Thursday, June 30, 2016

Book Review/Giveaway: To Catch a Cat by Heather Green


From the publisher: A heartfelt, funny memoir about how a kitten rescue project changed one cynic’s life…

Journalist Heather Green was finally putting down roots: in shiny, buzzing Manhattan. She loved her work and threw herself into sixty-hour weeks—once walking into a subway pole, getting a concussion, and still going to the office. Her new boyfriend Matt lived across the river in a New Jersey town that had none of the glamour of New York. She liked Matt—a lot—yet she wasn’t sure what to make of weekends in gritty, dilapidated Union City.

But things changed the summer morning Heather discovered a beautiful stray cat and her three black-and-white kittens in Matt’s neighbor’s backyard. When she made eye contact with one of the kittens, she felt something she’d never felt before. She and Matt had to save the little animals. Because if they didn’t, who would?

The crazy world of cat rescue soon drew Heather in. As she and Matt worked together to figure out how to trap, tame, and find homes for their foundlings, she began to question the life she had back in Manhattan. This is the story of how three furry beings taught one woman about love, community, and what truly matters in life.


I have a tremendous amount of respect for animal rescuers who work "in the field". Those who put their hearts on the line each and every day for little to no thanks. As Nelson Mandela said, "There can be no greater gift than that of giving one's time and energy to help others without expecting anything in return." That's the definition of a hero in my eyes, and cats forced to survive on the streets need all the heroes they can find.

Journalist Heather Green's life is changed forever when she finds a stray mama cat and her three kittens in the backyard of her boyfriend's New Jersey home. At the time she's a typical Manhattanite, focused solely on her career with any time left over going into her social life. Still, she knows she has to save this precious little family, and with the help of her wonderfully supportive boyfriend Matt she does just that. They don't enter this commitment lightly; Matt even goes so far as to take a class to learn more about working with ferals. They pick just the right time to trap the wild kittens and begin the slow and steady process of socializing them.

The only problem left is when the time comes to let them go, how is anyone ever going to be "good enough" to adopt their little charges? While this isn't a sad book, it's actually very uplifting, tears were flowing when Heather and Matt left the kittens in their forever homes. There's a happy ending for mom Oona too, now a former feral living the good life with Heather's family (see photo below).

As much as this book is about the world of cat rescue, it's also a love story. As Heather and Matt take on their greatest challenge as a couple, they realize that they make a pretty great team and learn much about themselves and relationship building along the way. Subsequently they've married, had a daughter, and gone on to save 65 cats while also creating a strong foundation for change in how their community responds to urban cats.

If you love cats and care about their well-being, you owe it to yourself (and them) to pick up a copy of this book. It will inspire you and make you so grateful that there are people out there making a difference and being a voice for the most innocent among us.

To Catch a Cat is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, July 5th, and can be pre-ordered today.



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About the Author: Heather Green is a freelance writer and former journalist. For twelve years, she covered the Internet and digital media for BusinessWeek, winning awards including the New York Press Club Crystal Gavel and the Front Page Award from the Newswomen’s Club of New York. She wrote numerous cover stories on subjects from social media to e-commerce, pioneered using blogs, podcasts, and Twitter at BusinessWeek, and appeared on national TV stations, including CNN, CNBC, and the BBC. Prior to BusinessWeek, she worked for Bloomberg where she launched their Internet beat and at the International Herald Tribune in Paris. She has a BA from the University of Virginia and a graduate degree from the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris. To Catch a Cat is her first book.

Giveaway: Leave a comment by noon eastern on Friday, July 8th for your chance to win a copy of To Catch a Cat. (Per the publisher's request, US entries only, please.)

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Taste America's Goodness with Whole Earth Farms #ChewyInfluencer

Meows from Mudpie!

Do any of you kitties have a Mommy as weird as mine? The first time she saw Whole Earth Farms products on the store shelves, she hoped I'd like the food because she loved the artwork on the packaging so much. She says it looks just like the Vermont countryside.

Strange, right? Like anything matters more to a cat than how the food tastes!


Whole Earth Farms is a part of the Merrick Pet Care family, offering a wholesome line of naturally nutritious pet food that offers all the goodness from the earth at a great value. They have a full line of recipes that provide grain-free nutrition with healthy protein sources and vegetables for a delicious daily meal. It's Cooked in the USA meeting the highest quality standards and contains no ingredients from China.

