Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 394

20 Random Facts About Me

My friends Lola and Lexi did this on their blog, and I enjoyed it so much, I thought I would do it on mine — make sure you read the last one!

1. Although we are the same breed, and in fact came from the same breeder, Sparkle and I are not closely related. You would have to go very far back in our gene pool to find common ancestors.

2. In addition to cantaloupe, I also like broccoli.

3. I took to both the harness and the leash right away. In fact, I will wear almost anything without complaint if I get treats.

4. I am perfectly happy at the vet clinic except for one thing: nobody must ever, ever take my temperature with a rectal thermometer. It is the one thing I won’t allow!

5. When I have baths, I adore having my butt blow-dried.

6. I love hanging out in the front yard, and if my human puts on my harness, sometimes I will go sit by the front door.

7. So far, I have not found a treat I don’t like.

8. Because the humans here don’t eat red meat, I have never had bacon. I keep hoping there will be some at a hotel breakfast buffet when my human and I are out of town so I can finally try it.

9. When I come home from a trip, Binga always comes over right away to give me a sniff. I bet she misses me.

10. My human serves me my meals in a paper bowl… and I always try to eat the bowl along with my meal.

11. Right now, I weigh between 6 lbs., 6 oz. and 6 lbs. 10 oz. — which is several ounces more than Sparkle ever weighed.

12. When you see photos of me with my head tilted, you can bet my human is holding a treat next to the camera lens.

13. I am the only show cat in my litter. One brother showed as a kitten, but quit after a couple of shows.

14. Although Sparkle never liked my human’s boyfriend much, I think he is pretty cool! He is the reason I get broccoli and cantaloupe, and he gives treats without my having to work for them.

15. I have a really awesome ear set for a Somali cat. Or so I’ve been told.

16. I only have two speeds: Lazy and Fast Forward.

17. Because I keep jumping on the kitchen counter and climbing in the sink, my human gave me a bath there, thinking this would make it less appealing for me. But I didn’t care — I was right back up there the next day!

18. I enjoy sleeping on the pillow above my human’s head — but only when she is napping on the couch. In bed, I usually don’t sleep near her. That is Binga’s job.

19. When a cat is in the judging ring, the judges often push our heads up, pick through our coat (it has to do with ticked fur that Somalis and Abys have), and even blow on our fur! So I was trained from an early age to tolerate these things.

20. My Valentine’s Day giveaway and commenthon got the maximum amount of comments in record time, and then some! So to celebrate World Spay Day, my human is donating not $50, but $75 to Fixnation.
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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!

Interview With Crepes, Movie Star, Blogger and Author!

Nearly every month for the next year, I will be featuring one of the feline authors from the Rescued anthology. This month, I am proud to be interviewing Crepes, blogger at Cat In The Fridge, one of the stars of the CATastrophes series, and rescue cat. Crepes is a great storyteller, and her journey from an inbred feral colony to international stardom and glamour is one of the most colorful in the book.

As you know, every author has chosen an animal rescue to benefit from Rescued’s proceeds. Because of the part Tree House Humane played in saving Crepes’ life — and the lives of cats like her — this is the organization she picked, and it will be receiving part of Rescued’s profits throughout the month of February. You can show Tree House Humane some love by buying a copy of Rescued through February 28 — or you can donate directly via their website.

Now let’s sit down with a cup of catnip tea and Crepes.

Crepes: Hi, Summer! Wow, thanks so much for having me! Let me put on my serious hat and get ready for this interview. You may begin.

Q: In the book, your human (MomFOD) was given credit as “The Author Behind the Cat,” but really, how much work did she put into it? You were being generous, allowing her to have that credit, weren’t you?

Crepes: Well, what you say there is a true statement. MomFOD herself is, in fact, an author, and many times she’s behind me, usually yelling something annoying like, “Get off the counter!” or “Get your stump out of my bellybutton!” I never listen, though.

Q: You were already an experienced blogger when your story pitch was accepted for Rescued. Was working on your life story for the book a really different experience from your blog writing?

Crepes: Fascinating question. It was different in that I had to continue my train of thought for more than five hundred words.

Crepes’ Human: If I may cut in for a moment, Crepes has trouble maintaining her train of thought through an entire thought.

