Help BOBS, Skechers and The Petco Foundation Create a Better World For Pets "Love Changes Everything"

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. I first learned about this initiative on the blog of our friends over at Wag 'N Woof Pets. When I saw the dog sneakers  and the dog slippers they posted on their blog I KNEW I had to check these items out!. So happy I did! (If you click on the links above, Jan from Wag 'N Woof Pets may receive a commission from Amazon. I am NOT affiliated with Amazon in any way and will earn nothing if you click on her link or any other links in this blog post.) I did attempt to get a pair of Skechers shoes with dogs on them, but the pair that I wanted were not available (Amazon told me they would email me when they become available) I did purchase the cat items that you will be seeing below. 

WHEN YOU PURCHASE BOBS, SKECHERS

WILL MAKE A DONATION

TO HELP SAVE THE LIVES

OF CATS AND DOGS

After reading Jan's post, (it is often through other bloggers that we find the most interesting and "must-have" items, isn't it?)  and reading the above, how could I NOT make a purchase? I am always on the prowl for darling and well-made cat/dog items and Bobs from Skechers surpassed my expectations! 

Those of you that have met me in person, know that I collect unusual sneakers. I have a purple pair of Batman sneakers that I have worn for YEARS (that were featured in a photo at a blogging conference), and I have a pair of emerald green glitter sneakers. When I saw the sneakers below I KNEW they would be joining my collection soon!

Skechers Women's Beach Bingo-Alley Cat Scrunch Back Sneaker

The color in this photo is NOT doing these shoes justice! They are the most adorable and COMFORTABLE sneakers that I own. You can choose to tie the laces (or not), it is totally up to you. Even the BOTTOMS of these shoes are darling!

See what I mean? Too cute! I wear a 7 and a half (but my feet are on the wide side since I have gotten older), so I ordered a size up to an 8. They fit PURRFECTLY!!

I also ordered:

Skechers Women's Too Cozy-Cuddled Up Slipper

The quality of these slippers is just fantastic! (I  ordered a size up on these. I normally wear a 7 and a half but I ordered an 8). They are cozy, warm, offer support, are comfortable and I love those soles for if I happen to have to run outside (which translates to taking Dakota to go potty), if I have my slippers on. No need to take them off!

Both of my items came snuggled up in their boxes with this DARLING packing paper:

and they even threw in some stickers! 

In my 10 years of blogging I can honestly say that these two purchases that I made as a result of a recommendation  from another blogger, are right up there on my list of favorite pet items that I have purchased. 

To be completely candid I would have purchased the sneakers and the slippers even if BOBS from Skechers didn't make a donation to the Petco Foundation, but the fact that they do is icing on the cake! Especially since Cody was adopted from a Petco adoption drive in 2007!!

I want to thank Jan for blogging about BOBS, Skechers to begin with, otherwise I wouldn't own those darling sneakers and slippers, and if I were you, I would grab a pair or two of these darling items today!

Friday Fun! LennyMud Handmade Funny and Functional Ceramic Gifts that are the Cat's Meow!

Hi friends!! Oh you are going to LOVE this teaser that we are sharing with you today! While preparing for our TENTH BLOGOVERSARY BLOG POST that will appear on Friday, October 25th, we had the pleasure of learning about a "new-to-us" company:

Ok, with a husband named "Lenny" how could this NOT capture my eye? Then, when I visited the Lenny Mud website I fell INSTANTLY in love!

Who is LennyMud?

Lorrie and Kip Veasey are a husband and wife team that make funny and functional handmade ceramic gifts in their New Jersey studio. Everything they make is kiln fired, lead free, and dishwasher and microwave safe and ships immediately.   They  named the company after their clumsy studio cat, Lenny!  

I was beyond tickled when Lorrie sent me the above Travel Coffee Tumbler and the cat mug! Oh how that cat mug is Cody to a "T"!!!!!

You MUST check out the LennyMud website and you can find them on:

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

You are going to LOVE what you see! Be sure to visit us on our TENTH BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY ON OCTOBER 25TH to see what else they and some other fabulous companies have up their sleeve!!

We were not monetarily compensated for this post. They didn't even know I was blogging about this today, they ARE participating in a sponsored blog post for our 10th blogging anniversary on the 25th.

