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Great Book for Cat Lovers: You Need More Sleep (Advice from Cats)

March 29, 2017 By Joi

Like any cat lover worth an ounce of catnip, I love books about cats… whether they’re humorous, touching, informative – or a little of each – I grab them up and devour them cover to cover.

You Need More Sleep: Advice from Cats is an especially fun book for cat lovers.

A few of the adorable (and, let’s face it, true!) nuggets of wisdom include:

show you care with homemade gifts…
don’t be nice to unpleasant people…
never let anyone dress you…
trust the person who feeds you regularly….

An enjoyable and entertaining read, this is a book you’ll want to read again and again. It also makes a perfect gift idea for the cat lovers in your life – if that describes your mom, dad, or an upcoming graduate, this is the time of year to grab each one a copy!

Women’s Cotton Blend Cat Socks (SO CUTE!)

December 2, 2016 By Joi

There are still a lot of great last-minute gift ideas for the cat lovers in your life on Amazon. This morning, when I was doing a little last-minute shopping, I came across the adorable Women’s Cat Socks pictured here and thought, “Oh, great. The last thing I need to find right now is something for me!”

And yet…. Sigh I must have these. What can I say? I’m obsessed with both socks and cats, so these had my name all over them.

Cat Sock Features

Cotton Blend
Machine Wash OK – Colors stay bright!
Cotton Blend, Quality made in South Korea at the JJMax design studio
One Size Fits Most: US Shoe Size – Women’s 5-9 / Men’s 5-7.5
Sets include all pairs as shown in the pictures
Design is woven, not printed, so it will stay vibrant after many washes

Take a closer look at these Women’s Cat Socks as well as the other varieties of cats and animals available. They’re all adorable!

Review: Call of the Cats (What I Learned About Life and Love From a Feral Colony)

October 25, 2016 By Joi

Call of the Cats: What I Learned About Life and Love From a Feral Colony by Andrew Bloomfield

Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral ColonyBefore I tell you more about a book all cat lovers will want in their life asahp (as soon as humanly possible), let me give you a glimpse into my everyday life (it’ll help you understand just how fast I jumped at the opportunity to review this book):

First thing each morning, I feed my inside furry baby, Alexa (the stereotypical long-haired, chubby, spoiled-rotten cat who rules her domain) and provide her with fresh water (yes, from a bottle in the refrigerator). Then I turn my attention immediately to my outside children: Feral cats and “reformed ferals” who are now fat, spoiled housecats who happen to live outdoors. They’re fed and watered, while obscene amounts of attention and love are poured upon them. Those that allow it are held and told how precious they are while those who don’t allow me to even touch them are told the same words from a distance. This love fest is repeated throughout the day.

I keep both eyes peeled for arrivals throughout the day and, naturally, greet them with treats and salutations. Oh, and photos… so many photos are taken!

Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony has inspired me to write more about my own beloved feral cats (who are, at this point, simply known as family). I’ll be adding more pictures of these special little family members regularly to Cat-Pause, as well as stories from here on out and I have this incredibly beautiful and fun to read book to thank for the inspiration.

{Book review continued below….}

From the Back Cover:
When aspiring screenwriter Andrew Bloomfield moved into a bungalow in Southern California he soon discovered that he shared the property with a large colony of feral cats — untamed, uninterested in human touch, not purring pets in waiting. But after a midnight attack by predators that decimated yet another litter of kittens, Bloomfield decided to intervene. He began to name and nurse, feed and house, rescue and neuter. Drawing on his time living in Asia among spiritual teachers, he takes us on the contemplative, humorous, and poignant journey of saving these cats, only to find it was they who saved him by revealing a world of meaning beyond his unrealized Hollywood dreams.

While Call of the Cats is an especially riveting and heart-touching book for those of us who care for (and love unconditionally) feral cats, the book is a must read for all cat lovers. Even if the only cats in your life are the ones now lying on your bed, you will be touched by, amused by, and affected by this beautiful book and the author, Andrew Bloomfield’s Texas-size heart.

