to remain brave, strong and positive, so today I think it is important that I let you know about some things in my every day life that I am thankful for. Ready? Pull up your favorite pillow, grab a treat, and let's begin!

MOM AND DAD

Ok, I am going to make this part super quick because I don't want them to get a swelled head or anything, (but they ARE the ones who pawchase and distribute my daily sustenance so I must pay homage to them),I am EXTREMELY grateful for my Mom and my Dad. Mom was the one who first found me at an adoption event ten years ago at our local pet store. Mom called Dad and said "I found a special kitty that I want to adopt.", the rest is history. Dad, what can I say? My Dad is a champ. Every morning without fail I wake him up at 4am (give or take an hour either way) and suggest DEMAND that he feed me.

WINDOWS TO WATCH

THE WORLD GO BY

Ok all of you kitties with catios and NORMAL homes, you can stop laughing now! For some of us, this is as good as it gets. Yeah, I'm up high, not the best for squirrel watching but last I looked, BIRDS DO FLY!! Now I know the reason. the powers that be gave birdies wings so  that view deprived cats such as myself can still see them!  Sometimes in life you just gotta make the best out of what you have and be THANKFUL that you have it! 

THE VET AKA "DR.SMILEY" 

 Furiends you can once again STOP LAUGHING! YES I AM enjoying how "Dr.Smiley" was petting me in that photo. He is kind and gentle and remember kitties and woofies, I said that sometimes you just have to be THANKFUL and look for the good in EVERY situation! "Dr.Smiley" takes good care of me and keeps me healthy. To me that's a pretty darned good reason to have a blissful look on my face!

MY WOOFIE BROTHER

Yep I love him. I truly do. My woofie brother and I enjoy each other, we play chase, we watch TV, we have some serious conversations that are top secret!

BABY HARPER

This little one has brought more joy to our family in the almost 4 months since she was born, than any of us could imagine!!! She actually has the ability to calm down my Mama!!!!!! Now THAT'S HUGE!!

I hope you liked my list of all of the things I am thankful for. There are many, many more but I know that you have better things to do than to sit around reading my list all day.

and to everyone else, THANK YOU for "GIVING" of your time and attention  when you come and visit our blog. We realize you are super busy and we want you to know that we THANK YOU, LOVE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU TOO!!!!!

It's "Late Night with Caren and Cody"!!

Well hi there!! Now that you have been sufficiently frightened seeing MY giant nose and mascara-less eyes, Cody and I just wanted to share our late-night TV ritual!

We sit on the couch (lately Cody has been behind me, he normally sits next to me, and for this photo I had to cut my face off and tilt my phone in order to get Cody in the shot behind me), yep I wear hats inside ALL of the time, and we snuggle up to watch The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, immediately followed by Seth Meyers  (if I can stay awake). On Sunday night I am obsessed with "90 Day Fiance, Before the 90 Days"........(don't judge!! I LOVE mindless TV) and if I am awake enough I will surf Instagram and play some Words With Friends and Song Pop.

Do any of you stay up til the wee hours of the morning? If so, what's YOUR ritual?

Petco is "Turning Our Back On Artificial Food"

No, I am not being paid to share this, and I am hoping I am not going to be in trouble for sharing verbatim what Petco posted on their site. Petco has always been our "go to" Pet store because Cody was adopted at an adoption drive there in 2007, now we have another reason to love them!

November 13, 2018:

Since joining Petco as CEO earlier this year, I've seen first-hand just how special the bond between people and pets can be.

Here at Petco, pets are unquestionably part of our families. If you're reading this letter, chances are you agree. My 10-year-old lab, Yummy, is 75 pounds of pure love and I would do just about anything to keep him healthy, happy and by my side, tail wagging, for as long as possible.

I'm proud to lead a company that's been putting pets first for more than 50 years. And when you love pets as much as we do, you always want to do more. To be better.

That's why we're introducing new standards for nutrition at Petco.

Today, we're making a commitment to not sell dog or cat food and treats with artificial colors, flavors or preservatives – making us the first and only major retailer of pet food to take a stand against such ingredients. We'll start removing products that don't meet our new standards in January 2019, and complete the process by May.

We're raising the bar and stepping out ahead of the industry. Not because it's an easy thing to do, but because we believe it's the right thing to do.

Our goal is better health and wellness for the pets we all love. And setting new standards for nutrition is just the beginning.

Because at the end of the day, we believe if it's good for pets, it's good for us.

Learn more at petco.com/betternutrition. And thank you for joining us on this journey.

 

Ron Coughlin, CEO of Petco

Learn More About Petco's Commitment

World Kindness Day 2018

Bat-A-Rat:Our FAVORITE Pet Feeding, Foraging and Exercise Toy for Cats and Small Dogs

Hi furiends!!! The first time we featured Cody's FAVORITE "pet feeding, foraging and exercise toy" (for cats and even small dogs!), Bat-A-Rat, it was way back on January 20, 2011.