Cat "Foodie" Friday: Tiki Cat Food & Treats

Hi dear friends! Today Cody and I would like to present some delicious products that were sent to us by Tiki Cat.

  Tiki Cat Crunchers

They are  delicious treats that are high in protein, low calorie  and they are crunchy! They contain pumpkin to aid with digestion, they also have salmon oil and flaxseed  to help keep a kitty's coat nice and shiny!! As you can see, if you look at the bag, they are shaped like little stars, too cute!!

Cody gobbles them right up and is one of their newest fans!

We also received:

Tiki Cat Stix-Chicken Mousse Flavor

Wet Treats

Photo used from the Tiki Cat Website

This is a protein rich treat made with real, high-quality chicken. I like the versatility, it can be used as a topper on dry food or dry treats, which adds some flavor and moisture. I also like that they come individually wrapped so that one Stix would be the equivalent to one serving. For Cody, I used it as a topper on his current kibble and I also used it on his treats.

We also received

Tiki Cat® After Dark™

Chicken & Quail Egg

image taken from the Tiki Cat website

This contains shredded chicken, organ meat and whole quail egg in an "enticing" broth.

Tiki Cat® Puka Puka Luau™

Succulent Chicken

Tender pieces of shredded chicken in a "delightful" chicken consomme.

Why Feed Tiki Pets?

1

REAL, NATURAL INGREDIENTS

What does “real” mean? It means shredded chicken, flaked fish, whole peas and diced carrots. It’s identifiable ingredients that look like they belong in your bowl, not theirs.

• High-Quality Protein First

  Always the #1 ingredient, the protein in Tiki Pets™ foods come from high-quality animal sources, like Alaskan salmon, chicken, lamb, egg, ahi tuna and whole prawns.

• Superfoods

  Ultra-nutritious superfoods, like kale, spinach, pumpkin, carrots and flaxseed, give cats and small dogs a boost of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids.

• No Fillers. Nothing Fake.

  No animal by-products, corn, white potatoes, wheat, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

The above information was taken from the Tiki Pets website  

***To be completely candid, because Cody currently eats a different brand of wet food he has not tried either of these yet, because I didn't have the time to transition him properly. An abrupt switching of food should never take place because that can cause distress to a cat's digestive system. A change in FLAVOR within a certain brand is fine, but abruptly changing to an entirely different brand should be done gradually. (I did link to both of the foods listed above so you can read more about them).

Cody DID greatly enjoy the Tiki Cat Stix as well as the Tiki Cat Crunchers. We are certain your kitties will like them too! Thank you Tiki Cat for allowing Cody to try some of your products!



***FTC disclosure. We received the items listed in this blog post and were not compensated financially in any way.

KittyCat Art Studio: "Purrfect" Handcrafted Cat Decor

courtesy of KittyCat Art Studio

Hi furiends! On April 30th, I shared the darling painting of Cody (see below) that was created by KittyCatArtStudio.com  as a result of my winning a give-away  that was held by Ingrid King of The Conscious Cat.) 


My painting is a "Tabby Cat in a Flower Pot" (you can see other examples above and on the KittyCat Art Studio website). 

I wish you could see this in person to appreciate how unique it is. It is hand-made by Laura Anglemoyer of KittyCat Art Studio. It was painted using acrylic paints. It measures 14 inches tall by 9 inches wide and is able to be used indoors or OUTDOORS because it has a weather resistant coating. It can be hung by using the wire on the back.

When you place an order with Laura her warmth and friendliness as well as professionalism is evident every step of the way. She will offer suggestions if needed, (I pretty much let her take over the entire creative process behind Cody's flower pot because she is so talented that I wanted to leave the decision-making up to her. I received a proof each time I made a change.)

KittyCat Art Studio is a family owned studio and shop. Owner Laura Anglemoyer hand paints each piece that she creates.  Laura's husband takes her original design sketches and creates the metal or wood art pieces from her sketches, then he brings them to Laura to hand paint them. Laura and her husband have over 30 years of experience each!!! Each piece is created with pride and much love. 

Laura is an "Artist of Cats" Her style is graphic realism. She prefers to work in three dimension and loves working with polymer clay, metal and wood.

