Friday, September 15, 2017

For the Love of Tuxies

Meows from Mudpie!

I know what you're all thinking - gasp! - am I really allowing a guest blogger to sing the praises of cats that aren't torties??? Of course I am because I'm a very generous kitty and I want all cats to be respected and cherished for the special gifts that they are. Whether you're a tabby or a house panther or a tuxie or a tortie, you deserve a loving home with a forever family!!!


A guest post by Dan & Whisky, Tuxedo Cat website

Cats are great. Fact.

Any cat owner will tell you that, no matter many times they walk on your laptop keyboard or knock your cup of coffee off the worktop there is simply no denying that the warmth they bring to your home is well worth the occasional bit of mischief.

However what many cat owners won’t tell you is that some cats are greater than others. It sounds ludicrous but it’s true, there are certain cats which due to their breeding their looks, size or coat pattern have become highly desirable among cat owners.

For example breeds such as Bengals, Persians, Siamese, British Shorthairs, Maine Coons and many more are highly sought after.

It is particularly interesting to see that demand for Maine Coons has risen considerably over the last few months following the release of a viral video featuring the world’s biggest domestic cat which happened to be a Maine Coon.

All of these cats deserve loving homes, there is no denying that, but a problem arises when other less visually appealing or less unique cats are left homeless because people overlook them in search of something a bit more exotic.


Tuxedo patterned cats (black and white cats) spend up to ten days longer in cat shelters than more unique breeds.

Tuxedo Cats are far more likely to end up as feral cats so it is no surprise that they make up the vast majority of the world’s stray cat population.

And yet as any Tuxedo Cat owner will tell you there is no shortage of life nor fun in the life of a tuxedo cat, they are incredibly mischievous characters!


The tuxedo cat website exists to help promote the adoption of black and white cats from catteries across the globe.

As well as encouraging people to adopt a black and white cat we also seek to encourage all cat owners to get their cats neutered to help reduce the growth of the feral cat population and ensure that more cats are born in controlled environments where they will be loved and cared for.

So if you’re considering getting a new cat any time soon we would strongly urge you not to seek a designer breed as these are often purposely bred to sell on for profit, rather we would urge you to go to your local cat shelter adopt a black and white tuxedo cat. We promise you won’t regret it!

Tell us about the special tuxedo kitty in your life!

Photos: The first kitty is our neighbor Jinx, and the tuxie in the other two pictures is Whisky, star of the Tuxedo Cat website! 

Thursday, September 14, 2017

5 Ways Catios Make Cats Happy & Healthy (w/DIY Catio Plan Giveaway!)

Photo credit: Catio Spaces

This post is sponsored by Catio Spaces

Meows from Mudpie!

The month of September has been designated by the CATalyst Council as Happy Cat Month, an annual event created to spread awareness about the health, welfare, and value of companion cats. Often, cats are viewed as self-reliant, aloof, and less in need of medical care than dogs. The aim of this event is to counteract these stereotypes and ensure cats are well cared for, enriched, and receive the preventive care they require. A HAPPY cat is a HEALTHY cat. Are you doing everything you can to make sure your cat is happy?

Purrsonally, I'm about as happy as a kitty can be. I have enough toys to open my own pet shop, warm beds and blankies in every room of the house, sunny doors and windows to lounge in, yummy treats and food that are (mostly) good for me, and an adoring Mommy who is willing to drop whatever she's doing any time I need her. How much for can a cat ask for???

Photo credit: Catio Spaces

I've mentioned before that just about the only thing missing in my life is a catio. A place of my very own to hang out and safely watch the world go by. Sadly, dreams of my little spot of heaven on earth are being hampered by Mommy who keeps telling me it's just not practical for us right now, but promises one day she'll work something out for me. For now I guess I'll have to be satisfied with that.

So it doesn't slip her aging mind,  I thought I'd create a list to remind her of some of the ways catios make for happy, healthy cats. (Here's a tip for all my feline friends reading this: get on your human's computer and leave this blog post on the screen every chance you get as a not-so-subtle hint!)

Photo: Catio Spaces

1) Catios keep cats safe. In our neighborhood we have SO many neighbors that allow their cats to roam free, and we live on a very busy street with a high school full of crazy teenage drivers. Mommy just can't understand how people can say they care about the welfare of their cat(s) yet not know at any given moment where their pet is. If she can't find me in the house for a few minutes she starts to panic, so I can't imagine how she'd deal with me running loose outside! The highest dose of blood pressure meds wouldn't be able to calm her down! Every cat enjoys the stimulation of being outdoors, but responsible pet owners know trouble lurks everywhere. Contrary to what some people think, cats are NOT equipped to take care of themselves in this cold, cruel world. Left to our own devices we're vulnerable to a multitude of dangers. A catio helps cat guardians balance their pet’s natural curiosity and craving for outdoor stimulation with concerns for their safety.

