Fun Find: Cat Cookie Cutters

If you have a fun find you'd like to share, send us a shout-out by clicking on the Contact Us tab above.

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This one was a "must-have" for us!

"When the Cat's Away" Cookie Cutter Set by R&M International features a mouse surrounded by cats in various poses. We found this on Wag.com for only $9.99!

Now for a good kitty treat recipe - for the mousie cutter - of course!

Thursday Trivia: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

 At the risk of being shunned by Grammar Girl, the saying truly is "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie"  —  not "Lay".

I'll let the English majors duke it out over what's proper or not - we're just here to investigate its origins.

"Hund im Schnee liegend" by Marc Franz (1910-1911). Public Domain.

The phrase - an idiom meaning to let an issue rest rather than to stir up trouble by bringing it up - can be traced back to the late 14th century.  Oral tradition probably predates its mention by famous author Chaucer in 1374, but his use of the concept in reverse form is the earliest known example in print. 

In the poem, Pandarus advises Crisedye, 'It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake.'  (Dude had that one right. Same with cats!)

Jump forward 200 years, and British author and poet John Heywood (1497-1580) advises that 'It is ill wakyng of a sleapyng dogge.'

Finally, around Charles Dickens' time, the phrase is ordered the way we use it today: "Let sleeping dogs lie -- who wants to rouse them?" (David Copperfield, 1850).

Three out of three kitties agree:  not us!

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Sources:
TROILUS AND CRISEYDE by Geoffrey Chaucer, line 764
The Proverbs ad Epigrams of John Heywood , 1592, page 132
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, 1850, chapter 39
Heavens to Betsy! by Charles Earle Funk (Harper & Row, New York, 1955)

Wordless Wednesday

You do know who's really in charge here, right?

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'Toon Tuesdays

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Toon Tuesdays feature cat & dog cartoons made by the peeps over at Shoebox Greetings (a tiny little division of Hallmark) - where our mom works, too!

Are you an obsessed pet owner?

No, we haven't forgotten what day this is. Just bear with us - it really is a Medical Monday!

Mike, over at the UK's National Office for Animal health (NOAH) emailed us last Thursday with this cool new infographic they created.

Yes, it's fun & interesting, but read to the bottom and you'll see why we say it actually makes sense for this to be a Medical Monday post.  :-)



Our Weird & Wonderful Pet Obsessions! – An infographic by Pet Health Info

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Did you see that last part, in pink? At BlogPaws last week, it was mentioned that incidents of both parvo and feline leukemia have increased in our pets significantly over the past few years.

Now, vaccinations are a touchy subject. And here in the U.S., there is great debate on whether or not an indoor-only cat, for example, should be vaccinated annually for rabies and feline leukemia when some formulations of these vaccines have been known to cause cancerous tumors to appear at the site of the injection.

And there is discussion in the veterinary community about whether or not we're over-vaccinating our pets.

We've seen how deadly parvo and FeLV can be in dogs and cats. You cannot volunteer at a shelter anywhere and not be exposed to it, to some degree! And we also recognize that most U.S. cities have laws requiring rabies vaccination in household pets. Yet we want to share with you this article on Petfinder's website that alerts you to the potential side effects vaccines can have on your pet.

There is no perfect solution.

Consider this: often the only reason a veterinarian will see a cat is because his owner brings him in for his annual rabies shot. And because cats operate in stealth mode where illnesses are concerned, it might be the only opportunity your vet will have to catch a potentially life-threatening illness before it reaches critical mass.

Bottom line: we want you to be aware of the statistics, that certain diseases easily preventable by vaccine such as parvo and feline leukemia are on the rise, and we want you to be aware of the risks. And then we urge you to discuss vaccination with your veterinarian and make the decision you feel is best for your pet.

Whatever you do, please don't forego annual exams - especially in the case of cats who all too often successfully mask such diseases as kidney failure. If caught early, diseases like these are manageable and you will be able to enjoy the love and companionship of your pet for many years to come.

Swag Giveaway Time!

Want to have some BlogPaws of your very own? Here's your chance!

We were given numerous product samples by pet companies in the BlogPaws Pet Expo and we wanted to share this largesse with you. We have two sets of swag to give away - The Dog Swag Package and the Cat Swag Package.