Laura has a BFA in Industrial Design from R.I.T., she has worked as a presentation artist and retail store interior designer and retail fixture designer. She began creating cat ornaments and paintings as a personal hobby when she was expecting her youngest daughter.

courtesy of KittyCat Art Studio

Laura loves animals, especially cats. Like the rest of us, she knows first paw about how much joy they bring to our lives and how they help to relax us in this fast-paced, often crazy world in which we live.

KittyCat Art Studio has cat ornaments, cat desk items, customized cat paintings and signs and more!!

courtesy of KittyCat Art Studio

I wasn't required AT ALL, nor was I paid to share this today. I wanted to blog about Cody's flower pot because I LOVE IT THAT MUCH.  I have it hanging in my kitchen where I can see it every single day. The way Laura captured Cody's expression is beyond special to me, it is a piece that I will treasure forever.  I hope you will visit her site and purchase something unique for yourself or all of the cat lovers in your life!! KittyCat Art Studio's creations are purrfect for Mother's Day gifts or ANYTIME gifts. If you would like to do some Mother's Day shopping, they are offering 10% off of many items now through Mother's Day. I would pounce on this opportunity if I were you, that's for sure!


KittyCat Art Studio is on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook.

It's the FroliCat POUNCE™ !! Enter to Win!!

Hi my furiends! It's Cody and boy oh boy do I ever have a PAWTASTIC toy to show you!!!

It is the:

FroliCat POUNCE™

And it is my LATEST OBSESSION!!

Before I tell you about it, allow me to tell you when my obsession with the FroliCat™ line of toys began. Grab a soft cushion and some noms and sit back and listen! 

Way back in 2010 before Mom had a clue as to how to blog, she had a guest blogger stop by and talk about the:

 FroliCat BOLT™

Photo Courtesy of http://www.frolicat.com/

Mom was so impressed with this product that she HAD to get me one, and she did! FroliCat™ is a line of innovative cat toys, brought to you by ***Radio Systems Corporation. The toys are super fun and not only provide the ultimate in interactive play, but they are also ideal for your cat, dog, ferret, rabbit, etc. to play with on their own!. (Well, the human has to turn it on, but that's it! The toy does the rest! Your human can join you in play, but they don't have to! It's great for when your human is feeling lazy as mine often does!)

. All FroliCat toys are designed to engage your cat in enthused play!! 

That was back in 2010 and I STILL have my FroliCat Bolt! To this day it remains one of my favorite toys! But now, there's a NEW TOY IN TOWN!!

Meet the FroliCat POUNCE!!!!

Photo Courtesy of http://www.frolicat.com/

Now, how did I learn about the FroliCat POUNCE? Back in November, Mom attended the Novi Pet Expo and was wandering around aimlessly looking for something SUPER FUN to bring home for ME! She happened upon, stumbled into, the PetSafe booth and was IMMEDIATELY drawn to the FroliCat POUNCE! Why? Because it had a MOUSE and if there is ANYTHING that gets me MOVING, it's a MOUSE!!! "I'm all about da mouse, 'bout da mouse, no kickers, I'm all about da mouse, 'bout da mouse, no kickers..." well YOU get the idea!!! This isn't any ordinary mouse either, this mouse has a NAME!  His name is Marshal Maus™ !!  (He's a formal kinda guy!)

Now occasionally Mom comes in handy for something! Mom KNEW that she had to get this for me, and ever the cheapskate, thoughtful Mom that she is, she went home and contacted a "Magic Elf" that she knows, to see if she could not only get the FroliCat POUNCE for me to review, but she  also wanted to be able to have a give-away for YOU!

The "Magic Elf"  DEFINITELY worked some MAGIC! Within TWO DAYS I had the FroliCat POUNCE!!!  When it arrived I didn't quite know what to make of it, even Dakota was mesmerized!

What is the FroliCat POUNCE™ ?

POUNCE is an automatic, rotating, hide-and-seek cat toy. Marshal Maus™ is an electronic mouse, (that runs on batteries!!),  who zips around the circular path, zooming forward, reversing direction, hiding under obstacles, and occasionally twitching back and forth. The unpredictable movement stimulates your cat’s natural instinct to hunt, chase, and pounce on prey.

