Get "CATIFIED!" Enter to win Catification, Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!!) by Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin

On the heels of yesterday's blog post,  where I discussed the importance of keeping cats INDOORS, it is appropriate that I present to you THE ONLY book you will EVER need to help you create an indoor utopia that will not only provide hours of entertainment for your cat(s), but it will enable you to design that utopia based on YOUR cat's needs (after all, they ARE ALL DIFFERENT!). You will learn how to do this  by using design choices and ideas that are unique and personal to YOUR home decor!

While discussing the merits of keeping cats inside, one of my insightful readers left this comment that I couldn't agree with more:

From Fuzzytales:when the cat is indoor-only and doesn't have access to a catio or something similar, I think it's hugely important to make the living environment as enriching as possible. It's not just about having a cat live into its teens or even to 20, it's about *quality* of life as well.

So True!

Want to make YOUR cat's environment "as enriching as possible?"


Are You Ready To ROCK?

I proudly present:

What is "Catification?"

From JacksonGalaxy.com:

Catification is about creating feline-friendly environments that cater to a cat’s natural instincts to climb, perch, rest, play, and own their space. We’re here to tell you that you can accommodate your indoor cat’s need to climb, perch, play and relax — in a way that makes you both happy.

            According to JACKSON GALAXY, the star and executive producer of Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell and author of Cat Daddy, you don’t have to choose.  In CATIFICATION: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!) (Tarcher/Penguin paperback;  on sale 10/14/14), Galaxy joins one of my favorite "Cat Women",  Kate Benjamin, of the popular cat website Hauspanther.com to help cat owners everywhere design a happy feline home that is both functional and chic. 

Kate Benjamin the reigning "Queen of Cats"
at her "Cat Style Lounge" at BlogPaws 2014
Read Kate's "Pro Tips" in Catification!!

 Drawing on their extensive human/feline relationship expertise, Galaxy and Benjamin here offer an indispensible guide packed with more than fifteen fun DIY projects and countless design tips and tricks. 

More than just a design book, CATIFICATION also teaches readers:

•           The instinctual hard-wiring  behind your cat’s indoor needs

•           What your kitty’s behavior is trying to tell you-Catification provides the meanings of ear and tail and whisker positions, as well as body language.

•           How to determine your cat’s specific personality and desires-Catification comes with a worksheet with questions to help determine the needs for EVERY cat in your household!

•           Small changes you can make to improve your relationship with your pet

This beautifully designed, full-color book includes practical and attractive projects—from kitty hammocks and “catios” (cat patios) to cat towers and superhighways—that will make both human and kitty happy. Catification is FAR from just being a "picture book." I was completely blown away by not only the AMOUNT of information in this book, but there is everything from finding the perfect cat bed, to creating the purrfect space for your cats while keeping an eye on your BUDGET!

 By designing an optimal living space for our feline friends, owners can minimize cats’ negative behavior and promote a healthy lifestyle for their pets, all while maintaining a beautiful home.

Catification is 304 INFORMATION PACKED PAGES that should be a part of EVERY cat owner's reference library. It would make a great "new kitten" gift, a gift for a shelter, or for any cat lover in your life!

ISBN 978-0-399-16601-3

 Enter to Win!!!

A special thank you to Jackson, Kate and Tarcher/Penguin for allowing me to have a give-away for my readers!!!! The give-away includes a "proof" copy of Catification, AND an adorable LUNCH BAG that looks like, who else? CODY!!!!!

THERE WILL BE TWO WINNERS!!!! OPEN WORLD-WIDE!! YEP! WORLD-WIDE!

 I will mail the International winner their copy of Catification and the lunch bag and Tarcher/Penguin will mail the same prizes to my winner in the U.S.!!!!!!

Entering is "Easy-Peasy!" there is only ONE requirement on the rafflecopter at the END of this post!

Pre-order to Support Cats!

