Vexed by Visitors

Saffy tires of holiday visitors who never seem to leave.

Cosmo's Black Friday Disappointment

Cosmo vows never to go shopping on Black Friday again.

Cosmo's Thanksgiving Day Surprise

All of us at Catladyland are sending you and your loved ones 

heartfelt wishes of Thanksgiving and peace. 

We appreciate sharing smiles with you everyday!

Love, 

Angie, Saffy, Cosmo, and Phoebe

The Not-So-Long Arm of the Sofa

Would you look at this? The Queen of Sheba is lounging her fuzzy butt off while Cranky McCrankerpants looks, well, cranky. It also kind of looks like she's refusing to speak to him, right? I think mostly he's irritated that he has to share the arm of the sofa with her. That wadded up blanket showed up there a couple of days ago and she claimed it as her own. Cosmo is a cat of routine. He commands the arm of the sofa every night and doesn't think too kindly of those who want to get all up in his business. Would you want to cross that face? I didn't think so.

My Cat's Evening Ritual is Swoon-worthy

I go to bed earlier than my husband John, so he comes in and tucks me in every night. While I'm brushing my teeth and getting ready to sleepy time, John and Phoebe have this little ritual. She runs into the bedroom ahead of us and jumps on the bed, demanding a snuggle from John. Then she climbs all over him, rubbing her face on his side and purring three times the typical volume. It's the sweetest thing ever! Last night I managed to snap a little documentation of this snuggle-fest. They're not great photos, but they capture the sweetness, for sure.

My Cat Deserves a Raise

I was sick all weekend and spent most of my time on the sofa watching TV and sleeping. My fuzzy nurse Cosmo stayed plastered against me -- he even worked doubles and didn't ask for extra breaks. I think he deserves a raise.

Personal Bubble Invasion

Cosmo: "Is she still there?" You see, my cats don't cuddle with each other. In fact, it's rare to see them sleeping beside one another. Cosmo looks like he's starting to feel itchy and uncomfortable with what could be construed as an effort at affection. He wants his personal bubble back. It's OK, Saff -- you can come and snuggle with me.

Jealous Cat Wants Cozy Spot

Somebody's got the cushy resting spot ... and somebody else is jealous.

Limited Edition Fancy Feast Holiday Ornament Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

For more than 25 years, Fancy Feast has released a one-of-a-kind collectible holiday ornament. This year, they've added a really cool element to its design: the piece features gorgeous illustrations delicately imprinted onto fine paper using an antique letterpress. This handiwork was designed and created by Firecracker Press, a small letterpress print shop in St. Louis, which is the home of Fancy Feast.

I love the unique design, and have to say this is my favorite Fancy Feast ornament to date! Guess what? Fancy Feast is giving away one of these unique ornaments to 30 lucky Catladyland readers! How cool is that?



So go ahead, register to win, but hop over to Feastivities.com and order one or five for your family and friends. They're only $2 each (what a deal!) and all donations go directly to Adopt-a-Pet.com!

Giveaway Details:

• You must comment WITH YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS and indicate interest in qualifying for the giveaway.
• The giveaway closes at 11:59pm CDT on Friday, November 29, 2013.
• The giveaway is open to readers in the 48 states.
• Once contacted, you will have 48 hours to respond or another name will be drawn.
• Winners will be chosen via randomizer.org.

Liar Cat!

Cosmo: "I wasn't on the counter."

Cat Huffer is Huffing

I huffed Saffy for three solid minutes. It was glorious.

Cat Belly 4 U

Saffy: "I'll be here all week."

Cat Bed? I've Tried It

I tried the cat bed. It's pretty comfy.

I Feel Judged by My Cat

Phoebe judges me for not separating my colors, darks and whites.  

Like it's gonna affect her decision to jump in the basket, right? 

My Cat Has a Strong Work Ethic

Last week I wasn't feeling well so I worked from the sofa. My assistant Phoebe refused to take the day off so she "worked" from the sofa as well. I don't care what the experts say, the work ethic of today's youth is just as strong as ever.

We're Giving Away 20 #HillsPet Science Diet Gift Baskets!

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

Catladyland is an entertainment blog and respects each person's decision to feed the best food they can afford to feed their cats. From time to time, we feature posts about feeding options. The posts are meant to provide information about feeding options. We do not exclusively endorse one brand of food or one style of feeding. 

I'm a creature of routine -- sometimes to a fault. I like my schedule and am a freak about lists and deadlines. My cats are exactly the same way, although their lists are made mentally. You know:

1. Eat
2. Nap
3. Stare at the wall
4. Eat
5. Nap
6. Stare at birds

Saffy: "Something is disgustingly wrong with this picture."

