Fry Me Up #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Every now and then, seemingly out of nowhere, my right ear gets the itchies. It's not an infection, it's not mites, it must be allergies, but it hits at a moment's notice. Mommy cleans my ear out with a spray that brings me relief (Banixx Multi-Purpose Pet Wound Spray), but until it takes effect I'm inconsolable. 

Friday afternoon the itchies struck. I ran around the house scratching, trying to hide, laying on top of Mommy's feet no matter where she went - all my typical behaviors. What I did next was new though.

Mommy decided to have quesadillas for dinner. When she pulled the electric skillet out to cook them she had to set it down on the floor for a moment to make room on the kitchen shelf - and I climbed into it, where I stayed for several minutes! 

You can tell by my face how miserable I felt.

 

For future reference, it's probably best not to invite Mommy to any potluck dinners. But a little Mudpie fur never hurt anyone, right? 

(The spray worked its magic and after a long nap I felt much better by Friday evening.)

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

Snow Globe #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!

1. I still need to design Mudpie's e-card before Christmas.

2. Don't forget to acknowledge pet sitters at Christmas.

3. Keeping my sanity over the past few difficult weeks is my Christmas miracle.

4. I watch holiday movies and specials on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day. This year I have tons recorded that I haven't had chance to watch yet so I'm all set for the next 2 weeks! 

Feline Friday Flashback: She Shopped Till She Dropped

 

Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is:

Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute). 

Another Sweet Moment with Grandpa

Meows from Mudpie!

Thank you all so much for your sweet messages on the loss of my Grandpa. Mommy and I are getting used to our "new normal," but we'll be okay because we're together.

While he had been slowly going downhill since around Halloween, Mommy still had hope until last Wednesday. That's when she realized we were at the end of the road. That night she put a heated throw over him in his recliner, and before long I curled up at his feet. It really touched Mommy's heart that I didn't try to jump on his lap to take advantage of the blankie, I just wanted to be beside him. I'm such a good girl.

We also wanted to thank The Cat Blogosphere for the incredibly beautiful graphic they created for us. It's so wonderful to be a part of such a caring community.

I'll Miss You, Grandpa #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Yesterday afternoon, December 13, my Grandpa passed away here at home. 

Since he was on home hospice, a hospital bed was delivered to our house on Friday afternoon. The man who brought it was very nice. He noticed me immediately and called me a meatball! We've had so many medical professionals at our house the past few weeks and everyone has loved me. They all say I have the cutest name. (And one of the people from the funeral home that came yesterday afternoon knew another cat named Mudpie!)

The house is really small so we had the bed set up in the living room right in front of the Christmas tree. Mommy placed me on the bed with Grandpa and I stayed with him for a long time. (It didn't hurt that he had a heated throw over him.) He was pretty much out of it but I think he knew I was there. 

So it's just Mommy and me now. I'm going to miss Grandpa so much. He absolutely adored me. Even over the past couple weeks when he's been delirious and having hallucinations, his only moments of clarity were when he asked about me and where I was. He didn't know who Mommy was, but he knew who Mudpie was. 

Several years ago Mommy wrote a special Father's Day post, The Making of a Cat Guy. It's a fitting tribute to a wonderful man.

1/29/37-12/13/25

That's my job, that's what I do

Everything I do is because of you

To keep you safe with me

That's my job, you see

-- That's My Job, Conway Twitty

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

Caturday Art

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!

1. White Christmas (Conway's version), Old Toy Trains (Toby's version), If We Make It Through December by Merle Haggard, and If Every Day Was Like Christmas by Elvis are my favorite Christmas songs.

2. Any ornament or decoration that honors one of my cats is a Christmas decoration that I treasure.

3. Though 'tis the season for eggnog, I much prefer peppermint mochas.

4. If I could create a new Christmas tradition, it would be a toy and treat drive for shelter animals.

2025 Holiday Gift Guide for Tortie Lovers

For the past several years we've created gift guides for tortie lovers which have ended up being some of our most viewed posts ever! Seems there are lots of tortie fanatics out there like me upset by the lack of our favorite cats on wearables, jewelry and home decor.

Since I'm always on the hunt for anything tortie-related I decided to make a holiday gift guide exclusively for tortie lovers an annual tradition to help make your shopping a little easier. I hope you find something that will make that special tortie-holic in your life purr (or to treat yourself with!)