For every copy of Catification pre-ordered, the publisher Tarcher/Penguin will donate $1 to organizations supporting cat welfare. We will be sure to update you once the organizations have been chosen. In order for your pre-order to count toward the donation, please email a copy of your receipt to catificationbook@gmail.com.More details at www.tarcherbooks.com/catification. Pre-order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, from any major bookseller, or visit Indiebound to find a local bookstore in your area.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was not compensated for this review. I was sent  two "proof copies" of Catification and 2 lunch bags in exchange for my honest review.

Cat Style Comes to BlogPaws 2014 Thanks to Kate Benjamin of Hauspanther

2014 was definitely the Year of the Cat at the BlogPaws Conference in Lake Las Vegas May 8-10th, thanks to the tireless efforts of Kate Benjamin, who in my humble opinion is the reigning "Queen of Cats", and owner of the popular website Hauspanther,

where her mission is to "spread the word about how good design can enhance the way we live with cats, improving our lives and the lives of our beloved feline companions. By paying attention to the design of objects and environments, we can create living spaces that accommodate the natural instincts of cats – keeping them happy, healthy and well behaved – without compromising our own sense of style and comfort."

Kate Benjamin the reigning "Queen of Cats"

This cat blogger, along with a clowder of others,  ooo'ed and ahhh'ed with delight as we made our way through the 1200 sq ft display of over 150 cat products provided by forty companies! I am proud to say that a number of the companies who had products on display have at one time or another been featured right here, on THIS blog!

The first of those companies is featured above,  Tipsy Nip Organic Catnip Products and the maker of one of Cody's all time faves, The Tickle Pickle!! The video below was showcased on this blog on our review of Tipsy Nip on  October 4, 2011.

Tipsy Nip Organic Catnip Products are made in Vermont. All of their products are made from the best quality materials and ingredients. Their mission is to create healthy toys that make all of the kitties insanely happy. They succeeded with Cody, that is for sure! So much so, that as you can see above, he could smell the nip right through the plastic!

Another company that we have featured (approximately FOUR TIMES!)  is Nekochan Enterprises, the makers of another of Cody's all time favorite toys, the Neko Flies line of cat toys!!! Cody currently has his eye on their new line of Neko Nappers pet houses which are showcased above. It took every ounce of self-control that I could muster, NOT to walk away with that display! Here is a video from the first time we featured Neko Flies, back on

March 7, 2011.

To this day, Cody's Small Kittenator   remains his "toy of choice" in the world of dangle cat toys. He knows the drawer it is stored in and will walk in, stand on his hind legs and loudly demand that it be pulled from it's slumber.

Another product that we have (and Cody LOVES) is the Peek-a-Prize Toy Box (featured in the middle below)

 

It is impossible to showcase all 150 products that were displayed in the Cat Style Lounge, so here are just a few photos to whet your appetite some more!

 TO SEE THE ENTIRE LIST OF SPONSORS

FOR ALL OF THE PRODUCTS FEATURED ABOVE

VISIT THE BLOGPAWS FOLLOW UP POST

THAT WAS DONE BY KATE BENJAMIN ON HAUSPANTHER

BY CLICKING HERE

BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE!!!

LOOK AT WHAT CODY WON!!!!

I HAD TO PAY

 TO SHIP THAT BABY HOME,

 BUT IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!

Cody has a fabulous cat-scratcher lounge by

Pet Fusion!

A number of you wondered if

Cody found anything in the suitcase

that I posted a week ago

Well, wonder no more!

There was also some CATABULOUS CAT SWAG

IN OUR SWAG BAGS!

BELOW IS JUST A PARTIAL DISPLAY

**I received a bag that was CAT AND DOG

 since I have a dog as well

also, I separated some things I wanted to donate

Once again I would like to thank Kate Benjamin and BlogPaws for making some cat folks (like me!) super happy!