Speaking of "umpredictable" check out my reaction when I first watched the FroliCat POUNCE in action! Be sure to watch my head!!

If you notice, it didn't take me long to get the hang of it!!! Soon, I was so confident, I decided to try and eat that Marshal Maus! Mom had to intervene to prevent me from causing his early demise!


Mom and I both couldn't be more thrilled with the FroliCat POUNCE and have NOTHING negative to say about it! It couldn't be easier to operate. It runs on THREE AA batteries, (not included), has FOUR DIFFERENT SPEED SETTINGS (so you can control the speed of the mouse and the "teasing" factor!)  Also, once you turn it on it STAYS ON FOR 10 MINUTES!!!!!

It's so PAWESOME that my "Magic Elf" has said that I could have a GIVE-AWAY!! THAT'S RIGHT!!  THREE LUCKY KITTIES THAT RESIDE IN THE U.S.A WILL WIN THEIR OWN FROLICAT POUNCE!!! (An approx. $40.00 VALUE!!)

Entering is easy!! Just enter on the Rafflecopter below, the lucky winners will be announced on Saturday, December 27th!!! GOOD LUCK!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Radio Systems leads the industry in the development of innovative pet behavioral, containment, and lifestyle products and services. For more information, visit PetSafe.net.

In full disclosure: We were not compensated for this review/give-away. Since Mom reached out to the "Magic Elf" to receive/review the FroliCat POUNCE and asked if we could have a give-away, she chose to NOT  ask for compensation. 

SHEDMONSTER ("As Seen On TV"), REVIEW

I was recently given the opportunity of testing/reviewing the  ShedMonster, a grooming tool for dogs and cats. There are "As Seen On TV" products that perform as they promise that they will and those that do not, in my opinion the ShedMonster does not.





 However, Cody liked it! It barely removed any fur at all, but YES, Cody liked it!

Cody was actually rolling around with happiness
 even if Shedmonster barely removed his fur

To give the folks at ShedMonster the benefit of the doubt, Cody is an extremely short haired cat.  He does shed, but not as much as a cat that has longer fur.

We were given the ShedMonster for short haired cats to test/review. Here are comparison photos that show what fur the ShedMonster removed and the fur that my old standby cat comb removed:

Look closely,  the ShedMonster is on the left
and  has virtually no fur in its teeth
Check out the comb on the right (my cat comb)

another photo showing the same thing

my cat comb is loaded with fur

It's a no-brainer that I would stay with my current cat comb. For the record, Cody likes that as well.

ShedMonster also has a model for long haired dogs and cats. Maybe it works better? Anyone have experience with it? I am interested in hearing your opinions. If you would like to decide for yourself and are  interested in purchasing the ShedMonster, you can do that here



**I was not compensated  for this review. I was only given a ShedMonster to use for the purpose of this review.

Monday Magnificence! "Easy Canvas Prints!" Enter To Win One!

Happy Monday Everyone!! It's Cody! To those of you who left me birthday greetings, THANK YOU!!! You really helped to make my birthday soooo special!


Now...on to some really impawtant mews!! My Mom and I were so excited when Megan from www.easycanvasprints.com (and www.buildasign.com fame) contacted us asking if we wanted to check out their prints and have one made to blog about! Mom and I were extra excited because we just had our back room turned into an official "pawffice" for us (we painted and all) and Megan's timing couldn't have been more purrfect!


All we had to do was take a favorite photo and  go into www.easycanvasprints.com and follow the instructions to have a print made. Mom's photos were pretty bad (you all know she still uses a cell phone to take pictures...geeze!) So Megan helped her pick a photo from online to use instead. Here is what we received the other day and we think it is catabulous! We don't have it on the walls yet cause the paint still has to set but it will be hanging over our desk in the next week or so.

Here is what our print looks like!

Ours is a 16x20

"EasyCanvasPrints.com is an easy to use canvas creator that turns your memory into a masterpiece."


We love our print! One day we will photograph the finished office and you will see this photo and all of my Mom's stuff on the walls so you can see what it looks like hanging!


Megan is sooo sweet she is offering a FREE 8x10 print to ONE lucky winner!


