Sparkle the Designer Cat's Blog, page 452

Friday Facebook Fun

Here are the funniest posts from my Facebook page this week!

Post by Sparkle the Designer Cat.

Post by Sparkle the Designer Cat.

Post by Sparkle the Designer Cat.

Plus I just want to say, I love this guy!

Post by Sparkle the Designer Cat.


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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!

Have a Really Happy Cat This Month With These 5 Tips

I love the CATalyst Council. Really, I do. It is a nonprofit group that is working hard to give us kitties better lives. It aims to raise the level of care and welfare we cats receive, and promote a positive image of felines in society and the media. These are wonderful goals, and I am glad to have these experts working in our favor. But every September they announce it is Happy Cat Month with a list of ways to keep us happy — and it is sorely lacking! It’s a list written by humans, for humans. You can see my response to this list from a couple of years ago — it hasn’t changed much since then. In fact, this year, when I saw the CATalyst Council trot out virtually the same “happy cat” list once again, I decided that maybe I should make my own list of things that make cats really happy. Do these for your kitty during the rest of September if you want a happy cat! In fact, please do them all year round. I think every month should be Happy Cat Month.

1. Two Words: Drunken Toys. Many cats love catnip toys, but there is a problem — eventually the potency wears thin. Smart humans will have a large container full of the strongest dried nip they can find, and let old cat toys marinate in there. After a couple of weeks, voilà — they’re like new again! Toys should be cycled anyway so they don’t wear out their welcome with us kitties, and while they’re on break, what better place for them to be than in a container of nip?

2. Make sure we have lots of sun puddles! There are few things more frustrating to a cat than a dark house when we know the sun is out. Open those blinds, pull back those curtains, and let the sun fall where we kitties can bask in it. Sunbeams are a kitty’s happy place.

3. Give us treats based on what we love, not on whether they are healthy. I do understand that you humans want our joints pain-free and our attitudes calm, but face it: there is a big difference between treats and meds. It is great that companies are making these supplements palatable and feline-friendly, but they aren’t really treats. It would be like a human eating one of those gummy vitamins instead of a piece of dark chocolate. Would any of you people seriously consider doing that? Speaking of dark chocolate, I hear it actually has health benefits for humans — and if you give us cats half a chance, you might discover that our preferred treats aren’t those that are loaded with additives and junk, but rather healthier choices like freeze-dried turkey or a freshly cooked chicken liver. So yeah, the supplements are okay, but give us real treats too.

4. Do stuff we like — and don’t do stuff we don’t like! You would think this was a no-brainer, but so many humans fail at this, I am beginning to think they have no brains. Around here, I have a saying, “Skritches, not kisses,” but do you think my human pays attention? Of course not! I get kissed daily, in spite of my body language — ears back, frowny face, etc. — showing my utter disdain for the practice. And I don’t get skritched anywhere near enough. Does your cat like to play with Da Bird? Does he enjoy getting brushed? Butt pats? Do those! If your cat hates getting kissed or regularly attacks your hand when you try to touch his belly, then why are you still doing it? Have some common sense! Do things your cat likes and it will make him happy.

5. Stop telling us kitties to get off the counter. Being on the counter makes us happy. Don’t deny this to us… at least not during Happy Cat Month.
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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!

Tartie Tortie Does Whiskerslist

You might recall that a couple of weeks ago, we were the victims of a postal thief! Well, I am happy to say that we got a replacement copy of whiskerslist sent to us safe and sound!

Whiskerslist is like craigslist, only for kitties. I gather this book is only a parody, but there is also an actual whiskerslist website where you can write your own fun ad!

I could not wait to open up the book and find out what kind of ads there were!

Whether you are a kitty looking for classes in doorstopper playing, wanting the details on this year’s nip festival or looking through the personals for a companion (temporary or permanent), there seems to be a cat for you! Although, like the human craigslist, some of these ads sound a little questionable (I really don’t buy Felix’s “100+ QUALITY rodents a month” small business proposition), and that cat, Hector, who’s looking for a girlcat? I think he needs to give it up.