The Tortie Tarot Card Wall Decor

Candle

Tortoiseshell Cat Metal Sign

I Love My Tortoiseshell Wood Ornament

Notebook

Blanket

Do you have any tortie lovers on your shopping list this year?

This post contains affiliate links.

2025 Holiday Gift Guide for Cats & Cat Ladies from Etsy

Meows from Mudpie!

Can you believe Christmas is just over 2 weeks away??? While browsing Etsy for the purrfect gift for Mommy, I found several things that any cat mom (and the cats that love them) would love to find under the tree on Christmas morning...or to treat yourself with and make sure you get exactly what you want! I included some cute kitty Christmas decor to my list because they make pawsome gift ideas too!

Gingerbread Catnip Cookies

Christmas Cat Bookworm Stained Glass/Suncatcher

Caroling Cats Wall Art

Retro Cat Holiday Decor – 3x4 Wood Block

Natural Wood Ornament

Personalized Ornament

Book Stand

Cats Chillin' with Coffee Calendar

Italian Velvet Personalized Jewelry Box

Sleigh Bed

Looking for more ideas? Check out a few of our collections!

Cat Mom Gifts

Cats & Books

Cats & Coffee

We hope you enjoy our picks, and don't forget, if you find something here you like and make a purchase using our affiliate links, I get a little money for my piggy bank so I can buy something special for Mommy for Christmas!

Holding Down Mommy's 'Puter #SundaySelfie

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

Caturday Art

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!

1. The easiest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is Mudpie.

2. The toughest one on my Christmas shopping list to buy for is Dad.

3. I try to spread Christmas cheer by going all out with my indoor decor.

4. When it comes to outdoor decorating, I'm a bit of a Scrooge. I put candles in a couple windows but I don't put lights on any outside trees. I'm only interested in the indoor decorations I can see. 

Unboxing November's CatLadyBox

 The theme of November's CatLadyBox was Cozy Cat Nook...here's what was inside!

Featured Cat Lady Artist:

Rose Tamani

 Feline Fall Super Soft Tee:

A kitty looking out the window at the falling leaves. Understated and super sweet.

Black Cat Nightlight:

I'll be using this once the Christmas lights come down. I adore it!

Photo: CatLadyBox

Fluffy Cat Accent Rug:

This is SO soft and plush! It's just amazing.

I'm trying to find the purrfect place to put it where it will stay clean.

Purr-tato Chips & Barry Bookworm Catnip Toys:

I'm a bookworm so I love that little guy! 

And the adorable chip bag is just the right size for a kitty to nap on. 

It makes me smile because any time I open a bag of chips Mudpie comes looking for a snack of her own.

***********************************************************************

 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.

Mudpie Just Got Sweeter

Meows from Mudpie!

We have some news to share. Last Tuesday we found out that I'm diabetic. Yep, I'm a sugar kitty. Just when you thought I couldn't possibly get any sweeter, right? 

It's not really a surprise given that I'm so, um, fluffy, but it's still not anything you're prepared to hear.

Here's the thing - I've been obsessed with water my whole life. Mommy likes to say that I'm a "heavy drinker". Still there are times she wonders if I drink too much. Back in the late spring/early summer she decided to use my grandpa's glucose meter to check my sugar, just for her peace of mind. She was so relieved to see it was normal. 

Over the past few weeks though she's been getting concerned again because there were times I would drink from my bowl for what seemed like 3 solid minutes. And this is kind of embarrassing but I've leaked pee on my blankie a few times overnight too. A week ago Friday (the same day grandpa was discharged from the hospital) Mommy checked my sugar again and was devastated to see that it was sky high. 

Off to the vet I went on Tuesday morning and the diagnosis was confirmed. (My kidney values were off a bit too, but the vet said it may be because of dehydration from the diabetes. It's something we'll have to watch.) Wednesday we had to go back so Mommy could get a refresher course on giving insulin injections. (You may remember Angel Tara was diabetic too.) 

I received my first shot on Wednesday night and by Friday morning my sugar had already dropped significantly! The vet said that was phenomenal. I'm handling the shots very well, but I'm not a fan of Mommy testing my sugar by using a lancet on my ear. I'm very squirmy when she tries to do that. We're still trying to figure out what will work for us because we know it's important for Mommy to check my sugar regularly.  