Cody used that toy virtually EVERY SINGLE DAY until a few months ago when either his Dad or myself dropped it one too many times (and trust me, we dropped it A LOT) and it finally broke. That means that Cody used it EVERY SINGLE DAY for SEVEN YEARS!!! In our opinion, that ALONE is the BEST testimonial about this toy that could EVER be given!

I tried a few things in-between and NONE of them compared to Bat-A-Rat. My husband and I knew we needed another one and since I am cheap, the creator, Brian Dotterer is from Michigan and I was lucky enough to meet he and his delightful wife, Michele when I first reviewed it,  I decided to reach out and ask if Cody could have another, and offered to feature this fabulous toy on our blog again. He said YES!! We couldn't be more grateful!!


What Is "Bat-A-Rat?"

"Bat-A-Rat™ is an innovative pet feeding toy that provides hours of stimulation while controlling the amount of food being dispensed. Designed with a cat or small dog in mind, this feeder specifically helps those pets that tend to eat too much or too fast resulting in unhealthy and unwanted consequences.

In addition to controlling how much and how fast your pet eats, food dispensing toys like Bat-A-Rat™ (also known as foraging toys) give your indoor cat something to stalk and hunt, providing a much needed outlet for their prey drive and hunting instincts."

Why "Bat-A-Rat?"

• Designed for cats and small dogs
• Non-toxic, eco-friendly, food grade plastic
• Self-propelled; no batteries required
• Provides hours of stimulation for your pet!

How it Works

"The innovative design wobbles and moves about the floor, forcing your pet to move and interact with the toy in order to eat. The unique food dispensing hole adjusts by rotating the two ends; allowing for different sized dry food and dispensing rates. Holes at the bottom allow trapped bits to escape. The two ends come apart for easy filling and cleaning."

See for yourself in our video below!




With the holidays rapidly approaching this would make a GREAT gift for your kitties and small dogs, you can purchase Bat-A-Rat here, also YOU CAN FOLLOW  AND PURCHASE Bat-A-Rat on Facebook  you can purchase it there  AT A DISCOUNTED RATE!!! (Be sure to tell them Caren and Cody sent you!!)




FTC DISCLOSURE: we were not compensated financially for sharing about this product. We SINCERELY ADORE IT and have used it since 2011 as mentioned above. We received a new Bat-A-Rat when we asked for one and said we would feature it on our blog again. We only feature products that we have used or that we WOULD use and that we feel would be of interest to our readers.

Veterans Day (The REAL One)

I am not a fan of holidays being moved to a Monday to recognize them...the REAL Veterans Day is TODAY....not tomorrow (even though it is being observed November 12th. The holiday is REALLY November 11th)

If Only Humans Had Nine Lives

I was in shock when I read on Facebook Friday night that one of our sweetest blogging friends left us much, much too soon. Known to the cat blogging world as "Roby Sweet" or "old SoLT", as SHE liked to call herself which stood for  "She of Little Talent", which couldn't be FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. SHE WAS BEYOND TALENTED!  She was the author of Miss C's cozy mysteries and wrote her blog,  The CuddlywumpsChronicles.  When I saw that Sarah Andrews had passed, at first I had no idea who that was. I only knew her as "Roby Sweet". "Sweet" is purrfect to describe her, to Cody and I and to the entire cat blogging community, she was sweet, funny, kind, oh so intelligent, thoughtful.....and so much more.

To read Sarah's Obituary
and sign her guestbook
CLICK HERE

I am just heartbroken. I barely have the words to convey how sad this is.

Last year, after having taken a year or so break from participating in Secret Paws, Cody and I had missed participating so much that we decided to return. Ironically, our Secret Paws was Roby and her kitties. I remember being totally over-the-moon with her generosity to Cody as well as her thoughtfulness, (we are Jewish and Roby made sure to include Chanukah wishes in our card, which was so thoughtful.) I think what I would like to do, and please indulge me, is copy/paste some excerpts from that blog post because her gifts were so carefully and thoughtfully selected for Cody, that we will never forget it. I am just posting certain excerpts from it.  Please enjoy.

Everything was so nicely wrapped! I didn't know what to go to first but Mom said it was impawtant to read my card first. She said that is the polite thing to do, that one should ALWAYS read the card first. Mom said how in the world would I know who everything was from if I didn't read the card first? (Mom is actually not that bright cause I could have opened everything and THEN read the card, I still would have known who sent everything...but I digress).

.

Mom got all teary-eyed because the card I received was personal and they also included Chanukah on the card which Mom thought was extremely thoughtful.