Crepes: I will get you while you sleep, MomFOD. I’m so sorry, Summer. She drove me here and I asked her to sit quietly in the corner. Anyway, it was also very cathartic for me, having to relive the nuances of my past. For instance, I had to be candid with my readers about the inbreeding of my family. For many, this would be a touchy subject, but I overcame my hesitation and showed full honesty with my readers. It is what they expect from me and I must deliver.

Q: Tell me about Tree House Humane, your alma mater, and the organization you paw-picked to receive a portion of the proceeds from Rescued. What makes them more awesome than the average rescue?

Crepes: Ah, Tree House! Actually, I’ve never set paw within its walls. And now, apparently, I’m not allowed back in, but whatever. They are doing excellent things for Chicago and its homeless cats. Did you know Tree House was the first no-kill shelter in the city? They have some wonderful programs that I think set them apart, namely, their Community Cats program, where they reach out and work with communities to trap, neuter, and return feral cats and place adoptable ones into foster homes until adopters are found. They also have a Cats at Work program where they remove feral cats from dangerous situations and place them in homes and businesses where they are wanted and cared for. The Kittens on Deck program pulls kittens under six weeks old from the Chicago Animal Care and Control where they would be euthanized, and gets them into homes willing to care for tiny bottle babies. They even have a food pantry to provide pet food to community residents who otherwise couldn’t afford to feed their pets. Also, they really love special needs animals. All around, a fabulous organization doing so much for Chicago!

Q: I love the CATastrophes videos — how does casting work? Do you kitties have to audition, or are the roles written specifically for you and the other cats in your household?

Crepes: In general, we are cast based on our abilities to do certain things. For instance, Rocky (always remembered) was always very patient and predictable and was cast in anything that required him leaving the house, talking, or sitting still for long periods. I am frequently cast when costumes or general beauty are required.

Q: Your male human (DadFOD) directs the CATastrophe films… what is he like as a director? Does he work differently with you kitties than he does with the human cast?

Crepes: He’s very patient with us kitties, but he also pushes us to our limits. I’m not afraid to swat him when he requests one take too many. I have no idea how he works with humans – I usually go to my green room and take a nap when it’s their turn.

Q: You’ve been in a lot of videos now — which role is your favorite so far? And which is your least favorite?

Crepes: I really liked my role in “Sin Kitty.” I think I looked badass in that leather jacket. My least favorite would have to be the purr jobs episode because I was passed over in favor of Louie and Peabody. A casting mistake, to be sure.

Q: The new kid in your home, Louie, is turning out to be quite the star! What’s he like in real life? Dish!

Crepes: Well, quite frankly, he’s annoying. He wrestles me to the ground twice a day immediately before breakfast and dinner. He grabs all the older cats and attempts to snuggle us. And, for some reason, he keeps pooping on his own tail while persistently talking to himself as he walks about the house. So weird.

Q: You blog, you act, you’re a writer and you’re a crusader for special needs cats — is there anything you can’t do?

Crepes: Knit.

Q: When all is said and done, what do you think has been your greatest accomplishment so far?

Crepes: No one thing. Just helping kitties as much as I can. I think it’s all part of the same package. Also, I can jump on the counters, which I’d say is a pretty great feat for a three-legged cat.

Rescued is available on Amazon. You can get your copy here.
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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: Cool Cat Tricks

I’ve been learning a couple of fun tricks — I can “stay” and do a “high five!” I thought that was pretty great until I saw Kaiser the Bengal cat’s video. He knows his right from his left paw, stays when his human walks far away from him (I’m still learning that), and that’s just the beginning! He climbs ladders, spins (clockwise and counter-clockwise), rolls barrels and a ton more! I’m kind of glad my human only plans to teach me a few things because I don’t know if I want to work that hard! See for yourself:

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

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: All Blogger Edition

This week is a first for the Caturday Report — there were so many great posts by my blogging pals that I decided to use them all in lieu of stories from the bigger or more traditional outlets!

What can I say? Excellence cannot be denied.

