BlogPaws: The Good, The Bad, And The Furries

I thought that I would do a short review of my representative’s human’s experience at BlogPaws.

Texas a cat in New York, BlogPaws

“Better late than never,” say the humans. This is a very wise human saying, except when food, treats and play time are concerned. We, kitties, need the attention when we need it (often this moment is now). This review is overdue but what can I do? I work with a human (you know, the species that invents sayings to excuse themselves for their mistakes).

Also, I would like to paraphrase a very wise human, Jackson Galaxy, who, at the Strand Books event a couple of weeks ago, said something to the effect that animals don’t make excuses, there’s no “yes, but”… they just go (my human is not sure – see what I mean?! – of the exact quote, hence the paraphrase).
So let’s not sugarcoat this short review (kitties have no appetite for sugar anyway), but let’s also give the applause when it is due.

Let’s start with the positive.

My human really enjoyed her time spent at the conference and I really enjoyed what she brought back to us. Most of of what she brought back (see “bad” section). Mostly treats, and also some litter that she won from the cat lounge. We really, really liked the Natural Balance Perfect Bites Rabbit Formula!


My human said she learned from each presentation she attended (and there were many options).

What she loved the best though was meeting my furriends’ humans! In no particular order: Curlz and Swirlz, Sparkle, Feline Funnies, The Island Cats, Savannah’s Paw Tracks, Twinkletoe Tails, The Conscious Cat, Catsparella, Sebastian the Sensitive Soul, I Have Cat, Riverfront Cats, Cat in the Fridge, Zee & Zoey, A Tonk’s Tail, Tails from the Foster Kittens, Random Felines, Cattywumpus, Glogirly, Cathy Keisha, Cat Chat with Caren and Cody, Animal Shelter Volunteer Life, BJ Bangs, Brian’s Home… if I have forgotten anyone, that’s my human’s fault!

Among those bloggies, there are some that we discovered thanks to my human going to BlogPaws and meeting their humans! My human also talked and exchanged with many doggie bloggers.

And we have to give extra special thanks to my furriends from Curlz and Swirlz and their human who gave my human a special treat bag for me us kitties (and the human)!

Texas a cat in New York, BlogPaws

Isn’t it super nice?

My human really enjoyed talking (mostly cats, she claims) with my furriends’ humans and said it was a well needed break for her (whatever that means… she’d better not talk about a break from us!).

She also liked to be able to see some of my furriends’ blogs win an award!

This is Plush Nerissa, with her Best Blog Writing award:

Texas a cat in New York, BlogPaws

And this is Glogirly accepting the Best Cause Blog award for Fire Safety Rocks (this is cool!):

[If you cannot see the video on this blog, click here to go to YouTube]

Overall, she said it was pretty well organized (she organized events before so she says she has a special eye [what?!] for this). She thinks that some of the communication could have been done a little better though and there is some room for improvement (the details are boring, so I “ctrl + X-ed” here – You’re welcome! She mentioned this in the survey).

Now for the Furries.

Here are some of the pics she took (they’re not all good, I wasn’t there to snoopervize!) of furry friends:


It is said that my human held a ferret, but I have yet to see the evidence. My human did meet with Odilia, and I am fine with this =^.^=
I am very disappointed that my human did not bring me one of the chicks that were there though.

My human felt that kitties were not set on an equal footing paw as doggies (a dog swag bag for cats?) and here too, there is room for improvement! This is a Cat’s World too too too too! Stop adding the “too,” human!

Anyway, if you have read through this, thank you! Here is the real short version of this review (What do you mean I could have started with this? Humans are never happy!!!)

Was it worth it? Yes.

Did my human have fun? Yes.

Did she learn something? Yes.

Can BlogPaws offer an even better experience? Yes, we’re sure they can (hint hint… kitties!)

But what about the bad, you may ask? (You did ask, right?)

BlogPaws’ humans are not responsible for the “bad” part. My human is, and since she brought this from BlogPaws, I mention it here.

Can someone tell me what THIS is supposed to mean?!??

Texas a cat in New York, BlogPaw

Texas a cat in New York, BlogPaws

Want to know what I think about this, human?

Texas a cat in New York, BlogPaw

Texas a cat in New York, BlogPaw

BAD! I am NOT fat!

The winners of the poetry books are…

Hiya everyone!

I know you are waiting for this post so, without further ado… here are the winners of the poetry books contest!

The 3 winners of 4 kitty books are:
– Mary
– Eirwena
– Dawn

The 3 winners of a doggie book are:
– Mollie and Alfie
– Marjorie
– Melinda

The winner of the collection of poems “Les Chats de Saint-Sulpice” is:
– Layla

Concatulations to the winners! And thank you to everyone that entered!

You should have received an email from me by now! If you haven’t, please check your spam filter. If it’s still not there, please leave a message in the comments.

I know many of you had hoped to win the books on cats and those that won the book on dogs might be a little disappointed. I am sorry that there were not enough cat books for everyone. If you won one of the books on dogs but are not interested in it, please let me know and I’ll randomly draw someone else!

Phew. All this was a bit tiring. I think I deserve a nap. That is, if a certain someone isn’t asking for a bath…

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Goodbye to furriends, my nip vocation and awards

Hiya furriends,

Although we have a good home and not too bad humans – we can’t really complain, can we? -, the past few weeks have been very sad at times. Many furriends crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. I cannot list them all sadly but among our fellow bloggers were Fangie at Catself, Kelly at the Creative Cat, Fluffy at Hey… It’s Jet Here, Bingo at Hutch A Good Life, Zac at Zac the All Black.

