5 Tips for Keeping Kitty Stress-Free During the Holidays #CLUMPandSEAL

It's almost impossible to believe that a week from today is Thanksgiving. All year long I eagerly await the arrival of the holiday season and all the joy that it brings, but as wonderful as this time of year is it can be downright stressful as well, for us and especially for our pets. Cats don't like change, and between trees suddenly sprouting in the living room and home invaders (otherwise known as your friends and family), they must feel like their little worlds have turned upside down!

The holiday season should be a happy occasion for every member of the family, whether you have two legs or four, so we put together some tips to help keep kitty stress-free from Thanksgiving right into the new year!

1) Prevent tummy troubles by not sharing holiday "people food" with your cat or decorating with edible items. Instead keep your cat's favorite treats on hand to make them feel part of the celebration. Just don't overindulge!

2) Decorate with your cat in mind. My Christmas tree is always anchored to the baseboard to prevent it from being knocked over. Breakable ornaments go on top (if they're used at all) and pet-safe ornaments hang at the bottom. Avoid using tinsel and garland (which landed my childhood cat Patch in the ER one Christmas); and remember that holiday plants such as holly, mistletoe and poinsettias are poisonous to cats, as is Christmas tree water if chemicals from the fertilizer used on the tree transfers to the water in the stand.

3) Let Santa arrive early. A new toy of their own can help to distract your cat from bothering the ornaments on the tree. If you don't already have a cat tree, consider buying them one for an appropriate place to climb.

4) Set up a safe space away from the holiday hubbub. Don't force your cat to socialize if they don't want to. Keep one area of your home closed off to everyone but them, and fill it with their favorite toys, blankets, food, water bowl and litter box. (This room can also double as a "safe space" for you when you need to get away from your visitors for a few minutes and decompress with your cat!)

5) Keep life as normal as possible. Don't get so busy with holiday activities that you neglect your cat's basic needs. Take time each day to cuddle and play with them as you do the rest of the year, and don't neglect to clean your fastidious feline's litter pan!!! Your cat doesn't want to be embarrassed by litter box odors any more than you do!

This holiday season we'll be using ARM & HAMMER™ CLUMP & SEAL™ odor sealing litter, the biggest advancement in cat litter history. No other litter forms a tight seal around odor and destroys it with unique odor eliminators and baking soda. Many cat moms don't realize that even after you scoop bacterial odor can keep growing. The innovative, new MicroGuard technology seals and destroys immediate odor, plus prevents the growth of future bacterial odor for 7-day odor control, guaranteed.

PetSmart carries the entire line of ARM & HAMMER CLUMP & SEAL cat litter so you can easily pick up a box while shopping for your cat's stocking stuffers! (Hint, hint!)

Arm & Hammer is on social media: Follow them on Facebook and Instagram today!

How do you prepare your cats for the busy holiday season?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of ARM & HAMMER. The opinions and text are all mine.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Meows from Mudpie!

A couple weeks ago when we showed you our new wheels several of you asked who the kitty was in the picture, so I thought today might be a good time to introduce you to our neighbors.

This is Milo. He's lived in my 'hood for a decade longer than I've been alive, and in full disclosure I have a bit of a kitty crush on him. When Mommy sees him in our yard she starts yelling, "Milo! Milo!" and no matter what I'm doing I rush to the door or window to see him. Mommy's heart melts when she sees me tapping the door like I'm inviting him in to play.

This is Jinx. I don't have strong feelings one way or the other towards her. She hangs out with Milo a lot so I think she might be trying to steal my man.

Then there's Millie. Millie is in her late teens and deaf as a doornail, which means when she meows, she YELLS. Her screaming puts me on edge causing me to hiss, growl and body slam the door when she visits. Mommy has tried to get a video of my little performance but I haven't cooperated. This little snippet does show that Millie knows who's boss though!



Mommy is very worried about Millie because her family is moving this month. Supposedly they're taking Millie with them (they acted rather offended when asked), but they've also been known to go away on summer vacation and leave her outside to fend for herself (at which time we've fed her at our house). We're afraid she's going to end up running off and trying to get back to her old neighborhood.

Do you have a love/hate relationship with your neighbors too?

Little House on the Prairie Laura Ingalls Doll Review/Giveaway #LittleHouseMoment

Mudpie graciously gave me permission to take over the blog today to write about another passion of mine, my all-time favorite classic book series...

I think it's only natural as we get older to gravitate towards the television of our childhood. Little House on the Prairie® ran on NBC from 1974-1983, and since I was born in 1977 I was too young to enjoy it in its heyday. In my 20's I discovered it via Hallmark Channel reruns, and being a lover of all things western I became completely captivated by the show. A collector at heart, I purchased the original DVD box set (housed in a covered wagon), the original set of Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and various autobiographies of the cast, which I display in a covered wagon planter in my living room.

And now the pièce de résistance of my collection comes in the form of the officially licensed Little House on the Prairie Laura Ingalls 18" doll, exclusively made by The Queen's Treasures®.

While the world sees Melissa Gilbert as Laura Ingalls, this doll is designed to capture the spirit of the "real life" pioneer girl. The detail in her face is stunning, from her little freckles to the pigtails we all know and love. Dressed in a nightgown and cap with her rag doll, pillow and patchwork quilt, Laura's endearing innocence is captured in a doll that little girls (and those of us who remain young at heart!) will cherish for a lifetime.