Editorial Reviews

“With humor and wit, Call of the Cats illustrates the perils and rewards of rescuing animals that live at the margins of human society. If you have ever cared for an animal, this book will resonate with you.”
— Marty Becker, DVM, America’s Veterinarian and author of Your Cat: The Owner’s Manual

“Andrew Bloomfield’s heartfelt memoir is not just about his unconditional love for the feral-cat colony that he came to know and adopt. It’s also a much larger portrait of how we can live with, and gently support, animals, who are all at our mercy.”
— Patrick McDonnell, creator of MUTTS and illustrator of Guardians of Being

“Great writing is great storytelling, and Andrew Bloomfield is a great storyteller. This book is, in a word, stunning!… Buy it for every cat lover you know, as well as every ‘not yet’ cat lover. If this book doesn’t win them over, I don’t know what will.”
— Amelia Kinkade, author of Straight from the Horse’s Mouth

“Call of the Cats is like Born Free in an urban backyard, full of remarkable detail about the wild life around us and the extraordinary emotional attachments that can exist between human beings and the untamed animals that occasionally share our lives.”
— Bruce Joel Rubin, Academy Award–winning screenwriter of Ghost

About the Author

Andrew lived the better part of two years in Nepal where he followed a 17th century pilgrim’s guidebook to research spiritual sites around the lower Himalayas. He has worked as assistant manager and book buyer for East West Books in Manhattan, and for Snow Lion Publications in Ithaca, NY. He wrote Learning Practical Tibetan (with MP3s) for Snow Lion. In Seattle, he opened his own bookstore, Infinity Books, in Pioneer Square, where he hosted many public events, including appearances by renowned Tibetan lamas, Hindu saints, and Zen masters. He moved to Los Angeles and wrote How to Practice Vedic Astrology (with CD-ROM) for Harper Collins, subsequently published by Inner Traditions.

When writing book reviews on any of my websites – whether it’s a cookbook review on my food blog or an inspirational book review on my self help blog, I always like to tell why I loved the book, what my first and last reactions were, and (most importantly) what my readers will get from reading the book. I try to accomplish all of this without giving away anything within the book that I want future readers to discover for themselves. A book reviewer should, in my opinion, set the tone for the book without giving anything away.

When I enjoy a book as much as I did Call of the Cats: What I Learned about Life and Love from a Feral Colony, it’s especially hard. My words get so worked up and excited that they trip all over themselves – like a litter of kittens all trying to get to “milk time” first.

My reactions to this book were the same at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end: I realized that I was in the presence of a kindred spirit. The author’s compassion for cats, love of each one, and overwhelming drive to help make each one safe and protected speaks to every inch of my being. When I saw that he, also, named feral cats, I even said out loud, “My kind of human.”

Below are a few questions and answers with this Andrew Bloomfield (“My kind of human”)

Why did you begin feeding these cats when you knew they would become dependent on you?

Initially the impulse to feed the cats was in response to watching on of the cats die from choking on a bone it had scavenged from a neighbor’s trash. That was the impetus for making sure the cats were well nourished. Imbedded in that was the tacit understanding that we were making a commitment, to always be there for them. Or if not, to find someone to take our place – which is what happened. The thought of their dependence on us was a secondary consideration, and for us not as important as making sure they were getting safe, nourishing food. Dependence has somewhat of a negative connotation, and perhaps having wild cats depend on us was wrong. I have no way of knowing. But from our point of view it would only have been wrong if we were inconsistent with our care-giving.

Why did you spend money on these cats when you could barely support yourself?

None of this was very well thought out ahead of time! But I’ve come to learn that truly helping really has no self-reference. As I mentioned in the book, I once heard a spiritual teacher comment that the mantra of stupidity is “what about me?” It’s been my experience in life that whenever I’ve tried to self-protect or wonder “what’s in it for me,” I end up with less. What I tried to hold onto for myself slipped through my fingers like sand. Also, whether I fed the cats or myself with my last dollar didn’t much matter. Either way I was going to be broke.

How do you know that Trap Neuter Release Really Works?

In my case I can only share my experience from one colony of cats in my back yard. As a result of TNR we went from 50 cats to 6 over time. The colony naturally and organically grew smaller as older cats died off and weren’t replaced by others, as no other litters were possible. So in our case the results were textbook, just as described.

Obviously most won’t be called to care for cats. Can you shed any insight into how others might find their life’s purpose?

I do believe one key in discerning one’s true purpose is simply by doing the thing right in front of your face. The thing closest at hand.

Our civilization is skewed toward unease. An unease born of not looking like, having, or accomplishing whatever an advertiser deems to be indispensable at the time – or what the idol-of-the-day embodies. Thus many strive to look like, or be like, or have the things we’re told will bring us satisfaction. But what is lost in that search is authenticity. Authenticity is being true to oneself – being comfortable in our bodies and content with our skill sets. I’ve met parking garage attendants who take great pride in their work and are more fulfilled in their lives as a result, than some Fortune 500 CEOs.

{Book review concluded below….}

Beautiful Cover Model of Call of the Cats!