The Paws For Reflection blog has a great post about hypothermia and frostbite in cats, which is very important considering how brutal this winter has been for so many parts of the U.S.
The Playful Kitty blog looked at a different kind of storm — domestic violence and the need to protect pets as well as their abused humans (who may be afraid to leave them behind).
The Cats Herd You blog created a simple but amazing infographic on cats and litter box issues.
The Tails From the Foster Kitten blog featured a guest post about at-home euthanasia. You might know the person who wrote it — it’s Tucker’s human from It’s All About the Cats.
And The Tiniest Tiger examines how living near humans is affecting pumas.

This has been quite a week for me!

I went shopping for Pet Dental Health Month!
I competed in a cat show over the weekend and I give you a quick recap.
Here are some fun outtakes from my Valentine’s Day party. (There’s still time to enter the giveaway!)
Want some nifty human manipulation dos and don’ts? Here they are!
And I ended the week by celebrating Walking the CAT (not dog!) Day.

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

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!

Walking Your CAT Day!

According to my editorial calendar, Sunday, February 22 is “Walking the Cat Day.” I was confused by this, since I couldn’t find any reference to it anywhere online. Finally, my human remembered: February 22 is actually “Walking the DOG Day,” but she felt that was unfair, so she marked it down as “Walking the Cat Day.” So yeah, I went out for a walk a couple of days early. But first we had to stop at the pet store and do some shopping. My human said I did not need a litter box this big. I disagree — you can never be too rich or have too big of a litter box!

It’s amazing, how many different brands and types of litter there are! But to be honest, I think most of these companies are trying to impress humans more than the really important ones — us kitties!

I finally got fed up with being stuck in the litter section and took off. My human had no choice but to follow me.

I turned a corner and walked right down a private hallway. I didn’t care — as a kitty, I can do whatever I want.

My human said we were not supposed to be there, but I ignored her.

I was a little disappointed there was nobody in there. I was hoping for some pets and admiration.

On the way back, my human finally stopped and we went for a walk. She took me somewhere I’d never been before. Well, I had passed by it, but only in the car, so it didn’t look familiar.

We walked on both sides of the street and every time a car passed by and I didn’t try to bolt, she told me how good I was being. Sometimes several cars passed by at once. A few people slowed down to look at me and talk to my human.

My human says it is important I get a lot of practice being out and walking on my leash because I am going on a big adventure next month! It is going to be busy and noisy and I need to be prepared.
* * *

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!

Human Manipulation Dos and Don’ts

I am 11 months old today! In a month, I’ll officially no longer be a kitten, and that means I will have to work harder at human manipulation. When you are a kitten, humans will do anything for you, and you practically don’t even have to ask — if you so much as think it, they take action! It’s easy for a kitty to think it is going to be like that forever, but once you’re a little older you have to keep practicing all the cute techniques, otherwise your human might start being a little neglectful about things like treats and playtime. And as we all know, grown up cats need this just as much as kittens do. So I’ve compiled a quick list of dos and don’ts to help you keep your humans charmed well into your senior years.

DO

Gently tap your human on the leg when you want her attention.

DON’T

Use your claws when you are tapping. If you poke holes in their clothing or their skin, humans will not appreciate it.

DO

Ask for what you want with a tiny, polite meow.

DON’T

Yell stridently when you want something. Humans hate being nagged.

DO

Roll over on your back and squirm around while looking the human right in the eye. My human had a cat once that did that every time he misbehaved — he got away with his misbehavior every time!

DON’T

Let your human touch you when you are doing this, especially if you are the biting type. It’s better to get up and run away — latching onto your humans with teeth and claws will immediately undo all the good feelings you just created.

DO

The pleading eye thing when you want a treat or a taste of the meat from your human’s dinner.

DON’T

Jump on the table and try to help yourself. Binga does this a lot and it never works.

DO

Use the head tilt at every opportunity.

DON’T

…actually, there is no way this can be done wrong.

Do you have any more dos — or don’ts — to add?
* * *

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!

Valentine Outtakes

You know I can’t have a Valentine’s Day party without a few outtakes!

I don’t mind when my human makes my tail look big… except in photos like this one, where she makes my whole back end look humungous!

I confess, this one was my fault. I was messing around.

You may be wondering why Binga was only in one party photo. Mainly because when she was in a picture, it usually looked like this.

