Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 18

Yes, That Was Me on Shark Tank!

I made an appearance on Shark Tank to help out some friends with a pitch! Here’s how that happened.

A while back, my human and I were at a cat show and met the couple behind Frame Your Feline, a wall perch for cats that looks like a framed piece of art. Then at some point not quite a year ago, they called my human and told her they landed a slot on Shark Tank to pitch their idea and drum up some capital. They wanted to know if I could come on the show. My human said yes.

To be honest, she was a bit reluctant because she knows how unpredictable the show can be. It’s not like a commercial or a movie that’s scripted. It’s a big set and there was no guarantee that I or any of the other two cats involved wouldn’t go running off. She was even less enthusiastic when we showed up for the scheduled shoot in September and found out she had to wear a special outfit on screen.

I was excited! I had a bath the day before so I knew I was doing something special. My human’s boyfriend came along to help carry my stuff.

The other two cats they were using for the pitch weren’t professionals. One belonged to the couple, and the other was a cat belonging to a friend. A Humane Society rep was present, which my human was used to, since we’ve worked with them before on other productions.

The pitch, as my human suspected, was completely chaotic. The other two cats leapt out of their frames right away. I stayed, in good part because my human left a big pile of treats in my frame. Also I realized I was getting looked at and admired. You don’t see it on the show, but one of the Sharks, Lori Greiner, even came up and petted me. But eventually I left too and went exploring.

You can see my silhouette behind Daymond John. And a little later, if you look really close in the background, you can see my human fetching me. When I saw her, I walked right up to her. Because, to be honest, I was mostly wondering where she was.

Even though they didn’t get the funding, they were really lucky that their segment got aired. Not every pitch gets on an episode! So they threw a watch party. It was a little bit of a long drive, but at the last moment my human decided to bring me, since it was at a hotel. And she knows how much I love hotels.

I have one last story to tell you about my Shark Tank shooting day. The crew told my human and the two people handling the other cats not to say one word while on the set. This was because as a union show, anyone who speaks gets SAG minimum pay. My human, having come from the film and TV industry, totally knew the deal. Then at the end of the show, there was a segment where everyone, including the cats, were gathered to listen to the Sharks’ wrap up. I was happy that my human finally got to hang out with me.

Then Lori Greiner piped up.

“One thing I want to know,” she said, pointing at me, “Is that cat adoptable?”

My human gave her a look that might have killed a lesser entrepreneur and very loudly said, “Absolutely NOT!” Then immediately realized what she’d done and clamped her hands over her mouth. I hope she’s not why this part of the show got cut out.

Anyhow, here’s a video that shows you some of the watch party. If you want to hunt down the show, it’s Season 16, Episode 17.

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Silly Photos on Sunday

I had so many outtakes from the past week! It was hard picking out the silliest ones.

Yes, I know I have almost the same facial expression as the photo above…but that’s kind of the point!

Here’s the Easter unicorn, ready to deliver all your favorite goodies.

We weren’t expecting too many wardrobe malfunctions with this outfit…except the elastic seems to be going on the hat.

I wasn’t trying to take off the hat, honest!

It’s hard to keep your focus during a photo session. Especially when you are a kitty.

My human insisted on this awkward pose, and you can tell what I thought of it.

And that’s it for this week’s outtakes! Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite.

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My Mother’s Day Photo Sessions Through the Years

Since I do a special photo session for most of my gift guides, I thought you’d enjoy seeing some alternate photos from my Mother’s Day shoots through the years.

My first Mother’s Day session was 2016, when I was just a little over 2 years old. As you can see, it was pretty simple — just me and a tiny shopping bag. The backdrop was a fleece blanket.

As far as I can tell, I didn’t do another shoot for Mother’s Day until 2019, and that was just a photo of me in the turret. I think my human randomly grabbed it from another session. The next shoot I could find was 2021, and it was actually from a photo shoot we did the year before. She did a session with me outdoors in some pretty dresses, and this was one of them. We had a lot of photos from this shoot that didn’t get used. The tree made a fun prop. After 2021, we’ve gotten pretty consistent with Mother’s Day shoots and posts.

