Tag: "cats"

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The Return Of The Cat Lady, Facilitated By Facebook

val farmville cat lady message

I was called the cat lady when I was about 12 because I had a cat that followed me to the bus stop.

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Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore Art Thou Romeo

This is my cat Romeo, sleeping in the middle of the afternoon.

romeo sleeping

He tends to sleep all afternoon, even with all of us moving around the house.

This is one of the blankets on my bed. My bedroom gets chilly so I unfold it and put it over the other blanket at night.

red green blanket romeo

You may be wondering what Romeo and the blanket have to do with each other? I’ll tell you.

Romeo humps the blanket.

Yes it’s true. I’ll spare you that picture, it’d be kitty porn. Romeo has been coming into the bedroom at night and trying to hump that blanket. In case that’s not bad enough, he tries to do it when it’s on my feet! He’s exhausted from trying to do this at night so he sleeps during the day.

He seems to not care that we get no sleep when he’s trying to hump the blanket on my feet.

I’m curious. Has your pet ever tried to hump anything weird?

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Wordless Wednesday - As If My Desk Isn’t Crowded Enough

romeo on the desk

Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below on Mr. Linky! Then head on over to From Val’s Kitchen, Here And There, What’s That Smell, Wordless Wednesday, Go Graham Go, 5 Minutes for Mom and The Not-So-Blog Blog for more wordless fun!

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE - Bamboo FurBuster - With Giveaway

Meet my cat Romeo.

furbuster romeo floor

He’s a 4 year old Himalayan cat - the only breed of cat I’ve had for years. They have very long hair and they sure can shed. When we moved furniture last week even I was shocked at the amount of cat hair that was under the furniture. It looked like this, times about a thousand.

furbuster clump hair

It suddenly became clear why even when we had no cat we kept finding cat hair everywhere. To have this type of cat groomed professionally costs $35 - $75, depending on where you go. That kind of money doesn’t come easily these days so we’ll be handling the grooming ourselves. By doing the grooming ourselves pet owners like me can save lots of money. The FurBuster by Bamboo is a pet grooming tool that has interchangeable blades.

furbuster pieces

I received a The interchangable blades on the FurBuster are a great feature for anyone with multiple breeds or multiple pets. Rather than buying one tool for each you just buy the blade. Changing the blade is easy, it clicks into place. The FurBuster has a sturdy, thick plastic handle and fits comfortably in the hand. I used it on Romeo and within minutes his fur felt smoother and I had a small pile of dead hair in front of me. Plus he enjoyed the one on one contact.

furbuster hair on blade

I like the Furbuster. It helped remove dead hair right away. With regular use I think it will cut down on the hair shed all over the house and that mats that sometimes get in the fur. The only suggestion I have for it is that it would be helpful to include the size on the handle somewhere during the manufacturing process, to make remembering what size blades to buy later easier. The FurBuster is available for purchase in retail stores nationwide and online. Pricing varies depending on which size you buy but expect to spend between $15 and $25 depending on where you;re buyng. It would make a great gift or stocking stuffer for your favorite pet lover.

WIN IT!

ONE winner will receive a FurBuster of their own!

HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)

To enter leave a comment on this post telling me what animal you’d use this for and how you currently groom them.

BONUS ENTRIES

1 - Subscribe to my newsletter.
1 - Subscribe to my RSS feed.
1 - Follow me on Twitter @valmg AND leave your Twitter name here.
1 - Tweet this giveaway.
1 - Friend me on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/valmg
1 - Fave this blog at Technorati AND leave your Technorati name here.
1 - Blog about this giveaway, including a link here.
1 - Place my button on your blog. (in sidebar)
1 - Visit HereAndThere.US (my Mom) and leave a comment on any post (except a giveaway post) there. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you read or learned on my Mom’s blog. (That’s two comments you need to leave for this bonus entry, one there and one here.) Unlimited entries for this method of entry.

Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.

THE SMALL PRINT.

US addresses only please. This contest will end on Sunday 12/03/09 at 11:59 pm est. If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winner must contact me to confirm they wish to receive the prize within two days of my email notifying them they’ve won. Good luck to everyone!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

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Wordless Wednesday - Just Because I’m Shy Doesn’t Mean I Can’t Be A Ham

wordless wed romeo just because im shy doesnt mean i cant be a ham

Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below on Mr. Linky! Then head on over to From Val’s Kitchen, Here And There, What’s That Smell, Wordless Wednesday, Go Graham Go, 5 Minutes for Mom and The Not-So-Blog Blog for more wordless fun!

