Happy 6th Gotcha Day, Mudpie!!!

Meows from Mudpie!

Six years ago today my life changed forever when Mommy decided I was the kitty to fill the empty hole in her heart that Truffles left behind. We've told this story for the past 5 years on my special day, but it's a real life "fairy tail" and I didn't think you'd mind reading it again. I know that I never get tired of telling it!

It all began 10 days earlier with a series of photos posted on the shelter website. Mommy says she saw my picture and had the same feeling in her heart that she had the first time she saw Truffles. Still, she didn't want to make a hasty decision so she saved my picture to her PC and tablet and kept looking at it over and over. When she finally decided to call the shelter and ask about me it didn't take long for her to decide that I was the one.

She filled out the adoption application, gathered the needed references, and was immediately approved, but then we hit a bit of a snag. The shelter doesn't typically finalize adoptions before the prospective family meets the pet, meaning I couldn't be placed "on hold" (for lack of a better term) and when Mommy spoke to the shelter on Friday afternoon she learned that another lady had just stopped in and was very interested in me! Thankfully the nice shelter volunteer heard the panic in Mommy's voice when she reiterated that she just couldn't come get me until Sunday (they had already agreed to open the shelter just for us!) and said she'd do everything she could to steer the lady's attention to another cat. (People are just drawn to me...what can I say???)

So on a sunny Sunday morning Mommy and my Grandpa made the hour drive to make our union legal and bring me to my forever home.

She had never been to this particular shelter before and thought it was so beautiful. She especially loved the cat quotes on the walls.

She enjoyed spending a little time with Thomas, the shelter mascot, but her heart was pounding with anticipation to meet *me*!!!

There was a cute little tortie in the front holding room, and at first Mommy thought it was me! Then she was told that I was sequestered in the shelter director's office because I don't play well with others. Tattle tails!!!

As soon as Mommy saw me it was all over...I held her heart in my paws!

In no time at all the paperwork was complete and I was on my way home. Mommy rode in the back seat with me and I barely made a peep. We just gazed at each other as well fell completely in love.

I made myself at home the moment I walked in the door, immediately gravitating to the toys set out waiting for me...

...and the pawsome cat beds too! (Geez, wasn't I a skinny, scrawny little thing???) I was totally tuckered out at this point!

The whole day was just a dream come true, one Mommy and I will never forget. Life is pretty darn amazing for this little tortie today. I have a wonderful family who worships the ground I walk on, and loads of friends in the blogosphere who welcomed me with open arms.

Of all the kitties in the world, Mommy picked me. And I thank Cod for her every single day.

Note from Mommy: I thank Cod for you every single day too, precious girl!

Do you remember the day you moved to your forever home?

Sideways #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Do I look just as good from this angle? I thought so...

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!

Mommy's answers:

1. I am contemplating replacing my laptop. It's close to 7 years old now and slowing down, but I really don't need the aggravation right now so I keep putting it off.

2. My tomatoes are ripening. I'm not a gardener (at all) and tomato plants are the only things I plant each year. It's always so exciting when they're ready to eat, even though I usually end up with too much of a good thing.

Mudpie's answers:

3. I can eat a squeezie in record time.

4. I miss the days when Mommy and I could cuddle together for hours on the couch and in bed. Hopefully cool fall weather will be here soon!

Mudpie Interviews...Whiskers from Gabby Allan's Whit & Whiskers Mystery Series

Whitney Dagner is your tour guide to a Pacific paradise that’s to die for—only to find it’s a place people are also willing to kill for—in Gabby Allan’s Much Ado About Nauticaling, first in the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series.

 
After far too many years in the Los Angeles corporate world, Whitney Dagner has come home to Santa Catalina Island off the California coast to help her brother Nick run Nautically Yours, the family tourism business. Between gift shop shifts selling all manner of T-shirts and tchotchkes and keeping her feline Whiskers in fine fettle, she pilots the Sea Bounder, a glass bottom boat showing tourists the underwater sights of aquatic plants, marine life—and a murder victim?

The self-proclaimed “Master of the Island,” Jules Tisdale was a wealthy man with business interests throughout Catalina who was about to be honored as Person of the Year before someone strangled him with his own tie and tossed his body into the water. That someone appears to be Nick, who had a raw deal from Jules and no alibi the night of his murder. To clear her brother’s name, Whit will have to investigate Jules’ shady associates and not exactly grief-stricken family members—with the unwelcome help of Felix Ramirez, police diver and Whit’s ex-boyfriend who’s looking to rekindle their relationship.