I believe he really nailed it when he used the word fulfillment. The happiness that comes from being fulfilled with what you are doing is unlike happiness that springs from any other source. Caring for cats gives cat lovers a great sense of fulfillment. When the happiness that comes as a result meets the love that flows from cat to human – it’s simply a breathtakingly beautiful thing.

I chose to end this article with the precious picture above – the one that graces the cover. I don’t think a more apt or perfect picture could have been chosen for this book because this is, quite frankly, the face of the feral cat. You can see pride in the eyes – because no animal is more proud than a cat! – but you can also see a need to be cared for. There’s a hint of vulnerability in every cat, whether she admits it or not. There are so many things (some with fur, some with not) that have the potential to harm cats and when we take it upon ourselves to help them dodge harm, we do a great, fulfilling, and even beautiful service.

It’s the cat’s pride that is always at the front of my mind when caring for all of my cats (inside, outside, tame, wild, feral… they’re all family!). My family and I always seek ways to help the cats help themselves by providing food, water, and shelter. One of my sons-in-law builds “cabins” for them and my husband buys heating pads for the cold months to place inside the cabins.

My youngest daughter and I find blankets, sleeping bags (so thick and comfortable!), and even pillows to make their lives more comfortable.

Caring for cats is an honor and one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever known.

If you love cats, trust me, Call of the Cats is the next book you want to read. It’s inspiring, uplifting, heart-touching, and often downright hilarious.

Cats are such characters!

It’s a highly entertaining read and one I highly recommend. It would also make an EXCELLENT gift idea for the cat lovers in your life… a gift they won’t soon forget.

Cat-Opoly Game: Must Have for Cat Moms and Dads

August 16, 2016 By Joi

If you haven’t already, it is officially time to start thinking about Christmas gifts and gift ideas. As for me, I think about them year-round, with the only day off being Christmas, itself. I’m guessing I was one of Santa’s elves in another life.

The Cat-Opoly game would make a great gift for any cat loving family. Heck, I’d like to have it if all it did was sit on a shelf and look good!

For 2-6 players
This game has all the excitement of a traditional property trading game with some cas-astrophic twists
Cat-opoly is great fun for family and friends, the back of each deed contains fun facts about cats – a property trading game
Tokens pictured are milk bottle, mouse, sardines, cat food, fish, ball of yarn
This game has all the excitement of a traditional property trading game with some cas-astrophic twists
Tokens pictured are milk bottle, mouse, sardines, cat food, fish, ball of yarn
Cat-opoly is great fun for family and friends, the back of each deed contains fun facts about cats – a property trading game
A perfect gift for all cat lovers, for ages 8 and up, 2 to 6 players

See Cat-Opoly for more details and to take a closer look at the money, properties, and game pieces. This is so adorable I can’t stand it!

Beautiful Black Cats Wall Clock

June 1, 2016 By Joi

If you love black cats like we do in our family, I know you’ll love this gorgeous Black Cats Wall Clock. My oldest daughter actually has two beautiful, lovable black cats, so this would be ideal for her.

Definitely keeping this in mind for Christmas.

Product Description from Amazon:
This Black Vinyl Record Wall Clock is brought to you by The Golden Age Of Rock- N -Roll, a company known for investment grade collectibles. FREE gift box included. An actual 12″ Long Playing vinyl record, newly pressed in pristine condition, without music recorded on it. Sold in retail stores for $149 now made available here for $75.95 This unique clock has an American made mini quartz movement complete with a manufacturers 10 year warranty. Accurate to within 2 minutes a year this clock will look and perform perfectly. Runs on 1 AA battery which is included. The Record has been laser cut and/or laser etched to create this unique and dramatic design. Laser cut designs will show the color of your wall through the record openings. The LP measures 12″ in diameter.Please check out our store for over 3,000 unique collectibles. FREE DOMESTIC Shipping! Weight of this item is 1 pounds and will come to you boxed by priority mail. We guarantee your satisfaction with a no questions asked return policy. Simply return the item to us in good condition, with your name and address for a full refund of your purchase price. International Buyers – Please Note: Gold Record Outlet attempts to minimize your duty fee’s by marking your purchase as a gift and declares a lower value “BUT” Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility. Please check with your country’s customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying.

See Black Cats Wall Clock for more information!

Cat Toys Gift Set: Purr-fect Gift Idea for Cats and Cat Lovers

April 23, 2016 By Joi

The Natural Pet Company Cat Toys Gift Box includes 7 great looking toys that’ll mesmerize your cat(s). The toys, themselves, are beautiful, but I’m especially impressed with the gorgeous box they come in (and can be stored in).

