Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 392

Selfie Sunday: Not As Easy As It Looks!

I don’t usually do Selfie Sundays because that’s when I have my Sunday Catinee. But since I had the Sunday Catinee on Friday this week, I thought I would give it a try!

I decided to use a timer because I thought I might get a better quality photo.

Oops! I wasn’t ready!

I missed again! Maybe I should switch the timer from two seconds to 10 seconds.

It’s still not right. This selfie thing is harder than it looks.

Well, it’s almost there, except I really should be looking at the camera.

Finally a good one! That was a lot of work!

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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!

The Caturday Report: Tech Kitty Edition

Cat news was slow this week! I was worried that this week’s Caturday Report was going to be sorely lacking, then at the last minute — Friday night, here in my hotel room in Portland that I’m sharing with my human — a couple of cool news items showed up!

Of course, I didn’t have the same problem with my fellow cat bloggers — they always have something interesting to say! You can read everything below:

The Chinese have created a cheaper version of the popular GoPro cam, but that’s not the important part — what’s really cool is that they also created an awesome mount for cats to wear it!
We are Mac humans and kitties here, but don’t worry, we want you Android users to be happy too! So here are 10 Android apps for cat lovers. I just want to say, we have a version of Cat Caring and Makeover here… except it’s not virtual! I get a bath and groom every time I compete in a cat show.
Finally a research study I can get behind: these scientists say they’ve discovered the right way to stroke a cat.
Got poop? Well, of course every kitty does at some point! The Conscious Cat looks inside the litter box and explains how what you leave there can be a health indicator.
Your whole house can be a poison danger zone when it come to your cat, and Cat Wisdom 101 has some tips to keep your kitties safe from toxic substances.

My human was up to her elbows in eBook coding (for Rescued and for a friend), so we took it easy this week! But there was still a lot of fun to be had, as you can see:

I started off the week by trying to give a modeling lesson… but I didn’t get very far.
Since Binga seemed to think she knew so much about modeling, I let her have a crack at the lessons. I’m not so sure this was a good idea!
I shared a variety of silly outtakes — everyone seems to enjoy them.
I did something different for Throwback Thursday — I shared photos of me and Sparkle at the same ages.
I celebrated Friday the 13th and black cats with a new CATastrophes video starring an awesome adoptable kitty who brings luck!

If you see a good cat-oriented news item around the internet, send me a link and I may include it next week!
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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!

Friday the 13th Catinee Special: Black Cat Luck

I’ve scheduled this week’s Catinee today instead of Sunday to celebrate Friday the 13th and black cats! The brand new, just-uploaded CATastrophes video features an adorable polydactyl kitty who brings luck to the series stars Kris and Alana… as long as he is with them. When he isn’t… well, you will just have to see the video.

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

I bet you want to know more about the cute little star of the film — his real name is Hemingway (because of all those toes!), and he is available for adoption from Chicago Cat Rescue! Even better, he comes with a friend, a handsome orange tabby named Fitz! Yes, they are a bonded pair, so if you take them home, you get double the fun (and luck)!

See Hemingway’s Petfinder page here.

See Fitz’s Petfinder page here.

Remember, it is harder for black cats to get adopted — even moreso when they are half of a bonded pair! So spread the word, and let’s get these two an amazing home.
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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!

Check Out the Awesome Cat’s Trapeze – and Save $10!

Wouldn’t it be fun to have a trapeze that you could have all to yourself, that even had places to hang out on — and unlike things like curtains, you could actually call your own? I think that must have been the inspiration behind the Cat’s Trapeze!

The Cat’s Trapeze is made out of super-sturdy cotton fabric, and the napping spots can be filled with throw pillows, towels, crumpled newspaper inside a pillowcase (for that cool, crinkly sound!), or you can buy inner pillows from the Cat’s Trapeze humans when you buy the Trapeze itself (the pillows are extra). It’s a cool, hanging jungle gym for kitties!

The Cat’s Trapeze comes in two and three-pillow sizes. The 2-pillow Cat’s Trapeze is about 3-1/2 feet, not including the hammock, and the larger bottom cushion measures approximately 24″ in diameter and the upper cushion measures approximately 20″. The 3-pillow Cat’s Trapeze is about 4-1/2 feet, not including the hammock, with the two bottom cushions each measuring around 24″ in diameter and the upper cushion measuring around 20″. They’re machine washable in warm (not hot) water, and should be air dried (to avoid too much shrinkage) and ironed as needed.

My human first found out about the Cat’s Trapeze a few years ago, but they’ve been out of stock for a while. The great news is that they will be available again in mid-April — and even better, if you preorder, you will get $10 off with my discount code SAMBA10! The Cat’s Trapeze can be shipped to U.S. and Canadian residents only.

