Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 350

Playtime!

No secret messages… sometimes images speak louder than words.

* * *

My 2016 calendars are here!

My Trip to Phoenix – the Show Part

I will not leave you in suspense — I finaled in every ring I went to this weekend! But that is not exactly as impressive as it sounds. There were final slots for the top five Alter cats, and there were only four of us on Saturday and mostly five of us on Sunday. For a couple of Sunday rings, there was a Savannah kitty competing, so there were six, but he was really, really scared by all the dogs at the Pet Expo, so he got pulled after the second ring. So basically all us Alter cats got finaled! If there had been more, it would have been tough for me, since the other cats were all really impressive.

Here is Saturday’s lineup of Alters. To the right of me is a Maine Coon and to the left of me is a Bengal. On the far end is a Chausie. The Chausie and the Maine Coon were favorites with the judges this weekend. The Maine Coon may look big, but at 1 year and 8 months, he’s still a kitten for his breed — they keep growing until they are four years old! So he will get even bigger, and better than he is already.

Our cat show was in the middle of the Pet Expo, and we were surrounded by dogs! Pets were allowed, and most people (except for my human and a few other humans) think “dogs” when they take their pets places. There were hundreds of dogs, and the cat friendly ones were even allowed to walk through our benching area. I bet you are wondering what I thought of that.

I didn’t care! There was a load of barking, and it bothered my human more than it bothered me. Most of the other cats didn’t care either. The only cat in my class who was upset by it was the Savannah. I did meet lots of people, and there were some who showed up who even knew who I was! That was really cool.

Even though the Pet Expo was so dog-centric (my human called it the “Dog Expo”), there were still quite a few booths for cat-focused companies. Of course the registry for this cat show, TICA, had a presence. They even had a couple of kitties hanging out at their booth.

Outlaw Kitty had a booth with their jewelry and T-shirts.

There was also a booth for a comic book series called “Cathair Apocalypse,” with loads of merch and stuff! It turns out the guy behind the comic books, and his cat Misha (his muse and inspiration), live in the same area as me and my human, about a half hour apart.

Misha was recently registered in TICA as a Household Pet, and Misha and her human were presented with her certificate at the show. It was a cool moment!

Even though the count was small, the judging went on the way it always does.

It may have been a few weeks since I’ve been to a cat show, but it all came back to me right away.

I had a great time this weekend! I can’t wait to do it again… which is a good thing because I’m at another cat show this upcoming weekend!
* * *

My 2016 calendars are here!

My Trip to Phoenix – the Before the Show Part

It’s been over a month since I’ve been to a cat show and I’m so glad to be on the road again! This time I flew to Phoenix. The cat show was at the Pet Expo there this past weekend. I have a lot to show you and my human and I got in late Sunday night, so I figured I would just divide it up into two posts. Today you get to see a little bit about the trip there.

We flew out of Burbank, which is my human’s preferred airport because it is so quiet. The only problem with an airport that small is that there aren’t a whole lot of food choices. It was lunchtime so my human got a smoked turkey sandwich, no onions… so she could share with me! It was a huge sandwich, and she saved a big hunk of turkey for me for the trip too.

She got a free fortune cookie too, and she also shared the fortune with me. I did not want the cookie.

In case it’s too small for you to read, it says, “Share your abundant humor with others.” I guess the numbers are supposed to be my lucky numbers. Interestingly, the first two — 04 and 15 — are the day I flew out!

Because the Phoenix area is so spread out, my human had to rent a car. These cars always seem to have a bunch of buttons that her regular car doesn’t have. This one had a button that said “Cat Folder.” She pushed it a bunch of times to see what would happen, but fortunately I didn’t get folded.

The hotel was nice! My human brought some toys for me to play with, including my favorite sparkle ball that I fetch. I let her know I wanted dinner by placing it on my food tray.

The really cool thing about our room was it faced east, so we got lots of awesome morning sun! I enjoyed sunbeams while my human put things together for the show both days.

I’ll tell you all about what went on at the show tomorrow!
* * *

My 2016 calendars are here!

New Dress Selfie

As some of you know, I am in Phoenix at a cat show that is being held in the middle of the city’s Pet Expo… except it is more like a dog expo! There are dogs all over the place. But I do want to say, the dogs have the best fashion! My human took a break between my show rings and did some shopping. Look at what she brought back!

Back at the hotel room, I tried it on. Looks good!

And then it occurred to me — why not take some selfies in it? I know I did a dress-up selfie last week, but I do enjoy showing off this outfit!

It takes a little work, setting up a selfie in the bathroom with all those mirrors.

You also have to watch out for the light. I got flared!

Here we go! It’s not perfect, but it works.

* * *

My 2016 calendars are here!

Tintype Caturday Art

I bet you are wondering how my tintype photo session turned out! We got the digital images of the photo shoot a little over a week ago, but we don’t have the actual tintypes yet — between my human’s schedule and the photographer’s schedule, it’s been difficult for them to meet up. We will get them eventually so you can see what an actual tintype image looks like, but for now, I’ll just share my two favorite photos from the session here.