The next year, 2022, I got to pose in a dress and hat, and my human gave me this big yellow rose as a prop.

2023 — same hat, different dress, and pearls! Same front yard. Note that all the front yard shots are similar but each has a different feel.

I think 2024 was my favorite shoot. A friend of my human’s loaned her this basket for some Easter photos. We never did use it for Easter, but she thought it would be perfect for Mother’s Day. And it was! I had a then-new Victorian style collar that matched the basket, so it all came together really well.

And you’ve already seen 2025 above and in the post before this one. We had to return last year’s basket, but my human liked the idea of using one. So we took all the Easter things out of this one and reused it for Mother’s Day.

So what do you think? Which setting did you like the best? Let me know in the comments!

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Super Unique Cat Themed Gifts for Mother’s Day

Disclosure: I am an Etsy Affiliate and will earn a small commission if you click through any of the links below and place an order.

My goal this time around with my Mother’s Day picks for cat lovers was to find Etsy’s most unique items. And I think I was pretty successful! You won’t find a mug or t-shirt here. Instead you’ll find fun things that even made my human gasp a little! Check them out.

UFO Orange Cat Abduction Acrylic Hanging Sign
Yes, there are loads of acrylic hanging signs all over Etsy. But how many of them show an orange cat being abducted by a UFO? And it’s not only fun, the pretty colors make it a standout. It’s double sided, and comes in three sizes, from subtle 3.5″x3.5″ to bold 9″x9″.

Cat Mini Zen Garden
We all need a bit of tranquility, and this zen garden adds a touch whimsical feline mayhem. Each 7.5″ melamine garden (your choice of color) includes 2 cats (your choice of colors), 2 baskets, 16 wool balls, 1 wooden cat tree, 1 wooden rake, a bag of sand, and optional rainbow fairy lights. This is probably one of the best things I’ve ever found on Etsy!

Cat Lover Necklace
Sure, Etsy is loaded with cat lover necklaces, some of them subtle and some of them showy. But the rest don’t have the quiet charm of this minimalist mother-of-pearl design. You can include up to 7 cats in 5 different colors, and a choice of dainty silver, gold-filled or rose gold-filled chain. One of the sweetest and most thoughtful gifts on my list.

Wooden Lucky Cat Puzzle Box
This charming puzzle box features a cute maneki neko (lucky cat) crafted from oak and walnut inlays, and a secret compartment to protect your most treasured items. It’s 4″x2.6″ and 2.5″ high. The seller specializes in these puzzle boxes, but this one is the most adorable.

Big Cat Java Moss Ball Terrarium
This lovely cat head shaped DIY terrarium contains your choice of strata and up to 4 nano java moss balls. This eco-friendly plant is one of the easiest aquatic mosses to care for, and grows in many different light levels. It’s also sustainably sourced and farm-raised in South East Asia. So even if your recipient doesn’t have much of a green thumb, they’ll still be able to appreciate the quiet beauty of this gift.

Toile de Jouy Cat Print Blanket
This charming woven cotton blanket makes a stunning throw on your favorite chair or sofa. It’s even pretty enough to use as a wall tapestry, and comfy enough to use outside for a picnic. It comes in four sizes, from 37″x52″ to 60″x80″. You can also get it in Sherpa or Velveteen polyester, but of course I’m partial to the cotton.

Retro Cat Apron
Here’s a cute apron with a print that has just about everything most cat lovers love — cupcakes, wine and cats! The polyester canvas material has a foamed lining and it’s one size fits most.

Rock Paper Scissors Waterproof Sticker
Here’s a fun little add-on gift — the kitty version of rock, paper, scissors on a vinyl sticker! It comes in a 2″ or 3″ size.