My mother has been a doll collector for over 30 years but unlike most little girls, I was never a huge fan of dolls growing up. Cats and books were my world then, just as they are now. I had actually considered giving this doll to my mom for Christmas, but now that I've held it in my hands I'm thinking we might have to share joint custody!

The Laura Ingalls 18" doll is available online at TheQueensTreasures.com and Target.com for $99.99. A full line of accessories is available at http://www.thequeenstreasures.com/new-products/little-house-on-the-prairie-18-doll-line.html.

Giveaway: 

One lucky reader in the US will win a

Little House on the Prairie The Queen’s Treasure Prize Pack, just in time for the holiday season!

Prize Pack includes:

• One Laura Ingalls Doll by The Queen’s Treasures. Retail value $99.99
• One Little House Wagon, one Little House Pony, and one Little House Pony w/Saddle by The Queen’s Treasures. Retail value $279.97
• Jack the Brindle Bull Dog and Shaker Boxes, Cooking Set, Dishes Set, and Kitchen Tool Set. Retail value $195.95
• Doll Clothing and Accessories by The Queen’s Treasures including: Child’s Apron & Cap, Prairie Dress Set, Little House Night Gown, and Little House Quilt & Basket. Retail value $89.96
• One Complete Collection DVD Set of the original Little House on the Prairie television series. Retail Value $120
• One DVD of the Little House on the Prairie: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder documentary. Retail Value $19.95

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Social Media: Like The Queen’s Treasures on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, and Google + as well as Little House On The Prairie on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for all the latest news and promotions.

The official Little House on the Prairie website also contains many helpful and educational resources about the Little House culture including a historical timeline, many history articles as well as fun crafts, recipes and more.

Are you a Little House on the Prairie fan?

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by The Queen's Treasures. I am being compensated for reviewing this product but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. The Queen's Treasures is not responsible for the content of this article.

Book Review: Cat Among the Pumpkins by Mandy Morton

As All Hallows’ Eve approaches, Hettie Bagshot of The No. 2 Feline Detective Agency has more than just a ghost and warlock tart on her plate. Along with her faithful sidekick, Tilly, the tabby duo set out to investigate an old crime and a spate of new murders.

Why is Mavis Spitforce dressed as a pumpkin? Can Irene Peggledrip really talk to cats from the spirit world? Did Milky Myers murder his family on Halloween, longer ago than anyone can remember? All questions the pair must answer before the case can be solved. As the November fog closes in, where will the killer strike next - and will there be enough samosas to go around?

While it goes without saying that my favorite mysteries are cat cozies, this series goes a step beyond that with the entire cast of characters comprised solely of cats. That's right...in this little world there are no people, just cats. Book me a one way flight, please!!!

Hettie Bagshot and her sidekick Tilly have opened up the No. 2 Feline Detective Agency in order to help pay the rent on their back room apartment in a bakery. As this second book in the series starts it's Halloween night and the two ladycats have planned a spooky night in, complete with dinner, pumpkins and paper chains as decorations, and a scary movie. Talk comes around to the story of Milky Myers, a legendary cat whose rise to fame came after he allegedly murdered his entire family one cold October morning and then disappeared. The story has resurfaced since being written about in a book by the town historian, Strange But Trues. (Tilly is an avid mystery reader who always has a stack of library books on her blanket by the fire.) Now Milky Myers is rumored to be a ghost who appears on Halloween until a series of murders has everyone wondering if he's really a ghost after all!

While reading these brilliant little stories I find myself completely absorbed in Hettie and Tilly's cozy world; I only wish I could grab a mug of cocoa and join them in purrson. Each kitty has their own unique cat-like personality and the humor is delightfully irreverent (wait until you see how Hettie handles the dearly departed). These books are unlike any cat cozy you've ever read, guaranteed!

Amazon Buy Link

A New Adventure #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

I've neglected to tell you about an exciting development in my little world. For many years Mommy's kitties haven't been allowed in the basement because there was a bit of a mouse problem down there and she didn't want us to get into anything nasty.

Well, thanks to a few humane traps the invasion seems to have cleared up so she decided to finally let me down instead of fighting with me every time she needed to go herself.

OMC it is so pawsome I can barely contain myself!!! Loads of boxes to climb on and nooks and crannies to investigate...I spend hours there everyday and never get bored.

This week I decided to take my selfie in the basement. As you can see it's kind of dark and creepy, and I was obviously on the move when I snapped the picture, but it sure is a fun place to hang out!

Anybuddy wanna come over and play?

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

Proud AmeriCat #CaturdayArt

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

Pet Blogger Bloopers Round-Up & Friendly Fill-Ins

Meows from Mudpie!

Today we're joining the The Pet Blogger Bloopers Round-Up, hosted by The Lazy Pit Bull. It's the place to be on the second Friday of each month to see your favorite bloggers' blooper photos. This is a blog hop dedicated to showcasing the results of those photo sessions that have gone off the rails!

I have no idea what I was trying to do in this picture...but I guarantee it will make you laugh! (And from the looks of social media the past couple days you all could use one!)

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

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and McGuffy's Reader!

Mommy's answers:

1. Essential life skills like money management and personal communications should be taught in schools.

2. Three things I am thankful for this week are Christmas decorations, the election results, and buy one get one free holiday drinks at Starbucks all weekend!

Mudpie's answers:

3. The last item I donated was cat food that didn't suit my discriminating palate.

4. My (personal) song is My Way, because I'm a cat.