New Book! Total Cat Mojo #sponsored

Did you know you can overfill a litter box?
Or staring intently at a moth can actually exhaust your cat?

These are just a few of the things you'll learn in Jackson Galaxy's new book, Total Cat Mojo.

FTC Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book as compensation for posting this review, however all opinions are my own. We at A Tonk's Tail only feature products we feel are relevant to our readers. 
 
In it, you'll read phrases that resonate deeply with any pet lover, such as "releasing ownership and embracing relationship." You read that right. One of Jackson's stated goals is to bring people to a place where they have a new outlook on their relationship with their cats, by seeing it as a relationship.

And the book is filled with tools to promote a healthy family dynamic. Things like why routines and rituals are important to establish a daily rhythm for stability, how to create a 'mojo map' to identify socially significant areas and patterns, and how to minimize bullying behavior (yes, I'm looking at you, Faraday).

"Who, me? What about Allie?"

 I especially liked his "Wallflower Scissorhands" paragraph, something I'd never considered. Although there are other measures you can take first, this is simply the practice of keeping the nails of the bullying victim long. Jackson writes: "We work very hard to get Wallflowers to stand up for themselves. Why not slip a pair of brass knuckles on their paws?" Trimming the bully's nails and not the victim's might get him to think twice next time he feels like flexing his muscles.

"In case you were wondering, Maxie - my nails are NOT trimmed."

And if you haven't heard of the feline version of Eat, Play, Love you'll get plenty of it inside these pages:  Hunt, Catch, Kill, Eat (HKCE). Understanding this has been an "aha!" moment for many cat owners.

And lest you feel like you know it all, how about this little tidbit? "Hunting happens even when the cat isn't continually moving."

"I'm hunting your computer cable."

Most people immediately get the concept of "if you wear your cat out with play, he will be too tired to ________". You fill in the blank: act out, pester a sibling, etc. But what most people don't understand, Jackson explains, is that exhaustion isn't always a high-calorie burn. "Expecting success to look like a track-and-field event will result in both you and your cat being frustrated."

"What do you mean, 'computer cables don't count'?"

Did you know you can exhaust your cat even is he or she isn't actually moving? That intent focus on a moth circling a light, or chittering at a squirrel? The mental exhaustion that comes from stalking counts as part of the hunt.

You'll need go go grab a copy for yourself to find out more about the hows and the whys of exhausting your cat through the process of HKCE.

This book was co-authored by Dr. Mikel Maria Delgado, a feline behavior consultant and research fellow at UC-Davis. If that pedigree doesn't impress you, she's also the resident Cat Whisperer for our friend Ingrid King, of The Conscious Cat.

Total Cat Mojo goes on sale next Tuesday, October 31. You can buy it on Amazon or at your local bookseller - many of which have scheduled appearances and book signings with Jackson in the coming weeks. If you absolutely can't wait, you can preorder at the affiliate link below.

 (Disclaimer: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. So clicking on the link below will earn us a small stipend.)

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Maxie Feels the Pawbo Burn #ad

When last we left you, Faraday had decided that everykitty in this house needed to be as fit as he is.

So he ordered a Pawbo⁺ Interactive Pet Camera, complete with a Laser Pointer Game (and way cool treat dispenser, but we digress) to get Maxie up and running.

While Faraday does a little light reading, here's my impression of the camera:

• The interface is the easiest of any wireless camera I've yet to try out. It immediately found my network, prompted me for the password, and - done. And it reconnects automatically when I move it from room to room and plug it back in.
• The second feature I really reeeally like: it automatically syncs with my existing cloud account for any video you want to record. (Still photos save directly to your phone)
  
  In my case, it's a Google Drive account, but it also interfaces with Dropbox. Downloading video clips is a breeze, and you don't need any fancy video app to play the clips - I tested them and they played fine with QuickTime.
  
  This is nice, since I've heard other brands (none that I've ever used, though - so this is hearsay) require a cloud subscription for a fee, to access the footage. 

This shiny new addition to our home comes complete with red dot and treat dispenser!

To be honest, about the only feature I can think of that the Pawbo⁺ camera doesn't have is the ability to pan and tilt. I'm not sure how much that would add to the final cost of the camera, but that's a feature I really enjoy, so I'd be interested in that addition.

The camera's not cheap - it retails for $199 - so if you're in it for that much and a pan/tilt feature was just an incremental cost, I'd want that on future models.