Our inside cat, Alexa, has more toys than some human kids. I like to “rotate” the toys – keeping some out in various rooms, while keeping others put away in a drawer until they switch places with the ones “in the wild.”

The fact that this set of toys come in their own storage case? Purr-fect!

While this would make a great gift idea for the most important recipient in the equation… the cat!… it would also make a very thoughtful and MUCH enjoyed gift idea for any cat lover. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, Birthdays (the human’s or the cat’s) – there’s no wrong time to give this beautiful gift set.

Cooking for Two: Your Cat and You! (Review)

December 17, 2015 By Joi

Alexa and Her First Cookbook

“Dogs eat. Cats dine.” – Ann Taylor

My cats and I were sent a beautiful cookbook to review on the cat blog a few weeks ago: Cooking for Two–Your Cat & You! We’ve been enjoying it more than I can even tell you. Not only are the recipes are fantastic (whether or not your cat actually shares with you), the book is filled with adorable cat pictures, quotes about cats, and fun “cat facts.”

Speaking of which, did you know that only about half of all cats have any sensitivity to catnip? (page 65)

One of the Adorable Pictures Inside the Cookbook

Recipes Include:

Mini Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
Vegetable Stir Fry
Baked Chicken (my cats’ favorite)
Vanilla Sundae
Tuna Salad
Salmon and Steamed Broccoli
Deli Rollups
Scrambled Eggs with Rice
Chicken Soup with Carrots
And more!

“If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.”- Mark Twain (page 61)

There’s also a great “No No List” of foods you should never feed your cat. You’ve probably heard how dangerous it is to give chocolate to a cat, but did you know that avocado, citrus, garlic, fruit seeds, grapes, mushrooms, and nuts are very bad for cats? Also, salt and sugar in excess are also bad.

From the Inside Cover:
Cat lovers can forget about eating solo, and cats no more have to look longingly at the meals their caretakers have prepared in hope of getting a bite. Now, with the help of Cooking for Two: Your Cat & You, felines and their friends can share a meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

In this new two-species cookbook, Brandon Schultz has adapted dozens of unpretentious recipes for “people food” to fit both the palate of humans and the dietary limitations of cats. He covers what foods are and aren’t safe for our furry companions, suggests resources for making day-to-day cat food, and gives tips on making food for special occasions appetizing for both human and cat. Each recipe has instructions and ingredient lists for both types of diners.

If you click through and order from Amazon, you can actually have this beautiful book in time for Christmas – whether as a gift to another cat lover or a gift to you and your cat. See Cooking for Two–Your Cat & You! for more information.

I am absolutely smitten with this beautiful book – front to back – and I know you will be too.

Leopard Print Cat Bowl for the “Spoiled” Cat!

November 10, 2015 By Joi

If you’re like me, you have at least one very spoiled cat in your family – the little cutie that pretty much has everyone wrapped around her/his paw.

The Leopard Print “Spoiled” Cat Dish shown here is ideal for the cat who’s spoiled and wants everyone to know it.

Features:

Stainless steel bowl resists bacteria
Removable rubber base prevents skids and noise
No tip design prevents spills
Durable and dishwasher safe; please remove rubber ring before washing
Holds approximately 6-ounces

While I love everything about this gorgeous dish, my favorite thing is the bacteria-resistant stainless steel. I also love that it’s dishwasher safe.

No pampered cat wants to eat or drink out of a dirty dish!

See Leopard Print “Spoiled” Cat Dish for more information. It’d make a super special Christmas present… just saying.

The dish above would be especially beautiful with the Leopard Print Cat Condo, pictured below.

Stuffed Grumpy Cat…. Yes, Please!

December 10, 2014 By Joi

Too cute! I’ve been a huge fan of Grumpy Cat since I first saw her adorable little face over a year ago. Talk about taking the internet by storm… she did it. And she continues to do it.

When you’re this precious, you’ll never go out of style.

For a long time, I’ve wished they made a stuffed grumpy cat and..now… voila… here she is in all her glory and she’s almost as cute as the original. The Stuffed Grumpy Cat is available on Amazon with the priceless little grouchy expression in place.

She’s surface washable for easy cleaning and is from Gund, so you know she’s made to last. She’s also very, very reasonably priced. In fact, she’s so cheap, you could get a Grumpy Cat Mug to give as a gift along with her.

That… or keep them both for yourself.

Oh, come on, surely I’m not the only one that does things like that?!?!