Mudpie was very excited to have the opportunity to interview Whiskers, the feline star of this series. We hope you enjoy meeting her!

Welcome, Whiskers! Thank you so much for chatting with me today. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you came to live with Whitney?

Thanks for having me, Mudpie! You look fabulous, by the way. Just had to get that out of the way... Now, on to your question. Well, Whit and I have been together for most of my life. She picked me up out of a litter because I, too, am fabulous. Thankfully, she knows that and treats me exactly as she should. Sometimes I have to remind her but for the most part she's a good human, and I think I'll keep her.

What's a typical day like for you?

A lot of lounging, a lot of playing with my many, many toys. Ever since we moved to the island, we go on walkies where everyone wants to stop and pet me. I like it much better than where we lived before. And now that Whit and I have a roommate who works the night shift I almost always have someone to curl up on, so that's a good thing.

Have you ever had any scary experiences living so close to the water?

Not yet, but I don't discount that something could happen. Whit's really careful with me, though. Even when we're in her golf cart she makes me sit in the basket so I am safe.

Tell us about Much Ado About Nauticaling, the first Whit & Whiskers Mystery you star in.

Whit does have to leave my wonderful company sometimes to run this glass-bottom boat company with her brother, Nick. He is not my favorite person since he doesn't pet me or give me treats nearly as much as I deserve. So when a dead guy floats under the boat, Nick is the one the police think did it. Whit loves her family, not as much as she loves me, but she does love them. So off she goes to clear his name even though I find him to be just a little bit shady. And if Karma gets him for not petting me enough, I say he has no one to blame but himself.

Do you assist Whitney in any way in solving the mystery?

There is no better sounding board in this whole wide world than me. I'm sure if she'd take me with her all the time I could probably point her directly to the bad guys, but she wants me safe and that means staying in the house more than I'd like. But I do make the appropriate noises when she's rubbing my tummy and running her theories by me. It's enough.

Can you give us any clues as to what's next for you two?

I can! I can! But only a little... It seems that someone's been doing more than just bird watching and might be getting in some serious trouble for trying to pull one over on the island residents. But my Whit will be able to catch the bad guy. Well, hopefully, before she gets caught in the net of SOMETHING FISHY THIS WAY COMES.

Thanks so much for having me! I hope we can meet again!

Giveaway

We have one print copy of Much Ado About Nauticaling and the adorable door hanger pictured above to give away. To enter simply leave your email address in a comment below. US entries only, please.

A Visit to Catland Vintage

Catland Vintage, a cat-themed vintage store, opened up just 10 minutes away from me last weekend. When I first heard about it I could hardly believe what I was seeing as cool things like this never come to my neck of the woods!

I posted about it on Facebook and so many of my cat friends were excited about it that I took lots of pictures to share when I visited on Sunday afternoon!

The store is SO adorable, the owners incredibly friendly, and it seems they had a fantastic opening weekend. They sure were busy while I was there! I love their logo blending my love of music and cats (the owners are also musicians), so I picked up coasters and magnets with the logo on it, and a birthday gift for my mom, which amazingly is not cat-related. I'll certainly be stopping by frequently to see all the fun things on their shelves!

Here are links to some local news stories about the shop...

Joe and Jaye MacAskill Open a Feline-Themed Vintage Store in Winooski

The cat’s meow: Feline-themed antique store opening in Winooski

You can also visit them on Facebook and Instagram.

Christmas in July Wrap Up

Today we want to thank our sweet friend Ellen at 15 and Meowing for her surprise Christmas in July gift that arrived last week. Mudpie got a precious purple ice cream cone that she absolutely loves, and I got a Christmas Grumpy Cat dish towel!

When I put the cone up to Mudpie's face to sniff it she gave it a great big lick, just like you would an ice cream cone. It was so adorable but of course I didn't have a camera in my hands at the time. (I don't remember if I ever mentioned here on our blog that my dad delivered ice cream for 30 plus years, so that made the cone toy extra special for us.)

Among other things Ellen and I share an intense dislike of summer and a love for all things Christmas and Grumpy Cat. Her package was the purrfect way to end Christmas in July!

Sorta Strange #SundaySelfie

Meows from Mudpie!

Yesterday afternoon Mommy wanted to help me take my selfie for the week, but I was too busy soaking up some rays at the back door. She decided to use the front facing camera on her phone, stuck it in my face, and this is what we came up with. 

Sorta strange but still totally adorbs!

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