Dog Swag, courtesy of Jones Natural Chews, The Honest Kitchen, Natural Balance,
OraStrip, Earth's Balance and PetSmart Charities

Cat Swag, courtesy of Natural Balance, The Honest Kitchen, Prudence Nature's Wellness,
Vetericyn, and PetSmart Charities (toys are from us, cuz they gave out NO cat toys)

All you have to do to enter is select the corresponding Rafflecopter link and choose from several options to enter.

We've heard that Rafflecopter can be intimidating to some, so here's a little video explaining how:



How to Enter Rafflecopter Giveaways from Rafflecopter on Vimeo.

 And now for the Rafflecopter giveaway widgets!

Cat Swag Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Dog Swag Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many thanks to the following companies who had booths at the Pet Expo and who gave us these items to try or to give away: 

• Natural Balance 
• The Honest Kitchen 
• Prudence Nature's Wellness 
• Vetericyn 
• Jones Natural Chews
• OraStrip 
• Earth's Balance and  
• PetSmart Charities

Rituals, Cat Gymnastics & more BlogPaws

Do your pets have rituals they perform on a regular basis? Faraday does!

We posted this on facebook a few days ago, but in case you're not connected to our facebook page (and we'd love it if you did!), here it is again:



Now that is how a kitteh gives a mommy a proper Welcome Home!

As you've probably guessed, she was at BlogPaws last weekend. She traveled there with Amy from Sebastian the Sensitive Soul. Amy got a lot of Odilia Time at the event.

They had a marvelous time meeting up with so many pet bloggers, like Connie from Tales of the Foster Kittens and Sparkle the Cat's human, to name a few.

Amy, of Sebastian the Sensitive Soul, with famous Odilia

They also had a chance to spend some time with Teri from Curlz & Swirlz and the famous Disco NoFurNo, Brighton and the trés glam Coco.

Teri made us kittehs a special swag bag full of all sorts of fab treats. It was by far the best stuff our mom brought back for us and we looooved it, can you tell?



This is Teri, with her fashionista, Coco (Allie thinks her wardrobe is simply divine, if a bit shy in the PINK category).

Teri of Curlz & Swirlz

Then she told us about the infamous Cat Bells that Glogirly brought for all the cat bloggers.
We hear they used them - loud and long and often - during the awards ceremony. Each time a cat blog was mentioned, of course.

Allie approves.

A LOT.

But wait - does she simply approve because Katie's her homegirl, and - well - the tag is PINK?
Inquiring kitties sought out an impartial opinion. Someone who doesn't think much of cat bells one way or the other, since he can't hear them anyway. What say, Maxwell?


So. Cute videos of kitties doing cute things, plus loads of gratuitous kitten and cat shots. We're calling it good and hitting the "publish" button on this one!

Happy Caturday, y'all!

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If you would like to contribute to World Vet's Disaster Relief Fund for the Oklahoma Tornado Victims, please click the image below to be directed to their site:

Magical Things Happen at BlogPaws

Among the many things I enjoyed about being at BlogPaws, the unity of purpose had to be at the top.

Everyone there loves animals, and everyone there wants a nation where none are homeless, and none are left in a shelter to perish.

And I didn't have to look very far to see this played out before my eyes.

Saturday morning at breakfast, I sat between a fantastic foster mom, Connie of Tales from the Foster Kittens and an amazing artist, Bernadette of The Creative Cat.

Spunky little Odilia

Connie was holding her differently-abled foster kitten, Odilia. Odilia has been blind from birth, but you wouldn't know it. She's adorable - and a handful!

Next thing I know, Bernadette begins to sketch her. That in itself would have been fascinating, but as she sketched, she began to talk about auctioning the sketch of Odilia off as a fundraiser for Odilia's shelter.

Bernadette sketching Odilia. Finished piece, inset.

You can bid on the sketch of this adorable little girl here, on The Creative Cat's blog.

Such generosity of heart is everywhere at BlogPaws. Perhaps you should consider attending next year?

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If you would like to contribute to World Vet's Disaster Relief Fund for the Oklahoma Tornado Victims, please click the image below to be directed to their site:

"I kissed a ferret ... and I LIKED it"

Seriously peeps. We're calling Angie's List. Craigslist. Ebay, even.

You see, there was a Ferret Incident at BlogPaws this year. Our human was seen cavorting with a ferret. None other than @SnotfaceCritter of twitter and facebook fame.

