Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 443

Shop My Friends for the Holidays!

If you humans out there are anything like my human, you still have some holiday shopping to do! So I wanted to direct you to a few gifts at the stores of some of my good pals! I am always plugging my own books and Zazzle shop, but I not the only one with cool stuff!

Custom Caterpillar Beadwoven Bracelet by Beaded Tail

This gorgeous custom purple and brown beaded bracelet is from Beaded Tail. Sharla makes beautful beaded jewelry — earrings, bracelets and necklaces, and journals too! To make sure her creations are the best they can be, she is carefully supervised by my pals Angel and Isabella. What’s even better is 50% of all proceeds are donated to animal causes, and the cause for December is one of my favorites, Tabby’s Place!

Citrus Scented Cat Goat’s Milk Soap by Happy Goats Soap

Do you know Pricilla the Goat? If not, you should — she is part of the goat family responsible for the whimsical soaps at the Happy Goats Soap Shop! They come in all sorts of shapes and delightful scents and make sweet gifts. Pricilla’s publicist also makes some very pretty beaded jewelry, which she sells on her own store, Broken Teepee Designs.

I am proud to say that both Beaded Tail and Happy Goats Soap are advertising with me right now! You can see them on the sidebar to the right.

Tie Dye Blue Butterflies and Red Flowers – MEDIUM Unisex GILDAN Tie Dye Tee Shirt by Tie Died Hippy Wear

Do you know someone who likes fun, funky clothing? Then you should definitely do some shopping at Tie Died Hippy Wear! These one of a kind tee shirts, tank tops and sun dresses are colorful and something you won’t find at those boring chain stores. There are even tea towels, earrings, stockings and (gulp!) pet wear. The mastermind behind these creations also happens to be part of the Katnip Lounge family!

Mustache Kitty Mug by Glogirl

I bet you recognize the style of this mug’s design! That’s right, it is the work of Katie and Waffle’s human, Glogirly! You’ll see a lot of those two at the Glogirly Zazzle Shop, plus merch with the Cat Blogosphere logo too! There is lots of eye candy here.

Ancient Dreams iPhone 5 Case by The Daily Abyssinian

Somali cats like me are closely related to Abyssinians, and I am (very) distantly related to a certain celebrity Aby named Jacoby who lives in Boston and is a therapy cat. In fact, he was honored as Cat of the Year at the Westchester Cat Show in November! You can find out more about Jake and other Abys at The Daily Abyssinian blog — in fact, if you ever want an Aby of your own, there are frequently posts about Abys needing rescue! (Oh yes, it happens to purebreds all too often.) You will find Jake’s handsome, award-winning self in several fetching poses at the Daily Abyssinian Zazzle shop — plus some of the other members of his family, past and present too.

Looking At You Kindle Keyboard Cases by Bonnie Koenig, Images by Design

Recognize that inscrutable face? It’s Chey from the Cat Post Intelligencer! At her human’s Zazzle shop, Bonnie Koenig, Images by Design, you’ll find gift items for Meezer lovers… and acupuncture fans too. There is lots of cool, original art and photography.

Show your friends some love this holiday season by shopping at their stores!

Note: Some of the Zazzle links are affiliate links, and I get a commission if you click and buy at the shops. This didn’t make a difference on who I chose to feature, though.
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Wordless Wednesday: Napping

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

Trapped in the Trapacat – and Giveaway!

I was really hoping to review this Trapacat without any tortie intervention but I guess that was asking for too much. Just what is a Trapacat, you ask? It’s the most logical cat toy you could possibly think of: it folds into a box!

It comes flat and is fairly easy to assemble. It took a little bit of brain power from my human to get it right… and of course she only realized afterwards that there is a diagram right on the website!

Ta-da! Done! And I got to hang out in it first. The Trapacats come in three different designs, the Beach Theme, the Jungle Theme, and the Boxing Ring theme. My human picked out the Boxing Ring because she thought there was a 50-50 chance there would be smacky paws over it.

I did try to control myself…

But somekitty was way out of bounds!

I only count this as a temporary setback.