HOW TO ENTER
1) "like" Easy Canvas Prints on Facebook (f you have Facebook)....you can "like" them here


2) leave a comment on this post saying that you would like to be entered to win the 8x10 print. (If you fail to mention that you would like to be entered you will not be entered into the give-away)


Unfortunately due to the high cost of shipping, the contest is only open to those in the U.S. and Canada.


Deadline to enter is midnight Monday, April 11th... the lucky winner will be announced on Wordless Wednesday April 13th.


Good luck!!!


We received no compensation for this review other than a free 16x20 print which we adore!

Give-Away And Review! CLEAN+GREEN by SeaYu - Furniture Refresher for Cats & Dogs

Spring has FINALLY arrived! Yesterday was the first day of Spring and with that comes the arrival of warm and sunny days, birds chirping, open windows and Spring cleaning!

We want to celebrate the arrival of Spring and make your spring cleaning easier by sharing with you a new product that we received from our friends at Clean+Green!

 If you were a reader of Cat Chat last September you will remember that we did a review of some of the Clean+Green products and after the overwhelming interest, we held a give-way. We are holding one again! (I am sorry though, due to international shipping rules only those that live in the U.S. & Canada are eligible to enter.) Requirements for entering the give-away will be listed at the end of this post.

What is Clean+Green?
CLEAN+GREEN® are eco-friendly aerosol pet odor and stain remover products. Our line of eco friendly, green cleaning products are made from organic and biodegradable ingredients and packaged so you can recycle the container - now you can clean green! For green pet cleaning, use effective, non toxic, organic home cleaning supplies and keep an environmentally friendly home - with pets.

Clean+Green offers a line of green home cleaning supplies for greencarpet cleaning and carpet stain removal, green wood & tile floor cleaning, and green furniture cleaning for pet urine removal, pet stain removal and pet odor removal. The products work on cat urine, dog urine, vomit, hairballs, bird droppings, and small animal urine. They are odor eliminators for cat urine odor, dog urine odor, vomit odor, hairball odor, bird dropping odor, small animal odor, dog smell, cat smell, ferret smell and other small animal smells. Clean+Green is a stain remover for urine, feces, vomit, hairballs and any other pet accidents.

The product we received was the Furniture Refresher

The Furniture Refresher is fragrance free, works on contact and is meant to be used for pet beds, leather, fabric & upholstery. It cleans and eliminates pet odors safely and in an eco-friendly way! It is made with all natural ingredients (as are all of the products by Clean+Green)

We wish we had received this BEFORE we just bought new furniture. We did try it out though... guess where we used it, that isn't listed on the can as a place to use it? In our kitchen garbage can! And...it worked! We also sprayed it on the cushions on our kitchen chairs and on our dining room chairs. (All places that Cody likes to hang out on!) It worked! There are no lingering odors! No perfume scent disguised to mask odors...it just totally removes the pet odors, naturally, safely and odor-free!

GIVE-AWAY!!!!
The great people at Clean+Green have offered to give one free can of Furniture Refresher to a lucky reader of Cat Chat!

WAIT! THERE'S MORE!!
Because I want more people to experience just how great Clean+Green products are, I am also going to give THREE additional winners a can of Furniture Refresher!

THAT'S RIGHT! THERE WILL BE A TOTAL OF FOUR WINNERS!!


How To Enter:
there are FOUR, EASY, MANDATORY steps. (FOUR winners, FOUR requirements, that's fair!)


1) Follow us publicly with Google Friend Connect (see sidebar)


2) "Like"  "Cat Chat With Caren & Cody" on Facebook. Click HERE (Note:if you were a member of my previous Cat Chat GROUP you are NOT entered in the contest. We now have a new PAGE on Facebook so please "Like" it to be entered!)
***Exemption from this step: If you are NOT a REGISTERED Facebook user please state that in your comment when you enter. Obviously if someone is not registered on Facebook they can't "like" us there, and they will not be considered as ineligible for this contest. (Thank you to Sammy, Andy and Shelly for bringing this issue to my attention)


3) "Like" Clean+Green on Facebook. Click HERE

4) Leave a comment AND a way to contact you if you are one of the lucky winners  on this post telling me you completed the above steps. It is NOT necessary to leave a separate comment for each task completed. You may list them all in one comment. 


WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON WORDLESS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30TH!  THANKS AND GOOD LUCK!!


We received no compensation for this review. We received Clean+Green Furniture Refresher to test and review. Clean+Green offered to give-away ONE can of Furniture Refresher, I wanted more people to win, so I am purchasing THREE more cans for THREE additional winners!

Premier Pet Products, Funkitty® Doorway Dangli™. & "Squeaky Mice!"

Hi everyone it's Cody!! I am  happy (and a bit embarrassed...read on...you will soon see why) to be here today to tell you about some  toys that Premier Pet Products  was kind enough to send to my Mom to have me try out.

I was sooo excited the day the toys arrived that I could barely control myself!! I meowed and meowed to my Mom to tell her to hurry up and open the box!

I have good news and bad news....I will give you the good news first!

You all know that I am obsessed with mousies right? How could you NOT know, I have  told you  about it enough!

Well...when my Mom opened the box and I saw 2 furry "Squeaky Mice" I about lost my mind!

They are the purrfect size for swatting all over the place!!  They are furry and I think they are catnip scented (my Mom forgot to check that out) because the second I had them in the death trap of my iron paws some serious bunny kicking took place!

Cody bunny kicking the "Squeaky Mouse!" See the little glimpse of brown?

OMC! Do I ever love these! I was carrying them around the house, left them in the hallway...brought them into the kitchen. I am sooo proud of my "Squeaky Mice!" They are catabulous! One really cool thing is when you leave them in strategic places you get to hear nasty words that your Mom and Dad say when they accidentally step on them! They SQUEAK!! (not your Mom and Dad, but the mousies squeak!!! yep, hence the name "Squeaky Mice!") They are mucho cool!!!

Then we went on to the next toy, the Funkitty® Doorway Dangli™. I was a little concerned.

 Ohhh don't get me wrong, I LOVED it in the package. I had some serious reservations about my clutzy Mom being able to use this properly. You see, this is the same woman that took a macrame class in college and the professor said my Mom was the ONLY student she couldn't teach macrame to in her 25 year teaching career.

So I studied....

And studied....

And studied!

I felt my quality control measures were fine and that even my "any toy involving strings or cord" challenged Mom could figure this one out!

Well...my friends,  when my Mom removed the packaging I had a good old time playing with the Funkitty® Doorway Dangli™ as a  toy that was being held by my Mom,  (not the way it was intended to be used, but I still loved it), the mouse-like tail attached to a blue plastic  clam shell that dispenses treats or kibble,  tickled my nose and piqued my interest. I stood on my hind legs and swatted and boxed, having a regular feline fun fest...until....my Mom went to hang it on our door...and....ready for this????

SHE BROKE IT!!

Yep you read correctly. The maven of the cat toy world (NOT!!) BROKE MY NEW TOY!! I sat there looking at her with complete and total disgust! She frantically pieced together the directions she had so carelessly ripped while she was unpackaging the Funkitty® Doorway Dangli™ (uh...might have been smart to read the directions FIRST brainiac!!) and set about to tie the ends back together. She WAS able to attach it to our door frame but neither of us think the toy was functioning the way it was supposed to and it was all HER fault. Nobody's fault but hers!!

Soooo....Mom was a nervous wreck cause she didn't want to ruin my review (way to go Mom, you are destroying my rep here)...so she searched for a video of how the toy WILL work when someone who knows what they are doing attaches it correctly, and here you go!



It looks like at least SOMEBODY knew how to properly put this together! As you can see it is a FUN toy (but I wouldn't know that, thanks to my Mom)...

I wanted to give you an honest review of this, so I can only speak from the standpoint of my Mom totally messing it up! My Mom and I weren't compensated in any way for this review (thank goodness or we would be in HUGE trouble!!), but the kind lady at Premier Pet Products did send us these great toys to try and we are most appreciative!! At least my Mom didn't decimate my "Squeaky Mice" (yet)...they TOTALLY ROCK!!

Please go to www.premier.com and check out the great items they have for cats and dogs...., please check out the Funkitty® Doorway Dangli™ , but remember...if your Mom acts as if she hasn't a brain in her head and  no opposable thumbs  to properly attach this to your door frame....you may want to put this one together yourself!!!