Cats! Enter to win the hilarious book:Texts From Mittens by Angie Bailey

I LOVE CATS but I don't love certain white cats with bows, who shall remain nameless, or books about cats that are so sweet that they make my blood sugar shoot through the ceiling. I'm not "sweet" and I don't care for "sweet", well, unless they are photos/drawings/real-life kittens, but I digress...

I LOVE TO LAUGH.  My preferred humor is dry, sarcastic, snide, something with an edge.

I LOVE PEOPLE WHO LOVE CATS. People who convey that they understand the way  cats think and who appreciate everything about them.

I LOVE PEOPLE AND WRITERS WITH A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR which is why I LOVE ANGIE BAILEY the author of whiskerslist:the kitty classifieds and her latest comedic gem: Texts from Mittens:A Cat Who Has an Unlimited Data Plan...and Isn't Afraid to Use It.  It encompasses all that I love!

Angie Bailey has the uncanny ability to think like a cat, or, to think like a cat in a way that WE THINK that they WOULD THINK if we truly knew what they were thinking. Make sense? No? It does to ME.

When Angie writes anything about cats, she depicts cats as I have always imagined they would be, if they were to communicate in words like humans, instead of meows. Angie portrays  cats as being intelligent, well-spoken, sarcastic and insanely funny.  The cats that Angie writes about don't have filters. They are the way I imagine cats to be..."take me as I am. or don't waste my time!"

I have been following Angie's blog since I first began blogging in 2009.  I have also had the pleasure of getting to know Angie as a person since then, both online and through  re-connecting in person at various social media/blogging events. Angie's writing is like Angie, real, "out there", eclectic, witty, zany, fun and oh-so-honest!!

Angie's humor is edgy, quirky, hip, intelligent and often so funny that it makes me break into full blown laugh-out-loud-maniacal giggling mode.

She has had that effect on me on her blog, on Facebook,  and now through BOTH of her books.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:

Texts from Mittens is a series of text message conversations between a snappy, self-absorbed housecat named Mittens and his long-suffering human, a single woman who works away from home during the day. Mittens relentlessly hassles his human all day long, while only taking breaks to watch Judge Judy, hang with his best friend Stumpy, complain about the antics of Drunk Patty the neighbor, ask Grandma for money to buy useless items from QVC, and harass the "filthy beast" dog, Phil.

The book, Texts from Mittens was the next logical step after the overwhelming success of  Angie's column of the same name, that appeared on the super popular website, Catster.com.

One way to know that you have an enormous hit on your paws hands, is when you see copycat versions of the same concept springing up all over the web. When I saw others trying to re-create what Angie had thought of, I KNEW this was going to be BIG, and I was right.

While others may try and replicate the concept on their own blogs and social media platforms, there is much more involved than just using the same concept. There is brilliant execution of the concept, and, well...being  genuinely funny. Which Angie IS. NATURALLY.

Not a detail was missed when re-creating the screen for text messaging. I cracked up laughing when my eyes caught the upper left hand corner (see above) where it says FURIZON.  Sound vaguely reminiscent of a well-known brand? Of course it is!   If cats could text and had the privilege of having  an unlimited data plan, FURIZON would be their purrferred provider!

 In "real-life", Angie is an original, not a copy. Angie's body of work is an extension of HER and her natural quirky humor, as well as her inherent understanding of  and passion for cats.

In a nutshell, Texts From Mittens is approximately 100'ish  "laugh out loud" pages printed on quality "alk" paper, that is about a self-absorbed cat named Mittens. Mittens bombards "Mom" with incessant texts which take the form of demands, requests and questions at any hour, day or night, (hence the "unlimited data plan"). "Mom" mostly responds as the "straight man" to Mittens constant texting.

  Simple concept + brilliant execution = a hit,

 Angie Bailey hit this one right outta the ballpark!

ISBN 978-0-373-89322-5 

Available on Amazon.

www.Harlequin.com

Angie Bailey is an award-winning writer and blogger, humorist, and professional member of the Cat Writers' Association. Her primary blog, Catladyland, has won many awards, and her humor writing is featured nearly daily on Catster.com, one of the most popular cat sites on the Web. She loves to photograph her cats in silly poses and sleeps with one eye open. And yes, she has three cats.

