Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 361

Tortie Outdoors Tuesday

I got to hang out on the back patio again — but this time was different!

I had company!

Even though Binga is 15-1/2 and she hasn’t been on a harness and leash since she was a kitten, she got used to it right away and wanted to go explore!

She explored different areas than where I usually go. She also wanted to go a few places she wasn’t supposed to go!

Other times it was like having a tortoiseshell shadow! I am not totally sure this was a good thing!
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My 2016 calendars are here! Find my regular calendar on Lulu.com — OR get my calendar of outtakes from Zazzle!

Holiday Outtakes

Before we pack up the decorations, here are some outtakes from this past holiday season!

My human says this is why all the non-fragile ornaments are placed on the Christmas tree’s bottom branches.

Here’s what I thought of this festive holiday set-up. It did not wind up as a card.

When my human was setting up the lights for a photo shoot, I joined my stand-in — and tried to do an imitation of her!

Remember that bandana we got from one of the BarkWorld attendees? Some of you were wondering why Binga didn’t model it. Well, we did try….

Apologies to the Dash Kitten crew — this raspberry was meant for my human, not for you!

This was supposed to be a selfie of me, but it got interrupted.

I have to be honest — I was not completely satisfied with my selection of New Year’s Eve outfits.

I had some complaints about that little hat — I didn’t really like it until I paired it with the dress.

That’s it for today! I have a whole new year to create more outtakes.
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My 2016 calendars are here! Find my regular calendar on Lulu.com — OR get my calendar of outtakes from Zazzle!

Party Blackout Selfies

Although I don’t remember what happened at my New Year’s Eve party, somebody found photographic evidence of what went on — including some selfies I took! I should probably make excuses for the picture quality because they are not very good.

I’m not sure what I was doing with that feather boa! It was in a lot of shots.

And I have no idea what I was doing in this photo. Maybe I don’t want to know.

I don’t know who took this photo of me blowing the horn at midnight. Maybe it was Binga.

Okay, I guess it wasn’t Binga! There is a lot that went on that evening that’s going to remain a mystery.

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My 2016 calendars are here! Find my regular calendar on Lulu.com — OR get my calendar of outtakes from Zazzle!

Do’s and Don’ts of Traveling With Your Cat

I’m in the driver’s seat of my human’s car today because I have lots of things to tell you kitties about traveling with your human! Today is National Pet Travel Safety Day, and I wanted to pass along some cat travel tips I’ve learned in the year and a half I’ve been going places with my human. I am wearing my first tip — a cat harness with an ID tag that includes my human’s cell phone number! That way, if there is an accident or I somehow get out of the car, it will be easier for someone who finds me to locate my human. Plus they’ll know my name! I am also microchipped.

Here is an important Don’t: Never let your cat move around freely in the car. Come with me and I will show you why!

This is my favorite place to hang out in my human’s car… but it also where she needs to put her feet to make the car go, and more importantly, to make it stop! A lot goes on when humans are trying to drive, and it’s dangerous if they can’t fully concentrate on the road. As we cats know, we are very distracting! You will have lots of time to get your human’s attention when the car isn’t in motion, so let her focus on her driving.

Here is another Don’t, but I doubt anybody would try this: Humans should never just put a seatbelt on their cat. Seatbelts only work on human adult and older child bodies.

Here is a combination of Do’s and Don’ts: Yes, we cats should be closed up in a carrier when we are in the car, and yes, the carrier should be secured with a seatbelt. But don’t put the carrier in the front seat! If your human is in an accident and the airbags are deployed, they could injure or even kill us kitties! So the front seat is actually a very dangerous place for us. Instead put the carrier in the backseat area, and secure it with a seatbelt there.

