Pre-Order Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin's Catification Book and Help Cats

I've been excited about Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin's upcoming book Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylist Home for Your Cat (and You!) for quite some time. I'm always looking for ways to appease my kitties and create more comfortable, fun and interesting spaces in my home for them. I was thrilled when I received my advance copy in the mail recently, and immediately set off to see how I could further catify my home. It seemed the actual book was all Saffy needed.

Catladyland's catification tip: Place book on sofa and watch cat enjoy surface.

But in all seriousness, the book is so cool! It begins by helping the reader understand their cats and their needs. This is important because it totally guides the catification process. Most all felines are alike in some respects; however, each cat is an individual with his or her own likes, dislikes, comforts and experiences. These are all aspects needed to take into account, and the Catification book helps us understand all of this. Throughout the book, cat-style maven Kate and Cat-Daddy Jackson offer tips and observations, which I loved. It really felt like they were sitting beside me, looking through pages together.

I enjoyed the reader-submitted catification projects because they each reflected a personal style and assured me all the projects are not super time-consuming or involved. You see, I'm not super-handy, and honestly, neither is my husband. There are definitely some ideas that would make Handy Andys (and Andreas) drool, but are also some really simple ones like placing basic shelves on the wall to help cats gain height. I think most of us can handle that -- I believe I can safely swing a hammer. I just realized how violent that "swing a hammer" phrase sounds. I promise to swing softly ... maybe with some Fleet Foxes playing in the background.

Catification is scheduled for publication October 14, but you can pre-order it! And there's a benefit to your awesome pre-order: For each pre-order, Tarcher / Penguin will donate $1 to FixNation.org! That means you get a great book, and you contribute to an organization committed to helping bring pet overpopulation to an end. Plus, your pre-order scores you discounts toward purchases on Kate's Hauspanther site, as well as Jackson Galaxy's own site. Email your digital receipt or a photo-image of your paper receipt to catification@gmail.com to receive your discount codes.

Pre-order your copy of Catification on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, or from your favorite bookseller!

Speaking of Jackson Galaxy, he will be a guest on our good friends' blog radio show, Pets Teach Us So Much tomorrow, July 31 at 6:00 PM, ET. He'll be discussing the One Picture Saves a Life Project and the free event at North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington, NY on Sunday, August 3. Be sure and tune in!

Whiskerslist Online Book-Signing Event This Week Only!

If you  regularly read Catladyland, you know I wrote a book called whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds. It's a parody humor book based on the idea of cats having their own version of craigslist. Silly? Of course, but if you don't like ridiculous humor, you probably shouldn't read most anything I write.

The companion whiskerslist calendar is scheduled for release on August 1, and I'm tickled to share it with you. It's a 2015 page-a-day box calendar -- so every day you can read a weird ad "written" by a cat! There are a few favorites from the book in the calendar's pages, but most of it is comprised of brand new ads for personals, sale/wanted, community, rants/raves/hisses, discussions and more. It's really fun and a little edgy, like the book. You can pre-order the calendar online or from your favorite book seller.

A page from the new calendar.

To celebrate the coming release of the book, I'd like to offer a great deal on the whiskerslist book:

From July 28, 2014 -- August 1, 2014, I'm hosting an online book-signing event! You'll have the opportunity to purchase a signed copy of whiskerslist for $16 ($12.95 + the US cost of media mail/please contact me for international rates). I'll sign the book however you'd like (think ahead to the holidays), and include a Texts from Mittens postcard that you can use as a bookmark, hang on the fridge, use as a tiny litter box liner, whatever.

The whiskerslist book cover. "Casual encounters? Are your neutered?"

So this whole deal is kind of like attending a bookstore book-signing event -- except you can do it all in your jammies, from in front of the computer. Easy-peasy. Sure, you'll pay a small amount of shipping, but you're saving on gas, right?

Sweet, desperate Hector from the book.

Here's how it works:

• Email me (do not comment here) with your name and mailing address, and indicate how you'd like to pay: catladyland@gmail.com.
• Payment is available via Paypal (catladyland@gmail.com), or check (book will be mailed after check clears).
• Again, the cost is the retail price of $12.95, plus $3.05 for media-mail shipping = $16 even. Please contact me for international shipping rates.
• You receive the book and postcard!

Thanks so much, and I'll let you know when the calendar's released and we'll host a fun giveaway to celebrate. 

Getting Inside My Cats' Heads

My cats rarely share the same space, so when they do, I grab the camera. This phenomenon happened a couple of weeks ago, and I just love how everyone looks in the photograph I captured. There are so many stories that could go along with this pic. I try to imagine what each of them is thinking. Here are a few ideas.

