Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Saluting Terrific Tabbies! #NationalTabbyCatDay

To find out more about the artist that created the absolutely adorable and precious painting above, visit us this Monday, May 6th. But...I WILL tell you it was created by KittyCatArtStudio.com   (and it was a result of my winning a give-away from the beautiful and talented Ingrid King of The Conscious Cat.) If you would like to do some Mother's Day shopping KittyCatArtStudio is offering 10% off of many items from May 1st through Mother's Day. I will be featuring other examples of her work on May 6th, but for those of you who stopped by today, you get a head-start!






TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT TABBY CATS
CLICK HERE

FOR A COMPLETE LIST 
OF 2019 PET HOLIDAYS CLICK HERE

  • “Perhaps one reason we are fascinated by cats is because such a small animal can contain so much independence, dignity, and freedom of spirit. Unlike the dog, the cat’s personality is never bet on a human’s. He demands acceptance on his own terms.” – Lloyd Alexander

Monday, April 29, 2019

Cat Book Feature: Harry the Wonder Cat: The Legend of the Pink Diamond by Denise Brixey

Harry, the Wonder Cat, is no ordinary cat! Two centuries ago, he had received eternal life and extraordinary powers.  He was ordered to use his gifts to care for the Johnson family, helping them through life's ups and downs. 



Fast forward to the present. This story begins when Nikki Johnson, accompanied by her close friend Heather Murphy, had planned her annual quiet and relaxing Christmas visit to Harrot Reef to visit her beloved Aunt Lynn. Plans changed when Nikki’s aunt summoned her to come earlier because something was terribly wrong. The two friends arrived the next day to a shocking discovery. Loud howling led them to the library where they found Aunt Lynn’s crumpled body lying on the floor with her cat, Harry, next to her. The two women landed in the middle of a mystery. The only clues consist of a teacup, a copy of Agatha Christie’s “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”, and a note on the mantle. 

Sheriff O’Neil, who has had it out for the Johnsons since Nikki’s father stole the girl that he loved, saw this as a perfect chance for revenge.  What could be better than to have the last of the  oldest family in Harrot Reef, behind bars for the murder of her own aunt?

When Nikki gets bailed out by her friend, Heather, they team up with the deputy to find the real killer.  Little do they know, Harry  is using his magic to save the day.  This Christmas visit was going to be anything but quiet and relaxing.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Denise Brixey grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, where she studied writing.  During her many years of living in a big city from birth into adulthood, she had more than her share of challenges. When she left the big city life to move up to a small town in the Gold Country, Denise volunteered at a cat rescue. She soon discovered that, while she was working to save them, it was she who was magically being rescued by the cats! 

Felines have been a meaningful part of Denise’s world ever since: starring in blogs, social media pages, and currently, her new book series. Although he’s been physically absent for years, the original Harry, a.k.a. Monkeyface, continues to magically impact her life through his teleportation that continues to fuel Denise’s passion for writing and love for her cats. Harry will live forever, so Denise started her series, Harry, the Wonder Cat, to share all his antics and spread meaning and joy to the lives of readers. You can follow Denise on her blog Harry the Wondercat

In full Disclosure: this book is presented as a "feature" because I have not read the book. I think the world of Denise, and when she approached me asking me if I would feature her book, I happily agreed to do so.

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Happy Passover and Happy Easter!


WHAT IS PASSOVER?
FROM CHABAD.ORG

What Is Passover?

The eight-day festival of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan, April 10–18, 2017. It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. It is observed by avoiding leaven, and highlighted by the Seder meals that include four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus. In 2017,
In Hebrew it is known as Pesach (which means “to pass over”), because G‑dpassed over the Jewish homes when killing the Egyptian firstborn on the very first Passover eve.

The Passover Story in a Nutshell

After many decades of slavery to the Egyptian pharaohs, during which time the Israelites were subjected to backbreaking labor and unbearable horrors, G‑d saw the people’s distress and sent Moses to Pharaoh with a message: “Send forth My people, so that they may serve Me.” But despite numerous warnings, Pharaoh refused to heed G‑d’s command. G‑d then sent upon Egypt ten devastating plagues, afflicting them and destroying everything from their livestock to their crops.
At the stroke of midnight of 15 Nissan in the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE), G‑d visited the last of the ten plagues on the Egyptians, killing all their firstborn. While doing so, G‑d spared the children of Israel, “passing over” their homes—hence the name of the holiday. Pharaoh’s resistance was broken, and he virtually chased his former slaves out of the land. The Israelites left in such a hurry, in fact, that the bread they baked as provisions for the way did not have time to rise. Six hundred thousand adult males, plus many more women and children, left Egypt on that day and began the trek to Mount Sinai and their birth as G‑d’s chosen people.
To read the complete Passover story click here
To our Jewish friends:
Card from care2.com

To those who celebrate,
Chag Sameach!!