And of course, there's the Red Dot.
And .....

We can confirm the treat dispenser works. Very well, indeed.

Allie: Wait. Is that a treat dispenser I spy????

Yep.
Want to see how well it works?

Faraday: Remember, Allie. I'm in control of the remote, so you only get treats when I say so.

Faraday controls the mobile phone app after reading on the Pawbo⁺ website how to use it

And I say you have to exercise first to earn them.

Allie: You are such a brat.

Maxwell:  Whewww, whatta workout. I'm beat.

Allie: Really, Max? Really? You didn't even break a sweat. That's just a play for sympathy, and - newsflash - no one's falling for it.

Maxwell: Well in that case, I'll just head on over to my lounger ... unless you plan to push that treat button again?

Faraday: (yelling from off screen) You gotta EARN those, Maxie. Now drop and give me fifty!
Maxwell: That's exactly what I plan to do: drop into my lounger and give you a good fifty minutes of snooze time, starting .... NOW.

***

This post is sponsored by Pawbo⁺ Interactive Pet Camera. We received this product for review at no charge. We also received a fee for writing this review. Receiving the free product and the fee did not influence our review in any way. All sponsored posts will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions and feature products and information we feel is relevant to our readers.

Exercise is a 4(x2) Letter Word #ad

When last we left you, Faraday had "resolved" to help Maxwell "get fit."
We join our story, in progress:

Faraday: "insert tension rod into weight grip"... uh-huh ... *flips page in manual*
Maxwell: Dood, I'm not sure about this exercise thing ....

Faraday: Yada, yada, Maxie. You have to tone that belleh if you wanna be a housepanther like me.
Good thing I'm licensed as a Purrsonal Trainer.

Can't you just see yourself busting reps with those pawbells?

Maxwell: *sniff* No. Not really. 
Faraday: Now Maxie, just let me finish setting this weight bench up ... there you go!

*cue tah-dahh SFX*

Maxwell: uhhh, I don't think --

Faraday: Perfect! We'll get you started right away.

I'm offering the first month FREE as a New Year's special.
(After that, it's just easy monthly installments, direct deposited from your allowance into my account.)

Just sign this contract here and I'll have you fit in no time.

Please click to biggify and to read "fine print"

Maxwell: Dood, the only activity I'd participate in involves the Red Dot.
Faraday: Well, you coulda said that before I invested in that torture device equipment, Maxie. Seriouslies.

Disgusted Faraday is disgusted.

Faraday: That's okay, I can work with that.
                 In fact, I have just the thing.

Why don't you just sign that contract, Maxie, while I get this all set up.

Maxwell: I, uh, think I better have Momma my lawyer read this first ....

Faraday:   mumble-mumble    plug it in, uh-huh    mutter-mumble    download the mobile app ...

                 MOMMY! I need your mobile phone, STAT!

That's right, folks. Faraday got a Pawbo⁺ Interactive Pet Camera to go along with those pawbells ...
and he's ready to turn Maxie into a lean, mean purring machine*.

(*Your mileage with Faraday's Fitness may vary. Purrsonal training fees may will apply. Faraday's Fitness accepts all major credit cards, wand toys and bonito flakes.)
 

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What is the Pawbo⁺ Interactive Pet Camera?

This shiny new addition to our home: a Pawbo Wireless Interactive Pet Camera

The Pawbo⁺ Interactive Pet Camera 4-1-1:

• Pawbo⁺ connects to your wireless network quickly and easily
• It comes with an easy-to-use mobile app, for Android or iPhone

Pawbo Life App

• Pawbo⁺  also has two-way talk, so your pets can hear you, and you can hear them
• It allows up to 8 people to chat with your pet at the same time 
• You can remotely control the treat dispenser & laser pointer (or set laser to automatic)
• Take photos or video, and share to your social spaces

See the orange arrow in the first pic?
Tap icon to take photo, tap check mark to save, tap social icon to share.

• Also connects to your existing Google Drive or Dropbox account for easy cloud storage of video (which can be downloaded, too). Photos save directly to your phone.

But did it work?

Did Maxwell, the Red Dot maniac, feel the burn?

Video at 11 on Friday ;-) 

***

This post is sponsored by Pawbo⁺ Interactive Pet Camera. We received this product for review at no charge. We also received a fee for writing this review.
(And okay, we also had tons of fun - and a lot of giggles - doing it).
All sponsored posts will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions and feature products and information we feel is relevant to our readers. 