And now, we would like to make a special announcement, you can pre-order:

Photo Courtesy of Hauspanther

From Hauspanther:

Attention cat lovers! We are thrilled to announce that the new book Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!) co-authored by Jackson Galaxy of Animal Planet’s My Cat From Hell and Kate Benjamin of Hauspanther is now available for pre-order! For every copy pre-ordered before October 14, 2014, $1 will be donated to organizations dedicated to helping homeless cats. In addition, when you pre-order, you will receive exclusive discounts that you can use at store.jacksongalaxy.com and shop.hauspanther.com.

Pre-order to Support Cats!

For every copy of Catification pre-ordered, the publisher Tarcher/Penguin will donate $1 to organizations supporting cat welfare. We will be sure to update you once the organizations have been chosen. In order for your pre-order to count toward the donation, please email a copy of your receipt to catificationbook@gmail.com.More details at www.tarcherbooks.com/catification. Pre-order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, from any major bookseller, or visit Indiebound to find a local bookstore in your area.

For bulk orders, please contact 1-800-CEO-READ or www.800ceoread.com.

#BlogPaws Conference Updates!

I don't know about you, but my head is spinning trying to prepare for the BlogPaws 2014 Conference! There is packing to be done, last minute items to purchase, and some MUST ATTEND EVENTS at the conference and A CONTEST that are not to be missed!

Sit back, take a deep breath, grab your planner,
 and check out the latest!

Register by May 2 and be entered in a drawing for an AMAZING prize!

if you have friends that are still on the fence, let them know about this exciting drawing. Anyone who is registered by the end of the day on Friday, May 2 is eligible for an AMAZING prize!

They can register here. and don't forget to use my discount

 BlogPaws2014-Caren-10

Last minute conference prep tips: Click here to download our conference program.

SHUTTLE INFO
Free shuttle service from the airport Wednesday and Thursday & departure from the hotel Sunday. Look for a BlogPaws 2014 poster & shuttle staff person in the baggage claim area of Terminals 1 & 3.
Arriving shuttle times:
*Wednesday 3-10:30 pm (last shuttle leaves airport about 9:30 pm)
*Thursday 9 am to 7 pm (last shuttle leaves airport about 6 pm)
Departing shuttle time:
*Sunday 6 am to noon (last shuttle leaving hotel around 11 am)

There will be a sign-up for the departing shuttle at the registration table. 

AFRAID YOU WILL HAVE NO ONE TO SIT WITH

AT BREAKFAST FRIDAY MORNING?

FRET NO MORE!

JOIN US AT THE NEWBIES TABLES!! (VETERANS WELCOME!)

I WILL BE THERE TO GREET YOU AND SCHMOOZE WITH YOU!

 

RSVP EVENTS 

We kick off the Conference with Dessert on the Terrace event, sponsored by Bissell®. If you're arriving Wednesday, join us from 7-9 pm.

 Click here to RSVP. 

BlogPaws will staff a registration table on the terrace so you can register early!  

Following Dessert on the Terrace we will meet for the Blog Spring Cleaning wrap up session

 Read the series here. 

Join us even if you didn't participate in the series.  
 
PetSafe® Yappy Hour, Thursday from 5-6 pm to promote its latest nationwide event. PetSafe's Bark for Your Park contest kicks off May 7. They will give away $200,000 to different communities across the country to build dog parks!

 RSVP here

Both events are open to all registered attendees! 

Pet Portrait Extravaganza Artist BZTAT is coming to the Conference and 40 lucky, randomly drawn, winners will be treated to a portrait of his or her pet! To be eligible, Conference attendees must: Register for the drawing through an email sign-up request; be present at the conference.; provide a phone number that receives and provide an email address; either have a pet at the conference to be photographed, or a suitable photo available in electronic form. The random drawings will be held at the BlogPaws/Pet360 booth.  __________

#BLOGPAWTY PLANNED FOR SATURDAY This will be a great way to join in the fun and excitement that is a BlogPaws Conference. Whether at the Conference or home, join us on Twitter for the #BlogPawty. Read the details and register here for your chance to win pawty prizes! 