Or this.

Or she was photobombing and causing trouble.

If you were able to scroll your pointer over the party photos and read the secret messages, I bet you knew there was going to be a photo like this one!

Although Valentine’s Day is over, the two giveaways are still going on until Tuesday night, February 24, so there is still time to enter!
* * *

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!

Quick Cat Show Wrap Up

As some of you who visit my Facebook page or Instagram profile know, I competed in a cat show this weekend! It was as tough as last time. Do you see that bicolored Persian to the right of me? He is the the number one cat in my region in the Alter class of TICA. The number two cat was there too! (I also competed with the both of them at my last TICA show.) See the little Himalayan on the left? He’s new and the judges are already falling in love with him and his amazing blue eyes! I was lucky to final in this ring, or in any of the others!

The first day, I managed to get into three out of five finals! This was really tough because there were not that many cats competing. You would think that with a small count, it would be easier, but it’s not. Since there were only 16 or 17 cats competing in the Alter class, instead of 10 Best slots for finals, there were only five. And when there are so few cats, you know the ones who are showing up are top notch and really trying to gain points! But the first day, I earned enough points to push me up to Grand Alter status (similar to Grand Premier in CFA).

The second day, I made sure I got enough rest so I was fresh in the rings.

It must have worked because I made three more finals! I hear this may have been enough for me to qualify as a Double Grand, but I’ll believe that when I see the official count and the certificate!

Here is one of the rings I finaled in — as you can see, the Himalayan finaled too! He really is an up and comer. This judge said really nice things about him… and me too. She said I looked like I should be wearing a tiara!

So when we got home, my human dug out a tiara for me to try on. I think I need practice wearing it.
* * *

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!

Shopping for #CatDentalHealth Month!

Note: This post is sponsored by PetSmart, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Dental Health Month, but at SparkleCat.com, we only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. PetSmart is not responsible for the content of this article.

I’m on a mission today! Can you see where my human and I are shopping?

That’s right, PetSmart®! We are shopping for dental treats today. Did you know that February is Pet Dental Health Month? And my human is a stickler about dental health. She flosses and will brush her teeth for several minutes at a time, because she knows that the health of your mouth makes a big difference in your overall health. And you know what? The same thing goes for us kitties too.

According to Tufts University, 70% of cats show signs of dental disease by the time they are three, which is a young adult in human years! And when a cat’s mouth is inflamed, bacteria enters her bloodstream and if untreated, it can eventually damage her kidneys, liver and heart. So things like plaque, tartar and gingivitis aren’t just dental problems — they can harm your cat’s overall health in the longterm. It is frustrating to me that more humans don’t consider that.

My human does brush my teeth, although she doesn’t do it daily like she should (and certainly does with her own teeth!). She is trying to get better about that, but at least her heart is in the right place when it comes to treats. She buys dental treats for us that help reduce tartar and today we are buying my favorites!

Feline Greenies Dental Treats! Did you know that Feline Greenies are the #1 veterinarian recommended cat dental treat? Of course, you know I’m more interested in the taste — and Greenies are awesome! I love the crunch too, and actually that is supposed to help reduce tartar. Plus they are only 1.25 calories each and I have to watch my figure for the cat shows.

I did not stay in that shopping cart for long! My human let me down so I could help her look for the Greenies.

I found them, but I was a little bummed — and you can see why:

They were up on a pair of high shelves and I couldn’t get to them. It’s a good thing my human was there to grab one of the catnip flavor bags.

But I was in luck! I found a whole display of Greenies that were perfectly cat height. So I got to choose another package.

I bet you guessed — I chose the chicken!

As a reward for all my help, I got to have some Greenies right in the parking lot!

I hope my human got enough of these!

Binga and Boodie love them too!

Remember, dental treats are just one part of keeping your kitties’ teeth healthy! Always make sure your vet checks out your cats teeth and gums at every regular check up.
* * *

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: Are Felines Better Than Females?

I must admit, my human had her doubts when I found this video from our pals Cole and Marmalade… but you know what? It’s right! These are 9 ways we kitties are better than human females! With all these reasons, you’d think there would be more cat guys around.

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

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!