Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 373

Show Bath Selfie

You’ve probably already guessed this is not the selfie part of my post today! I would never handle my human’s iPhone with wet paws. But I thought that since I had to have a show bath this week, in addition to that butt bath a few days ago, I might as well do selfies at some point during the process.

I get two shampoos, some special, proprietary rinses (my breeder has sworn me to secrecy!), and then I get a quick towel dry, just to soak up all the extra moisture. I don’t really like being swaddled like this. I feel foolish.

As you know, I don’t mind the blow dry. I don’t even mind being in the bathroom when my human is blow drying her own hair. I hear that it used to freak Sparkle out. She is lucky she never had to have a bath. I don’t think she would have liked it.

The whole process from the shampoos to the blow dry takes a little over an hour. Abyssinian cats, with their shorter fur, take much less time. Persians, with all that fluff, can take up to four hours — not to mention all the maintenance they need in-between baths! My human does not have to do much with me between baths and I still look good, although I may not look show-ready like I will once this bath is done.

Anyhow, now that I’m done, it’s selfie time! So I need to get set up.

Of course, there’s always a spot or two that need to be fixed.

Oops, this one was a little off-center.

Now I’ve over compensated.

Oh well, it’s centered but it’s still not perfect. My human says it’s time to go, so I guess I’m done.

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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” Sparkle had answers to many annoying problems in her two award-winning books! Visit her author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of her awesome Dear Sparkle books!

A Purringly Good Sale at Perpetual Kid

I’m running a little late with this, but I wanted to let you know about the sale at Perpetual Kid — you get $5 off your $10 or more purchase with the coupon code PURR! the only thing is it expires today, September 12, so you are going to have to hurry to take advantage.

Perpetual Kid has some fun cat themed items, so I wanted to tell you about a few of them. They are all inexpensive so you won’t be spending a fortune.

Spectating Spectacle Kitty Watch

Isn’t this watch cute? I love the 3D metal glasses!

Cat in the Box Sticky Notes

These sticky notes are so much fun! Even better, each one comes in a little box!

Lucky Kitten Eraser

I think these adorable little erasers are too sweet to use! Don’t you?

Cat Crazy Nail Stickers

I know some humans who would go totally crazy with these!

And here is my big pick of the bunch:

World’s Best Cat Trophy

Because every kitty is the Best, and should be acknowledged!

Disclosure: The above links are affiliate links and I get a small commission if you click on them and actually buy something. But I only featured these items because I thought my readers would enjoy them!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” Sparkle had answers to many annoying problems in her two award-winning books! Visit her author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of her awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Saturday Catinee: Kitty Love

Next time somebody tries to tell you cats are aloof, show them this video. Actually, it’s not the kitty that’s so surprising to me, it’s that the human stood there for so long, accepting his affection! You know how ADD they are.

If you can’t see the above video, click here to watch it on YouTube!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” Sparkle had answers to many annoying problems in her two award-winning books! Visit her author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of her awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Leftover Outtakes

I seem to use a lot of so-called outtakes in my regular posts! But here are some recent pictures that, for one reason or another, didn’t make the cut.

This isn’t so much an outtake as it was a photo that I couldn’t work into my Cat Lady Box post. Boodie and I are pals but she’s not as pushy as Binga so you don’t see her as much.

Here I am, giving some birds the raspberry because they won’t come hang out with me.

Here I am giving my human the raspberry for making me pose with an empty food dish.

I have no explanation for my facial expression — nor do I know why the colors are so strange in this photo! The master bedroom gets great afternoon sunlight, so usually photos taken there look much better.

Here I am, channeling my inner Sparkle! I really did not like that Santa hat… and I hear that Sparkle didn’t either. My human still may make a card out of this.

This has to be one of the most random photos I’ve ever seen.

The Neko Birbug can make a kitty do strange and magical things!

I hope you enjoyed my outtakes!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” Sparkle had answers to many annoying problems in her two award-winning books! Visit her author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of her awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Butt Bath

No, I’m not in the sink getting a show bath today… I am getting a butt bath. Sometimes if something I ate does not agree with me, I have what my human calls a “blowout,” and I wind up here. It’s only happened two or three times, really. I attribute this particular episode to a new, unfamiliar brand of cat food. Maybe it was too rich for me or something.

Butt baths are way more simple than show baths. My human only uses one shampoo, and (duh) only my back end gets the bath. Note that my human is wearing rubber gloves. That’s also exclusive to butt baths. She doesn’t need them for show baths.

Once I had my shampoo, I thought I was done… but I forgot about the blow-dry. That kind of blow-out is one I actually like!

I am mostly pretty good about standing there while my rear end is getting dried. I confess, I kind of like it.

I also helped.

Soon enough I was almost done!

See? I’m all fluffy again!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” Sparkle had answers to many annoying problems in her two award-winning books! Visit her author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of her awesome Dear Sparkle books!