Another way my cats are like me is that they love breakfast. I know some people can't eat in the morning, but I can't start my day without a full belly of something nutritious. I try and do the same with my cats.

Source: Hill's

Cats are natural grazers and many cats can handle the thought of a bowl of food sitting on the kitchen floor all day. My Phoebe will nibble, but Cosmo and Saffy are pigs and would wolf down the entire contents and then vomit all over the carpet. Because of this, my cats get breakfast, dinner and treats in-between. Since I work from home, I do free feed Phoebe when she asks for it. She eats a few bites here and there, but I have to stand over her because the other two are always ready to swoop in and jack her plate.

Hill's Science Diet offers a variety of wet and dry food, as well as treats to balance your cat's daily nutritional needs. And now Hill's carries some grain free products! You can feel good about providing your cat with a delicious and nutritious breakfast, dinner, grazing chow and treats! Here are some of their offerings:

Hill's Science Diet Adult Gourmet Turkey Entrée
Hill's Science Diet Adult Grain Free
Hill's Science Diet Crunchy Creations Grain Free with Salmon treats
Hill's Science Diet Crunchy Creations Grain Free with Chicken treats
Hill's Science Diet Homestyle Chicken Supper

Guess what? Hill's and Catladyland is giving 20 lucky readers the opportunity to win a fabulous gift basket that includes:

• Hill's Science Diet Adult Grain Free food: 2-lb bag
• Hill's Science Diet wet food: 6-pack variety
• Hill's Science Diet Grain Free Chicken treats
• Cat bowl 
• Place mat

Ta-da! The prize basket! Imagine the awesome bowl and place mat.  Source: Hill's

Are you ready to win? Of course you are! Here are the details:

Giveaway is open to readers in the U.S. and Canada. You must leave a comment on this post, indicating you'd like to be considered and please include an email address so we can contact you. The giveaway runs through 11:59 p.m. CST November 24. The winners are chosen via Randomizer, and will have 48 hours to reply to the email. 

Best of luck!


This post is sponsored by Hills. I'm being compensated for helping spread the word about Hills Science Diet for cats; however, Catladyland only shares information they feel is relevant to their readers. Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.

Who's Selfish? Me. Obviously.

Cosmo: "I know you haven't even had your first sip of coffee, but have you SEEN the state of my food dish?"

As usual, I'm the selfish one.

And BONUS: Do you see the headless Saffy racing around in the background? She's getting excited about breakfast. Food is her favorite.

Sometimes the Teeth Come Out, But Totally Worth It

I love Phoebe's sleeping face and especially take advantage of touching my favorite parts when she's sleeping. Her little muzzle is my absolute favorite. I smooth back her whiskers and kiss her "cheeks." And sometimes she bites me. She's a beast, I tell you!

Close.

Closer.

Closest.

This is where the teeth come out. Totally worth it.

Cash Cat Wants Bling

Phoebe wants to come with me to book signings and be in charge of the cash bag. Somehow I think I'd wind up with very little cash and she'd suddenly be all pimped out with gold necklaces and other miscellaneous bling. Ha. Like I even have that much cash in my bag.

Kitten Leg-Dangles for Everyone!

If you read Catladyland regularly, you know I'm a major sucker for a kitty leg-dangle. This weekend I ran across this photo of my friend's kitten Miles and the kitten-sized leg dangle made my heart go pitty-pat. I want to share because what better way to start the week? I mean, seriously!

Kitten leg-dangles for everyone!

Sunday Bunday

Today you get a cute photo of Phoebe (A.K.A. Bunny).

You're welcome.

And I Thought I Was a Creature of Habit

Phoebe goes to bed with me every night, and when I don't start making my way to the bedroom at a certain time she takes her place beside wherever I'm sitting and proceeds to look annoyed until I adhere to the prescribed schedule. And I thought I was a creature of habit.

Flashback Friday: The Tiny Terror

Phoebe was an adorable kitten, but she was craaaa-zzzyy! Last week I posted about my visit with Miles the kitten and, I'll tell you, I had a tough time keeping up with him! It's been eight years since Phoebe was a kitten and my time spent with Miles reminded me of Phoebe's reign of terror. She's always been incredible active and wildly intelligent, which meant she was into everything!

Her favorite pastime was stealing jewelry. She'd often make off with items from my dresser and squirrel them away in her nylon kitty cube. She chewed cords (we had to wrap all our cords in tubing) and raced across tables and countertops. Thankfully she's calmed down -- at least a little bit.

Then: Innocent? Not so much.