To our friends who will celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 21st, we  wish you a Happy Easter!!! 



Monday, April 15, 2019

Announcing NomNomNow:INSIGHTS: A Microbiome Testing Kit (A Window Into Your Cat and Dog's Gut Health)

NomNomNow has sponsored this post with product and monetary compensation, but all opinions are my own, read important disclaimers throughout this blog post.

Photo Courtesy of NomNomNow

When NomNomNow first began their goal was to enable pet parents to improve the health and wellness of their pets by "equipping them with excellent nutrition, acting as partners in the care of their pets, and providing a range of resources and services to make every aspect of being a pet parent as easy, convenient, and positively impactful as possible."


The NomNomNow:INSIGHTS, kit is an easy to use, at-home microbiome testing kit for pets that will give their parents an in-depth look at the health of their cat or dog's  gut bacteria


What is the microbiome?


"The microbiome, in humans and in our pets, is a unique population of microorganisms that live within and on us. The diversity and types of microorganisms help to keep our pets healthy. Similarly though, these microbes can contribute to pet illnesses if there are disruptions to a healthy balance in the microbiome. So clearly the microbiome is an important part of maintaining our pets’ health!"

Why test the gut?
"The microbiome of the gut is the largest and most studied microbiome, and has been demonstrated to impact a wide variety of different health-related systems including things like food digestion, immune system function, weight management and even mood and behavior."



 I am one who will ALWAYS listen to my Veterinarian FIRST, but agreed many moons ago to test this product, (because I misunderstood what it was and thought it was a DNA testing kit which it is not),  and decided to give it a go and see what it reveals. Regardless of what the results reveal, my Veterinarian is my ultimate "go to" and personally I would never take action in reference to anything pertaining to Cody and Dakota based on results from a kit. Everyone has to make their own informed decisions. I am featuring this product simply because I said that I would. For me, and many others, my Veterinarian is my ultimate source that I trust. That being said, this kit could not  have been easier to use!



Everything you need is in this kit when it arrives.


It comes with step-by-step instructions:


You first collect a stool sample. using the enclosed items:




You then put the sample in the vial and shake it up until the stool dissolves in the liquid.

You put it in the mailing enclosed bag:

You then register your sample on their website:


Put it in the enclosed mailing envelope and mail


 Their scientists will analyze the sample collected from Cody to evaluate the types of bacteria that reside in his  gut, then they will send me a report describing Cody's overall structure and how he compares to other pets. (When I receive my report I will let you know how I read it, they provide detailed instructions as to how to read it on their website.) The results will be sent to me within two to five weeks. Once I have the results, if there is anything at all that concerns me, rest assured I would CONSULT MY VETERINARIAN FIRST. Stay tuned!!!











Thursday, April 11, 2019

How NOT to Celebrate #NationalPetDay


Yep, you read this right! It's National Pet Day and Cody and Dakota are BOTH headed to the Vet today. Dad and I will both be joining them. Dakota is being groomed and is having blood work done for an upcoming dental in late May.

Cody is going for his annual first of his two-a-year senior exams. I am rather worried about Cody's exam because he has been having a weird issue for approximately the last month. It is almost like a reverse sneeze that happens a few times a week (never more than once in a day), and a couple of times he had "honking" with it. Please keep your paws crossed that all is ok with Cody.

UPDATE: 10:45 am..so far so good, Cody had xrays and hopefully it might just be a possible hairball issue, he had Xrays and nothing significant (might have a small kidney stone that we are watching at this point), thank goodness! They are both really well-behaved there....Cody takes it all in stride, just a few grumbles, no hisses, doesn't "sing" in the car, loves when the girls there cuddle him.....our Vet is wonderful! Cody went straight to his food bowl when we returned home. Now instead of Inmate $345 he was inmate $347 today.


So, while Cody and Dakota think it is cruel to take them to the Vet on National Pet Day, Dad and I think it is a loving and responsible thing to do. If we didn't have pets in our lives, I don't think that I could function.

Happy National Pet Day to all of you!  Seeing YOUR pets brightens OUR day EVERY DAY!

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Not all "Siblings" Are of the Same Species!

Happy National Siblings Day All!

I know Dakota and I aren't "brothers" in the traditional sense, but we all know that sometimes those who aren't your blood (or species) oftentimes make the BEST siblings of all!



Tuesday, April 9, 2019

A Special Lady is Turning 80!!!!!

That special lady is  an active
blogger, (you can visit her at Marg's Animals. We love when she tells us stories about the MANY feral kitties she has rescued and cared for with all of her heart and soul. We also love her donkeys!!! Who is this special lady? Well, it is none other than MARG!!