The Trapacat may seem like sort of a silly concept, but it really did work! During the time we’ve had the box it got moved around a few times, and somekitty would go hang out in it, no matter where it was. And my human liked that it looked nicer than the shipping boxes we usually want her to keep for us. It is a little bit of a tight fit for a large cat — Boodie sniffed around it, but so far hasn’t gotten in it (she prefers her boxes large). A big cat who likes a snug fit will like it, though.

But the best news is that the Trapacat human said I could give one away to one of my readers! All you need to do is look at the Trapacat website and tell me in the comments below which theme you would like. Do this by midnight Pacific Time on Sunday, December 8 and I will randomly pick a winner! The company is located in Canada, so the giveaway is open to readers in Canada and the continental United States. Good luck!

Disclosure: I got the Trapcat for free from the Trapacat human and received a small compensation for my review. Opinions are strictly my own.
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Scientists Continue to Prove Cats Are Smarter Than They Are

Wasn’t I just writing about a stupid scientific study last week? Well, I found yet another one. This time, researchers from the University of Japan spent a lot of time and money figuring out… wait for it… that we kitties ignore our humans on purpose! Brilliant, right?

These scientists wanted to know whether we cats actually recognize the sound of our humans’ voices at all. (In other words, they were assuming we are dumb.) So they took 20 cats and played each of them five recordings of people calling their name — and just one was the voice of their human. For the most part, none of the cats made a move towards the voice — but by feline ear movements and eye dilations, it was obvious that they knew which one was their human’s. The result of the study? Cats aren’t dumb — scientists are!

One other interesting thing they discovered: that while dogs were domesticated to obey human commands and cats weren’t (we cats are the ones who take the initiative in our households), it made no difference in human-pet attachment. Dog and cat humans were equally attached to their pets. So my own logical conclusion is that we are clearly smarter than dogs too, since we get our humans’ affection for less effort.

Somebody should pay me to do a study!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Sunday Catinee: Lion Games

Have your humans ever bought a little remote controlled mouse or minicar and used it to play with you? What do you think would happen if somebody did the same thing with a pride of lions? Well, that’s the scenario that photographer Chris McLennan inadvertently created when he put a Nikon D800E in a little vehicle so he could take close up shots of some big cats. There is quite a bit of human chattering in this video, but it’s worth sitting through to see the reaction of the lions — and to see the shots the camera got:

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

Incidentally, this made my human want a Nikon D800E really bad, although maybe not $3,000 just for the camera body bad!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Cat Trees and Cat Gyms for Your Holiday Shopping

It’s been a while since I’ve done a round up of awesome cat trees and cat gyms, so it’s time to put together a new one! After all, Christmas is around the corner, and wouldn’t an awesome, brand new cat tree look better in your living room than some boring wide-screen, HDTV? So here for your holiday pleasure — and shopping — are a selection of must-have cat trees!

Cat Power Tower

I have always wanted one of these! Think about it: a combination cat tree and kitty playground! There’s a variety of napping platforms, scratching areas — and toys! This is really great for a multi-cat family because there is so much going on here, that there is no need for smacky paws — there is something different for every kitty’s taste.

Lotus Cat Tree

I’m sure you have seen this graceful cat tree before. It’s a classic, with its curved lines, multiple platforms and hidey hole. It’s sleek, modern, and even a human who is really fussy about the way cat furniture looks will appreciate it. Which is more important than a cat might think. After all, who needs to hear griping over a supposedly “ugly” cat tree? This cat tree has just the opposite reaction! Your human will be proud to give the Lotus Cat Tree a special spot in the living room.

Animal Print BigFoot Cat Tree

Are you a wild kitty? Then you must have the Animal Print BigFoot Cat Tree! It’s sturdy, has lots of platforms and sisal, a playhouse, and best of all, your human can put it together in two minutes! It comes in three different patterns: zebra, leopard and tiger, and I am sure at least one of these will match your human’s decor — and your personality!

Cat Resort Luxury Cat Tree

Are you a formerly feral cat who still likes to have some privacy? This is the cat tree for you! You can hide in the silk leaves while watching Bird TV and no one will know you are there! This is another tree that is exceedingly easy to assemble — your human won’t even need tools, screws or nails! And it’s really solid.

All the above trees come from CatsPlay.com. They are having some awesome specials this weekend and throughout the holiday season! But if you want your cat tree to arrive in time for Christmas morning, I’d say get shopping now!