A few months ago I tried one of the pate varieties and found it too dry for my taste, so we asked to try the Grain-Free Morsels in Gravy Chicken Recipe. When we opened the can we saw very little gravy, and the consistency of the food is more of the chunky variety.


We had our doubts but Mommy whipped out her trusty fork and mashed it up, then added a bit of water for good measure. She brought it to me in my favorite window so I could dine al fresco.

Guess what? I liked it! We took a little video as proof...and because there's not nearly enough video of me here on the blog :)



All varieties of Whole Earth Farms canned cat food are currently on sale for $25.88 for a case of 24, so ask your mom or dad to add some to your next Chewy.com order. They offer FREE 1-2 day shipping for orders over $49, and with over 500 brands in stock they have something sure to make every cat or dog happy.

Disclaimer: This food was sent to us for free by Chewy.com as part of their Blogger Outreach Program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own and we never recommend a product we don’t fully believe in.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday


Welcome to this week's edition of Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday!

We hope you enjoy our choices.


The Black Cat Knocks on Wood (A Bad Luck Cat Mystery) by Kay Finch

From the publisher: Sabrina finds it difficult to work on her latest suspense novel when her Aunt Rowe’s antics keep tying up her thoughts. This time Rowe and her fun-loving friends have decided to compete in the upcoming Texas Hill Country Senior Pro Rodeo. The problem is these women have little to no experience with lassos, bulls, or even horseback riding. 

Before Sabrina can keep the stubborn seniors from mounting their steeds, she’s sidetracked by a bigger problem. An uppity local business owner is found dead in an accident—right after a black cat was seen in her office. While the townsfolk think the bad luck cat has struck again, Sabrina suspects there might be something more murderous afoot. With a twisted killer on the loose, she’ll have to round up clues quickly before she or her aunt are steered straight into the path of danger...

Tortie Shorties Review: Hitchcock is back for his second adventure, and that little cutie is anything but a Bad Luck Cat!!!

Sabrina is horrified when her Aunt Rowe and her lady friends plan to compete in the Texas Hill Country Senior Pro Rodeo...not exactly a wise decision for a group of septuagenarian with no experience. Hilarity is certain to ensue. One of Rowe's friends, Pearl, is planning to buy the property next door to expand her store and feels that she's been cheated realtor Crystal Devlin. She asks to "borrow" sweet little Hitchcock to bring Crystal a little bad luck. Sabrina is horrified and refuses, but bad luck finds Crystal anyways when she's crushed under a pile of bricks in the aforementioned storefront. Everyone knows Pearl and the victim were feuding, which makes her the prime suspect.

As much as I loved the first book in this series, I enjoyed this one even more. Sabrina's writing career is really taking off...if only she had the time to write! Along with her crime solving duties, she's planning an event with veterinarian Magnolia Jensen called Love-a-Black-Cat adoption weekend. The rodeo scenes are a lot of fun, and Sabrina winds up finding herself in more than one dangerous situation. Thank goodness Hitchcock has taken it upon himself to be her chief protector! He's a total scene stealer and a purr-fect ambassador for black cats everywhere.




From the publisher: With her rent rising faster than her pie crust, bakery owner Winnie Johnson had hoped to be rescued by an inheritance from her wealthy friend and neighbor Gertrude Redenbacher. Instead all she inherits is the widow’s hostile hissing tabby, Lovey, and a vintage ambulance, restored by Gertrude’s late husband. As her dream crumbles, Winnie makes her final delivery—a peach pie to an elderly widower. But she finds Bart Wagner lying on his kitchen floor, smothered by a pillow.

To comfort her frightened and grieving neighbors, Winnie comes to the rescue with her baked goods—and an idea is born: dessert delivery via her ambulance and a new business called the Emergency Dessert Squad. When she’s not speeding to the scenes of dessert emergencies, Winnie is also racing to track down Bart’s killer—before she needs to call a real ambulance for the next victim...

Tortie Shorties Review: This is one of the most clever concepts for a cozy series that I've seen yet!