I have a couple of things to say about carriers too. When my human is going short distances with me, like to the pet store, I go in my Sleepypod Atom pet carrier, which is the carrier I fly in. But it is a soft carrier, and does not really protect me all that well if there is an accident. It is really better for us kitties to travel in something more sturdy. This hard plastic Pet Taxi is very old, but a lot tougher. There are other, nicer carriers like the regular Sleepypod, and you can also find some really safe, durable pet carriers for less if you do some research. But I don’t think humans should skimp when it comes to keeping cats safe when they are in the car.

If you are traveling in the car for several hours or several days, do consider getting a crate or kennel that’s large enough for a small litter box. To be honest, we cats actually prefer more closed in spaces — we feel safer. But if we’re cooped up for a long period of time, it’s nice to have somewhere to relieve ourselves. I read an article somewhere that says cats usually won’t use the litter box while they are in a car, but that’s not true for me! When I went to Las Vegas in 2014, and Livermore last November, I did use the litter box that was provided for me.

Here are a few more Do’s for you humans:

Make sure the temperature in your car is comfortable for your cat, especially at the height of summer and winter. It gets hot here in the summer, so my human always blasts the air conditioning when I’m in the car. She likes it warmer, but my comfort comes first.
Pack a travel kit for your kitty, if you are going somewhere for the whole day or for more than a day. You should have pet first aid, treats, water, a litter scoop, and pet wipes and paper towels in case there’s an accident (not the car crash kind — the other kind).
Never, ever leave your cat in the car! Even if it seems mild outside, it can get hot enough in a closed up car for her to die of heatstroke. If you are traveling with your cat in a crate or kennel, you also need a carrier to bring her in and out of the car. My human always takes me into rest stop restrooms, the gas station convenience stores when she is buying snacks for herself, and she usually eats drive through meals when I am with her. If she wanted to stop at a restaurant and have a sit down meal, she would pick one with an outside patio so I could accompany her.

And here is one last Don’t:

Kitties, never try to drive your human’s car! You are not long enough to reach the accelerator and brake pedals and steer at the same time. Plus, you probably don’t have a driver’s license and you could get thrown in jail if you are caught.
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My 2016 calendars are here! Find my regular calendar on Lulu.com — OR get my calendar of outtakes from Zazzle!

Starting 2016 on the Wrong Paw

Uh-oh. I think I may be in trouble. After the humans went out, we kitties had a party.

And I think things got a little bit out of control.

At least the Christmas tree is still standing. Although I don’t know how the tunnel got there.

Now, where is Binga? She’d better not think I’m going to take the blame for this all by myself!

How was your New Year’s Eve?
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My 2016 calendars are here! Find my regular calendar on Lulu.com — OR get my calendar of outtakes from Zazzle!

Looking Back at an Amazing Year!

When I look back at 2015, I can’t believe how much I accomplished! I certainly packed a lot into one year. Wanna look back with me at the highlights? Let’s go!

In January, I went down to the San Diego Cat Show — the biggest show on the West Coast! That was the show where I earned my Grand Premier title in CFA. It was also where I met Sparkle’s niece, Ruby. I’m going again next month, but this time I’m not competing. I’ll be a Pet Me cat and hanging out with the public.

In February, I had a really fun Valentine’s Day party! I’m still thinking about that heart-shaped chicken pizza!

I went to a cat show in Portland, OR in March… and I flew! And I met the humans of several of my blogging pals! It was very exciting. Since then, I’ve flown two more times.

One of those other times was in May, when my human and I flew to Nashville for BlogPaws! That was an amazing trip — I met so many cool humans, and a few kitties, and saw a whole bunch of dogs! I wore the costume above for Pawject Runway and earned a $100 gift certificate from Only Natural Pet… which I donated to Kitty Bungalow.

This year was the first time I was in charge of the Cat World Domination Day party (which is held every year on Sparkle’s birthday), and I think it went off really well! I’m proud of the menu I put together! And if you are wondering about Sparkle’s Guide — my human is busy laying it out! It should be done sometime soon!

