Unboxing December's CatLadyBox

The theme of December's CatLadyBox was "Meowy Holidays Box"...here's what was inside!

Featured Cat Lady Artist Denise Every: Could the Siamese trio and their little mouse friend be any cuter?

Cat Lady Zip Jacket: I gasped out loud when I pulled this out of the box! Love the sequins and soft texture, a hallmark of CatLadyBox clothing items. This will be the purrfect spring and fall jacket in my neck of the woods.

Glitter Cat Travel Tumbler: 'Tis the season for hot beverages, and with this tumbler I'll be toting my peppermint mocha in style!

Sweet Cat Card Holder: Such a smart idea! This compact card holder has several pockets plus the interior opens to hold a little cash.

Meowlidays Tree Catnip Toy: Mudpie and I have been having so much fun with this toy. I thought it would be cute to sit outside her beloved KatKabin to look like she had her very own little Christmas tree, but apparently she doesn't agree because I keep finding it either knocked over or in various places around the house.

Sam the Snowman Catnip Toy: As often happens, this toy was pilfered from Mudpie's toy box and added to our holiday decor :)

Not a subscriber yet? Visit CatLadyBox today!

Interested in purchasing individual items from past boxes? You can do that too!

Disclosure: I receive a discount on my CatLadyBox subscription as a thank you for my monthly review. Regardless of compensation received, we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers.

Our Nightmare Before Christmas

Meows from Mudpie!

'Twas 2 weeks before Christmas, and all is not merry at our house.

It all started last Thursday when the oil tank in our basement had to be inspected prior to heating oil delivery, and it failed. (It's been down there since the house was built 67 years ago - go figure!) Mommy is planning to convert us over to gas heat, but I'm fully expecting to become a frozen Mudpie before long.

Then the On Demand feature on our cable box died (the main way we keep up on our shows), meaning Mommy is going to have to deal with the dreaded Comcast about replacing the box.

Last but not least, the toaster oven died. Mommy uses it just about every night for dinner instead of firing up the big oven, so she went to Amazon and ordered a new one instead of searching the stores. It came on Monday and I got this pawsome box in the deal, but the one she ordered is too small and she's sending it back. (Which means she's still going to need to go out among the Christmas shoppers to find the right size.)

Well guess what, Mommy?

I'm. Not. Leaving.

Wherever this box goes, I go, and I suggest you do the same because this place is jinxed! Does anyone wanna adopt us while our house falls apart?

Book Review: A Tale of Two Kitties by Nick Harding

They say in life you’re either a cat person or a dog person.

Nick Harding was neither (although if he had to pick a side he would have chosen the canines, on account of his cat allergies). Then he fell in love with a mad cat lady who forced exuberant kitten Alvin on him, and the adventure began.

A Tale of Two Kitties is the story of Nick’s unlikely trajectory from cat hater to reluctant cat owner and finally to cat lover, via a global investigation of the weirdly fascinating domestic cat world. Nick embarks on a journey of discovery on which he investigates how cats came to rule the world. The story surfs the kitty zeitgeist and takes the reader on a global odyssey through cat history and the modern-day cult of the kitty.

From hipsters using cats to take over the internet, to the richest cat in the world, Nick’s personal cat journey explains how felines have risen to replace dogs as man’s best friend. It’s full of fascinating insights about cat behaviour, cat history and cat evolution.

Nick lives and breathes cats, all in an effort to understand the true essence of his own badly-behaved moggies. It’s a memoir, an escapade, an anthology and a social, natural and cultural history that takes the reader on a romp through our cat planet.

As someone who has been fanatical about cats from the crib, it's hard for me to imagine there are people out there who don't worship the furry little gifts from God, but in A Tale of Two Kitties we meet such a man and then follow his progression into a feline devotee. For Nick the journey begins after he falls in love with a cat lady and together they bring a Bengal named Alvin into their lives. Through their adventures with Alvin and then another Bengal named Barry, Nick immerses himself into the "cat world" so many of us are happily a part of, visiting cat cafes, cat shows, and breeders of exotic cats.

I enjoyed his book very much and learned a lot about Bengals in particular. On the other hand, I have serious issues with the author's insistence on allowing his cats outside even after Alvin's disappearance, and his conclusion that the love we have for our cats is a one-sided relationship. In my experience nothing could be further from the truth. And I was horrified at learning the history of what happened to many household pets in the wake of World War 2. Still, I loved meeting Alvin & Barry, and witnessing all their antics. Anyone passionate about cats will get a kick out of Nick's conversion.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. As members of the Amazon Associates affiliate program, if you click on our links and buy something Mudpie gets a little money for her piggy bank!

Christmas Mewsic Moves Me: Part 2

The theme of the Mewsic Moves Me blog hop for the month of December is Christmas music, and this week we're excited to present part 2 of some of our all-time favorite country Christmas classics...

We hope you enjoyed our choices!

Next week...it's a completely Conway Christmas!!!

Santa Mudpie #SundaySelfie

Tell Santa Mudpie what you want for Christmas!

We're joining our friends at The Cat On My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop!

Nobody Here But Us Elves #CaturdayArt

Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and Four-Legged Furballs!

Mommy's answers:

1. I love buying gifts for my mom. Our tastes are almost exactly alike so I just buy things I like!

2. I have a hard time finding a gift for my dad. All he ever says is he doesn't "need" anything, plus his birthday is just a month later making it even harder!

Mudpie's answers:

3. It's the most wonderful time of the year for cuddling.

4. There's no place like home with Mommy for the holidays.

Fun Feline Finds: Star of Wonder Votive

One of the most aesthetically beautiful websites in the cat blogosphere is The Creative Cat - with creative being the key word. An award-winning blog featuring the incredibly talented artist Bernadette Kazmarski's art, photography, writing, and poetry, all inspired by her lifelong love of the feline form.

One of Bernadette's newest pieces is an item that would make both a beautiful gift for the cat lover on your Christmas shopping list as well as purrfect for your own holiday decor. It's a glass votive etched by hand and finished with a clear label printed from her artwork Star of Wonder...

Photo: Bernadette Kazmarski, The Creative Cat

The Star of Winder votive is only $15 including shipping, and comes with an LED tea light. Don't you think it's stunning?

This is not a sponsored post and I'm not being compensated in any way for featuring this product.