The about page on the Tin Machina website says: “We specialize in portraits using the wet plate collodion process from the 1850’s. These timeless metal or glass photographs use silver and light to develop a superior image with a surreal quality that will literally last for generations.” The photographer human gave us digital photos both with and without a sepia tint. I thought the sepia was cool, so here it is. I look like a show cat from the old days!

Here is the other angle I liked a lot. My human and I like these photos a lot because they show a completely different side of me and they really do look vintage! My human’s favorite part is what the photographer calls the “artifacts” — those little imperfections all around the photo edges. They are not templates or in the frame — they happen naturally as a part of the process.

Other than the tint and resizing them for the blog, these are exactly what the photographer shot and developed. My human didn’t do anything to them (she thought it might be fun to try digitally hand tinting one, but she’s still learning how to do that… and making a cat look good is really hard!). But I still think they count as Caturday Art pictures!
* * *

My 2016 calendars are here!

Awesome Cat Gifts for Mothers Day

Even though I view my human as a valued assistant and partner, I know that some of you kitties out there have a more parental type relationship with yours. If that’s you and your human is female, you probably want to do something nice for her for Mothers Day! I imagine you’ll leave the usual hairball on the floor right by her slipper (or, if you have a good aim, in it), but I’m sure there are other things she’d like too — maybe even better than a dead cockroach or lizard! I’ve got a few paw-picked suggestions below. Most of them are reasonably priced so that you don’t have to dip too far into your treat fund to buy them.

The links are all affiliate links, which means I get a small commission for any sales. That way, when Administrative Assistants Day comes up, I’ll have some money to buy my human something nice.

I Work Hard So My Cat Can Have a Better Life Cat Mug

I’m sure that most humans with cats will identify with this cute mug from The Crafty Engineer. It shows that you acknowledge and (usually) appreciate all that effort.

Mother of Cats T-Shirt

This extra-long tee from So Pink UK is fun, versatile and really comfy! Made from 100% combed and ringspun cotton and ships from the UK.

Pretty In Pink Cat Handbag

What a sweetly sophisticated handbag! Triple T Studios features awesome accessories with style and class, and this 14″W x 10″H x 5.5″D handbag is one of their most beautiful items yet. It’s available for pre-order and expected to ship in May. Your human should be one of the first to have this lovely item.

Cat Charm Bracelet

Your human will treasure this adorable charm bracelet, made from pewter, Swarovski crystal and bead accents, and kitty wisdom! From Shelley Cooper Jewelry, it includes a locket just waiting for a photo of you!

Feline Philosophy Bracelet

Here is more kitty wisdom in bracelet form, this time from Triple T Studios. The simple bangle is made of stainless steel and is nickel and lead free. You human won’t go wrong wearing sayings such as “Purr,” “Live in the Moment,” and “Trust Your Instincts” — in fact, she could wear more than one! These graceful, lightweight braceless are one size fits most.

Cat Ring Holder

Aren’t these pewter ring stands cute? I know my human is always taking off her ring to wash her hands or clean the litter box — wouldn’t it be nice if yours had somewhere to put hers? They come from Not A Jewelry Box LTD, which specializes in creative jewelry storage.

Cats and Wine Make Life Better Wine Glasses

I know a lot of humans out there who would really appreciate these etched wine glasses from Etched Dreams. Is yours one of them? This is a set of two 20-oz. glasses… drink up!

Cat Chrome Glasses Case

Your human will never misplace her glasses when she has this sleek chrome case for them! Made by Thimbles n Object Dart, it features a pewter kitty on the top. A really nice design!

Fat Cat Fake Nail Set

Here is something totally fun: feline inspired faux nails with glitter infusion. They’re perfect for your human to wear to the next cat rescue fundraiser. Fat Cat Nails has lots of other cool nail designs too… not all of them kitty inspired!

I hope you enjoyed my picks!
* * *

My 2016 calendars are here!

Sombrero Time

A couple of weeks ago, when my human went downtown to the Convention Center to drop in at the AWP Conference and Bookfair, she made a quick stop at Olvera Street. You know what that meant: more props for me. But there is one thing missing.

Yep, the sombrero! I bet a lot of you remember when the humans brought it home a few months ago. Ever since then, my human has wanted to put together a Cinco de Mayo photo shoot, but it took her a while to get everything together.

My posing has gotten a lot better since the first time I tried wearing this hat.

I think I’m getting pretty good at this!

Well, I’m not perfect!

Just a head’s up — I will be having a small giveaway in a couple of weeks related to the props you see here!
* * *

My 2016 calendars are here!

Bed Tester (with Video)

My human and I went to the pet store the other day, and I decided I should try out the dog beds. Even though my human said we were not shopping for any beds at all, and that the store would probably not appreciate my testing.