Mother’s Day Gift Box for the Cat
And of course, it’s not a cat lovers Mother’s Day without a gift for the cat. And this cat gift box is a little different from the rest. Check out the non-traditional cat treats, like a silvervine chew stick, nutritional yeast, and minnows! (I’ve had minnows, and they are tasty!) So it’s not your average package of kitty fun.

So did you like my choices this year? Do you have any favorites? Let me know in the comments.

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Sweet Video of My Visit With the Peach Kitty

As brief as my visit with the peach kitty was the other day, my human still got some video.

You only get to see us having a couple of treats, but don’t worry, we got lots more!

And she even got some video of his mom before she left! And video of him in the enclosed patio after we went inside. You can see it below.

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Haphazard Easter Photo Shoot

My human had a few never-before-used Easter props and decided to build a photo session around them. But unused props are like clothes that sit in the closet with the price tag still on them — there’s a reason they sat there untouched.

This Easter collar, for example! It’s kind of big and overpowering.

So instead of changing it out, she decided to add onto it with these bunny ears. You can see how well that worked out!

Then she tried out these bunny ears, the origins of which are a mystery.

She finally got the idea that maybe those things weren’t the best idea. So she had me wear this bunny outfit, which you’ve seen multiple times before.

Then she ditched the bunny ears theme and put me in a bunny dress which you may have seen last year, and matched it with my flower crown.

Finally she ditched the outfits completely, and all the stuff in the basket and just had me sit in it.

I don’t know about you, but I think simpler is better.

She still couldn’t resist trying bunny ears just one more time.

So which look did you like the best? Which was the silliest? Let me know in the comments!

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Brief Visit With the Peach Kitty

Look who showed up the day after the cat show!

So did his mom! In fact, my human almost didn’t take me outside because she didn’t want to disturb her. She runs away from us. But she left right away, so I got to go out.

I kind of wish she would stick around, but she never does.

Of course the peach kitty was glad to see me.

After his usual greeting, you know what time it was…

It was time for treats!

My human claims that I’m too greedy, and I think all the treats are for me.

Okay, so maybe she’s a little right — she had to hand him this treat when I wasn’t looking.

It was just a brief visit. He was a little distracted, probably by some critter somewhere. But it was nice while it lasted!

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Fun at the Norco Cat Show

What a fun cat show! My human had no idea what type of place Norco was, and it turned out to be a big horse town! So there was a western theme going on at the show.

I thought my spring dresses and straw hats fit right in.

Quite a few people showed up because they saw me posting about it on social media. But I also met a lot of new people. One little girl had me pose with her plush kitty.

I met lots of kids, and as you can see, I really enjoyed them.

I wore my pearl and rhinestone heart necklace for quite a while. People probably thought I was a bit spoiled.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much my human could eat (she doesn’t like red meat). But somebody had cake, and these pretty cake pops. So that held her over until she could get a salad at the end of the day.

Here’s the one western type thing we did. They had this big horse and a backdrop for selfies in one corner, so my human had me pose on it with my cowboy hat on.

To be honest, I much preferred my pretty dresses.

Oh, and I also wore a bunny outfit, since Easter is next week.

It was a two-day cat show, so by the afternoon of the second day, I was pretty tired!

Even though my human and I had a good time, it was nice to get back home!

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Sassy Sunday Outtakes

You can tell what kind of mood I was in for this week’s outtakes!

I didn’t care what those bunny ears were doing…I still wanted my cat treat compensation!

I know my human wanted me to keep the cowboy hat on, but instead I gave her a lucky shot of me shaking it off.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a good airplane ears shot. So here you go!

And that’s it for this week’s outtakes! If you have a favorite let me know in the comments.

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My Human’s Favorite Spot for Photos of Me

It’s been a while since I did photos on these cool steps around the side of the house. My human loves taking photos of me there because of the way the light is filtered through the bushes. It’s not easy to get the shadows and sun just right, but she likes the challenge. You can see the rest of the photos below. No secret messages because they really aren’t necessary — but make sure to see the last couple, where you find out how she got me to pose!

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