Winnie Johnson is on the brink of losing her beloved bakery and her only hope is an inheritance from her dearly departed friend Gertrude. She doesn't inherit the money she so desperately needs though. She returns home with a hissy tabby named Lovey and an old ambulance. Attempting to turn lemons into lemonade she decides to turn the ambulance into a dessert delivery service with an "emergency" theme: the Emergency Dessert Squad. It's hard to keep her mind solely on growing her new business though, with the murder of her elderly neighbor Bart weighing on her and the feelings she's developing for her very first customer, handsome business professor Jay.

This first book in the series is a pure delight. Our protagonist Winnie is a character I immediately was drawn to: more comfortable with the older generation than her own, and focused on pursing her passion for baking. Her elderly friends and neighbors are such a delight, especially busybody Bridget and hard of hearing Mr. Nelson. Those two had me in stitches on more than one occasion. The mystery flows seamlessly and although I had a few suspicions I didn't piece everything together until Winnie revealed the truth.

Even though this isn't technically a cat mystery, Lovey plays a huge role throughout the book. I love how she rides shotgun on the ambulance and look forward to watching her develop a relationship with Winnie. Just what makes Lovey so grumpy, anyways???

Disclaimer: I received free copies of these books from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Sleep Deprived #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Picture it: Burlington. Late Friday night/early Saturday morning. (Do we watch too much Golden Girls or what?)

Mommy had eyes and ears on the ground at the Cat Writers Association banquet in Phoenix and absolutely refused to turn the lights out and go to sleep until she got a full report.

Then at 1:15 AM she received Facebook messages from her dear friends Lisa and Janiss that we WON the Muse Medallion in the Blog/Any Other Topic category!!!

Of course you know what happened next...we couldn't sleep! Mommy even woke up this morning with an "excitement hangover" headache!

Now tonight (Saturday) is the BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Awards and we'll be watching the live stream. Hopefully we'll get to bed at a decent hour this time!

Do I look sleep deprived? (If I do, Mommy looks worse!)


We're joining out friends at The Cat on My Head for the Sunday Selfies blog hop.


Friday, June 24, 2016

Unboxing June's CatLadyBox

The theme of June's CatLadyBox was "Pampurr Yourself"...this is what was inside!


Featured Cat Lady Artist FelineAffinity: I've loved each month's art card and one day plan to display them all in some fashion, but this is my favorite so far. The detail and beauty in the brushstrokes is so befitting feline purr-fection.

Cat Butt Pillowcase Set (CatLadyBox exclusive): Be honest now, how often have you woken up with a cat butt in your face? These pillowcases are just hysterical!

Handcrafted Artisan Soap by Purring Buddha: I'm definitely going to be doing more shopping at the Purring Buddha Etsy shop. Named after the owner's 3-legged cat Buddha, they donate a portion of their profits and donate products for rescue fundraisers and encourage adoption, rescue and fostering. I received the Paws and Reflect soap (eucalyptus and lemon scented) and it's simply divine!


Satin Catnap Sleep Mask (CatLadyBox exclusive): Make sure you look chic wherever you 're catnapping! Love the zipper bag it comes in too.

Spa Washcloth (CatLadyBox exclusive): Super soft and adorbs.

Imperial Cat Custom CatLadyBox Scratcher & Catnip Pouch: Every kitty needs extra scratchers around the house to keep their nails in tiptop shape. Shouldn't they get to pampurr themselves too?

Multi-pet Catnip Loofa Cat Toy: Mudpie's preference is small stuffies, so I commandeered this little cutie pie for my own stuffed animal collection!!!

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Not a subscriber yet? Visit CatLadyBox today!

And if you're lucky enough to be in LA this weekend for CatCon, visit the CatLadyBox booth and tell Dorian I said hi!

Disclosure: I'm not being compensated in any way for this review. I am a proud CatLadyBox subscriber!

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Black Cats Tell All Kickstarter Campaign

Do you believe that Black Cat Lives Matter? Read on for details about a wonderful project that will make a difference in the lives of black cats.


What do you think of when you think black cats?

Myths and superstitions about black cats date back to the Dark Ages and being discriminated against for simply being black. Black cats are the least likely to be adopted and I invite you to help us change that by supporting Black Cats Tell All :True Tales By 22 Amazing Cats, a deluxe, limited first edition book and non-profit project.

Created by our friend Layla Morgan Wilde of Cat Wisdom 101, this is the first anthology of positive stories about black cats and narrated by the fearless felines to debunk the superstitions. They feel it’s time to tell the world the truth. These 22 real, black cats share nothing in common except the color of their fur and a yen to pen their stories.