WE'VE ALSO PLANNED A Meet-Up for the Conference. Click here to get details and to join in.

THERE IS SOOO MUCH MORE!!

Also remember your

BlogPaws 2014 Conference Ambassadors

Are Here To Help You!

Just look for these SMILING FACES!

ANGIE BAILEY

LISA TARON

ME!!!

We Cannot Wait To See All Of You!

Flying Delta to the BlogPaws Conference? Check out this hilarious 1980's themed safety video

With the BlogPaws Conference  being just ONE MONTH (OMG!) away, I started thinking about the various modes of transportation that many of you will be using to get there.

If you will be flying Delta, you just might be seeing this on your flight! Enjoy!!

When I was in New York at LaGuardia Airport last November I saw this sign and LOVED the saying!


So, attending the BlogPaws Conference? How are YOU getting there?

In Full Disclosure: Nope! I wasn't compensated to promote Delta. I GENUINELY love Delta Airlines, I flew A LOT in 2013 and Delta was my airline of choice!

LIVE with GLOGIRLY – A BlogPaws Sneak Peek

GLOGIRLY:  Well hello Cody, Caren and all the Cat Chat fans! Thanks so much for inviting us to your blog today!

WAFFLES:  Where’s the snacks? I was told there would be snacks.

GLOGIRLY:  I’m super excited to be speaking at BlogPaws this year and I’m thrilled to share a little about my session with you today!

KATIE:  Don’t you mean to say you’d be thrilled if anyone ATTENDS your session?

GLOGIRLY:  Maybe my session should be called, “Everything you wanted to know about living with two opinionated cats but were afraid to ask.” 

KATIE:  Opinionated? Everyone’s entitled to an opinion … as long as it’s mine.

GLOGIRLY:  Alright, that’s enough smack talk. On with the show!

“A picture’s worth a thousand words.”

My absolute favorite part of blogging is visual storytelling. Taking great photos is not only fun, but for me it’s what defines my blog. Through photography I can give a voice to my cats and make people laugh. It’s also something that comes in very handy when working with brands.

“I wish I could take better pictures.”

I hear this from friends, readers and fellow bloggers all the time. And this is exactly what my session will focus on. Whether you’re taking photos with an iPhone, a small point & shoot or DSLR (that’s photographer-speak for a camera that has a detachable lens) you’ll walk away from this session with simple and actionable tips that will enable you to immediately improve the photos you take of your pets.  Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, I promise to deliver some “aha” moments.

A Sneak Peek

The session, called Photography Tips, Tricks & Product Reviews, is divided into two main chunks –

1.    How to take a better photo of your pet

2.    How to take better photos for product reviews

Some of my tips are technical. Some are creative and artistic. And some will even help you wrangle your pets!

Get Down!

Better start practicing your deep knee bends!  One of my absolute favorite tips is something that EVERYONE can do right now. Get down! WAY down! Get down to your pet’s level when taking their picture. Some of the best shots will happen when your lens is looking right into your pet’s eyes at their level.  

And if they’re lying on the floor, well I hope you have soft carpeting.

Eye contact is where some the magic happens and when you’re on the same level as your pet, it’s as if you can see into their soul. This is Waffles’ soul saying, “I’m bored…is it snack time yet???”

Lighting, Lighting, Lighting

It’s probably no surprise that lighting is a big deal. If eye contact is where some of the magic happens, good lighting is where the rest of the magic can happen. I always try to take advantage of natural light whenever I can.  Inside the house, I like to position myself with a window behind me and a cat in front of me.  That way the light from the window illuminates the cat, and gives them a nice sparkle in their eye.

If you do the reverse and shoot your cat with the window behind them, the view out your window may look nice, but all you’ll see is a dark shadow of your cat.  