You didn’t think I was only gonna test one, of course! My human finally made me leave and go with her to the food and treat sections. But not before shooting some video to show you what a good bed tester I am.

If you can’t see the above video, click here to watch it on YouTube.
* * *

My 2016 calendars are here!

Fun With the Jackson Galaxy Collection Cat Toys – and Giveaway! #jacksongalaxycatplay

I have such awesome cat toys to share with you today! They come from the Jackson Galaxy™ Collection by PetMate® — and yes, I also have a giveaway! But first, just a reminder:

This post is sponsored by Petmate® and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network™. I am being compensated to help create awareness about the Jackson Galaxy™ Cat Toy line available at PetSmart® but I only share information I feel is relevant to mt readers. Petmate® is not responsible for the content of this article.

So… here I am posing with some of the toys from Petmate’s Jackson Galaxy collection! (There is one more that couldn’t be in the shot… more on that later.) I think Jackson is part cat because he is so good at figuring out what we kitties need for fun and what humans like to call “enrichment.” In his more than 20 years as a cat behaviorist, Jackson realized that to have a happy life, cats have to fulfill the following needs:

Hunt
Catch
Kill
Eat
Groom
Sleep

These toys are designed to fit a cat’s natural instincts through fun and play. Cats who play are naturally more confident in their territorial ownership, meaning they will be

happier and better behaved… at least that’s what he says. But I know you kitties just want to see the toys in action, and that is why I’m here!

The Jackson Galaxy Ground Toy Wand is for a good floor hunt! has a telescoping rod so you can change the distance of the prey, I mean toy. There are several toys available. This one is the snake.

The ball and socket joints of this toy make it extra lifelike… and ultimately killable!

If you enjoy hunting critters that fly through the air, then the Air Prey Wand is for you! It also has an adjustable telescoping rod, plus a retractable cord so the toy can fly like crazy! My human took a video of me playing with it so you can see how much I enjoyed it.

If you can’t see the above video, click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Air Prey Wand also comes with a removable laser that your human can put on her finger for more fun!

If you are wondering what caused my battle with Binga the other day, you are about to find out.

I know it looks innocent enough: the box is called The Vault Marinater, plus I also was sent a package of Jackson Galaxy’s amazing Organic Catnip! There was already a little pouch of the nip in the Vault Marinater.

I know some of you already know about marinating cat toys in nip to freshen them up, but Jackson Galaxy came up with a special way to do it. The box is partitioned into sections, and the nip is sprinkled into the end parts only. The toys are put in the middle to soak up all the good smells.

Before my human could even put the top back on the Vault Marinater, Binga was already taking out the toys! She has no patience. Plus that catnip is really, really potent. As I discovered with the Toy You Have Not Yet Seen.

The Jackson Galaxy Refillable Twisted Kicker is a really special kind of kicker toy — the sisal midsection has a velcro opening with removable pouch for… you guessed it… more of that intoxicating nip! I could not keep my paws off it. Which caused a bit of a dispute, as you will see in the video below.

If you can’t see the above video, click here to watch it on YouTube.

Yes, I did try to bite her on the butt… but can you blame me?

By now you are probably wondering where you can get these awesome toys! You can find them at your local PetSmart, or PetSmart online.

You can also find out more about the toys by visiting Petmate on social media:

Petmate on Facebook
Petmate on Twitter
Petmate on Instagram

And of course, there’s the giveaway! You can win a selection of Jackson Galaxy Collection toys of your very own from Petmate! They probably won’t be the exact toys you see here because there are many others in the collection. Visit PetSmart to see the rest of the collection.

Enter the giveaway below — it is U.S. only. International pals can enter if they have a friend in the States who would enjoy these toys.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! And use that nip responsibly.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PetMate. The opinions and text are all mine.

READER COMMENT DISCLAIMER

Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.
* * *

My 2016 calendars are here!

Remember the Forgotten on National Pet Day

National Pet Day started ten years ago as a way for humans to honor the cats, dogs, and other critters who share their lives. At least that’s part of it. But it’s also a day to acknowledge and help those pets who don’t have homes, who are sitting in shelters hoping to become a family member.

All of us in the cat blogging community are fortunate. Our humans don’t need a reminder to do something special for us, or give us an extra treat or toy — we get those often already! For us, National Pet Day should be a day of gratitude for the gifts we get on a daily basis because we are loved and treasured. Even if our humans make mistakes or neglect to give us the respect we deserve, they mean well and try to make things up to us when they realize how wrong they’ve been.

So instead of hoping for more attention or treats from our humans today, let’s ask them to lend a helping hand to the kitties who have nothing, or who have humans that don’t treat them like honored family members. Volunteer at a rescue. Donate blankets, food or litter to a rescue that is in need. Spend time with a neighborhood kitty who is always outside and who never seems to get enough love from his own humans.

We have our humans serving us every day all year… let’s give up just this one day so our humans can bring some light into some other cat’s life. Deal?
* * *

My 2016 calendars are here!