They reveal how wildly entertaining and fabulous black cats are to live with. Some reveal a secret life from the fanciful and mind-boggling, to every day hilarious and heart-warming antics. Their not so secret goal is to raise black cat awareness and increase their dismal rates of adoption.



For more information on this important project and how you can receive pawsome rewards by supporting it, visit the Kickstarter page.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Safe Travels, Friends! #BlogPaws

Meows from Mudpie!

As many of our friends are hitting the road for the BlogPaws conference in Phoenix, we wanted to take a moment to wish you all safe travels and a pawsome experience.

Although family obligations are keeping us at home we'll be following all the excitement via social media, and on Saturday night we'll be curled up on the couch watching the live stream of the Nose-to-Nose Awards cheering on our wonderful friends (and ourselves too!!!)


Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Four Paws Up For Sheba Perfect Portions #ChewyInfluencer


Meows from Mudpie!

You know how Mommy is always griping about how much I dislike wet food? (Just between you and me, she's prone to making mountains out of molehills.) I'm not fussy at all...I just have a very discriminating palate!

There is *one* brand of wet food that I've loved ever since the first time Mommy gave it to me, and I eat it every single day. I'm sure you're wondering, "What is this miracle food, Mudpie???"



I think what I love best about this food is how soft and juicy the pate is, unlike other brands that I find too dry. I like to lick up all the juicy goodness first and then return later for the rest. (The trays are branded as single serving but I'm a light eater and pick at it throughout the day.)

There's a wide variety of flavors available: chicken, turkey, chicken and liver, chicken and tuna, salmon, seafood, whitefish and tuna, and beef. I've tried and enjoyed them all except for the salmon. For some reason that one didn't tickle my taste buds.

Now I should tell you that Sheba is also available in 3 ounce cans, but I won't eat those. True story: one day Mommy walked into a local big box retailer and they were out of Sheba beef trays, so she asked a store employee if they had any out back. The lady said no, but the cans contained the same food. It's only the packaging that's different. Mommy answered, "No way. Not according to Miss Mudpie!" I'm sure that lady is still laughing...

The Sheba trays are very reasonably priced too. Both the Seafood and Poultry Multipacks are currently on sale at Chewy.com for just a little over $8 for a case of 12 trays (which is equal to 24 servings)!!! Single flavor cases of 24 trays (48 servings) are available for between $16 and $19 depending on the flavor.

If I like it, you know it's good, so make sure your humans add some Sheba Perfect Portions to your next Chewy.com order! They offer FREE 1-2 day shipping for orders over $49, and with over 500 brands in stock they have something sure to make every cat or dog happy.

Disclaimer: This food was sent to us for free by Chewy.com as part of their Blogger Outreach Program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own and we never recommend a product we don’t fully believe in.


We're linking up with the Chewy.com Blog Hop hosted by our good friends Oz the Terrier and Sugar the Golden Retriever.

Monday, June 20, 2016

Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday


Welcome to this week's edition of Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday!

We hope you enjoy our choices.



From the publisher: Spring has arrived in Holmes County and Angie couldn’t be happier. She’s got great friends, a thriving business, and is in the perfect relationship with Sheriff James Mitchell. The only thing raining on her parade is her mother drafting her into a massive home renovation project—and using their sudden mother/daughter bonding time to comment on Angie’s ticking biological clock. 

The house’s repairs and upgrades between the Amish craftsmen and their Englisch counterparts are proceeding well until a tremendous shock comes to the workers when the electrician is found dead on site. With the sheriff suspecting foul play, it falls to Angie to root a killer out of the woodwork. . . .

Tortie Shorties Review: How can this possibly be the last Amish Quilt Shop mystery??? I have adored every book in this series and it seems like each one has been more wonderful than the last.

This fifth book finds Angie's parents settling into their new home in Holmes County and taking on a huge kitchen renovation project. When her dad is injured Angie's dear friend Jonah takes on the project and ends up becoming the main suspect when an electrician with a history of accidental deaths on his job sites ends up electrocuted in the back yard. Offended that her parents house has become a crime scene and determined to clear her friend's name, Angie is on the case. Everything spins completely out of control when an alleged Bigfoot sighting turns their cozy little town into a gathering place for conspiracy theorists. I was kept guessing until the very end, and as is so often in this series the killer ended up being a character with a personal reason for committing murder more than a nefarious one.