  Product Reviews with WOW

For bloggers, photos can make or break product reviews.  Brands will sit up and take notice when you feature great shots of your pets interacting with their product.  They LOVE seeing their products put to use in a home environment and it will make writing your review a piece of cake… or as Katie & Waffles would have it, a piece of chicken.

And guess what? Great content and great photos are the name of the game when it comes to attracting sponsors. This session will walk you through how to get the best possible photos for whatever type of product you’re reviewing. 

A Purr-sonal Invitation – TONIGHT 7PM CST!

Come hangout with me and the BlogPaws gang at BlogPaws Live|365:2. This episode, Thursday, March 27, at 8pm EST / 7pm CST will feature three of the BlogPaws 2014 Conference speakers:

·         Dino Dogan, “Pet Blogging Business” Keynote Panelist

·         Carleen Coulter, Top Legal Issues Faced by Bloggers

·         Debbie Glovatsky (ME!), Photography Tips, Tricks & Product Reviews

Click HERE to join the conversation on Google Hangouts.

Join Me at BlogPaws!

So if you’re attending BlogPaws, I’d like to purr-sonally invite you to join me for Photography Tips, Tricks & Product Reviews on Friday May 9 from 2:00-3:30 pm.

And if you’re not attending BlogPaws…well what are you waiting for! This will be my third conference and I can guarantee you’ll have a blast!

Save 10%! Register HERE for the 2024 BlogPaws Pet Blogging & Social Media Conference. Enter promo code BlogPaws2014-Speaker-Glovatsky-10.

  

About Debbie Glovatsky:

Debbie is the creative, funny-girl behind the award-winning GLOGIRLY.com cat blog. Voiced by cats, Katie & Waffles, GLOGIRLY delivers daily doses of humor, cuteness and spiffy, new cat products. She’s an accomplished photographer and graphic designer and visual marketer. Through her online business, GLOGIRLY DESIGN, Debbie has partnered with brands and bloggers to help them find their own visual identity. Her signature style is sprinkled across the blogosphere like sparkling pixie dust.

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY, thanks so much to Debbie Glovatsky for being our SPECIAL guest today!!!! I know I am hoping to sign up for your session at BlogPaws 2014! Oh and Waffles, I will bring SNACKS!

Two Google+ Hangout Events, Wednesday:Jackson Galaxy, Thursday:BlogPaws LIVE/365:2!

I don't know about you but I LOVE Google+ Hangouts, not familiar with them? Well, they are more or less a free video chat service that enables a group of people to get-together in one place, watch a LIVE video, that offers discussions, Q&A's and information sharing,  (that is usually about a half hour in length). You can learn more about them here.

I actually prefer them to Twitter chats because:

1.  They are shorter in duration
2.  I can focus on ONE person on the video at a time, rather than making myself go blind trying to keep up with a rapidly moving chat (that is just my personal preference, many would probably disagree)

This week is super exciting because there are TWO Google+ Hangout Events that you will NOT want to miss! The first of the two is this WEDNESDAY:

JACKSON GALAXY OF ANIMAL PLANET’S ‘MY CAT FROM HELL’ TO HOST THIRD

‘LIVE FROM THE CAT CAVE’ GOOGLE+ HANGOUT

Jackson will be answering 

viewer questions

LIVE ON AIR!

He will also be touching on the recent Oregon newsmaker cat: Lux                                                 Plus, behind-the-scenes updates from Cat Mojo and My Cat from Hell

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

and also on YouTube at the time of the Hangout

The next MUST ATTEND EVENT

Is brought to you by:

BlogPaws LIVE/365:2

 THURSDAY, MARCH 27th:

8:00-8:30 PM EDT

HANG OUT WITH

SOME OF THE 

CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

AND HOST CAROL BRYANT

SIGN UP HERE!!!

"BlogPaws:We Write the Blogs That Make the Whole World Read"

HAVE YOU REGISTERED???