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Wordless Wednesday - Romeo’s Arrival

wordless wed romeo arrives

Thanks for stopping by! If you have a picture up for Wordless Wednesday, leave your link below on Mr. Linky! Then head on over to From Val’s Kitchen, Here And There, What’s That Smell, Wordless Wednesday, Go Graham Go, 5 Minutes for Mom and The Not-So-Blog Blog for more wordless fun!

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Miscellaneous Mentionables

I frequently receive email from companies asking me to share news or discounts with my readers. Each week I’ll gather the best requests and share them with you here.

PURINA CAT CHOW CONNECTED FOR THE CAUSE CAMPAIGN CELEBRATES BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS AND THEIR FELINE COMPANIONS

Purina Cat Chow Donates more than $200,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Invites Consumers to Show their Support with Online Photo Submissions

Survey Highlights the Emotional Bond Between Women Battling
Breast Cancer and their Cats

St. Louis, Mo., May 27, 2009 – Purina® Cat Chow® understands the unique bond between an owner and their cat and the connection they share. Inspired by a cancer survivor’s touching story of the role her cat played during her battle with cancer, Purina Cat Chow began a partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. A recent Purina Cat Chow national survey of breast cancer survivors with cats underscores this connection by revealing 84 percent of respondents felt their cat had a calming effect during their battle with breast cancer and 76 percent of respondents received daily support from their cat during treatment. This year, Purina Cat Chow will donate more than $200,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and will raise awareness for breast cancer through the Purina Cat Chow Connected for the Cause campaign.

Beginning in May, Purina Cat Chow invites consumers to visit www.catchow.com/pink to hear survivor stories, read about the unique connection between survivors and their cats, and share photos of support. For every picture uploaded, Purina Cat Chow will donate an additional $1 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure up to $10,000. The Purina Cat Chow Connected for the Cause campaign will culminate in October with limited-edition pink packaging at grocery, mass and pet retailers nationwide in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Products featuring pink packaging include Purina® Cat Chow® Complete Formula and Purina® Cat Chow® Indoor Formula, both available in 3.5 lb. and 16 lb. bags.

“We have heard countless stories from breast cancer patients and survivors of how they have been emotionally supported by their cats,” said Katy Laciny, Purina Cat Chow, Assistant Brand Manager. “Purina Cat Chow’s Connected for the Cause campaign honors this exceptional relationship and asks our consumers to help us spread awareness and support Susan G. Komen so that a cure can be found.”

According to Dr. Karen Sueda, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, cats are perceptive to their owners needs during an illness. “Whether pet owners are fighting a disease such as breast cancer or going through a rough period in life such as job loss or financial stress, their cats often display intuitive behaviors of knowing when they need extra love and support.”

According to the Purina Cat Chow national study, breast cancer patients that own a cat report that their relationship with their cat has played an important role in their treatment and recovery: 73 percent said their cats knew they were sick and needed their support while undergoing treatment; 68 percent of survivors conveyed they found comfort from their cat during their treatment and 82 percent felt that their cats were there to greet them when they came home from treatment.

These findings are echoed by Missy Fish, a two-time breast cancer survivor who describes her cats Phoebe and Jack as, “the perfect companions when I needed them most.” She also notes, “The relationships between owners and cats are powerful.”

This marks the second year Purina Cat Chow is supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the global leader of the breast cancer movement. In 2009, Purina Cat Chow will donate more than $200,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and will encourage consumers to help add to the total donation by uploading photos of support or actively participating in the Purina Cat Chow Connected for the Cause campaign activities throughout National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Laciny adds, “The Purina Cat Chow Connected for the Cause campaign gives consumers the opportunity to join us in showing their support and recognizes the strong emotional connection between owners and their cats.”

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure(r) and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, the organization has invested $1.3 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

About Nestle Purina PetCare and Purina Cat Chow brand Cat Food
The North American headquarters for Nestlé Purina PetCare is located at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis, Mo., where Ralston Purina was founded more than a century ago. Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. One of the leading global players in the pet food industry, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of the Swiss-based Nestlé S.A. – the world’s largest food company. With advanced nutrition for each life stage, Purina Cat Chow brand Cat Food offers a family of products with 100% complete and balanced nutrition for physical health and emotional well being. For more information on Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, visit www.purina.com.