No Photo Shoot Can Go Unbombed

The latest news on my 2016 calendar: the proof should be here tomorrow, and if my human is satisfied with it, it will officially be up for sale!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” Sparkle had answers to many annoying problems in her two award-winning books! Visit her author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of her awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Happy Cat Month: Enrichment Week… My Version

The Catalyst Council humans are so serious about Happy Cat Month that they broke it up into weeks. Last week was Happy Healthy Cat Week, and this week is Happy Enriched Cat Week! During this week, they want to banish the myth that cats are low-maintenance, get-’em-and-leave-’em-alone pets. To be really happy, a cat needs mental, physical and emotional stimulation.

Nearly every kitty could use more enrichment in their lives! Here are some signs that your cat’s life is lacking a little something:

Getting in trouble
Pulling out her fur, i.e., overgrooming
Sleeping all day (yes, we sleep a lot, but sometimes it is out of boredom)
Beating up the other cats in the house
Overeating (in fact, humans do the same thing when their lives aren’t exciting enough).

Hm, a couple of things on this list make me think that a certain tortie around here needs some enrichment! Anyhow, there are lots of ways to add some spunk to your cat’s life! Here are five tips:

Make sure she has lots of levels in your home to explore. The floor and couch aren’t enough — cats are vertically minded. Arrange furniture and shelving so she can explore up and down and all around!
Also make sure you have some good window views. Not every house has Bird and Squirrel TV reception, but you can help by putting feeders outside. Even if you live in a high rise, chances are your cat wants to look out the window and catch some sun rays, so make sure there’s a cat tree or comfy couch back for her to do that.
When it comes to toys, interactivity is important. Almost every cat would prefer that you join in on her play sessions instead of using one of those battery operated gadgets. Wand toys, pole toys, fetch toys (whether it’s the human or kitty doing the fetching) — all these are winners.
Don’t free feed. Use portion control, even if you are feeding dry and not canned. Get your cat out of the habit of eating out of boredom. Use puzzle feeders to get her mentally engaged, and give her treats at the same time.
Hang out with your cat, even if you are doing nothing. If you and your cat are in the same room and she is a few feet away from you, and not even facing you, it means she trusts you and feels comfortable with you. Even though you are not touching, your cat is keeping company with you, sort of the same way a couple will hang out in the same room, each quietly reading a book. It’s more meaningful than it appears on the surface.

Here are some ways my human enriches my life!

She brings out my favorite toys for playtime! I have been known to sort of eat pieces of sparkle balls, so she keeps mine in a drawer and it is a big deal when she pulls it out.

Remember what I said about interactive play? The Neko Birbug is my very, very favorite toy, and it requires lots of human participation!

My human and I have training sessions almost every day! I love to high five. I’m still learning to love jumping through a hoop.

I get to go out on a harness and leash! I know it’s not every kitty’s idea of a good time, but I do wish more cats could get a chance to enjoy it.

And sometimes we just hang out together. There is always a space on my human’s office chair for me, whether we’re at home or at a hotel.
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” Sparkle had answers to many annoying problems in her two award-winning books! Visit her author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of her awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Somali Cat Awards – I Got ‘Em!

I was one of the Top Alters in TICA and a Top Premier in CFA last season — now, finally, I got my awards for being one of the best Somali Premiers in CFA worldwide! To be exact, I was fourth best Somali cat in Premiership, and I now have the certificate to prove it!

I think some kitty is jealous of all the awards I’ve received.

There was also a booklet that came with the certificate.

Here is the page that features me! I also got a mention for being Third Best Spay in my color category, which is Ruddy.

And I saved the best for last — I also got a really huge ribbon! Isn’t it gorgeous?

As you can see, the ribbon includes a silver disc with my name. I had an amazing season last time! I won’t do anywhere near as good this season even though I still plan to show a little, but I don’t care — I have other exciting plans to look forward to.

Note: Many thanks to Breed Council secretary Tammy Roark for all her hard work preparing the booklet, awards and ribbons!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” Sparkle had answers to many annoying problems in her two award-winning books! Visit her author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of her awesome Dear Sparkle books!

PetSmart Selfies

How many of you guessed that while I was at PetSmart I did some selfies! I thought it was the perfect place to do them.

I think this one is too far back, don’t you?

I don’t like this one either — it’s too close.

Close, but I saw a dog and got distracted.

That’s better!

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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” Sparkle had answers to many annoying problems in her two award-winning books! Visit her author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of her awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Sunday Catinee: Read the Kitty

Kitties, how many of you have the same problem as the cat in this video? Your human is reading a book… you like books too, so you want to help! But she does not appreciate your help. Let me know if you can relate.

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

If you are a human who loves books, you’ll probably enjoy the whole Book Nerd Problems Series — my human watched a bunch of the videos and related to nearly every one!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” Sparkle had answers to many annoying problems in her two award-winning books! Visit her author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of her awesome Dear Sparkle books!