My human went to Catalina Island for her birthday — and she took me and her boyfriend along! That was my first time ever on a boat. I loved the island hotel and our brunch.

I worked hard to put my 2016 calendar together! Although sometimes I did not get very much help.

I became a Supreme Grand Champion Alter in TICA, and celebrated with a Supreme Cake! And yes, I did get a taste.

You are probably getting bored of all the cat shows, but I have to mention the one did in Livermore, because I got to meet more humans of my blogging pals! And they made a nice cheering section for me for a ring or two!

A few weeks later, when I went to a cat show in Tucson, my human visited with one of the authors of Rescued — Harriet! That was awesome!

And we got to have a Christmas tree this year! It was my first.

As you can see, I had a very exciting 2015! I hope that 2016 is even more fun — see you then!
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My 2016 calendars are here! Find my regular calendar on Lulu.com — OR get my calendar of outtakes from Zazzle!

Getting Ready for New Year’s Eve

I’m trying to figure out what to wear for New Year’s Eve! I’m hoping the humans are going somewhere so we can party here without them knowing about it! So I’m going to try some things on and you tell me what you think.

I am not so sure about this hat. It might be a little too busy.

There’s nothing terribly wrong with this hat, but there’s nothing really exciting about it either. Maybe Binga will want to wear it.

Okay, maybe not.

I’ve worn the other dress before at BlogPaws and for my 2016 calendar, so I was thinking maybe I should wear this dress instead. It’s very pretty!

The only thing is I have a cute little New Year’s Eve hat that goes with the other dress! What a dilemma!

What do you think I should wear?
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My 2016 calendars are here! Find my regular calendar on Lulu.com — OR get my calendar of outtakes from Zazzle!

Room for Two (or Not)

No secret messages… the photos tell it all!

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My 2016 calendars are here! Find my regular calendar on Lulu.com — OR get my calendar of outtakes from Zazzle!

Helping Texas Animals in Need

My human and I have several social media friends who were way too close to the area near Dallas where the deadly tornadoes hit on Saturday night. They are safe, but many others had homes that were destroyed… and pets who have gotten lost. Can you imagine how awful it must feel to have your treasured family members go missing under these circumstances?

Here are some resources — shelters that are taking in found pets, and groups and individuals that are trying to reunite lost pets with their families:

Rowlett Animal Shelter, 4402 Industrial St, Rowlett, TX 75088 — where many found pets are currently being taken. The Friends of Rowlett Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfRowlettAnimals/

Garland Animal Services, 600 Tower St, Garland, TX 75040 — this is their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Garland-Animal-Services-388521174540406/

The Lost and Found Pets from North Texas Tornado Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TexasTornadoPets

The Oh Hey Dallas Facebook page is posting about businesses that are offering help as they find out about them.

Lenny, a Texas-based Maine Coon, is posting lots of lost animals on his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/leonard_and_his_littles/

The Premier Vet Care Animal Clinic in Rowlett is taking in injured, found, and newly homeless pets. They have a GoFund me page to help defray costs for all the animals they are currently caring for and boarding: https://www.gofundme.com/RowlettAnimalsPVC

If you live near this area, I’m sure the shelters and clinic above could use any help — blankets, pet food, your time, and more! Contact them, or look them up on Facebook to see what you can do for them.

If you know of more resources for pets affected by this disaster, please add them in the comments below! The more, the better.
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My 2016 calendars are here! Find my regular calendar on Lulu.com — OR get my calendar of outtakes from Zazzle!

Double Selfie Catmas

After I opened my Christmas gifts, I decided to do some selfies!

Uh-oh, my first try came out way overexposed! Let’s see if I can adjust that.

That’s better! Now I’m going to do a couple from inside the new gingerbread house scratcher!

Of course I have to readjust the angle all over again.

Here you go! It’s not perfect, but I think it is good enough for now.

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My 2016 calendars are here! Find my regular calendar on Lulu.com — OR get my calendar of outtakes from Zazzle!