Friday, April 5, 2019

Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit (FAMD) Reduces Pet Adoption Fees April 5-13

Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit (FAMD) is reducing and waiving adoption fees on many of its dogs and cats April 5-13, 2019.



“Our generous FAMD Board has donated funds to make sure some wonderful dogs, cats, puppies and kittens find forever homes,” said Elaine Greene, FAMD executive director. “To adopt, simply fill out an online questionnaire to meet with an adoption counselor and start the process.”

“Falling in love costs a lot less this month,” added Greene.
“The FAMD board of directors is committed to furthering our mission of saving all adoptable animals and inspiring healthy relationships between people and their companion animals and, therefore, has offered to financially cover adoption fees,” said MaryAnn Wright, FAMD board chair.

Descriptions and prices for the adoptable animals can be found on the FAMD website at www.metrodetroitanimals.org.  Most of the adoptable animals can be met in the new MaryAnn Wright Animal Adoption and Education Center at 16121 Reckinger Road in Dearborn, although some are in foster homes or one of FAMD’s Cat Adoption Centers.

All FAMD pets have been microchipped, neutered or spayed and received a medical exam and age-appropriate vaccinations before they go to their new homes. 


About FAMD

After 25 years of nurturing more than 50,000 animals, the Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit has launched their “More Love than Humanly Possible” capital campaign to construct Phase Two of their complex, adjacent to the MaryAnn Wright Animal Adoption & Education Center.  For more information about FAMD, a 501 (c) 3 organization, visit metrodetroitanimals.org

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Too Pooped to Party!! #PartyDay


Well hi my furiends! As you can tell by the photo above that was taken the day after my birthday,  I am POOPED!!! I am nearly too pooped to pawty but Mom told me that my 12th birthday celebration is going to continue through today because today is:

WORLD PARTY DAY

Ok, so my birthday isn't really what they had in mind when they created this day, but, as they explained on Days of The Year:

"World Party Day is based on the idea that peace is not the opposite of war, merely its absence. The real opposite of war is party, and World Party Day aims to synchronise a massive, world-wide party to celebrate everything that’s good and optimistic.

“Pass the food and turn up the music” is a common slogan on World Party Day, but it doesn’t really matter how you celebrate, or even whether you celebrate alone or in company. The premise is that everyone in the world is joined in party, so you can really do anything you like as long as it involves celebrating the joy of existence."


So, my birthday is a form of  "celebrating the joy of existence", right? Of course I am right!!!

I had a most pawesome birthday!  I got a great card in my email!  It was from the gang at Meezer's Mews & Terrieristical Woofs


and I got another cute card from my pal Timmy Tomcat and gang that was posted as a link on my blog in a comment:

I relaxed most of the day. I spent my time doing some window whiffing:


I also watched the birds that came by to wish me a Happy Birthday:



It was wonderful!

Mom showed me all of the super nice and thoughtful comments that you all left on my blog, that made me feel extra special and I THANK YOU!!!! I loved each and every one of them!

I received some cute cards on Facebook too but didn't save them all because my lazy Mom has been "too busy" to help me.

I guess I should cut my Mom some slack though. She made my birthday dinner extra special! Mom made some chicken thighs and gave me a plate of cooked chicken that she had shredded, and she even let me get on the forbidden kitchen table while she was eating HER chicken! She let me sit on the table and stare at her until she caved and gave me more!!!

After dinner Mom brought out my Neko toy that I love and we played together. Then I sat down and relaxed and watched baseball with my Dad. Dakota even gave me some doggy kisses!!

Speaking of kisses Mom didn't stop kissing me, she kissed me all day!! Dad gave me extra special belly rubs too!

It was a great day!!!

Thanks to all of you for helping to make my birthday so special!!!


Now maybe I can tell Mom that since today is World Party Day I can have some MORE chicken, right? OF COURSE I AM RIGHT!!! Chicken is just what I need to get extra energy to keep this pawty going!!! 

Love, Cody




Monday, April 1, 2019

Some Kitty is 12 !!!!!!


HAPPY, HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY 

TO OUR  PRECIOUS, CRAZY, INDEPENDENT,

BRAVE, FEISTY, CUDDLY, LOVING BOY!!!






When you turn 12 you deserve a wonderful photo shoot (whether you want one or not lol), and that's exactly what Cody got!!! He sat patiently too! Tonight he will have his all time favorite, CHICKEN!!!!

If you like Cody's bandana, it is actually Dakota's and came from Canine Compassion Bandanas. All of their bandanas are only $5 and a $1 from each sale is donated to the ASPCA.

I'm keeping this post super light this year because I am actually full of emotion about Cody turning 12. (He was only 2 when this blog began).

Our crazy cuddle bug has brought us so much joy in 12 years, he helped heal my broken heart when my Bobo passed. He is special beyond words. 

Happy, Happy Birthday my Cody, Dad and I adore you and Dakota does too!!