Cosmo: The girls got the best spots again. This is total BS.

Saffy: I'm in the window and Phoebe isn't swatting me. Is today Opposite Day?

Phoebe: *pretending not to see Saffy because too tired to swat*

Cosmo: I love Mom so much. I wonder where she is. *purr, purr, drool, drool*

Saffy: I'm hungry. I wonder if I can make it past Phoebe without her swatting me.

Phoebe: If Saffy leaves the window, I'll definitely swat her. And then I'll jack that window. Screw Opposite Day.


Just another day in Catladyland.

My Cats Are Pleased With My Poor Math Skills

I recently posted directions on how to make a really great no-sew cat bed. When I bought the fleece for it, I was thinking there would be more that I was given -- another example of my math usually eludes me. I'd made the bed once before, and it felt like I'd used way more fleece -- let's just say that.

Anyhow, I knew I was going to make the bed for a Catladyland post, and wanted it to look attractive. I was a little bit afraid readers would be like, "That's a tiny pillow! You're cheap! No cat's going to want to lie on that thing!" Admittedly, I can be cheap (although I prefer to call myself a "locator of good deals"), but was perfectly willing to pay full price for the fleece with the kitten-princess print. I mean, what cat doesn't already think he or she is royalty, right? Maybe the regal fleece (that just sounds ridiculous) would make up for the fact that I'd added incorrectly and bought too little fabric.

Phoebe bows to the regal fleece.

So I headed home, created the bed and posted all about it right here on my blog. I placed the bed on the floor, hoping one of the cats would claim it, but no. Of course, when I want them to plop on top of something, they want nothing to do with it. In fact, I had to arrange Cosmo on top of the pillow so I could snag a decent photo of a cat sorta-kinda enjoying the pillow.

Yeah, this is staged. He didn't care about this pillow.

After I posted the cat-bed instructions, the cats decided they did indeed like the pillow, and now I think I understand why it's so popular: It's just about the same size as my bed pillow, of which my cats (especially Cosmo) are so fond of jacking.

He does care about THIS pillow.

So maybe I was wrong -- maybe this is the perfect size of pillow to make for my cats. Perhaps my bad math paid off this time? Whatever the case, it's now the most popular resting place in my house.

Now it's everybody's favorite. Explain cats, please.

So there is a long story about how poor math skills can actually work in your favor. Good luck with all that, and make the cat bed -- it's for-real easy.

It's a Simple Solution Cat Litter Giveaway!

Cat litter: it's a simple fact of life for those of us who share our lives with cats. And there are so many interesting new choices out there -- litter made of corn, walnuts, wheat, and even recycled paper. Ultimately, we choose the one that works best for our particular situation.

My cats recently tried Simple Solution 30-Day Litter, and it's like no other litter I've seen. First of all, it's pink. That's right -- my cats' litter pan looked like one of those pink-sand beaches! I'm sure my cats thought they were on vacation in the Bahamas when they did their business.  It's made from attapulgite clay, which differs from the traditional clay litters -- it's a unique, lightweight material that attaches to, absorbs and traps moisture from both urine and feces.

What I think is cool about this litter is that it lasts 30 days, and completely absorbs the urine! -- the manufacturer says it's 300% more absorbent than other brands, and I believe it.  It took me a little while to get used to not scooping clumps of urine, but it didn't take too much time. Poop was all there was to scoop!

The litter is lightly scented, which doesn't bother me at all; however, I know some people can be sensitive to any scents at all. Unlike regular clay litters, the dust is minimal and I didn't notice much tracking from kitty feet. 

I can't even smell my own pee!

My cats seemed to use the new litter quite comfortably -- I didn't notice them using the other boxes any more often than usual. Because the urine is automatically absorbed, scooping was a breeze! I even found I only needed to scoop that particular box once a day, whereas I scooped the others twice.

Here's a little video demonstrating the uniqueness of the 30-Day litter.

Don't forget to like Simple Solution of Facebook, and follow them on Twitter! And you can always locate the dealer closest to you!

Would you like to try Simple Solution 30-Day litter for yourself? Enter below to win one of six boxes! Addresses in the US and Canada qualify. The giveaway ends Monday, July 28. Winner will be contacted by email.




a Rafflecopter giveaway


This post is sponsored by Simple Solution 30-Day cat litter. I was given free product to review, but Catladyland only shares information and products we feel are relevant to our readers. Simple Solution 30-Day cat litter is not responsible for the content of this article.

