First #SundaySelfie on Mommy's New Phone

Meows from Mudpie!

There was a disaster at our house this week. Mommy's phone died. She ignored the critical warning about storage space one too many times and it completely froze up Wednesday morning. After several attempts at getting it back up and running she gave up and bought a new one. Then she was a couple hours chatting online trying to get it set up. By Wednesday evening her blood pressure was most likely 200/200.

The good news is most things transferred over to the new phone, including a voice mail message from my Grandpa she had kept. The bad news is many photos and all the notes she had in a Notebook app weren't backed up anywhere. She's especially sick over the notes because many have sentimental value of things she wanted to remember from the past few years losing Grandma and Grandpa. She's praying she can find a data recovery specialist to attempt a data dump. 

As if that wasn't bad enough I haven't been feeling great so Mommy said we should schedule my 6- month senior check-up a little early. Can anyone hide me for awhile?

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

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

1. I have been ignoring things that need to be done for too long.

2. Today's pop culture bores me.

3. Too many tourists is my main criticism of the fall foliage season in my area.

4. If I threw a Halloween party, it would include exclusively black cat decorations.

Mad Hatter Tea Party

Meows from Mudpie!

When we heard about the Mad Hatter Tea Party our friends at Zoolatry were throwing, we couldn't wait to join in the festivities! Ann and June made me look even more divine than usual!

Mommy has a funny Alice in Wonderland story to share. When she was a little girl her parents took her to a theme park (she can't remember which it was) that had an Alice in Wonderland attraction. Mommy was scared and demanded they go through the attraction backwards because she was worried about shrinking! Wasn't she silly? She downright refused to go through the normal way. Needless to say they got their fair share of strange looks from the other families!

I do believe I'll have a cup of English Breakfast tea now. Come join us!

Tummy Fuzz

Meows from Mudpie! 

Remember how back in August when I was sedated to have my ears cleaned out the vet also shaved my tummy of some mats? It's already starting to grow back and today when we were looking out the back door Mommy noticed how cute the incoming fuzz looks, so of course she had to take a picture of it.

Alas, it might not last long because the vet suggested possibly doing a kidney ultrasound at my 6-month checkup, so it'll probably end up getting shaved again. 

Helping Mommy with Paperwork Again #SundaySelfie

 If you ever need a financial advisor, look up Mudpie CPA! 

(Yes, Mommy keeps her important paperwork in CatLadyBoxes.)

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

Victorian Lady Mudpie #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!

Mudpie's answers:

1. Getting Mommy to give me anything I want (even if it's not good for me) is a useful skill that I have.

2. I recharge by napping on Mommy's lap. Sometimes I drift off so deeply that when I wake up I have to look around to remember where I am! Mommy always laughs when I look up at her like, "who are you?"

Mommy's answers:

3. My job as a data specialist taught me pretty much everything I know about computers.

4. I wouldn't mind visiting a house haunted by all of my dearly departed cats.

Feline Friday: Where Do Squeezies Come From?

Meows from Mudpie! 

Remember how I said the other day that Mommy told me the squirrels and chipmunks are running around like crazy because they're busy gathering food for the winter? 

Right after that we saw this meme on Facebook and it's a very valid question! 

Courtesy - purrfectinfluencer on Facebook

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). 

Fun Feline Finds for Halloween from Etsy

Meows from Mudpie!

Mommy started to decorate for Halloween a few weeks ago, then got so busy with adulting stuff she hasn't finished yet! Needless to say, our Halloween shopping guide is also late, but better late than never! 

Even though she already has more than she could ever use she's always looking for more, and one of her favorite places to shop for Halloween goodies is Etsy. There are so many creative people out there creating pawsome kitty items, and we thought we'd share some of our favorite finds (for both humans and cats) with you today!

Ghost Cat Doormat

That's It You're Going in the Soup Print

Handmade Needle-Felted Cat Ghost Figurines

Black Cat Door Hanger

Garden Flag

Shelf Sitter with Lantern

Retro Musician Cat Table Centerpiece

Yard Stakes

Shower Steamers

Ghost Cat Pillow

Halloween Meowie Box Cat Toy & Treat Enrichment Gift Set

Plush Spider Wand Toy

We hope you enjoy our Halloween 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!

Life on the Chipmunk Superhighway #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

I've been having SO much fun watching the chippies in our driveway this week! It's become a chipmunk superhighway! 

Each morning Mommy eats her breakfast sitting on the back steps so the door can be open a few inches for me to watch them. She says they're running like crazy because they're busy getting ready for winter, and they don't have a Mommy to take care of them, feed them, and keep them warm like I do. 

One morning a little guy came right up to the step and I body slammed the door! That kinda freaked Mommy out MOL. 

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

National Cake Decorating Day #CaturdayArt

Meows from Mudpie!

Today is National Cake Decorating Day, so Mommy asked ChatGPT to create a cake decorated with little ol' me. Do I look delish or what??? 

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. How to use a wing/butterfly corkscrew is the strangest thing I ever researched online. I had to watch a YouTube video because I could not figure out how to do it. It's obvious I don't drink much! 

2. My wi-fi network is named NETGEAR89. That's what it came with LOL.

3. Loving cats is both a blessing and a curse. As impossibly perfect as they are, they tear our hearts out at the end. They're worth it though. 