You can find this adorable little gal and a lot more cat lovers’ gift ideas on Amazon.com. If you’re Christmas shopping, you can rest assured that Amazon is the best way to get your gifts in time. They offer FAST delivery options that even Santa can’t compete with.

Find more Grumpy Cat mugs, stuffed animals, and even 2015 Calendars in the slideshow below. If you can’t see the slideshow on your device, just click here!

Amazon.com Widgets

Review of a Book I’m In LOVE With – Furry Logic: A Guide to Life’s Little Challenges

November 14, 2014 By Joi

The book shown here, Furry Logic, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Guide to Life’s Little Challenges, is honestly too adorable… to clever.. to witty.. to perfect… to do justice to with a book review, but I’m going to try.

First of all, are you at all familiar with Jane Seabrook’s work? Allow me to just say, right up front, she’s a genius. A creative, talented, animal-loving genius.

My favorite kind of genius!

The Furry Logic books are filled with the most adorable paintings of animals you’ve ever seen. Each time I flipped the page, I thought “I want a larger version of this to hang on the wall…” By the time I reached the end of the book, I’d made plans for every room in the house.

I haven’t looked yet, but I can only hope these adorable paintings are available on coffee mugs, calendars, art work, etc.

I’ll spend a fortune, but my home will be one smile waiting to happen after the next.

The pictures, themselves, would be enough to make this adorable little book a MUST HAVE for cat lovers and animal lovers, but it’s also filled with wonderful humor. Each “character” (and they really are characters!) comes with a wonderful quote or quip. Some make you think, some make you laugh, and all make you fall just a little bit further in love with the book.

The thing that really impresses me is how the artist (you know, the animal-loving genius) manages to capture the emotions of each quote with a painting. Somehow she manages to create furry (or feathered) characters that perfectly convey the emotions – and it’s all in the eyes. Any cat “parent” can tell you that animals most definitely have expressions and Jane Seabrook captures them perfectly.

About the Furry Logic Series:

The adorable and high-profile Furry Logic series celebrates its 10th anniversary with a menagerie of illustrated animals and hilarious sayings about life, love, and everything in between.
No one understands the ups and downs of life’s little challenges better than the frisky critters of Furry Logic. The inspirational and tongue-in-cheek advice from series creator Jane Seabrook and her plucky animal characters will tickle the fancy and the funnybone of readers everywhere. Each intricately illustrated spread features a member of the animal kingdom with a unique take on life, from the adorably grumpy owl who advises “Smile first thing in the morning. Get it over with” to the fluffy hawk who admonishes, “If at first you do succeed, try not to look too astonished.” So join the original flock of penguins, bears, frogs, and more in celebrating a decade of wit and wisdom with ten new illustrated spreads for fans looking for fresh inspiration.

About the Creative Animal-Loving Genius:

JANE SEABROOK is the creator and artist of the Furry Logic series. Known for her paintings of wildlife, Jane cares for her own furry menagerie of two cats and a dog with help from her husband and two children.

There are other Furry Logic books available on Amazon as well – I highly recommend all of them. There’s just something incredibly relaxing and enjoyable about curling up with these books. I’ve shared them with and recommended them to everyone I know. While the Furry Logic books ARE available for Kindle, I’d definitely suggest getting a physical copy.

This is a “hands on” kind of book!

You’ll definitely want to go check out Furry Logic, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Guide to Life’s Little Challenges on Amazon. This book is less than $10 and would make a PERFECT gift for any animal lover on your list. It’s one of those rare gift ideas that’d be ideal for just about any age. From teenagers to senior citizens, everyone loves to smile and everyone’s looking for their next laugh.

Just be sure to grab a copy for yourself – why should you miss out on the fun, right?!

“You’ll always be my best friend…. you know too much.“

Note: I received this book from theBlogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Purrfect for Cat Lovers:

Purry LogicAn all-new, all-feline collection of adorable illustrations, humorous sayings, and unadulterated cattitude from the creator of FURRY LOGIC.

Filled with wry witticisms to perk up even the most finicky cat lovers, PURRY LOGIC puts a distinctly feline twist on Jane Seabrook’s popular FURRY LOGIC books. This delightful collection presents cuddly cats offering purr-worthy pick-me-ups like, “My only purpose in this life is to rest and recover from my previous lives,” “If you didn’t make the rules, just ignore them,” and “When fat, arrange yourself in slim poses.” Watercolor-painted in loving detail, Seabrook’s sleek and sassy kitties remind us that the best things in life are furry. – Louisville Courier Journal