KIDZUI ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE 1st ANNUAL “KIDZUI KID-GENERATED VIDEO CONTEST”

Grand Prize Winner Awarded $500 and a Lifetime KidZui Membership for the Household as well as Every Computer in their School

(San Diego, CA) – August 24th, 2009 – KidZui (www.KidZui.com), the Internet for kids, today announced the winners of the 1st annual “Kid-Generated Video Contest.” The winning videos were handpicked by KidZui from several entries and were selected based on their ability to showcase “why they feel KidZui is so amazing.” Highlighted below are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners along with a link to their winning video submissions:

§ 1st Place: Angie Grothem, Corona, CA “We Love KidZui”

http://video.kidzui.com/videos/1305694

§ 2nd Place: Dane Cook, Williamson, MI “Easy for Kids, Relief for Parents” http://video.kidzui.com/videos/1305696

§ 3rd Place: Patrick Herndon, San Diego, CA “The KidZui Stickman” http://video.kidzui.com/videos/1305697

For winning 1st place, Angie Grothem received $500 and a lifetime KidZui membership for every computer in her house as well as every computer in her school, Corona Ranch Elementary School. Dane Cook, the 2nd place winner earned $250 and a 6-month KidZui membership, and Patrick Herndon, the 3rd place winner, was awarded a complimentary 6-month KidZui membership.

Designed for children ages 3-12, KidZui’s award-winning experience is reviewed and curated by an editorial team of parents and teachers dedicated to combing the Internet for the very best content for kids. The KidZui browser is a small application that downloads easily on PCs, Macs, and computers with FireFox. It was designed from the ground-up to allow children to safely and independently search, share and discover more than 2.3 million parent and teacher approved, websites, pictures, games, and videos. KidZui’s purpose is to keep kids safe online, empower their curiosity, and engage parents with their kid’s interests (through weekly parental emails and parental controls).

KidZui is headquartered in San Diego, California.

I Love Costa Rica’s Rain Forest!
Free Young Travel Writers and Artists Contest


No Purchase Necessary and No Entry Fee!
Contest Deadline Extended to November 30, 2009!

New Prizes Just Added!
$100 Will Be Awarded by Smart Poodle Publishing
to the First Place Winners in Each Category
All Other Prizes donated by Rand McNally’s online store at www.RandMcNally.com

http://smartpoodlepublishing.com/contest.html

VERIZON WIRELESS HOPELINE

Another school year is beginning which means fresh school supplies, new gadgets and another opportunity to do something good for the environment.

Students and parents upgrading to the latest Verizon Wireless device can donate their old wireless phones to the Verizon Wireless HopeLine® program. By doing so, they not only help the environment, they also support domestic violence victims.

HopeLine collects old cell phones, batteries and accessories in stores or by mail. All phones given to HopeLine that can be refurbished are sold for reuse and the proceeds are used to provide phones to domestic violence victims or cash grants to the organizations that assist them. Phones that are not salvageable are recycled in an environmentally sound way under a zero landfill policy and in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s R2 recycle policy.

So far in 2009, HopeLine has:
· Recycled more than 5,000 phones, saving 11,000 kilowatt hours of energy – enough energy to power one U.S. household with electricity for a year.

1 Kept almost 9,000 pounds of spent batteries out of landfills through the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation

2 Given more than 4,000 phones with airtime to domestic violence agencies across the country.

· These phones included nearly 12 million minutes of service.

1 The 4,000 phones were put good use on the most reliable wireless network, instead of possibly ending up in the trash.

Even if a phone upgrade isn’t on the agenda this season, HopeLine gives students a chance to make a difference in their communities while learning more about the importance of recycling old phones. From ongoing collections at large universities to elementary students hosting a phone drive, HopeLine has partnered for many successful events. Read more here: http://aboutus.vzw.com/communityservice/PhoneDrives.html .

For details about HopeLine, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline

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How Do I Have Tears Left - RIP Rennie

We never planned on having you but we’re so glad we did. You were so good and loving with CJ. I already miss having you always underfoot and constantly almost tripping. I love you Rennie.

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Heartbroken Again - RIP Shadow

You never were the runt we were told you’d be.  I love you FuzzFace. I’ll miss you.

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iRobot Roomba Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot Review series - Robby On Pet Hair

This video is under 2 minutes (1:17) and gives an up close look at Robby (the iRobot Roomba Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot I’m reviewing) and how he handles weeks of cat hair on the dining room rug.

Next up we let tackle lots of dirt and cat hair in CJ’s room.

Remember to to check out the new iRobot iTube channel!

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iRobot Roomba Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot Review series - A Closer Look At Robby and What’s In The Box

This video is under 3 minutes (2:45) and gives an up close look at Robby (the iRobot Roomba Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot I’m reviewing) and what comes in the box.

Next up we let Robby tackle lots of cat hair in the dining room.

Remember to to check out the new iRobot iTube channel!

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iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot Pet review series - Meet Robby

We’re hard on our floors. We have 2 long haired cats (Himalayans) and CJ is very messy. We HAVE to vacuum every two days or so at least, more frequently if the cats are shedding. I do not like vacuuming. Since I started having back problems I’ve done it less often than I should because the standing and shifting causes me pain. With surgery scheduled next week I also won’t be allowed to lift anything or be pushing a vacuum around at first. That’s why I was totally thrilled to be offered a chance to review the iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot Pet Series.

