Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 37

Going Retro in My 50s Cat Dress

I’ve got a new dress to model for you today! But the style is old — way old, daddy-o! We’re going back to the 50s!

Check it out — it even has a flouncy poodle skirt.

I look like I’m ready to go to the school dance! Let me just get the bow on.

Okay, so I’m not so sure about the bow (you tell me!). But I am ready to dance! And you can see me dancing in the video below. I hope you like it!

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Silly Sunday Outtakes

It’s time for this week’s outtakes! And they are pretty silly this time around.

There were moments when I think that witch hat had a mind of its own.

One of the hardest things for me to do is pose half in and half out of a carrier. I never know which way to go. So I wanted extra treats for this assignment.

The main problem with photographing me in the car after a therapy cat visit is it can be distracting! Even though we’re usually on a quiet street, there’s always something that gets my attention.

And here I am revealing my true thoughts about this sweater.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s outtakes! If you have a favorite, let me know in the comments.

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Shopping Day Fun and Try On

My pet store visit was a little different this time!

I got to shop at the big pet store! My human had some money left over on a gift card from last year and she wanted to use it up.

When we come here, I ride around in a shopping cart more than being in my sling or just walking around the store on my leash. Although I do both of those too.

They had some interesting sweaters in the pet clothes section. As you can see, I wasn’t impressed with this one. I didn’t think the colors or style were me.

This sweater had better colors, but it still wasn’t my style. Even in the next larger size.

The cat toys were more interesting this time!

And the cat tree section was amazing! They spilled out into the aisle, there were so many of them!

As usually happens when I’m out shopping, I met some new friends.

Including the girl at the cash register! We wound up only getting my food, and that used up the rest of the gift card. I wish I could have stayed longer!

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Therapy Cat Quality Time

I got to visit the big hospital for this week’s therapy cat visit. My first stop was the Cancer Center. I always try to go there first because they often finish up early. Before going to the infusion room, I stopped by reception. They love seeing the therapy pets, and I was so happy to be adored by them.

The last few times I’ve been to the infusion room, there haven’t been any patients for me to visit, but there was one this time. She wasn’t at all talkative, so my human sat me down with her and just let me do my therapy cat thing. I got as comfortable as I could and purred lots for the patient. While I was doing that, the lady petted me almost unconsciously. She seemed to doze off and on, sometimes smiling slightly. Usually my human finishes up a session after 5 to 10 minutes, but she let me go longer this time because she sensed the woman needed some kitty energy.

After that we headed up to Pediatrics, where I saw two patients. The first was a little girl, who had to wear an extremely uncomfortable oxygen apparatus. She hated having the two pointy little cones stuck up her nose and was giving her mother a hard time about it. Meanwhile, I sat on the bed and waited for her to pet me between fussing…which she did. She has cats at home and she was really missing them.

The other girl we saw was an older teen who was so happy to see me! She was in a large room with several family members around. I got to spend time on the bed with her, and within a couple of minutes, one of her alarms started going off! It turned out that her heart rate jumped because she was so excited I was there. The nurse came in and turned off the alarm, since it was clear she wasn’t having a health incident. Funny thing about the alarm. When it went off, my human almost jumped out of her skin…but I didn’t. Which comes down to my therapy cat training.

The last patient I saw was at Behavioral Medicine. Last time, they had a meeting during my usual visiting time. This time, they had just one patient who wanted to come see me. The others weren’t up for a therapy pet visit, which a staff member told my human happens sometimes. But the guy we did visit with — he was in his 20s with dyed blonde hair — really enjoyed my visit. He had a tattoo of pawprints on his inner forearm and was clearly an animal lover. My human had me do some paw shakes with him. She also took an Instamatic photo of him posing with me, which came out really well! He was a sweet, handsome guy.

While the number of patients I saw was pretty small for this hospital, each one was such a quality visit. I was so glad to be there for them.

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The Peach Kitty Came to See Me Again!