Snotface snoozing in mommy's lap. Notice the tongue she squeed over.
FOUL play!

And then there was the "girl time" she had with Coco of Curlz & Swirlz. Allie's green with envy.

We can tell from the photos our mom's totally unrepentant.

Seriously. We need to trade up.

More Coco, stylin' in her dress.

Brighton, also of Curlz & Swirlz, all duded up.

Here he is hanging with @snotface's mom.

And Jake of www.nakedandhungry.com, with mom CHo.

There were loads of bloggers this year at BlogPaws, and our mom wished she'd had the opportunity to meet them all. She did bring home a few cat things, and attended a few workshops she found fascinating. And she'd totally do it again.

But next time, mommy - Snotface is OFF LIMITS. Just meowing.

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If you would like to contribute to World Vet's Disaster Relief Fund for the Oklahoma Tornado Victims, please click the image below to be directed to their site:

PINK.

'Toon Tuesdays

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Toon Tuesdays feature cat & dog cartoons made by the peeps over at Shoebox Greetings (a tiny little division of Hallmark) - where our mom works, too!

The Return (to normal?)

Maxwell: Momma's been gone for days. And days.
To be honest, I... I... kind of miss her....

Allie: Wait! Is that her car I hear pulling up? 

Allie: Maxie, she's home! Mother's home!

We can't wait to bring you updates on all the fabulous things she saw at BlogPaws in Washington D.C. this past weekend. Stay tuned!

Our Very Own Cat Whisperer!

While mom's away at BlogPaws, we're hanging around dad.

Literally!

Caturday Panic!

Mom's away at BlogPaws...and Allie's panicking just a tad bit, trapped alone with all the males in the family.

Who will touch up her mani/pedi?
Who will run interference between her and the Brat?

Allie: "Do I call 9-1-1 or do I call Mother?"   *fret*fret*

What to do with a cheating human

Seriously.

Our mom ran off to Washington D.C. and is off cavorting with dogs. Ferrets, even!
And *gasp!* Other Cats.

Maus and Moshe Moshi from nakedandhungry.com

Odilla from ~connie~ and Tails from the Foster Kittens 

Brighton of Curlz & Swirlz (and @snotfacecritter's mom!)

Snotface slept in mommy's lap ALL EVENING LONG!

I HAVE CAT's Tamar with yet another kitty

Notice mommy has plausible deniability? She claims she's remaining faithful to us, but we've heard STORIES.
Just meowing.

Fun Find: Cat Wine

If you have a fun find you'd like us to feature, send us a shout-out by clicking on the Contact Us tab above.

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We've seen this wine around over the past several years, and Harvey & Evelyn's mom gave us a bottle last year for Chanukah (blue of course!).

A yummy Riesling from Denmark, this Moselland wine is carried seasonally by many chains such as World Market. They're reasonably priced at around $11. You can also order online but shipping would cost more than the wine itself, so the best deal is to ask around for it locally.

They have been known in the past to offer green bottles at Christmas and orange at Halloween.
Yes it's a sweet wine, but those are still yummy - especially when a cat is pouring for you!

Thursday Trivia: Dog-eared

Who hasn’t used the phrase “dog-eared”?

I have tons of dog-eared books on my shelf, with pages dutifully turned down to save my place so I can easily pick up where I left off at a later time. (Of course, dog-earing a Kindle is another matter altogether…!)

You can see where the phrase got its name! Photo: public domain

The phrase dates back to the 1650s, which surprised me. I didn’t know the phrase was that long in the tooth, to be honest.

I also learned something else about this phrase. It has a more general meaning: “to make worn or shabby from overuse.”

And while this certainly applies to some of my more well-loved books, I can honestly say I did not know this was used to describe something other than a book.

Yet WiseGeek tells us that “In general, to be dog-eared is to be somewhat worn out from an activity, required some time to rest and recover before being able to take on any new tasks or activities. People can sometimes be described as being dog-eared, especially if they are currently in a state of exhaustion.”
According to Etymology Online, the earliest record of this usage dates back to 1894.

Another reason why I love doing this series – I invariably learn something new as I research each phrase!

Faraday: This is as close to dog-eared as I get!

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Sources:
Etymology Online
WiseGeek
Word Origins
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Found Out!

So we were going to be all official and announce the new look of our blog in a big way...