Maxwell Holmes & the Great Fruit Juice Felony #spon

When last we left our Siamese Sherlock, he had just "hung his shingle".
His new enterprise: Maxwell Holmes Investigations.
We join our sleuth mid- , uh, sleuthing.

Maxwell: *humming to himself* doop-dee-doo-dee-do ....

Maxwell:  Hrm ....

Faraday: Maxie, what are you doing in the refrigerator?
(And if you score some salmon, save me some!)

Maxwell: Don't bother me now, boy. Can't you see I'm working?

Faraday: Working on WHAT? Stealing noms from the fridge? Lemme see.
Seriously, Maxie. I didn't think you had it in you.

Maxwell: NO, I'm on a case right now.  Don't you think of anything else?
Faraday:  Yes. Wand toys ....

Maxwell: Off the chair, bro. I need to figure out how to install my new Vimtag Mini Cube security camera in here so I can gather evidence for my big case.

Faraday: WHAT big case?!?

Maxwell: Momma suspects someone is committing Fruit Juice Felony.

Faraday: Fruit Juice WHAT-ery?
Maxwell: Felony. Swigging RIGHT outta the container. Evidently that's a big no-no for humans.
Faraday: I hate to be the one to point it out to the techno-kitty and all, but how do you propose to power the camera, inside this thing?

Maxwell: Hrm, you have a point. Maybe I can hide one among the onions on top ....

Maxwell: Yeah ...that's the ticket. The suspect will never, uh, suspect.

Cut to close-up shot of Vimtag Mini Cube:

Allie: Oh Maxie. Honestly, don't you think you're taking this sleuthing a bit too far?

Maxwell: And why do you care, Allie, hmmm? Are you perhaps in CAHOOTS with the Perp?

Maxwell: Well, ARE you?

Allie: I don't have to dignify that with an answer!
*flounces off*

Will Maxwell ever find out whodunit?
Will the Vimtag Mini Cube record incriminating evidence?
What fee will Maxie charge for his services?

These answers, and more, below:

Faraday: oooooh, somekitty's in trouble now. How'd you get that footage, Maxie?

Maxwell: Elementary, my dear Faraday.

I suspected Allie was an accomplice, and as she'd seen me place the Vimtag Mini Cube on top of the refrigerator, I deduced she would signal the "All Clear" to the Perp if I removed it.

It's so small, she never noticed I had moved it to the countertop. And its black coloring allowed it to blend right in.

As they say in my line of work ... Case Closed!

Now, Momma ... About my fee ....

Faraday: WAIT, Maxie. Waaaaaitaminit! This is some pawesome blackmail material.

Let me just write up a list with our demands ....

***

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FCC Disclaimer: While this is a review and we were compensated for the time it took to photograph and tell you about the Vimtag Fujikam, we giggled all the way through the creation of this. We hope you had fun, too. All opinions are our own. 
And YES. Marty really WAS caught swigging from the carton. 
Shameful. Truly shameful.
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Maxwell Hangs His Shingle #spon

The nice people at Vimtag contacted us recently, and asked if wanted to test drive their new mini camera. Since Maxwell commandeered our first Vimtag for his BirdTV channel, Faraday and Allie were all for it.

When it arrived, we saw immediately why it was called the M1 "mini cube" - that thing is nice and compact!

We were also impressed by the packaging. The camera was nestled in a well-padded foam cushion. The accessories were also neatly organized and compartmentalized in their own cushioned spots.

And - surprising no one - somekitty quickly took ownership of the new tech.

Me: Maxie, don't you think you should offer this up to Allie or Faraday first, since you're already using the other one?
Maxwell: But I have PLANS for this, Momma. And it's not like either of them would know what to do with it anyways ...
Faraday: I HEARD THAT, MAXIE!!!!

Faraday: Seriouslies, Maxie. You monopolize our other Vimtag, and now this??

AND ... does Daddy know you're messing around in his tool box?

Maxwell: Well, I told Momma about my plans for the Mini Cube, and she asked if I was planning to hang out my shingle.

Faraday: What plans, Maxie? And whazza shingle got to do wif it?

Maxwell: Me and this Vimtag Mini Cube are going to solve mysteries.
Though why I'd need a shingle for that is a mystery to me!