The $10 off coupon expires March 15, 2015 at 11:59 PM, so order now from catstrapeze.us to take advantage!

Note: This is a sponsored post for the Cat’s Trapeze. I get a commission for every sale from my blog.
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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!

#TBT: Sparkle and Me

I thought you would enjoy seeing some photos of Sparkle and me at the same ages! I’m sure you’ll agree, we’re both cute kittens.

Sparkle at a little over a year old, late June, 2003.

Me, a little under a year old, from this past week.

Sparkle at 10 months old, April, 2003.

Me at 10 months old, January, 2015.

Sparkle at 6 months old, January, 2003.

Me at 6 months old, early October, 2014.

Sparkle, right after being spayed, January 2003.

Me, right after being spayed, September 2014.
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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!

In With the Outtakes!

It’s time for another round of outtakes! Let’s see what’s gone wrong lately….

Look! I photobombed myself!

Here is Binga taking her own advice from yesterday — she is trying to steal Boodie’s treat!

I must have been saying, “Oh darn!” because I did not final in a ring at this cat show.

Is it so wrong to chew on the ribbons you won fair and square? Okay, maybe it is not totally right either.

Whaddya mean crowns aren’t toys? Of course they are! Just like cat show ribbons.

The end!
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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!

Tortie Modeling Tips

When we left off yesterday, a certain tortie apparently thought she could do a better modeling job than me! So I decided to let her give some tips. I mean, the only one she will be embarrassing is herself, right? So here are some tortie tips for modeling.

1. Keep your eye on the prize… the bag of treats! That is where your focus should always be.

2. Ruin as many pictures as you can by moving just when the photographer thinks she has the shot. That way, the photo session will last longer and you will be offered more treats so you won’t leave.

3. Cute poses are always worth extra treats… or else!

4. If you are not getting enough treats, go on strike until the photographer coughs some up.

5. This is the best tip of all — let the pipsqueak do all the work and then steal the treats.
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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!

Modeling Lesson, Interrupted

I am going to give you a lesson on modeling today! A kitty can look glamorous, even if she is just wearing her everyday harness. The secret is putting yourself in the right frame of mind. If you feel beautiful, you will look beautiful! So before you start striking poses, take a few moments to call on your inner supermodel — the outer part will follow.

The over-the-shoulder look is especially popular! It’s a very flattering angle. I think I am turning my head a little too far, though. I am going to try this again.

I think I got it this time! See, when you strike the right pose, viewers will tend to ignore other flaws in the photograph, like a messy background or the fact that my tail is not fluffed out like it should be. Although those things should be taken care of to begin with.

Wait, who allowed her on the set?

If she thinks she’s so smart, maybe she should do this lesson instead!
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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: Super Action Double Feature

Do you like action movies? I hope so ’cause I’ve got two for you today!

Did you know that Jean-Claude Van Damme likes kitties? So you had better treat your cat right, or else you might wind up like Kris in this CATastrophes video.

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

Next up is a video that will warm the hearts of cats everywhere. When a vacuum sucks up his favorite toy, this Super Epic cat uses his superpowers to get it back!

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!

The Caturday Report: Purrs and Hisses Edition

While the majority of cat news I find proves how much people love cats, every so often I come across something that shows we kitties still have a way to go! That was this case in this week’s Caturday Report.

Let’s take a look at the good and the bad:

While we kitties should eat a diet consisting of primarily meat protein, sometimes a small, fresh veggie or fruit treat is okay! I’m happy to say that my faves, broccoli and cantaloupe are both on this list of best fruits and vegetables for cats!
Here is some awesome vintage Japanese cat art… and somebody made a very cool animated video out of one of the pieces!
This totally gets my hiss: the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America is discouraging the use of therapy cats! I hope the backlash to this is big and widespread — otherwise my human may never go to the hospital, no matter how sick she ever gets.
As you may have noticed, I don’t really mind going to the vet clinic. But a lot of kitties do — and the Fur Everywhere blog has some great tips for making vet visits less stressful.
Continuing in a medical vein, Connie at Tails from the Foster Kittens has information about home testing your diabetic cat. It’s not as scary as you might think! And she has a wonderful diabetic foster, Abby, who is in desperate need of a home right now.

I’ve had quite the exciting week!

I competed in a cat show, and it was a tough one! We are in the last few weeks of the season, so it is not going to get any easier either.
I showed off my office chair and wrote about some of my supervising duties.
I shared about my breakfast routine (and Binga’s).
Here are 10 reasons every office needs a kitty (or kitties).
So many other things went on this week, I had a recap of all of them in one blog post.

If you see a good cat-oriented news item around the internet, send me a link and I may include it next week!
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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!