Humor abounds thanks in part to the animals in Angie's life: Dodger the kitten, Oliver the bird-fearing French bulldog and Petunia the goat. And as Angie and Jonah's friendship suffers a crisis, her relationship with Sheriff Mitchell reaches a turning point. By the turn of the last page I had a smile on my face and a special place in my heart for a cast of characters that I won't soon forget.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.



From the publisher: Can the past unlock the future and love preserve a life?

A puppy's job is to learn. Keiki relishes the sights, sounds and smells of her world, but people frustrate and confuse her. Why do humans control all the good stuff?

Lia Corazon channels her energy and emotions into the dogs she trains in her North Texas kennel. She especially enjoys four-month-old Keiki's enthusiasm, but the pup's owner makes her uneasy. There's something very...wrong about him.

When a vicious storm, violent flood, and scary creatures menace Keiki, her Rottweiler bravery comes through. But what can a good-dog do when a human enemy threatens? Keiki must use all she's learned if she's to save Lia from a killer.

Tortie Shorties Review: This novella is more action-packed than some full-length books I've read!

A prequel to the popular Lei Crime Series, this story focuses on Rottweiler pup Keiki's training for her future as a possible police dog or other protection role. As she faces threats from both mother nature and her evil owner, we see what made her such a strong and fearless dog.

Told alternately from Keiki's point of view and that of her trainer Lia (who's facing struggles of her own), I particularly enjoyed a glimpse inside the mind of a puppy during training. After all, who doesn't like to imagine what our cats and dogs are really thinking about everything going on around them?

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

The Making of a Cat Guy


My father grew up on a dairy farm where animals weren't pets, they had to earn their keep.

After my parents got married their first "child" was a three month old tabby kitten named Patch, who was my best friend for the first 15 years of my life. Other than when his own parents died a few years before, the night Patch passed away from a brain tumor was the first time I saw him cry, I think because he knew our hearts were breaking.


Through the years my dad more or less "put up with" my mom's (and subsequently my) cat obsession. He didn't dislike them, he just didn't have strong feelings for them one way or another. Each new cat we brought into our lives was met with an eye roll followed by gradual acceptance.

I knew we were wearing him down after I adopted Tara, and my mom told me a few days later that he privately told her Tara was "a really nice looking cat". Thanks to Tara and then Truffles after her, Dad has completely fallen in love with my torties. Like me, he's drawn to their feisty personalities and unique spirit. The day I told him I'd chosen Mudpie his first question was if she was a tortie!

He went with me the day I picked her up and Thomas, the shelter mascot, gravitated towards him instead of me!!!


Now there is a total love affair between him and Mudpie. He's more protective of her than I am and she takes any chance she can find to crawl into his lap for a nap. She clearly adores her grandpa and the feeling is mutual.


Happy Father's Day, Dad. You're the very best father a cat girl could ask for. 

Thank you for realizing that if you can't beat  'em, you may as well join  'em.

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

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Mudpie's First Box Day!

Meows from Mudpie on one of the happiest days of the year for us kitties...International Box Day!!!

I'm so excited to be co-sponsoring the event this year with Gertrude from Marg's Animals! (Imagine...a tortie and a calico and we got along just fine!)


Not that we're into doing things at the very last minute or anything, but even though we have lots of pictures of me in boxes we wanted to make sure we had some you'd never seen before, so today's pictures were taken just yesterday!

Mommy is still into organizing our kitchen and decided to use an empty Fancy Feast box to store some tools that had been loose in the cabinet. I decided the box was better suited for my cute little butt.


Since today is also Caturday Art day Mommy took her favorite "box picture" of me and applied a bunch of different effects to it. She loves the rays of light coming from my cute little paw.


So kitty friends...are you all celebrating today with some pawsome boxes??? 

Friday, June 17, 2016

Favorite Cat T-Shirts of Summer 2016

I'm not a fan of summer weather. As a lifelong Vermonter I'm much happier when the temperatures are cool and crisp.

That being said, when the summer months arrive there's nothing I enjoy more than putting on a cute and stylish cat t-shirt and waiting for the compliments to roll in while I'm out and about.