My "Golden" Cat Loves the Vet's Office -- Go Figure

Yesterday we took Phoebe to the vet for her annual visit. Each time we go, everyone at the office goes batty over what a great cat she is. I think she's one of the only kitties who actually puts on her best behavior when he goes to the clinic; she seems to love entertaining and wooing the employees. Seriously: She actually enjoys being there -- Cosmo and Saffy, not so much. Here are some of my Phoebe-observations from yesterday's visit.

Are we there yet?

The golden-cat behavior happens as soon as we hit the door of the clinic. On the car ride over, however, she sang the many and varied songs of her people ... sometimes her tunes sounded bluesy, but occasionally she sounded a bit like Tupac gone wild -- that cat throw down a serious rap about her repression.

As soon as we checked in, she started giving the receptionist goo-goo eyes, and of course the receptionist was all like, "Ohhh, Miss Phoebe!" She was obviously not subject to the songs of her people for the entire 15 minutes leading up to the goo-goo eyes.

Practicing my best cute look for the vet.

When we cut her loose in the exam room, she immediately meandered over to the scale and loafed-up on top of it. "Look at her!," said the tech, "It's like she knew we were going to weigh her!" Show-off.

Then during the entire exam, the vet and tech serenaded us with all sorts of compliments:

"She's so beautiful!"
"Wow! She's really social!"
"Phoebe is SO smart!"
"What a perfect cat!"
"She's nine, but acts three!"
"She's so comfortable, relaxed and happy here!"

All true, but again, they are strangers to the songs of her people.

Cute AND smart, undeniably.

Miss Phoebe left the clinic with a completely clean bill of health, which we totally expected.

I joke, but we're really lucky that Phoebe's so well-behaved at the vet's office. She is a great cat ... who can sing the blues (and rap) like nobody's business.

My Cat Tries the PetFusion Jumbo Scratcher Lounge

Cats spend a heck of a lot of time lounging -- at least mine do. When PetFusion asked if we'd like to try one of their new Jumbo Scratcher Lounges, I knew Saffy, Cosmo and Phoebe would be all over it. I'd definitely be a hero. Plus I knew it would arrive in a large box, which would exponentially increase my heroism in their eyes.

Like bunk beds!

So the day arrived when the Jumbo Scratcher Lounge appeared on our doorstep. Oh, happy day! The cats gathered 'round, their curiosity piqued in a jumbo way. I pulled the Scratcher Lounge from the long box and waited for the cats' eyes to widen. They widened, alright -- and Phoebe immediately occupied the tunnel-like box.

Box!

The Scratcher Lounge is a solid, well-constructed item, made of eco-friendly, recycled and recyclable corrugated cardboard and nontoxic, corn-starch glue. I saw it was clearly a quality product, and I couldn't wait to see what my cats would think of it.

I moved the Jumbo Scratcher between a few places around the house, and waited. Each time I checked to see if one of my three had discovered it, I only saw Phoebe -- and she was definitely pleased. I sprinkled catnip on the surfaces and brought the other cats over, but they didn't stay long. You see, Phoebe had already claimed it as her very own, and heaven help the cat who tried to use it alongside her. I witnessed her swatting and hissing at Cosmo and Saffy if they came anywhere near it.

Phoebe swats Cosmo away from "her" new Lounge

One of the reasons I wanted to try the Jumbo Scratcher is because I have three cats, and it's, well, jumbo-sized. Kitties can lounge or scratch on the top or inside, which also serves as a cool hideaway. What wound up happening was my tiny Phoebe, the smallest of my brood, became Queen of the Jumbo Scratcher Lounge. I wish I could report on how my other cats reacted to the awesomeness of it; however, that opportunity hasn't yet presented itself.

This is perfect for ME.

I can say, however, Phoebe loves it. I mean, she absolutely adores it. She sleeps on the top, cozies up on the bottom and scratches all over it. It's a great scratcher -- I just found one of her claw sheaths beside it, so it's pretty sturdy.

Don't I look adorable when I lounge?

So, I highly recommend PetFusion's Jumbo Scratcher Lounger, and Phoebe gives it her seal of approval. I imagine it would be a major hit in homes where cats actually share spaces.

Go away.

You can check out all of PetFusions awesome products here. The Jumbo Scratcher Lounger is one of three new scratchers. The 3-Sided Vertical Scratcher and Reversible Curve Scratcher are also new additions to their line of quality cat products.