2) Reduce vet visits. An important part of keeping your cat happy and healthy is taking them in for regular vet visits, but you certainly don't want to have to go more than once or twice a year for wellness checks! Cats that go outside without the benefit of an enclosure are much more likely to get into trouble thanks to vehicles, predators, parasites and poison, requiring more frequent vet visits. Protect yourself and your human's wallet with a catio!

Photo: Catio Spaces

3) Provide an enriching, healthy outdoor lifestyle. Catios provide kitties with fresh air, exercise, bird watching and sunbathing...all things that make us super duper happy!

4) Extra feline/human bonding time. It's no secret that Mommy's favorite pastime is curling up on the couch with the computer or a book and moi. We could be doing the same things on a catio and the fresh air and sunlight would make both of us healthier too! I can just picture us now, stretched out on a chaise lounge, a bunch of Mommy's cat-related knick knacks on the table and hanging on the walls, birds chirping, squirrels scurrying around...pure bliss for the both of us while we spend quality time together. On Mommy's "work from home days" she could even do her whole day's work on the catio in a much more pleasant and stress-free environment!

5) Reduce the tension in a multi-cat household by adding more territory. Talk to me friends, do you have a fur sibling that gets on your last nerve every now and then? I'm an only child but I'm not always so sure this purrfect living arrangement is going to last forever. Mommy loves kitties too much and visits the PetSmart adoption center every time she goes to the store. I just know one of these days she's going to bring something home with her. In a home with a catio, any annoyances by your bratty brother or sister can be diffused by stepping outside for some fresh air and a solitary catnap!

Photo credit: Catio Spaces

How am I doing at convincing you that you need a catio? Whenever you're ready to take the plunge, our friends at Catio Spaces offer Do It Yourself (DIY) catio plans in a variety of designs and sizes for patios, decks, gardens or yards. Build it yourself or hire a carpenter to do it for you! Each do-it-yourself catio plan includes step-by-step instructions, a material list, tool list, and easy to follow diagrams for a successful project. (Materials not included). Each set of DIY plans is designed for ease of assembly (or removal if relocating) and to complement a home’s design and aesthetics.

Prices for the DIY catio plans range from $39.95 to $69.95, and Catio Spaces donates 10 percent from the sale of each DIY plan to an animal welfare or wildlife organization!


For more amazing photos of completed catio projects visit the Catio Spaces photo gallery, and "Catimonials" with pawsome before and after shots from happy customers can be found here. Make sure you follow them on Facebook too!

Giveaway! 

Catio Spaces is generously offering one of our lucky readers in the US their very own catio plan! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below. Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


FTC Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Catio Spaces. I am being compensated for featuring this content but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers.

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Belly Up to the Pizza & Taco Bar!

Meows from Mudpie!

A couple weeks ago right around the time Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, Mommy was browsing Facebook and saw a post from an Etsy seller named Soaps by Abby. For three days they were having an emergency catnip toy and soap fundraiser to benefit Austin Pets Alive, and when we saw her adorable pizza and taco catnip toys we just had to order a set. (Convincing Mommy was easy peasy since pizza and tacos are her two favorite foods!)


Then - irony alert - the toys arrived at my door on the very day the remnants of Harvey arrived here in Vermont, and our ding dong mailman left the package on the front step to get soaking wet! By the time Mommy got home and saved it I was sure the toys would be ruined, but thankfully they weren't. (That didn't stop her from leaving a note for the mailman about proper package placement though.)

The nip smell was potent right through the package and I could hardly wait to get my paws on the toys! When I did...well, let's just say that I inhaled.







Click here to buy some pizza and taco toys of your own...they get four paws up from this tortie!

We bought these toys with our own green papers and are sharing them because we enjoyed them so much. We are Etsy affiliates, which means if you click on a link and buy something Mudpie gets a little money for her piggy bank!

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Mudpie Interviews...Instagram Cat Mom


Meows from Mudpie!

I've decided to expand upon my Mudpie Interview series to start featuring humans who either have fun cat-related projects or work to make life better for kitties. Today I'm so excited to chat with a super fun lady I've been following on Instagram for awhile now, the Instagram Cat Mom. Her passion for "all things cat" is PAWsitively infectious, and her new project is a book titled The Christmas Kitten. A Christmas-themed cat book??? You just know we're going to be all over that!!!


Hi Jessica! Thank mew so much for chatting with me today. Can you start by telling us about yourself and how you came to be known as the Instagram Cat Mom?

I'm a Dallas filmmaker & entrepreneur :) I decided to take on a feature film, which I have never done before and thought, what content would be PURRfect for me? Then I discovered the "internet cat video festival" and was like...YES! So, in researching and immersing myself in that world, I set up an Instagram for my 3 kitty loves. I spent 2-4 hours a day managing their page (because we all know I'm just the assistant here), taking hundreds of pics for that one PURRfect post! Then I thought, omg, there are more people who do this! This is hilarious, I should make a short film. After that I ran around promoting it and found that I am actually exactly that person! The "Pawparazzi obsessed with my cat's pictures!"

So, here we are, I am "Instagram Cat Mom" having a blast connecting with other people who are the same, love cats and love posting about them and chatting about them. Oh, and I adore the stories and PURRsona's the "humans" are allowed to convey per their cats of course! LOVE it!