REGISTER NOW!!! 

You can get a 10% DISCOUNT by mentioning the code

 BlogPaws2014-Caren-10

First time blogging conference attendee? Feeling Jitters? Never fear, the BlogPaws Newbies Group is here!!!

Attending your first blogging conference can be a daunting, nerve wracking and terrifying experience. The thought of meeting hundreds of people can send even the most gregarious  running for the hills!!

Your mind swirls with questions such as:

• What should I wear?
• What should I bring?
• What can I expect?
• Are there meals?
• What about transportation to and from the hotel
• What hotel amenities are there? (HELLO...have you SEEN the  Westin Las Vegas Resort & Spa ???

Hello???? How can you pass
THIS UP???
 Westin Lake Las Vegas Hotel
Henderson, Nevada, On beautiful Lake Las Vegas
 (30 minutes from the Strip)

•  Check out the:Westin Lake Las Vegas Hotel - Group Rate Info & Booking
• How many pets may I bring?
• Who are the speakers? 

Ok kitties bear with me!
DOGS learn at the Conference too!!
This is Chuy Chihuahua
from Irresistible Pets
he and his Mom
were sitting next to me
at a session in 2013

• Who will I eat with? 
• Will I have someone to talk to?
• WHY DO I FEEL SOOOOOOOO OVERWHELMED AND STRANGE!!??

Nobody likes to feel strange, least of all ME.  That is why when I was about to attend my first BlogPaws Conference in 2011, Barbara Strunin and I began the BlogPaws Conference Newbies Group! 

Click here to join us!!!!!

The group was designed to give other "Nervous Nates and Nellies" like myself,  a safe-zone to connect, vent, share concerns, learn the conference "ropes", and hopefully make some new friends in the process!

See these tables?
There were EIGHT ROTATING
"NEWBIE" TABLES
AT THE KICK-OFF BREAKFAST ON FRIDAY!!

This is my third year managing the Newbies Group and I couldn't be happier! Our first year I think we had 50-something members, last year 108 (but who's counting?) and this year we hope to be even larger! CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE BLOGPAWS CONFERENCE 2014 NEWBIES GROUP!

One of many things that I am thrilled about with the group is that many of our Conference Veterans have joined, eager to share their experiences as well!

Why a Newbies Group?
Why Does BlogPaws Have a Newbies Group?

Fellow BlogPaws Ambassador
Angie Bailey (left) and me
meeting for the first time
at BlogPaws 2011!!!!
Little did we know we
would be
BlogPaws Ambassadors in 2014!

As a proud BlogPaws Ambassador, I am here to tell you that BLOGPAWS CARES!!  We all know that animal lovers are some of the kindest people on the Planet, right? Well, that philosophy is evident in all that BlogPaws does, and that extends to the Newbies Group as well!

BlogPaws wants their conference attendees to have the BEST PRE-DURING AND POST conference experience possible! Let me tell you, that is NOT the norm!

I have attended conferences that from the day I arrived until I departed, not only was I lost, I could find NO ONE to ask a question,  I wasn't made to feel that my attendance mattered, I was given misinformation and left with a super bad taste in my mouth.

We do NOT want that to happen to you! All of the BlogPaws Ambassadors and the BlogPaws Team themselves are here to help YOU! YOU MATTER!

IF YOU DON'T ATTEND, LOOK AT WHAT YOU WILL MISS!!



If you have been sitting on the fence, wondering if you should attend the conference, ACT FAST....last year was a sell-out and this year is sure to follow suit!!

REGISTER NOW!!! 

You can get a 10% DISCOUNT by mentioning the code

 BlogPaws2014-Caren-10

I WANT TO SEE YA IN
VEGAS BABY!!!!!!

Remember....

"What happens at BlogPaws in Vegas,
STAYS at BlogPaws in Vegas!!

oh and on BLOG POSTS
when we blog about 
BLOGPAWS 2014!