The good news is over the past several months I've finally decided wet food is pretty good which is important because kibble isn't good for sugar kitties. Mommy is still giving me a little kibble as a treat so I don't have to go cold turkey, but I'm eating wet food 90% of the time. Hopefully I won't change my mind and suddenly decide it's gross again! 

Needless to say, Mommy is a basket case. She always figured this would happen one day, but it's the last thing we need right now while grandpa still isn't doing well. I'm doing my best to try to keep her calm and reassure her we'll get through this together. 

Pre Turkey #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

I snapped my selfie this week on Thanksgiving while I was on my squeezie table waiting for the turkey to come out of the oven. I was getting impatient! It was worth the wait though...so yummy! After dinner I took a 5 hour turkey coma nap. 

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

Caturday Art

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!

1. My Christmas tree goes up on Veterans Day.

2. I am thankful for Mudpie and Dad, my home, and my health.

3. I have all my decorating and gift shopping done by the time December rolls around.

4. I'll be spending a lot of time being a nurse this holiday season.

Black Friday #PetPhotoFails

Meows from Mudpie!

Thank you for joining us for this Black Friday edition of the Pet Photo Fails Blog Hop!

Who's going shopping today? As you're reading this, Mommy and I are most likely still snuggling in bed. Any Christmas shopping we do today will be online. As Mommy says, it's way too peopley out there!

This picture was taken at night so it's super dark but too cute not to share. I was trying to point out to Mommy that my squeezie dish was empty by partly lying in it. See how my foot is right in the dish? If there was a squeezie in there I wouldn't be able to do that. 

Think she got the message?

That's my blooper...let's see yours!

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Happy Thanksgiving 2025

Mudpie: I'm thankful for you, Mommy.

Mommy: I'm thankful for you too, precious!

Mudpie & Mommy: And we're BOTH thankful for all of YOU!

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours... 

A Picture of Mommy's Heart #SundaySelfie

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

Caturday Art

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!

1. ??? was a faux pas I made once. I can't think of anything I've said or done, but I remember a time in grade school when a fellow student's parent asked our teacher when her baby was due, and she wasn't pregnant.

2. I know every line of many classic country songs.

3. I need a good recipe for peppermint mochas. I can never make them taste as good at home as they do in coffee shops.

4. If I were in charge of holiday scheduling, I would change the distance between Halloween and Christmas. They're my favorite two holidays and way too close together. Once they're both over it's so depressing because it's such a long time until they come around again.

Feline Friday Flashback: Turkey Day Preparations

Meows from Mudpie!

Mommy posted this photo of Angel Truffles the day before Thanksgiving way back in 2014. 

Can you spot her? She was pretty good at hiding!

Feline Friday is simple to join. All you have to do is:

Post a picture, drawing, cartoon or video of a cat (They may be silly or cute). 

Grandpa Needs Purrs & Prayers Again

Meows from Mudpie!

First I want to let everyone know that my cold seems to have run its course and I'm feeling much better. Thank you all so much for the well wishes!

But now Grandpa is in the hospital (again). Late Sunday/early Monday he started exhibiting signs of an infection like he has in the past, but just like so many times before the doctors can't find anything really wrong with him. They're just calling it "failure to thrive". Funny he was doing just fine as of last week! He keeps having these episodes, always around the holidays or during the winter months, and no one can figure out what's causing them.

And just like so many times before now that he's in the hospital he's delirious, talking French and thinking Mommy is his sister. There was one memorable moment though - the only thing he said today that made any sense (sort of) was pointing out an (invisible) cat at the foot of his hospital bed and saying it looked like Mudpie! So he doesn't know who anyone is but he remembers little ol' me! I have that effect on people :) 

Oh, and tonight Mommy was getting ready to reheat some soup in a saucepan for dinner. I was lying on the floor in front of the sink when she knocked the saucepan off the counter and it landed upside down on my back! I was rather annoyed but she laughed and laughed (which she desperately needed) and said at least she hadn't put the soup in the pan yet! 

Please send purrs and prayers that Grandpa comes home soon and things can get back to normal for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We love the holiday season so much and it seems like every year something happens to ruin it.