This post is sponsored by PetFusion. I was given free product to review, but Catladyland only shares information and products we feel are relevant to our readers. PetFusion is not responsible for the content of this article.

CATastrophes Web Series Makes Us Laugh, and Helps Cats!

If you read Catladyland, I'm pretty sure you've got a great sense of humor and are all for cats finding great homes. Well, my friend Alana Grelyak of the Cat in the Fridge blog has teamed up with filmmaker husband Michael Gabriele to create a new humorous, cat-centric web series called CATastrophes. And Discovery Digital Network's Animalist.com has picked it up! This is good news for humans and cats alike!

CATastrophes stars Alana and actor/comedian Kris Flanagan, and each episode features adoptable cats and a couple who has to deal with comedic situations surrounding the cats. What's so cool about the series -- aside from the fantastically fun storylines and outstanding production quality -- is that these cats in need of homes get extra exposure. Win-win, right?

Kris and Alana are simply CATastrophic.

Between the longer features, Alana and Kris will offer tips on living with cats, showcase harder-to-adopt kitties and even reenact viewers' stories. And within the features are critical messages about important topics like spaying and neutering. The CATastrophes team has really figured out a way to use their medium to entertain and educate the public. And I much prefer their style to the hard-to-watch commercials and videos that feature the darker side of the subject.

Cats in tie = good entertainment.

The episodes will air weekly on Animalist.com and YouTube, and today's new one stars the one and only Lil BUB as a cat who has the power to take humans back in time! Also featured are adoptable cats from Tree House Humane Society in Chicago. I'm a big fan of The BUB, and thoroughly enjoyed this clever story. I'm planning on subscribing to the channel so I don't miss an episode. I'm sure after watching the current episode, you'll want to do the same thing. Plus ... BUB! Here it is:

Catladyland loves to support anything funny that also helps cats. This is exactly what CATastrophes does. I hope you'll join us in enjoying and sharing this fun and thoughtful new project.

This post is sponsored by Discovery Digital Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about CATastrophes, but Catladyland only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Discovery Digital Network is not responsible for the content of this article.

You Need to Make this Easy, No-Sew Cat Bed! #BlogPawsDIY

Like most cats, mine are skilled in the art of couch potato-ing. They're masters at identifying potentially comfortable surfaces on which to lie ... and somehow even find coziness in places that don't seem quite cozy to me. But try to explain cats ... go ahead. Yeah, I thought so. Impossible.

I wouldn't consider myself a super-crafty person, but I can create simple projects, and even sew a little. I found instructions for a simple, no-sew cat bed that takes about half an hour to create -- longer if you're actively shooing cats off the top of the fleece.

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 pieces of fleece (different designs are nice) that are exactly the same size. There's no prescribed size -- I usually use 1/2 of a yard or less.
• Sharp scissors
• Masking tape
• Ruler or measuring tape
• Pillow stuffing

1. Lay the fleece pieces on top of each other, with the "good" sides on the outside.

2. Place a line of tape, 4-inches from the bottom of each side. This will leave a square in each corner -- follow the line of tape and cut out the square.

3. Cut 1-inch strips from the fabric to the line of tape -- this will create a fringe all the way around the fleece.

4. Prevent cat from playing with fringe (good luck).

5. Knot the fringed pieces of the top fabric to those of the bottom fabric. 

6. Move cat so you can tie all the knots (good luck).

7. After three sides are tied, stuff bed with desired amount of pillow stuffing, and then tie final side.

Please note: Cat may immediately begin testing the new bed by "making biscuits." 

Yes, it's a success!

Good luck with making your no-sew cat bed! Even more luck trying to work around your furry "assistants!"

This post is sponsored by BlogPaws. I am being compensated by helping spread the word about DIY projects that enrich cats' lives, but Catladyland only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. BlogPaws is not responsible for the content of this article.

Changes to Catladyland ... and Cranky Cosmo

I've been writing daily posts here on Catladyland since January of 2009 -- and have only missed one day! Obsessive much, Angie? Don't answer that. Many of you know I also write the Texts from Mittens blog, as well as maintain the whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds site. On top of that, I manage the social media for all three brands, as well as keep a pretty busy freelance writing schedule, including 4-5 days a week on Catster ... oh, and then there's the book stuff!  I absolutely love what I do, and feel so grateful every day that I get to make a living writing funny stuff about cats! Believe me, I have a thankful heart every day!