The cat trees below come from Kitty Mansions, which has even more deluxe cat furniture for you to check out! They too are having a sale this weekend: 15% off and free shipping with the code BLACKFRIDAY.

New York Cat Tree

This skyscraper of a cat tree stands over 7 feet high! And it has everything: hammocks, sleeping nooks, napping barrels, platforms, steps, sisal… it’s a kitty cornucopia of entertainment. Way more fun than Times Square!

Yosemite Cat Tree

With its plush fabric and au naturel look, the Yosemite Cat tree will make you feel like you’re part of the Great Outdoors… right in the safety of your own home! If you have ever dreamed of having your very own tree house — well, this is even better because you won’t get rained or snowed on!

Mini-Amazon Cat Tree

For those kitties who think a tree house is only the beginning, maybe you would like an Amazon tree house? The Mini Amazon has platforms, bedrooms, hammocks and foliage! And you don’t have to worry about snakes! If you are wondering about this cat tree’s name, yes, there is a larger Amazon Cat Tree for you cats who are more adventurous… and who have a bigger house.

Rome Cat Furniture

If you are a cat who wants a whole empire to rule over, the Rome is what you want! This feline jungle gym is huge and will provide endless fun for you and the other kitties in your family. Also, if your humans want to make an extra big and extra special donation to their local pet rescue, this would be a great idea for their cat room! It’s the ultimate cat gym for a big feline family!

Disclosure: All the above links are affiliate links, so if you actually buy one of these, I get a commission. Awesome, isn’t it?
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Crazy for Turkey Caturday

I bet you are wondering if my human brought home any turkey on Thanksgiving night? The answer to that would be… yes!

We all got so excited over the turkey that my human had a really difficult time taking photos of us with her iPhone. But she persisted… she claims I make funny faces when I eat turkey.

I disagree. That face is not meant to be funny. That is the face of a fierce hunter gnawing on her catch! Or, at least it is the same face I would be making if that were actually the case.

If you want to see funny, look at Binga’s face! That’s what I call a feeding frenzy — she couldn’t even sit still. My human is lucky she still has all her fingers.

No photos of Boodie — she politely sat on the floor and waited her turn. Which is why she did not score as much. You can’t be polite when a freaky tortie is prepared to steal your portion!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Catinee SPECIAL: It’s Black Cat Friday!

Today’s video is too good to save until Sunday! Forget about battling the mall crowds this Black Friday — make it Black Cat Friday instead! Wouldn’t it be more gratifying to bring home an awesome black kitty than a dumb big screen TV that will probably become outdated in a couple of years? A good black cat can last you 20 or more awesome years and never need an upgrade!

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,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Packing It Up for the Week

Right before Thanksgiving, I got to do one of my favorite things — pack up a prize for a winner! In this case, it was the Cat Writers Conference goodie bag, which went to my good friend, and yours:

Marg of Marg’s Animals!

I think some of the contents need to be rearranged.

I’m embarrassed to admit there were words when Binga tried to offer an opinon.

Finally! It turned out that the large Flat Rate Priority box was cheaper than the generic box for shipping, and everything fit better too. It’s a good thing I helped with this — my human may never have figured that out on her own. Marg, tell the kitties to expect their goodie bag sometime on Saturday!
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!

Thankfulness

Looking back, this has been a tough year for many of my friends in the kitty blogging world, so I think it’s extra important to reflect on things we are grateful for this Thanksgiving. Here is what I’m thankful for:

The floor heater in winter
Boxes
Fleece blankets
Being part of such an awesome community of cat bloggers
And especially humans who help kitties in need

Binga is thankful for:

Treats
More treats
The dog
Easily manipulatable humans
Treats

Boodie is thankful:

That Binga does not actually hurt her when she beats her up
That my human almost never puts costumes on her for the holidays
Toys
The sun on the dining room table in the afternoon
That she didn’t get returned to the rescue, even though she was not supposed to stay here

And we are all grateful for…

TURKEY! Let’s all dig in! Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow U.S. friends, and happy Thankful Thursday to the rest of you.
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Having problems with your human or the other cats in your house? As the internet’s “Dear Abby With Claws,” I have answers to many annoying problems in my two award-winning books! Visit my author’s page on Amazon to buy one or both of my awesome Dear Sparkle books!