My human gave me some outside time. She keeps a close watch on the security cam to make sure there are no unwelcome visitors (i.e., coyotes) for a few days before taking me out. She did see the peach kitty on the security cam, so she thought he may come around.

And he did! The next door neighbors were busy outside — too many humans for coyotes — so it was definitely safe for the both of us to visit.

He’s always so happy to see me, and on this visit, he couldn’t stop rubbing against me.

He also loves getting treats from my human. (I mean, who doesn’t love treats!) And he’s so gentle when he takes them. But he really is still pretty feral. He lets my human pet him, but only if he is not looking at her. If she holds her hand out for him, he won’t rub against her fingers like a tame cat. He rejects it, although he has sniffed her hand a couple of times before walking away.

It was a pretty simple visit. You can see a video of our get together below. I hope the coyotes stay away so he’ll come back around soon.

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Surviving Disasters With Cats: What You May Be Neglecting

There’s no getting around it — natural disasters are bigger and more frequent than ever. Hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes threaten the homes of millions of people every year. It’s scary enough to be faced with an oncoming disaster if you only need to think of yourself. But what if you have a cat — or several cats? Your decisions about what to do can make a difference whether they make it through.

Of course, having a cat-specific disaster kit is crucial, and I’ll get to that in a moment. But even before that, I want to discuss something that you may be neglecting in the decisions you make about what to do when disaster strikes.

Is Your Disaster Plan the Best One for Your Cat?

When you hear of an oncoming hurricane, tornado, or wildfire you generally have three choices: flee, find shelter, or tough it out at home. Which path you choose depends a lot on your own circumstances. But often you’re not limited to just one. In that case, the decision you should take into consideration is: what will be best for your cat?

You’re a human, and you have a lot more freedom to move around and find help than your cat does. You understand what is going on. If you’ve been paying attention to the news and weather reports, you have a timeframe in which to take action. Your cat has none of that. Your cat is completely dependent on you for food and care. They are probably scared because of all the noise and panic in the air.

What you may want to do about facing this disaster may not be the best path to take for your cat. Please make your decision with your cat in mind.

Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Disaster Plan

If my home is completely destroyed or under water, what will my cat and I do? If my home is being threatened by an oncoming disaster, will I be able to rescue both myself and my cat or cats? Do I have a plan for this in case the worst happens?

Do I know which emergency shelters accept pets, and specifically cats? What do I know about them? How can I make my cat comfortable if I have to stay in one for more than a day or two?

Do I know where the cat friendly hotels or friends are if I decide to flee the area? You should not wait until a storm is almost on top of you before figuring that out. Plan ahead of time to know safe havens for all the surrounding areas, because until disaster strikes, you won’t know in which direction you will be fleeing.

Remember, your cats are relying on you to help them in a time of need. If they are house cats who live indoors most of all of the time, they will not be able to fend for themselves outside.

The Other Consideration Most People Neglect

It’s easy to panic under extreme and devastating circumstances. Remaining calm under horrible circumstances may be the hardest thing to do right now. But the calmer you can be during a disaster, the easier it will be to get things in order for your cat.

Cats are emotional sponges, and they already sense that something bad is going on. The more tense and upset you are, the more likely they are to be frightened, act out, and be hard to handle.

Remember, you and your cat are in this together. They are not just another problem to deal with. When you are somewhere safe once again, they will be there for you to help you feel better. Now is your time to be calm, be strong, and do what you can for them.

The Practical Preparations

I’ve saved this for last because there are so many resources available to help you put together a disaster preparedness kit. But here’s a refresher.

(Note: We are Amazon affiliates and will earn a small commission from any links to Amazon you see here. Thank you for your support!)