I heard a rumor that Binga has an ad in here, so I figured I had better check it out.

“Looking for Hot-Blooded Tom for Casual Sunbathing?” “or More??” I can’t believe she did this.

Well, at least she put in the wrong city.

If you want your own copy of whiskerslist, you can buy it on Amazon by clicking here!

Note: I was given a copy of the book, both for review and as thanks for letting the author use Binga’s photo. And links to Amazon are Associate links — a kitty’s gotta eat!
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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: Bedtime Skritches

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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!

More About the Rescue Cat Story Submissions

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A Perk Picnic

Sunday Catinee: Mirror Kitties, Two Views

The latest Simon’s Cat video features my own personal nemesis, the dreaded Mirror Kitty. I see that Simon’s Cat has as many issues with his as I do with mine.

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

For comparison, I’m also including a real kitty battling it out with a real Mirror Kitty:

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

I think Simon’s Cat nailed the Mirror Kitty thing. Do 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!

Photo Hunt: Silly

This week’s Photo Hunt theme stars Binga, and I am perfectly happy to let her have it. You would not catch me in that silly Halloween costume!

The Halloween costumes came to PetCo early this year and my human is hoping to get a photo of Binga wearing this in time for Halloween cards.

She looks kind of like Carmen Miranda, if you ask me.

The trial run photo session didn’t last very long. Carmen, I mean Binga, took the hat off and stalked away. Can you see me laughing in the background?
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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!

BarkWorld Swag Bag Giveaway

Note: Click here if you want to enter my PetCo Star Wars Pet Fans Collection Swag Giveaway!

I am having two giveaways because I know not everyone is a Star Wars fan! For those of you who aren’t, I have a whole bunch of swag from BarkWorld that I bet you will like!

Here is what is included: Natural Balance food and treats, a soft fleece blanket from Unleashed by PetCo, a bandana and lint roller from Pruven Pet, sunglasses from Mashable, a Love Glove kitty massager and loose hair remover, a box of Smittens heart-shaped dehydrated Icelandic haddock treats and a couple of other small things too.

Plus you get the bag they all came home in! How fun! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on my blog and say you did on the Rafflecopter widget! There are several other options you can add for more entries. The giveaway ends on Monday, September 23, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time, and both my U.S. and international readers can enter!

If you want to enter both giveaways, you can — but you are only allowed to win one!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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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!

PetCo Star Wars Pet Fans Collection Swag Giveaway!

Note: If you are not a Star Wars fan, you can still click here and enter my regular swag giveaway!

Remember a few weeks ago, Katie and Waffles of Glogirly gave away a PetCo Star Wars Pets Collection swag bag they got from Barkworld? If you did not win, you have another chance now because I have one to give away too! Yes, I know Binga is in the background. She is a big Star Wars fan (in spite of never having seen the actual movies), and she wants to do the giveaway herself. I said okay under one condition…

She has to wear the Yoda hat my human brought home! Don’t worry, the Yoda hat is not part of the giveaway. And since it is too hard to think straight with the hat on, she did not have to wear it for the whole blog post.

The items inside our messenger bag are a little bit different from Katie and Waffles’.

In addition to the first aid kit, hand sanitizer with the carabiner and commemorative plaque signed and numbered by Petco art director Ben Foos, there is also a metallic notepad and credit card case with a pen and a very cool PetCo Star Wars Pet Fans Collection laser pointer!

But that’s not all! I have also included a Love Glove kitty massager and loose hair remover and a box of Smittens heart-shaped dehydrated Icelandic haddock treats!

This awesome swag goes to one lucky winner! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on my blog and say you did on the Rafflecopter widget! (If you really hate Rafflecopter, email me privately and I’ll enter you manually.) There are several other options you can add for more entries. The giveaway ends at 11:59 PM Monday, September 23 — and both US and international readers can enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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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!