Stuffie Snuggling Sunday Selfie

Meows from Mudpie!

You may be wondering why I'm looking quite sad today and why I'm snuggling with stuffies instead of Mommy. That's because she plans to leave me to go to a silly cat show this afternoon and she'll probably come home reeking of other cats!!! Do you think it's too cold to ask her to change her clothes out in the garage when she gets home?

Okay, I guess I'm being kind of dramatic, but she had better buy me something! In the meantime, anyone wanna come over to paw-ty?

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

Vintage Rose #CaturdayArt

(Created with PhotoLab & PicMonkey)

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

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

Mommy's answers:

1. My favorite fast food restaurant is Moe's Southwest Grill.

2. If I could go to any concert of someone still performing, it would be George Strait. He retired but is playing some dates again this year. In all his years of touring he never came that close to my area. Of course I would never balk at the opportunity to see Toby Keith for a 5th time either ;) 

Mudpie's answers:

3. I would like to ask Mother Nature why she is torturing us so?

4. My Winter pastime is usually lots of extra nap and cuddle time with Mommy, because I can!

Fun Feline Finds: Cat Crimes Logic Game (w/Giveaway!)

As a cat fanatic and mystery lover, ThinkFun has just created the purrfect game for me in Cat Crimes. Not only are the game pieces ridiculously adorable (not to mention the kitty line up on the box), the game itself is clever, challenging, and suitable for all ages. What especially appeals to me is the fact that you can play alone, making it a great way to pass the time and charge your brain cells too!

The concept of the game is very simple. You're cat sitting your neighbor's 6 little angels expecting a relaxing weekend of fur and fun, only to continuously discover spilled coffee, broken flower pots, and a missing bird! Your task is to figure out which of these cute troublemakers committed the cat crime using clues given on the challenge card to position the cats on the game board and find out where they were at the time of the dastardly deed. You've caught the culprit when you can name the cat sitting in front of the crime token!

The game has 40 different challenges with four levels of play: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert. Kids will have fun with the lower levels while working up to the more difficult challenges, while adults who might think the game is too easy for them starting out are sure to have their work cut out for them once they get to the more advanced cards.

I *love* this game, and will certainly be going back and playing it a second and third time once I finish working through all the cards. In the evenings I've been playing a few rounds with Mudpie in my lap while we cuddle on the couch and she's even enjoyed batting around the cat tokens a time or two...although she never seems willing to help me out and offer any advice on the culprit! Maybe she's just trying to cover up for her friends by throwing me off the trail ;)

Giveaway: Thanks to our friends at ThinkFun, one lucky reader in the US is going to win their very own Cat Crimes Logic Game! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below. Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: We received a Cat Crimes Logic Game from ThinkFun in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own and we never recommend a product we don’t fully believe in. This post also contains affiliate links.

Thankful Thursday: Tortie Kitten Saved From Busy NJ Highway

Meows from Mudpie!

Today I'm thankful for good people who go out of their way to help kitties.

Mommy often wonders how I ended up at the shelter. All she knows is that I started out in western New York and when I didn't get adopted there I was transported to Vermont. It was right about the time Angel Truffles ran off to the Bridge, so I ended up where I was desperately needed and always meant to be.

Whatever my story is, it probably isn't as dramatic as the one this tortie kitten has to tell. On Saturday afternoon Miracle was stranded on the median of a busy 6-lane road in Atlantic City, but lucky for her someone from Alley Cat Allies drove by and was able to help her with the assistance of a wonderful police officer who has worked with Alley Cat Allies' Atlantic City Boardwalk Cats Project. Miracle is now safe and being fostered by the veterinarian she was brought to.

Read Miracle's complete rescue story here!

Photo: Alley Cat Allies

Appreciate the Moments Photo Challenge - Winter

Meows from Mudpie!

Today we're hopping into a brand new photo challenge for 2018 hosted by our friends at Dog Mom Days and The Everyday Dog Mom. On the first Friday of each month pet bloggers will be asked to post a photo that fits that month's theme.

January's challenge, appropriately enough, is winter. You may have noticed that a good section of the US has been faced with an arctic blast, and here in Vermont we've been right in the thick of it. Overnight lows on Saturday hit 20 below - that's the actual temperature, not the wind chill - beating the old record of 19 below set in 1923! Super cold temps don't really bother us that much because it just gives us more opportunities to cuddle, but our hearts hurt to think about all the animals forced to face the fury of mother nature all alone.

The pictures I chose for today were taken just a couple days before Christmas when we had a beautiful, fluffy snowfall. Mommy decided to be cute and bring winter inside to me in the form of a pile of fresh white stuff on a paper plate. I was not amused. I prefer to appreciate winter from the comfort of my beloved Santa blankie.

Get it off!!! Get it off!!!

Then things got even worse when she decided to sprinkle a little of the snow on me...and a flake landed near my bottom!!! Not funny, Mommy. Not funny at all.

Tortie Shorties Book Reviews

Meows from Mudpie!

Today we're reviewing two pawsome new non-fiction cat books. We hope you enjoy our choices!

Claws: Confessions of a Professional Cat Groomer by Anita Kelsey

From the publisher: Throughout her years visiting people’s homes as a cat groomer, Anita Kelsey has amassed a vast array of funny, cute and ridiculous stories about cats and, of course, their owners. In Claws, she picks out just a few of her favorite tales to share with the reader, from "Sammy the Swooner" to "Tubbs: The Fat Cat Caught in His Flap." In the pages of this entertaining and heartwarming book, you'll meet 20 of the most characterful cats, all eventually calmed and preened to their natural beauty and animal magnificence by the author. Meet their owners, too, and enjoy Anita's take on the individual relationships between pet and owner.