Items Your Kit NeedsAt least a week’s worth of nonperishable food and water for each cat, in a sealed container.Your cat’s meds, at least a 2-week supply.Flea and tick medicine to last a month.Enough cat litter to last at least a couple of weeks, and (if evacuating or possibly evacuating), disposable litter boxes.Nonbreakable food and water dishes. They should also be non-spillKennels for transportation (you should have something larger and sturdier than your normal carriers, in case they have to stay in them for extended periods).Towels, blankets, and your cat’s favorite bed. Items that already smell like them will offer more comfort.Any toys or trinkets they love.Cleaning supplies (accidents happen!).Extra ID tags for each catHarness and leash. This is why I recommend your cat be harness and leash trained, even if you never intend to take them on adventures outside. If they are already used to a harness, they will be less likely to resist it in a crisis.A pet first aid kit. Here’s a quick Amazon link. You should also know how to use the items. Our friend and pet safety expert Arden Moore has online pet first aid classes and we highly recommend them!Paperwork to Take With You

These can be on your phone, actual paper, or if possible, both. Anything on paper should be enclosed in a waterproof container.

Your contact information, both for your home and phone, and for your destination, if traveling to a safe location.Your cat’s veterinary records, especially their vaccination records.Registration records from the rescue, shelter or breeder where you obtained your cat, to prove ownership.Contact info for a caregiver who has agreed to take your cat if something happens.Contact info for both your regular vet, and emergency clinics. If you are traveling, have emergency vet info for your destination.Photos of your cat, both physical photographs and on your phone.Description of your cat — male, female, whether neutered, fur color, weight, etc.A Couple Other Things You Should Have PreparedMake sure your cat is microchipped, and you are up to date on their records.Stickers to put in your window, letting rescuers know that you have one or more cats.

I know it’s a lot, but if you are prepared and organized, you’ll be glad you have all this!

Here’s hoping you never have to be faced with leaving your home because of a disaster! If you have been in that situation, and you have more advice to offer, please do! This is an important topic with lots to address.

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Witchy Kitty Cauldron Photos

My human found this huge plastic cauldron while she was at CVS. So of course she had to bring it home for photos.

Before we really got started, we played a game! She threw cat treats into the cauldron for me to chase. I could have done that all night.

Eventually we began doing the real photos. She pulled out one of my witch hats for this. She loves this particular witch hat, and it does look good on me.

Of course at some point she wanted me to sit in the cauldron. That’s why she got such a big one.

She also changed the lighting a bit to give it a spookier feel.

We tried a few different poses.

And of course there were some wardrobe malfunctions!

I hope you enjoyed looking in on my latest Halloween photo session! Let me know if you have any favorite photos.

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My Tigger Halloween Costume Fail

When my human saw this Tigger pet costume at PetCo, she immediately bought it. She thought it would look adorable on me. Of course, immediately she started having second thoughts. It had all sorts of potential to go wrong. And surprise, it did!

Starting here, with the body. What’s up with that “tail?”

Here it is with the head part on. At least there was a drawstring so it didn’t hang on me. That’s about the only positive thing I have to say about it.

And just so you get the full effect, my human and I shot a video, which you can see below! Make sure to stick around to the end, and you’ll get to see my favorite part.

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My Busy and Fun September Video Compilation

What an awesome month September was! I had lots of modeling to do.

I also had a cat show in Palm Springs! And I got to stay in a nice hotel.

Plus I got to visit the pet shop, see the peach kitty, have training sessions and so much more! So that means this month’s compilation of videos is extra fun! If you only see my blog and don’t follow me on Instagram or TikTok, you missed a whole bunch of these videos! You can see them all below. And as always, they’re divided into chapters so you can skip around as you wish. Enjoy!

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Spooky Face Outtakes

It’s the season to be spooky! At least that’s what you might gather from some of my faces this week.

Honestly, this face just came from me trying to keep the hat on.

I look especially witchy in this one!

This one’s my “I see dead things” face!

This one isn’t spooky — it’s just my “Oh, really?” face that I need to give my human sometimes!

I hope you enjoyed this week’s outtakes! If you have a favorite, let me know in the comments.

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