From the iRobot website:
Tired of getting tangled up in hairy situations? These Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robots will help you tackle pet hair tumbleweeds and more.

  • Picks up an amazing amount of pet hair, pet dander, kitty litter and debris
  • Tangle-resistant brushes and hair-removing cleaning tools
  • 2 Debris Bins: High-capacity Sweeper Bin and Vacuuming Bin
  • Extra brushes, filters and cleaning tool

This is how the Vacuum arrived from FedEx.

The iRobot Roomba Pet comes packed securely in foam.

See, everything’s individually wrapped. A place for everything and everything in its place.

I asked RB to help me take it out of the box. I figured it was going to need some assembly or something, like our current and previous vacuums.

Turns out it doesn’t really need any assembly. But it did need a name.

Meet Robby.

As you can see, the iRobot isn’t all that big. That’s my hand on top of it, to show you the scale.

This is me holding it in my hand from a side view, so you can see the height.

It’s recommended the unit charge overnight for the first use so we put Robby to bed in the corner of the living room.

Tomorrow I’ll continue my review. I’ll get into what comes with it and what the major features are. I’m thinking I’m going to even include video so please come on by and count how many times I say “ummm” check it out.

Until then, feel free to check out the new iRobot iTube channel to see videos and get a behind the scenes look at iRobot.

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World Down Syndrome Day

In a day where people use the word retarded all too easily it is obvious that our society could benefit from more advocacy, education and positive exposure of special needs. To that end, today - World Down Syndrome Day - I would like to tell you about my nine year old son, who has Down Syndrome. You may think because he has Down Syndrome that he’s very different from other children. In many ways he’s the same. See for yourself.

FOOD

My son likes yogurt, just like many “typical” children.

My son likes corn on the cob, just like “typical” children.

BIRTHDAY CAKE

My son likes to blow the candles out, just like “typical” children.

My son gets icing from his birthday cake all over his face, just like “typical” children.

HOLIDAYS

My son likes to trick or treat in costume, just like “typical” children.

My son likes to open Christmas presents, just like “typical” children.

CLOTHES

My son wears clothes, just like “typical” children.

PLAY

My son likes Ernie and Sesame Street, just like “typical” children.

My son likes Blue’s Clues, just like “typical” children. Ok I lie. He LOVED Blue’s Clues.

VIDEO GAMES

My son likes to play video games, just like “typical” children. (This picture isn’t great but it’s him playing his Vmotion.)

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

My son likes to ride his bicycle, just like “typical” children. Actually he LOVES that to.

WONDER

My son is amazed by certain things, in the same innocent way that “typical” children have.

NOISE AND SOUND

My son likes noisy toys, just like “typical” children.

MUSIC

My son likes music, just like “typical” children. He prefers rock and roll, like his mother. His favorite band is Hinder and if he hears it he’ll sing along with you and when you’re done say “you rock”.

SLEEP

My son falls asleep right in the middle of doing something, just like “typical” children do.

Even in the middle of a game of cards with the adults.

FUNNY

My son has his funny moments, just like “typical” children.
Ok, maybe some aren’t so typical. Some are amazing. Seriously. Not all children want to be sure the family cat wipes their ass.

My son is amazing and he’s made us better people. He represents everything we were missing and never knew we wanted before he was born. I love him with every bit of my being (as I do my typical son) and am thankful for all of the joys he has brought us. His smile can light up a room. He’s happy and loving.

In case you’re wondering why I put quotes around the word typical it’s because every child is typical. Typical for themselves. Children are children, no matter what their needs are. Society places too many labels on people and too much importance on the labels. Every child is special and has special needs - the needs of being cherished and loved and provided the opportunity to reach their full potential, whatever that may be. Children can learn from each other. Children can learn from us. We can learn from children. Everyone in this world is a person of value and deserves to be treated with respect.

There’s a great article on World Down Syndrome Day over on 5 Minutes For Special Needs, as well as a Mr Linky for anyone that’s written about the day or their family.

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Wordless Wednesday - Why you should always check the laundry basket before dumping it into the washer

For more Wordless Wednesday participants, visit the official Wordless Wednesday page.

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Cats and Christmas trees

Well, the treadmills been moved to the back porch and RB put the Christmas tree up. Both of the cats can be found under it regularly now, trying to see what they can get into. What is it about cats and Christmas trees? Every cat that I’ve ever had has tried to play with the low hanging ornaments and the bottom branches of the Christmas tree. One year we had a cat pull the tree over, which resulted in my husband tying every tree we’ve had since to a bracket on the wall.

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