Tortie Shorties Review: One of my favorite books from 2017 was the debut of a new cozy mystery series about a cat groomer, so this peek into the real life experiences of a professional pet groomer was right up my alley. It's filled with stories about the author's encounters with the various cats and cat owners in her care, and she has truly seen it all! From the cat who hospitalized her for nearly a week to the crazed owner who jumped on the hood of her car to the time she ended up in an apartment with 3 brothers who ended up brawling, life is never boring when you're making house calls as a cat behaviorist/groomer. My favorite stories centered on the senior, special needs, and previously abused cats who needed extra attentiveness and TLC. Each section ends with a "Mog Tip" (don't you just love the British word "moggie" for cat???) containing extra information about such topics as grieving cats, dealing with allergies and cat bites, rescuing cats from abroad, and the importance of understanding when re-homing your cat is the best choice you can make for them.

Ms. Kelsey's adoration for cats shines through in every page and her clients are extremely lucky to have her in their lives. I hope she's working on a Volume 2!

All Hands on Pet!: Your How-To Guide on Home Physical Therapy Methods for Pets by Susan E. Davis

From the publisher: Susan E. Davis has been dubbed "Doctor Dolittle of the PT World," by Northwestern Medicine Magazine, a publication of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

All Hands on Pet! Your How-To Guide on Home Physical Therapy Methods for Pets offers safe and effective actions pet owners can apply through the animal's entire life spectrum. Information provided applies to multiple species: canine, feline, avian, exotics and farm animals (non-equine).

Tortie Shorties Review: This book was of great interest to me because I'm always interested in learning about alternative treatments for our pets. While a lot of it is geared towards dogs I still found it very informative, especially the section on the Assisi Loop which is something I've been hearing a lot about lately but didn't completely understand how it worked or what it's used for. When I first thumbed through the table of contents imagine my surprise in the cat section to see the saddle thrombus specifically mentioned. I went there immediately and granted it's only a page in length, but it was heartening to see that if caught early there are therapies available to help cats regain their mobility even though the prognosis is still poor. The final section of the book is Tails (Tales) of Courage featuring some of the author's success stories with animals that have overcome their challenges through physical therapy. All Hands On Pet would be a valuable resource on the bookshelf of any pet owner - especially those of us always looking to do "more" for them - as we navigate life with our beloved companions.

Disclaimer: I received free copies of these books in exchange for a fair and honest review. As members of the Amazon Associates affiliate program, if you click on our links and buy something Mudpie gets a little money for her piggy bank!

2018 Pet Blogger Challenge

Today we're excited to be participating in the 2018 Pet Blogger Challenge hosted by GoPetFriendly.com. It's a great way to join fellow bloggers in reflecting on the past year while making plans for the one to come. 

1. For those who may be visiting your blog for the first time, how long have you been blogging and what is your main topic?

I started blogging in August 2011. Mochas, Mysteries and Meows is the purr-fect destination for everyone who embraces a cozy, cat-centric lifestyle: curling up on the couch with a warm beverage, a great book, and a cat...or 3. It's primary focus is to chronicle my cat lady life with Mudpie alongside reviews of products for both cats and cat moms and sharing the knowledge I've accumulated in three decades of life with cats.

2. What was your proudest blogging moment of 2017?

We went through a very scary time at our house early last year when Mudpie had an adverse reaction to her rabies vaccine. I wrote about it in Mudpie's Vaccination Scare...and What We'll Do Differently Next Time and in the months since I've had so many people tell me that they've saved it and used it to ask their vet about their own pet's vaccine protocol. As pet blogger, that's music to my ears.

3. Which of your blog posts was your favorite this year and why? (Please include a link.)

I wrote My Visit to the Rainbow Bridge: A Short Story for Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, and it's my favorite thing I've written since Truffles' Remember Me post. The idea popped into my head and the story just poured out of me, then I spent about 3 weeks perfecting it. I cried while I wrote it, and I still cry re-reading it. 

4. In terms of your blog, how do you measure success?

Having readers who care enough about us that they visit on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong - new readers are great - but knowing that people take time out of their busy lives to see what we're up to each day is amazing. (Although I must say, I completely understand everyone's need for a daily dose of Mudpie!)

5. In what ways has your blog changed during 2017?

This year I made a concentrated effort to start writing more evergreen content, primarily through a new series I titled The Purrfect 10 where we present 10 educational or fascinating tidbits about a wide variety of cat-related topics, everything from health issues to cat breeds to famous felines.

6. What was the biggest blogging challenge you overcame in 2017, and what did you learn that could help other bloggers?

In 2017 I stepped out of my comfort zone and started contacting brands that I wanted to work with, and was for the most part very successful! I learned how important it is to have confidence in yourself and the unique talents you can bring to the blogging table. Learning how to sell yourself is a valuable tool.

7. When things get hard, what keeps you blogging?

I keep going because I love it. Cats have been my greatest passion since the day I was born so writing about them on a daily basis comes pretty much effortlessly to me. 

8. Looking forward to 2018, what are you hoping to accomplish on your blog this year?

My goal is to continue growing our blog and to use it as a stepping stone towards freelance writing for a national publication, either online or print. I've tucked this valuable article on freelancing in the pet industry into my blogging planner and plan to start by pitching a local pet publication.

9. In addition to what you’d like to accomplish, is here one specific skill you’d like to improve or master this year?

I'd like to learn Canva primarily as a tool to create pin-worthy graphics on Pinterest.

10. Now it’s your turn! You have the attention of the pet blogging community – is there a question you’d like answered, or an aspect of your blog that you’d like input on? 

I would love to ask our readers what they want to see more of on the blog. Do you have a favorite feature? A topic you would like us to cover? Please let us know!!!