Please introduce us to your furry muses...

My furry muse(s) are 3 adopted loves-of-my-life! Gracie is 12, a tortie who totally talks back to me, but snuggles me often. Bordeaux is my "middle" 9yr old bae, he's a Maine Coon mix and like a dog, is ALWAYS at my feet. Bungie, my youngest, is the baby of the bunch, and totally jumps into my lap often and does that long leg stretch thing as he walks slowly up and makes sure he has your full attention before giving you affection! :)

Tell us about your new children's book The Christmas Kitten and what inspired you to write it.

My FURRst book endeavor "The Christmas Kitten" is a story about an orphan kitten who is rescued by Santa's Reindeer, and through his "big-hearted" wish, all the cats get homes on Christmas. There are so many reasons I wrote this. The world needs a sweet story about hope, belonging, inclusivity, community, and caring for others. Additionally, the very candid truth is that I got divorced last winter after eleven years of marriage. I founded a company with my ex-husband and as creator of the brand I had involved reindeer to make it fun. I poured my soul into it, as any artist does, and when I walked away from it the loss was weighing heavily on my heart. It felt like a death of a dream. So I said to God "I'm really sad right now, and I am feeling angry at all the reindeer decorations. I love Christmas and don't want to feel this way." The next day I woke up with this idea. In a way for me, it's "redeeming the reindeer". It's very personal and very important for this book to succeed because it's the rebirth of a vision and dream in a new way. I have always been a writer and continuously work on projects often (yet to be published).


What do you hope to achieve with this book?

Writing is healing for me. Writing this book healed me and I hope that the themes and story will bring families together for a new tradition at Christmas, to sip hot chocolate and engage in this story where "anything is possible in this beautiful season, doesn't matter the request, only the reason." Motive is everything to me. I hope that generations of children grow up knowing they can change the world when their heart is in the right place :) I want to show people that truly, anything is PAWsible! I hope this book changes the world. I realize that is ambitious, but I truly think every project should be so bold! Everything matters, every life can make a difference for good.

How can our friends help you make your project a reality?

I have a Kickstarter that is limping along :) lol! I need to raise $6,000 to pay my illustrator and graphic designer so that this book WILL be in the hands of the humans THIS Christmas.



I have twelve days remaining. I need pledges and more pledges, shares and more shares for this to be funded. Also, if anyone knows a business that would make sense as a sponsor they can go to my website www.TheChristmasKitten.com or email me directly Jess@TheChristmasKitten.com :) I'm just happy to have this experience! It's a lot of work, but worth every minute.

Lastly, what are some fun ways you rock your cat lady pride?

I rock my cat lady pride in so many ways! My license plate says "Cat Mom" and I have a cat stuffed animal in my car to keep me inspired. I wear special merch I created months ago for some pet expos, I always have a pair of cat ears in my purse for "mew never know" moments, and I change most of my words into cat puns...being single, this presents a unique challenge with PAWsible dates, but then, I just put it all out there so we can skip the shocker later that I am actually a "crazy cat lady".

Sidenote, I am hoping to be a part of a movement that makes the "cat lady" cool and hip! We aren't always in sweats and cat hair...we can look stunning as well as be a cat mom (of 3). I'm still a woman! LOL!

To support The Christmas Kitten on Kickstarter visit here.

Follow The Christmas Kitten on Facebook and Instagram.

Follow Instagram Cat Mom on Instagram.

Sunday, September 10, 2017

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Purring for the World #CaturdayArt

Meows from Mudpie!

Hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires...oh my! Goodness, who ticked the Big Guy upstairs off, anyways? The company Mommy works for is based in Stuart, Florida, we have family in Ocala, and so many blogging friends throughout the state, so we're watching Irma especially closely. I'm purring for everyone in the path of nature's wrath.

Then yesterday we were stunned to hear the news that country duo Montgomery Gentry's Troy Gentry was killed in a helicopter crash. Mommy met him and Eddie at a concert back in 1995 in New York and they were scheduled to be in Vermont in November. Such tragic events should teach people to be more like us kitties and live in each day because tomorrow isn't guaranteed..

My artwork this week, created in Photo Lab, reflects how so many of us are feeling lately.


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


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

1. September bucket list: 1. Continue decluttering 2. Fall cleaning to get ready for Halloween and Christmas decorations going up! 3. Holiday blog planning.

2. If I came with a warning label, it would say "Keep away from kitchen utensils". On two different occasions I've accidentally left kitchen utensils in the oven to burn. One was a plastic turkey baster and it stunk up the house for months whenever the oven was on (in spite of practically having to take the oven apart to scrape off the melted plastic). Then just a couple weeks ago I snapped a peeler right in half while peeling a cucumber. It's become a joke at my house that I'm deadly when it comes to kitchen utensils.

3. Truth be told, I'd rather be with animals than just about any person on earth.

4. I would rather curl up on the couch with Mudpie and a book than do anything else.