If you look closely you can see who my presents were from, can you see? Wait! I will make sure that you can see!!!

Now you can see it for sure!!!! It was from Real Cats Paisley & Webster from The Cuddlywumps Cat Chronicles!!!  I was sooo excited and so happy! I love Paisley & Webster !!

See the red blanket that everything is on? That is a really cozy blanket/mat with a pouch to put catnip in! Mom immediately put it on the armrest of the couch where I like to sit when I watch TV with Mom (UPDATE NOVEMBER 10TH 2018: Cody uses that red mat EVERY SINGLE DAY. It is either on the arm rest or on another chair that he loves)

I want to give a HUGE thank you to Real Cats Paisley and Webster and to their Mom for helping them select these most pawesome prezzies!! Mom and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts!! You made us both so happy! We love you and we hope the prezzies you get from your Secret Paws are as pawtastic as the ones you got me!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Love, Cody

Roby, (Sarah), we will miss you.........thank you for the many, many kind comments you left on our blog and for your friendship, kindess and the many, many laughs you brought to us. It seems so unfair that you were taken so young. I guess Heaven needed a new Angel..........we sure hope you can see us from Heaven.

If only humans had nine lives........

with much love today and always,
and with broken hearts,
but with hearts that are grateful to have known you,

Caren and Cody

Cat Chalk: An iOS App Photo Editing Tool that Creates Fun and Shareable Cat Photos While Raising Funds For Cats In Need!

 Hi furiends!!! I am so excited to present a NEW APP  that allows cat owners and enthusiasts a way to easily add specially designed artwork to cat photos and also gives the ability to share those photos directly to Instagram and Facebook (as well as email and text), directly from the app while raising funds for cats in need!!

MEET

CAT CHALK!!

WHAT MAKES CAT CHALK
 DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ART APPS?  - Cat Chalk artwork is made uniquely for cats (and their pawrents). Now there’s no need to re-purpose dog or baby artwork for cat photos!

How cute is this??? I not only posted it on Instagram,
I was able to email a copy to myself
directly through the Cat Chalk app!!

The app is amazingly easy to use (even for ME, the most "non-techie" PURRSON in the world!!!) The artwork is always changing too which makes it so much fun!!!  The video below will show you just how easy it is!!

I love that you can also change your filter within the app, you can email yourself a copy of your creation, you can also share directly to Instagram and Facebook. Here is a screenshot that I took when I created Cody's graphic that is at the top of this blog post.

The artwork is soooo cute and clever, there are stickers, sayings such as "Feline Friday", "Whisker Wednesday", "Tuna Tuesday" and more! There are graphics for birthdays, adoption days, all sorts of things, purrfect for YOUR changing moods and the changing moods of your kitty!!! You can find the purrfect artwork and sayings that suit YOUR kitty, and since there is the ability to create your own text, you can make your own!!! There are so many things that you can do! Check out the screenshot I took below that gives you a teeny-tiny idea of all of the cute artwork you can find there!

HOW WILL CAT CHALK RAISE FUNDS FOR CATS? For the first 30 days, (the app kicked off November 8, 2018),  100% of all app purchase price will be donated every time the app is downloaded with the goal of raising $10,000 during launch month. Cat Chalk will continue to raise funds for cats looking for forever homes by donating 50% of all app purchase and in-app revenue to rescues across the United States and Canada.

HOW MUCH IS THE APP TO PURCHASE?  USD $2.99 (THAT'S LESS THAN THE AVERAGE BAG OF KITTY TREATS!!!)

Trust me my furiends, if I can do this ANYONE CAN!!! Here is the first post I did with the Cat Chalk App that I posted to Instagram

Check out these darling creations

 that the Cat Chalk App team made!!

courtesy of Cat Chalk

courtesy of Cat Chalk

courtesy of Cat Chalk

  Furiends you MUST get your paws on this app!! You will have so much fun creating and sharing your  photos with your fans and furiends while helping to raise funds for kitties in need!!! 

WHO WILL RECEIVE THE FUNDS? The money will go to a range of rescue groups, shelters and organizations focused on helping and finding homes for felines. Each social media post will have a unique link allowing proceeds to be donated to the rescue of choice. Full reporting will be provided on a weekly basis.

GET STARTED TODAY!!! 
YOU CAN FIND THE  CAT CHALK APP HERE:
  Apple App Store - Available 8th November 2018
***There is an issue with the kick off of the app, until that is resolved you can email Danielle at this email catchalkapp at mail dot com and get the free version for now!!!
 Will update when the app is working!!! 

 FTC DISCLOSURE:I received no financial compensation for this post. I was able to test the app and in exchange Cat Chalk will donate 100% of app purchase price ($2.99 USD) to my favorite cat charity or rescue with a goal of reaching a total of $10,000 in funds at launch.