4. I nap with Mudpie when life gets tough.

Thankful for Our Festive Prize

Meows from Mudpie! 

Last month we were one of the lucky winners in Zoolatry's fun Name the Nine contest. We got to choose a prize from GiftingTopia (which benefits the Cat Blogosphere). Mommy picked this adorable Here Comes Santa Cats tote. She'll surely be using it in the coming weeks when she goes out Christmas shopping. 

Hopefully a box or two of squeezies will find their way in there too! (Hint, hint)

Unboxing September's CatLadyBox

 The theme of September's CatLadyBox was Lap Cat Season...here's what was inside!

Featured Cat Lady Artist:

Leeza Hernandez of Leezaworks

Cat Loaf Tee:

There have a been a lot of cute CLB tees over the years, but this one is in the top 5! 

Everything about it is purrfect, from the graphics to the color.

Kitty Dish Towels:

Cats depicted as cherries and mushrooms...too cute!

These will be put to good use once the holidays are over.

(I have Halloween and Christmas dish towels, of course!)

Cat Shelf Sitters:

These are so sweet and rustic looking.

I'm not completely decided yet but I think I'm going to place them in my living room window to peep outside.

Falling Leaves Wiggler Wand & Chirpy Chirp Bird Toy:

As Vermonters, we highly approve of the falling leaves wand toy, and the bird toy is very timely as just last week Mudpie was drooling while watching a bird in the driveway (not to mention the chipmunks)!

Boo Crew Tee:

I chose this t-shirt as an add-on to my September box. I had to have it! 

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Getting Ear Scritches on Mommy's Lap #SundaySelfie

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

Tortie in October #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 plan to watch lots of Halloween movies and TV shows and attend a ghost walk at a local cemetery in October.

2. Finding a ghost kitty blow mold was the highlight of my week.

3. 'Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes. Peppermint mochas are still my faves though.

4. Though a lot of people like football, I can't stand it.

2026 Cat Writers' Association Certificates of Excellence

Over the past 10 years I'm honored to have won 19 Certificates of Excellence and 2 Muse Medallions from the Cat Writers' Association. On August 9th I learned that I added 2 more to my collection from the 2026 contest. It was Mudpie's Gotcha Day, which made it even more special.

These are the pieces I won them for...

Article, Feline-Human Bond, Long Good Night, Sweet Prince

Article, Feline Human Bond, Short Dear Mudpie

These pieces mean the world to me because they honor two cats that have had a tremendous impact on my life - Mo after his passing, and Mudpie after a decade together. Muse Medallions will be given out at the Cat Writers Conference in Dallas/Fort Worth in November. Just being a contender is such an incredible honor!

Never in my wildest dreams did I think such things were possible when I joined the CWA back in 2013. Cats are my greatest passion and being recognized for my creative endeavors involving them is truly a dream come true.

Missing Mo, One Year Later

One year ago today I helped Mo cross the Rainbow Bridge.

He was a part of my life for so long, quietly in the background, that I didn't realize what he'd come to mean to me until he was gone. There's not a day I don't think about him. I still catch myself looking in the yard for him on a regular basis. 

I have regrets. For so long I wrongly believed him to be just a timid cat with a family who visited for a snack. If I'd realized early on that he was feral might I have earned his trust enough for him to consider moving into the house, or at least allow me to help him sooner when his health started to go downhill?

I will forever be grateful that I had the opportunity to be with him at the end. My greatest fear was that he would just disappear one day and I would never know what happened to him, which is exactly what a neighbor is suffering with right now as her own cat vanished 3 weeks ago.

He came to me for help. He wanted me with him. I'll never forget the way he kept reaching for me before we left for the vet. He needed comfort and didn't want to be alone. 

My Mo memorial

I'll also always remember how attached Dad became to him in their last couple years. I used to jokingly refer to them as "my two old men". Just 2 1/2 months after losing Mo, I lost Dad too. I hope they're hanging out together now watching over their two girls, Mudpie and I. 

I'll never forget you Mo, and I'll always love you as one of my own, because you were. You were a sweet, special boy who deserved an easier life than the one you were given. I'm honored to have been the one who got to take care of you, but I'll always wish I'd been able to do more. 

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On Thursday we have some exciting Mudpie/Mo news to share, so please join us then.

Watching Birds & Chipmunks in the Driveway #SundaySelfie

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

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

1. I am glad I live near HomeGoods and TJ Maxx, especially this time of year! (They're located side by side within walking distance of my house.)

2. I am glad I don't live near where the Nor'easter is hitting this weekend.

3. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 30.

4. Classic sitcoms made me truly laugh. Most of the ones on TV today are just plain stupid.

Mudpie Meets ALF #CaturdayArt

Meows from Mudpie!

Did you know that Mommy is a huge fan of the '80s sitcom ALF? She started watching it the day it premiered (40 years ago this week!!!) and still has all the collectibles she got back then (plush, games, magazines, beach blanket, lunch box, trading cards). She even bought the complete series on DVD as soon as it came out...even though she didn't have a DVD player at the time!

Since we know how much ALF loved cats (LOL) Mommy thought it might be fun to ask ChatGPT to create some images and trading cards of ALF and I together. We think they turned out so cute! 

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