But then some intrepid super-sleuth blogger friends (Kjelle Bus, Nerissa, Tillie & Georgia, Sushi and Marg - not that we're naming names, mind you) found our double-top-secret test site and started posting comments there!

Oops, were our faces red.

Actually... we blame Mother. She is obviously not CIA or FBI material (*ahem* that's Cat Intelligence and Feline Bureau... in case you were wondeiring).

Had we been in charge, we're sure no security breach would have occurred.

So today, we're doing what mommy calls a "soft launch" of our new look.

What do you think?  Glogirly designed our new logo and we looove the tail hooking the "a'!!
Then Glogirly & our mom (with some helpful input from a few artists at Hallmark) went to work on the overall look and feel.

Jury's still out on the sidebar buttons.  Our mom wanted to test the silhouette of Maxwell that you currently see.

"Yarn" sidebar button design. Cool huh?

But she also likes the yarn idea she had - and that Glogirly designed. You can see that look over on our test site here.

We're worried the yarn buttons give the page a "heavy" feel.
And besides, we're not sure we can talk mom out of parting with the way cool silhouette of Maxie that she created, in the sidebar on this page.

Opinions?  We kittehs have informed mom that everyone gets a vote, but we get veto power (MOL!).

Wordless Wednesday

:::summertime dreaming:::

'Toon Tuesdays

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Toon Tuesdays feature cat & dog cartoons made by the peeps over at Shoebox Greetings (a tiny little division of Hallmark) - where our mom works, too!

4 Foods to Avoid Giving Your Cat

Today's topic is a familiar one to you, since we have often posted about human foods that are toxic to your pets.

Normally we don't have guest posts on our blog, but we wanted to share this one with you because the author zeroed in on something we'd never considered: it's not just common foods that can be poisonous to your pet....

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You love your feline friend. Sometimes you might decide to let your cat try some of your human food. Maybe Fluffy jumped on the counter and started eating something she shouldn't. Be very careful what your cat eats. Cats and humans may seem alike in many ways, but our bodies are quite different. Cats are carnivores and true meat eaters. Many plants and human foods are very poisonous to your cat. Keep your kitty protected by knowing some common household foods and plants that may be a hazard to your friend.

1. Caffeine

Caffeine is in many products that are commonly found in the home. Soda, coffee, chocolate and tea can all be harmful to your cat. Cats are much smaller than humans and caffeine works more intensely on a cat. Caffeine can overwork your cat's heart and nervous system. Do your best to not let your cat sip on your caffeinated human drinks.

2. Onions and Garlic

Onions and garlic are often left on top of your counters. They are also popular ingredients in human dinner dishes. Do your best to keep these far from your kitty's mouth. Onions and garlic contain a substance that destroys your cat's red blood cells. This leads to anemia and eventual death. Keep your onions and garlic locked up away from kitties who enjoy vertical exploration.

3. Alcohol

Alcohol is kept in many houses around the world. It also leads to people not thinking correctly and being a little more forgetful. Don't leave full beer glasses lying around after a party. Alcohol is very dangerous to a cat and they don't know not to drink it. Keep your cat safe by making sure your cat can't get into any alcoholic beverage. Don't even joke around with your friends about giving your cat a beer. The idea of a drunk cat may be amusing, but you could be killing your feline friend.

4. Poinsettia

Poinsettias are beautiful plants with brilliant red flowers. They are often given as gifts around the holidays and your house can fill up with them. They may be a great centerpiece accent but they are also poisonous to your cat. This plant can cause vomiting and make it difficult for your cat to breathe if they ingest it. Make sure to place your holiday Poinsettias out of reach.

There are literally hundreds of common household plants that poisonous to your cat. If you see your cat acting weird after introducing a new plant, take your pet to the vet immediately. Poisoning needs to be taken care of as quickly as possible so do not hesitate!

About the author: Andrea Booth is a blogger for Smith Monitoring, and expert in security systems for Dallas. She enjoys spending her time taking pictures of her two kitties. I know...

Blue Slumber

Saturday Snoopervising (PhotoHunt)

Faraday would like you to think he's snoopervising...

But we kittehs call this being lazy...!

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We're also participating in the Weekend Cat Blogging blog hop...

...and the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop, hosted by Baby Patches, Life with Dogs and Two Little Cavaliers.