Here are a few of my most recent finds!

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Meowlting by ilovedoodle
As soon as I saw this shirt featured in the current issue of Catster I hopped online and ordered it. My dad drove an ice cream truck for nearly 40 years and it's one of my very favorite treats any time of the year, so basically this shirt fits me...well, to a "T"! (Sorry, really bad pun.)


Sauerkraut as Alice


My Vote


The Memory Becomes a Treasure


Motivated by Cats and Caffeine


This shirt started a very strange conversation between myself and a possibly inebriated man in the grocery store a couple weeks ago. He told me he must be a crazy people person because he thinks he's allergic to cats since he sneezes every time he's around one. It was odd.


Shelter Cats Matter




Are any of these shirts calling your name?


Thursday, June 16, 2016

Book Review: Toby's Tails - Toby Visits Chats du Quercy by Susan Keefe


Toby's Tails is a series of children's books detailing life at Fantasy Farm in the French countryside through the eyes of Border Collie Toby.

In this very special 8th book in the series Toby and his family go on holiday to the Pyrenees region of France to visit Chats du Quercy rescue center in Miramont-du-Quercy. Chats du Quercy opened in 2010 and is the only adoption center in France solely dedicated to helping abandoned cats. Run by feline behaviorist Lynn Stone and her husband Ron, over the years it has helped and saved thousands of cats and kittens, an average of 350 per year.


Shelter mascot Billy gives Toby a purr-sonal tour of Chats du Quercy and introduces him to some of the cats and kittens who reside there. The various stories of how they ended up at the shelter teach the importance of responsible pet ownership and respect for all living creatures, lessons that kids need to learn as early as possible.

One of the special kitties we meet in Toby's little "tail" also happens to be the rescue's "Cat of the Month" for June, a gorgeous tortie named Mindy. Sadly, Mindy’s owner couldn't keep her as she is seriously ill with cancer and needed to be hospitalized. Mindy is a young, gentle, beautiful girl who is fine with other cats and is yearning to find a new forever home.


More adoptable cats at Chats du Quercy can be found on their Adoption page.

Toby's Tails - Toby Visits Chats du Quercy is currently available on Amazon in both ebook and print. 50% of the profit from every book/eBook sold will go to Chats du Quercy to support their work.

Teaching kids compassion towards animals today gives us hope that the world might be a kinder place for them in the future. This is a book that belongs on every child's bookshelf.

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Reviewing Garfield's New Cat Litter


Garfield has been a part of my life for as far back as I can remember. The original "crabby tabby," I identify with him in so many ways...we both love lasagna, hate mornings, and love spending hours curled up in front of the TV doing nothing.

Through the years I've collected nearly every Garfield book that's been released, numerous stuffed animals and figurines, household items like mugs and teapots, and my favorites...Garfield Christmas ornaments. (In the early days before the strips were collected in book form my mom would clip them out of the newspaper and glue them in notebooks for me. I still have those notebooks and will always treasure them!)



So earlier this spring when I learned Garfield now had his own brand of kitty litter, I knew this was something we needed to try and immediately requested a sample bag.

Being more careful with the litter we use since Mudpie's asthma diagnosis, I was pleased to see that the Garfield litter is billed as dust-free and free of added chemicals or fragrances. It's also environmentally friendly, made of 100% natural plant-based renewable ingredients, biodegradable and flushable too!


The first thing you'll notice after opening the bag is that the litter is white! This is actually for a very important reason because it helps detect changes in your cat's urine, such as the presence of blood.

I added the litter to Mudpie's litter box and waited to see how she would react. She was quite hesitant the first time she stepped in and ended up peeing outside the box! Who knows, maybe her aim was just off that time because there were no problems after that. We were completely impressed by the clumps, the ease of scooping, no noticeable odors at all, and best of all it really is dust free!!!


The bag claims that a 5 pound bag of litter lasts the typical cat 30 days. Our bag lasted more like 3 weeks. Right now it's only available on Amazon (hopefully it will be in stores soon) but if you have Prime it can be right at your door in 2 days!

We give Garfield's Cat Litter four paws up and will definitely be using it again.

Any other Garfield fanatics out there?

Disclaimer: We received product compensation in exchange for featuring this content. All opinions are our own and we never recommend a product we don’t fully believe in.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday


Welcome to this week's edition of Tortie Shorties on Mystery Monday!