Catladyland is my flagship blog, and I can't even imagine letting it go; however I've decided to implement a few changes so I can better balance my time and energy. It's time for some self-care, and my cats are starting to complain that I'm not nearly at their beck and call as often as they'd prefer. Plus, I'd like to be available to participate in other projects (some cat-related, some not) as they pop up.

Here's what readers can expect:

• Beginning this Monday, I'll for sure blog Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I may also post other days if something special arises; however, you can always count on those three days.
• I plan to write longer posts, while keeping with the "silly cat humor" theme. I enjoy writing lists, so you'll probably see a few of those. The focus of Catladyland will not change: "Silly, mostly ridiculous cat humor, mostly about my cats." I hope to share more about Cosmo, Saffy and Phoebe. 
• I'd like to create some humorous infographics, as well as add to my Fanglish cat slang dictionary.
• I'll continue partnering with cat-friendly companies for sponsored posts, reviews and giveaways.
• The social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus, Instagram) will not change, and will continue to feature plenty of fun and fresh content, as well as flashback posts. 

That's it! Just wanted to fill you in some of the changes you can expect. Some of you are fairly new to Catladyland, and others are loyal readers from the beginning days, when this blog was called "Eclectic Catladyland." Whoever you are, and for however long you've followed us, we just want you to know we're elated and beyond grateful that you choose to share part of your day to laugh and be silly with us!

And now I'd like to leave you with a photo of Cosmo, attached to my hip and looking cranky. You know, his go-to look.

Cosmo is Floored

A Catladyland flashback!

Click image to vote!

My Cats Aren't Even Italian

This is an old photo of Saffy. I posted it a year or two ago and someone went after me for feeding my cat pizza. For the record, my cats probably don't even like pizza. They're not even Italian.

A Cat Tunnel Arrived Yesterday

Yesterday we received our PetFusion Jumbo Cat Scratcher Lounge (review to come), and my cats were elated ... nearly as elated as they were about the giant box in which it arrived. It was a long box - the perfect kitty tunnel.

Phoebe immediately went tunneling.

I'm an Expert at Examining Spotty Paw-Pads

Phoebe is a calico-tabby mix and I just love examining her markings, especially her toes. She has spotty paw-pads and when I stick a finger between them, she slowly fans her toes.

Is it weird that I want to look at spotty paw-pads all day long? Maybe there's a job out there where I could examine spotty-paw pads by the hour? I'm pretty much an expert at it. That must be an employable skill, right?

Fanglish Cat-Slang Flashback

I used to write a Friday feature called "Fanglish." Each week I shared two words of cat slang, their meanings, and a sentence including the term. I really enjoyed writing them, and readers seemed to enjoy reading them ... not quite sure why I stopped, but here's a sample of one Friday's post.


Precursor
The intense focus preceding a cat's attack of a moving cursor on a computer screen

Maurice crouched into precursor mode while he watched The Lady shop online.


Licker License
A cat's self-assigned permission to lick dirty pans in the kitchen sink

Snowball 's licker license expired when The Lady walked in the kitchen.

Click for a full list of Fanglish terms

Stink-Eye is Stinky

Anyone who shares their life with a cat knows they are masters at doling out a heaping serving of stink-eye.

Here are some classic stinky moments from Phoebe.

What belongs to the cat? Silly question.

Phoebe's always had a thing about my son's backpack, and if he has to remove her, she fights it. Seriously, she always has a few choice "words" for him.

Cat Truth #759: First and foremost, everything belongs to the cat.

New PetFusion Scratchers 10% Off For Catladyland Readers!

PetFusion is known for their practical and aesthetically pleasing products for cats, and now they're offering three brand new scratchers, which are not only super-cool, they're available until July 6 for 10% off the marked price!

That's right. The nice people at PetFusion have given Catladyland's readers the special code CATLADY1, that when used at checkout, will generate the discount. What a deal, right?

The Reversible Curve Scratcher is two designs in one, which means it will last twice as long! And PetFusion scratchers are durably constructed with dense cardboard, so they already last longer than many other similar products. The curved design in this scratcher mean more comfortable and easy use for your cat.

Rotate the 3-Sided Vertical Scratcher for prolonged life! The shape makes it easy for kitty to use, plus they'll love the cubby hole. I know my cats would.

Check out this Jumbo Cat Scratcher Lounge. It's a scratcher! It's a lounge! It's a double-decker delight, especially for homes with multiple cats. I think it kind of looks like bunk beds. Who doesn't love bunk beds?

So hop on it! The 10% discount is good from now until midnight (PDT) on July 6. Remember to use the code CATLADY1 at checkout. Easy-peasy, right? Right. Enjoy!