Faraday: Waitaminit, Maxie. Mysteries?!? I'm the Investigative Reporter in the fambly.

Maxwell: Dood, my client doesn't need breaking news. She needs brilliant deduction and subtle sleuthing. And we all know that you don't do subtle. That's why she hired ...

Maxwell Holmes!

***

Before we reveal anything else about Maxie's new career, including his very first Paying Client ...
we want to give you our honest opinion on his newly acquired investigative tool.

The Vimtag 4-1-1

This M1 mini cube camera has a much lower profile than our other one. Because of that - and the fact that it's a static image (and not a camera that can pan and tilt like the other one) it has very broad image coverage. The image is so wide it keystones a little around the edges. Take a look:

Our original Vimtag VT-361

Same view from the Vimtag M1 Mini Cube, sitting right next to the VT-361

Since this camera can be used for security and monitoring purposes, that makes sense.

It runs on the same app as the VT-361 model we reviewed earlier this year, so it has motion detection, two-way microphones and night vision. And you can set it to record when motion detection senses movement.

This Vimtag came with a Quick Start Guide that included instructions where you could set it up without ever attaching it to an ethernet cable, which surprised me, since our first camera didn't have that feature. It involved the camera reading a QR code off my mobile phone's screen.

No matter how hard I tried, though - I couldn't get it to work. Maybe it had to do with my screen's brightness, or resolution, or the distance I held the camera. And being more than a little stubborn, I had a hard time admitting defeat.

I should have called it quits much sooner.

Turns out that Vimtag doesn't just have really great cameras. They also have a pretty impressive customer service department.

Here's how you hook it up to your router. The white adapter handles power & ethernet connectivity.
You can store the adapter and the cute little ethernet cable after you've connected via wifi.

I called the 800 number and to my surprise, an answering service was on the other end (with a real human, too). They took my information and told me someone from tech support would get back to me within the hour. I headed downstairs to grab something to drink and was only halfway down before the phone rang again.

Okay, that was fast! I ran back upstairs while explaining my problem. He had it up and running in under 2 minutes. We never did figure out why I couldn't set it up wirelessly using their new QR code sign on feature. However once I turned on wifi while connected via ethernet and waited 2 minutes for the connection to stabilize, I could untether myself. I haven't needed an ethernet cable since.

And before I hung up, the guy urged me to call back at any time - even during the upcoming holiday - if I encountered additional problems. "We'll be here," he assured me. "We want to make sure you have a good experience." (BTW, I did not tell him I was reviewing the camera)

But I haven't needed to - it works great. And every time I unplug to move the camera around the house to different locations, it automatically reconnects to the wifi signal.

Which makes Maxie very happy, because he finally hung his shingle, and has his first client.
Me.

Faraday: ooooooooh Maxie, wait'll Mommy finds out you nailed your shingle to her kitchen wall ....

***

Tomorrow: Maxwell's First "Cold Case"

aka

"The Fruit-Juice Felony"

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FCC Disclaimer: While this is a review and we were compensated for the time it took to photograph and tell you about the Vimtag Fujikam, we told you the honest truth about our experience. We only share content we feel may be relevant to our readers. All opinions are our own. 
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To Serve and Protect #spons

On Monday, we gave you a glimpse into the shenanigans that occur behind closed doors at a fellow pet bloggers home.

What you didn't see were the very real struggles facing this blogger, nor how her Vimtag camera has helped out.

As much as Maxwell loves his Chickadee Channel (and the occasional episode of Missouri Squirrels Gone Wild), still -- our Vimtag is being used mostly for entertainment.

For Amy of Sebastian the Sensitive Soul -- it's been used for much more than that.

Here's her story.

Several years ago, Amy chose to do something most of us cannot imagine doing: she opened her home to her parents, both of whom had diseases that would soon become debilitating. Her father had cancer. Her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

Two of Amy's favorite guys, husband Lee and Stilwell.

Amy and her husband, Lee, cared for her dad until the very end. I still marvel at the incredible compassion and strength that took. Now, almost two years later, they are faced with caring for an mother whose Alzheimer's has progressed considerably.

Amy & Lee also open their homes to elderly, less adoptable dogs.
Heloise passed away a few months before Amy left for training.

In the midst of it all, Amy changed careers. (Did we mention she was an undercover cop? How cool is that!) Several months ago, she hung up her badge for a different job, one she knew would require her to travel across the country for weeks of training.