Now: Nutty, yet slightly subdued.

Kitty Belly? Denied!

I love a kitty belly; however, my cats aren't always so keen on my desire to tummy-huff. Saffy's middle region is especially desirable. It reminds me of a cream puff. Look how annoyed she is -- she hates anything touching her belly. She even senses the Photoshopped heart.

My Cats Love This Toy -- And It's So Simple and Inexpensive!

In previous posts I mentioned the generous and crowd-pleasing toys and goodies we received from sponsors at the Cat Writers' Association conference. One stood out as a particular favorite among my three cats: The Pioneer Pet Nip Nibblers.

It's crazy -- the toy is so incredibly simple. It's catnip stuffed inside lightweight material. This is what they look like:

Source: Pioneer Pet

Because the material is very breathable, the catnip scent really comes through the toy. And they are really inexpensive: $3.99 for three. Pioneer Pet didn't ask me to post any of this -- I was just so impressed with how much my cats enjoyed this toy and wanted to share. If you're looking for a super-fun, inexpensive stocking stuffer (or anytime toy) for your cat, this is a winner! /unsolicited plug

Here's a Vine of Phoebe going nuts with a Nip Nibbler (if it doesn't play right away, click the image):

My Cats Think I'm Santa

Every time I return from any pet-related conference, I usually have a ton of swag for the cats, and the Cat Writers' Association conference is known for their primo cat schwag. It's like my cats know when I open the suitcase in the middle of the living room floor, they'll make a haul. Or they just want a chance to get inside the suitcase. Both are completely plausible.

The mania is palpable!

They gather 'round like I'm Santa unpacking my bag of toys. I guess I kinda am. I hold each item up, reading its description, and then place it on the floor for their examination.

Cosmo sees the treats: "Get in my belly!"

Cosmo is always a fan of the treats, Phoebe like the small balls and other little toys and Saffy likes it all.

Phoebe has a ball with her new toys.

Special thanks to all the CWA conference sponsors for the swaggy donations! You better believe I'll be writing a boatload of thank-you notes ... and some reviews, especially for the favorites.

Lap Cat Goes Back to Work

Yesterday I returned from the Cat Writers' Association annual conference and my cats were pleased ... for the most part. As predicted, Saffy and Phoebe were glad to see me and Cosmo acted like I'd abandoned him for years and wouldn't speak to me. Until I hauled out the cat swag, of course. Then he changed his tune. Typical self-serving cat.

Phoebe is especially pleased because she's my lap cat while I'm writing during the day. This morning she waited patiently at my desk until I sat down and spread her "blanky" across my lap. I don't have the heart to move her for any reason whatsoever. I really wish I'd slipped on an adult diaper and grabbed some snacks. That's poor planning on my part.

All clocked in for the work day.

How can I be expected to disturb that face? I'm no monster.

I Won an Award, Hung Out with Friends and Met an Amazing New Cat Buddy!

Finally heading home today after visiting with a friend in Texas and then attending the 2013 Cat Writers' Association conference in Dallas. At the conference I attended some fantastic workshops, met some great people at the book signing, sold some copies of whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds, met an amazing blind cat named Spirit and won a Muse Medallion for my Catster column, Kids, Cats, Chaos! A bunch of my fellow cat-writing buddies won too, including Deb Barnes of Zee & Zooey won Friskies Writer of the Year award, JaneA Kelley of Paws and Effect won two Muse Medallions and Deb Glovatsky of Glogirly won two medallions as well!

And of course, it's always fun to visit with all my writer friends. Janiss Garza from Sparkle the Designer Cat is one of my besties and I love spending time with her. And I finally got to meet Glori Anibarro from Gato Avocado. There are just way too many delightful people to name here. They all rock pretty hard and are friends to and advocates for cats.

(L-R) Deb, me and JaneA. Cat writers are tough, yo.

Book signing with authors Amy Shojai and Susan Logan, who is also the editor of Cat Fancy.

I love meeting readers!

Spirit helped me sell books.

"Cheers!" from Janiss, Glori and me!

Now it's home to my human and furry family. And lots of stink eye from the latter!

More Miles the Kitten!

Sick of me posting about my friend's kitten, Miles? Too bad for you because here's an adorable Vine of him chasing his little tail. He does this ALL the time and I just can't stand it!!

None Too Pleased

I've been out of town for a week and today I'm at the annual Cat Writers' Association conference. I've heard from sources that Cosmo isn't too pleased with my absence. I have a feeling this will be the face that will greet me when I arrive home on Sunday. He'll probably change his tune when he sees the swag I've brought him.