I’m sure they are all playing together over the rainbow bridge now, free of pain. I am pausing for a minute and will leave a treat behind tonight in their memory.

I was so sad I tried to find a place to remember them quietly and reflect about life.

I found the closet where the humans store our food. But my human found me.

That’s too bad because there were plenty of good food in there. But nothing to help me in my pain or vocation.

No nip.

Now regarding nip… again my furriends, we don’t know the exact effect on humans so don’t try this on your humans. I would like to insist that I do not promise you nip (although if any of the cat-idates to rule the world for a cause would make me Minister of Nip, I could rethink that last statement), only enlightenment for those who believe.

Finally, I was nominated for two more awards that I didn’t have yet. So I would like to thank The Sugarlump for nominating me for the Addictive Blog Award and It’s a Pussy Cat’s Life for the Super Sweet Blogger Award.

Thank you so furry much! I really appreciate and send you purrs!

Here are the Addictive Blog Award Rules:

1. Thank the person awarding you — Done
2. Share a little about why you blog and how the journey started — See below
3. Paste the blog award on your page — Done
4. Nominate 10 other bloggers you feel deserve the award and let them know you nominated them — See below

Why I blog
I think my little life is very interesting. No seriously. My human was too busy lazy in France to start my blog, so I only had my Facebook Page, but now that my brothers and I had traveled so far, I needed a blog to tell my story.
Plus now I want to share with you the heavenly enlightenment of the nip I received.
Most importantly, it is a way to meet new furriends =^.^=

Here are my ten nominees:
=^.^= Sammy
=^.^= My furriends Hemingway and Shakespeare at Two Cats’ View
=^.^= My furriends Nellie and Kozmo
=^.^= Mollie and Alfie
=^.^= Easy
=^.^= Bowie
=^.^= Archie, Oscar and Henry
=^.^= It’s a Pussy Cat’s Life
=^.^= Angel’s Whisper
=^.^= My furriends at Manx Mnews

Now the rules for the Super Sweet Blogger Award are:

1. The nominee has to thank the person that nominated them — Done
2. Answer the 5 Super Sweet Questions — See below
3. Nominate a bakers dozen of other Super Sweet Bloggers and let them know — A dozen?! See below

Me thinks this award is better suited (vocab building project VBP) for humans (especially the sweet food part), but here we go.
1. Cookies or Cake?
Tuna cake!
2. Chocolate of Vanilla?
Er, nip?
3. What is your favourite sweet treat?
Er, the new Greenies, salmon flavor.
4. When do you crave sweet things the most?
All the time, why?
5. If you had a sweet nickname what would it be?
I know my human would call me cupcake. Hmph.

Now for my nominees:
=^.^= Terri’s Kitchen
=^.^= Hey… It’s Jet Here
=^.^= Janina
=^.^= Sammy
=^.^= Savannah
=^.^= These Days of Mine
=^.^= The Sugarlump
=^.^= A German Expat’s Life in Texas
=^.^= Brown Pony Tail
=^.^= My new furriend Mr. Jeeves
=^.^= Imagination is Spicy
=^.^= Easy

Now TGIF, I need a nap.

Enjoy your Friday everyone!

Quick Thank You Post

I would like to thank my furry friends Bella and DiDi at Paws to Talk for nominating me for the Sunshine Award and the Blog on Fire Award!

I have to say I am truly purringly happy to have found so many furry and human friends thanks to the Internet. I wish I had enough catnip to give some to each of you. I guess I’m gonna have to ask my human to buy some more…

Since I had already received them, I am not going to go through the process of accepting them again. But I really appreciate my furriends!

Purrs.

Remembering on Memorial Day

My human explained to me how important it is to remember the military humans who gave their lives so that other humans can be free. I’m not sure I understand everything but I trust her. So here is a little flag for the US military and US veterans.

I also asked my human if any furriends were part of the military (she had to explained what military was). And apparently, there are dogs in the military. So we looked for articles and here are a couple you might find of interest:

Military working dogs are deserving of our gratitude as well on Memorial Day

Since World War I, military working dogs have been in existence, and during the Vietnam War, the use of military working dogs increased, and German Shepherds were usually the breed of choice, along with Labrador Retrievers. Capacities that the dogs (and their handlers) served in were usually as scout dogs, combat tracker teams and mine tunnel dog teams.

In saving countless lives, those canines have also become casualties.

In fact, former commander of United States forces in Afghanistan, Gen. David H. Petraeus had noted in 2010 that “…the capability they bring to the fight cannot be replicated by man or machine.”

Dogs Of War Deserve Our Gratitude

Dogs have been used in war and for other military uses since ancient Egypt. They were used to deliver messages between units behind the lines in World War I. The use of military working dogs increased during the Vietnam War with over 5000 dogs serving in Vietnam. There were also a large number of dogs that served in Iraq and Afghanistan. And Cairo, a Belgian Malinois, a dog we heard a lot about not too long ago, accompanied the Navy SEAL Team Six in the attack which killed Osama bin Laden.

Wow. Here’s a video about the dogs working for the Navy Seals:

My human and I also found this: Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet.
Here is what their mission is (from their website):

Supporting our Military, Veterans, and their beloved Pets to ensure the pets are reunited with their owners following a deployment (combat or peace-keeping mission) in harm’s way to fight the global war on terrorism or unforseen emergency hardship impacting their ability to retain their pet’s ownership rights.

We haven’t heard of this organization but my human promised to investigate for we think it’s a wonderful mission.

Finally, our human found this page some time ago, and I really wanted to share these beautiful pictures with you, in honor of military men and women. From my human and myself Texas.

Thank you for everything!