Wouldn't you miss this sweet face, too?
Lowenstein wonders why mom has to go away for so long ....

It was too far to return on weekends, so Amy would essentially be away from her loved ones, both two-footed and four, for 5 solid weeks.

I don't know about you, but five weeks seems like an eternity when you're apart from loved ones. And I'd miss my furry family every bit as much as I would Marty. Amy was no different.

The Vimtag camera allowed her the freedom to check in on them any time of the day or night. It was easy to set up, and she could operate it anywhere her mobile phone had a signal. She'd check in on them during her classes, and at night when she was alone in her dorm room. It helped assuage her loneliness and allowed her to have a brief taste of home while so far away.

She got to spy on the Harvey Monster while she was hundreds of miles away.

I have to tell you that not all wireless IP cameras are as easy to set up as the Vimtag. (holy cow - some of them are awful, and hair-pulling impossible!!) Amy had initially bought a slightly less expensive brand, and she and I spent literally hours trying to get that piece of junk to work outside her home. Total fail.

In contrast, setting up the Vimtag took 5 minutes. If I hadn't already been in love with mine, this would have sealed the deal for me.

Amy's happy to be back home, and now she is using her Vimtag for another very important reason: she is able to check no her mom while she's at work. The peace of mind this brings her is something you cannot buy.

If you are ever find yourself wanting to purchase a wireless camera for your home, I highly recommend this camera. Here are a few of the features we especially like about it:

You can:

• Pan/tilt camera through app with gestures 
• Real time viewing
• Two-way audio
• Night vision

You can access your camera at any time either from the Vimtag app on your Android or iPhone, or on your computer at vimtag.com. You can move the camera around on your phone simply by swiping, and on the web app, there is a simple navigation pane you can click to move.

I love the fact you can talk through it too! (though Allie still wonders where my voice comes from!)

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FCC Disclaimer: This is a review and we were compensated for the time it took to create this post and tell you about the Vimtag Fujikam. All opinions are our own. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and thank Vimtag for the opportunity. We hope you had fun, as well. 

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Busting the Puppy 'Rumor Mill' #spon

Faraday: Hey Maxie, whatcha doing, sitting over here instead of watching your BirdTV?
Maxwell: Oh ... I wanted to do some uninterrupted thinking, so I'm DVRing today's Chickadee Episodes on my Vimtag. I think better over here on the heater vent.

Faraday: WAIT - is this, like, one of your musings? 'Cause if it is, I'm outta here.
Your musings kinda creep me out, Maxie. Seriouslies.

Maxwell: No, no, nothing like that. I was just thinking about a rumor I recently heard about Harvey, Stilwell, and Lowenstein over at Sebastian the Sensitive Soul.

Faraday: Oh, well, why didn't you say so, Maxie. I love a good rumor! Hit me! (BTW, nice use of the Oxford comma in that last sentence. Harvey's human would be proud.)

Faraday: *impatient tone* I'm waiting ...
Maxwell: Okay, okay, I'm getting to it. *clears throat*
(adopts best Darth Vader voice)

Faraday, they've gone to the dark side .... 

Harvey. Lowenstein. Stilwell. 

They live with ... with ...

DOGS.

Faraday: *shocked look* NO WAYS! That's impossible. I woulda heard about it!
Maxwell: No, dood, it's true. And I hear they ...

(Darth Vader voice returns)  

CUDDLE with them .....

  
Faraday: That's it. You've been snorting too much nip, Maxie.
Maxwell: Dood, I swear it's true.

Faraday: Well there's one way to find out.

Let me just send in my covert ops team to install a surveillance Vimtag.
I'll make a few calls from my Secret Headquarters ....

Covert Vimtag, on the job!

Later that day:

Faraday: *disgusted look* Can you believe it? They even play smacky-paw in front of the dogs.

***

In case you couldn't tell, we love our Vimtag Cloud Camera. Lowenstein's human does too.
In fact, it has had a significant impact on her life ~ we'll tell you about it in a few days.

It features:

• Pan/tilt camera through app with gestures 
• Real time viewing
• Two-way audio
• Night vision

It's accessible from the Vimtag app on Android or iPhone, or on your computer at vimtag.com.

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FCC Disclaimer: This is a review and we were compensated for the time it took to create this post and tell you about the Vimtag Fujikam. All opinions are our own. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and thank Vimtag for the opportunity. We hope you had fun, as well. 

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