We hope you enjoy our choices.



From the publisher: When Marley McKinney’s aging cousin, Jimmy, is hospitalized with pneumonia, she agrees to help run his pancake house while he recovers. With its rustic interior and syrupy scent, the Flip Side Pancake House is just as she pictured it—and the surly chef is a wizard with crêpes. Marley expects to spend a leisurely week or two in Wildwood Cove, the quaint, coastal community where she used to spend her summers, but then Cousin Jimmy is found murdered, sprawled on the rocks beneath a nearby cliff. 

After she stumbles across evidence of stolen goods in Jimmy’s workshop, Marley is determined to find out what’s really going on in the not-so-quiet town of Wildwood Cove. With help from her childhood crush and her adopted cat, Flapjack, Marley sinks her teeth into the investigation. But if she’s not careful, she’s going to get burned by a killer who’s only interested in serving up trouble.

Tortie Shorties Review: Marley McKinney has cherished memories of the childhood summers she spent in Wildwood Cove. Even though her life now is in Seattle she returns to the cozy coastal community to run her cousin Jimmy's pancake house while he recovers from double pneumonia. Then the day he calls her to say he's coming home he's found murdered. A rash of burglaries over the previous weeks has everybody in town talking, so when Marley founds some of the stolen goods in Jimmy's workshop she fears what it means. When a cherished employee of Flip Side Pancake House is named a suspect, Marley has no choice but to stay in Wildwood Cove and uncover the secrets behind her family tragedy. The only question is...when it's all over is she ever going to want to leave?

When I saw the cover of this book my first thought was how much I would love to live in that charming Victorian. And how adorable is little Flapjack the orange tabby??? All of the characters, even those that might be the killer, were extremely well-written and multi-dimensional, and I was kept guessing until the action-packed revelation.

I enjoyed every moment of this mystery from start to finish, and immediately found myself engrossed in Wildwood Cove living. It's one of those cozy locales that's a character itself; a place I would love going to on summer vacation and be tempted to never leave. The next book in the series can't come fast enough!

The Crepes of Wrath has a scheduled release date of August 16 but you can pre-order today!



From the publisher: Sally Baynard is one of the best lawyers around. In the years since her divorce from Family Court Judge Joe Baynard, she dedicated herself to representing the worst and craziest Charleston, S.C. had to offer. But none of the murderers, burglars, or angry divorcing clients compared to Sherman, the dog her ex-husband appointed her to represent. Although the miniature Schnauzer found his way into her heart (and brought his handsome vet Tony along too), his case was a thorny one. With that business out of the way, Sally is happy to move back to non-canine clients... until a probate judge asks her about a cat.

Agreeing to represent Beatrice, a black cat who's the beneficiary of a multi-million dollar trust and a plantation, Sally must put her wit, charm, and brains to the test, choosing among three colorful potential caregivers while dodging the former owner's angry son. Meanwhile, Sally must juggle the demands of the court with those of her aging mother and make a decision about Tony, who wants to get more serious. Lee Robinson's Lawyer for the Cat is Southern women's fiction at its most delightful, featuring strong, smart characters, a charming setting, and plenty of adorable critters.

Tortie Shorties Review: I'm always on the lookout for novels set in the charming city of Charleston. Add in an intriguing legal case, a protagonist with a very full plate, and a special black cat, and you have the ingredients for an immensely enjoyable story. Sally is character that all women can identify with as she juggles work, relationship issues, and an aging mother with Alzheimer's. There's a bit of suspense included too as we wonder who is going to end up with sweet little Beatrice and what each candidate might be hiding.

This is a novel sure to be in the beach bags of cat lovers everywhere this summer!

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Wet & Dreary #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

I can't think of anything significant to talk about today so I'll do what everyone does when there's nothing else to say...complain about the weather!

Over Memorial Day weekend we hit 90 for a few days in a row...UGH! But the past week has been just the opposite... *way* below normal with high temps in the 50s! Last night Mommy even woke up to find me sleeping in my winter bed!

We're not going to complain too much. We'd much rather have cooler temperatures than be suffering in the hots. But this weekend it's raining too...and I get grumpy when I don't have a sunny window to lay in!

Who turned off the sun, Mommy???


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