GIVE-AWAY!!

Angie has generously offered one of my readers who resides in the U.S. or Canada the chance to win a copy of Texts From Mittens:A Cat Who Has an Unlimited Data Plan...and Isn't Afraid to Use It. (An approx $10 value). Entering is super easy, just enter on the rafflecopter below! (BEWARE!! There are TWO MANDATORY ENTRIES....) Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In full disclosure: I was not compensated for this review/give-away. I was sent a copy of Texts from Mittens in exchange for my honest review. 

Cats! You Must Read How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity by Patricia Carlin-World-Wide Give-Away!

Well, well, well, it's Cody, and here I sit, my tail between my legs, feeling like NOTHING, a BIG silver-gray tabby pile of NOTHING. No, it's not the Monday Blues, nope, not at all. It's my MOM. My lazy, good-for-nothing, poor excuse of an Assistant, MOM.  Why is my fur standing on end because of HER? I'll tell ya why, and trust me, it's pitiful.

I was pawing around on my Mom's desk this weekend and found this:

My loser Mom stole this photo from the publisher's website

Let me ask you this kitties, WHERE WAS THIS BOOK FOUR YEARS AGO when Mom I started this blog? WHERE WAS IT? For the past four years I have had to endure the unbearable pain of witnessing my Mom work on post after useless post, much of it drivel. I have watched her haphazardly insert unacceptable photos of ME, do you hear me? ME on our MY blog.  I have watched her struggling to take videos, with the sun blaring in her face (any idiot knows the sun should be BEHIND you), or shooting videos in a room darker than the Black Hole, and she WONDERS WHY no one has a CLUE who I am? If Mom had had this MUST READ book, I might have been, be still my kitty heart, FAMOUS by now!

"Oh I blog because I love cats" she says, or, "I'm not in this for the money" she says...c'mon, cut the "Holier than Thou" routine lady! If someone knocked on our door offering us movies and endorsement deals like Grumpy Cat  (by the way, I was GRUMPY way before that 2 year old cat ever came onto the scene, but I live with a LOSER who never dreamed of capitalizing on that!!!), she would be all over it, like me on one of my catnip toys!! CUT THE CATNIP WOMAN!! YOU ARE "being forced to admit that despite owning both a cat and a computer during this legendary Golden Age of Cat Videos-you ARE the only cretin in the world who is failing to cash in!!!"

See this photo? It's at least 2 years old!
BEFORE THE GRUMPY CAT ERA!!

Yeah she posts on Twitter, does a few obligatory things on Facebook, Pinterest, and a few other sites,  (just a few of a myriad of invaluable tips that this book offers,) but the WOMAN HAS NO CLUE.

Now, adding insult to injury, while pussy footing around the Internet I ran into reviews of  How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity written by The Conscious Cat and Sparkle. I hung my head in shame and began frantically kneading the closest blanket. The fact that THEY read this book and reviewed it is like giving ICE to an Eskimo!!  THEY ARE ALL FAMOUS!  THEY ARE ALL ALREADY DOING MANY OF THE THINGS THAT THE BOOK SUGGESTS THAT WE DO!! In fact, Sparkle wrote about how upset she was that all of her trade secrets were revealed in this book! Imagine that! Me? My darn Mom can barely scratch two nickles together to buy kibble AFTER GOING ON FIVE YEARS of having MOI as her MUSE!

I HAD TO READ THIS BOOK AND FAST! Maybe SOME semblance of pride could be restored and I had to do it  before Katie and Waffles from  Glogirly , and that text-crazed cat known as "Mittens" from Texts from Mittens,   (created by Angie Bailey of Catladyland and Whiskerslist fame), get their paws on it!!!

These people  understand that, as How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity clearly states:

 "NO FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITY WILL GIVE YOU A GREATER RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAN YOUR CAT"

We all know that NONE OF THEM NEED THIS BOOK! WHY? I'LL TELL YA WHY!  

THEY ARE ALREADY UTILIZING ALL OF THE SUGGESTIONS IN THIS BOOK!

I AM THE ONLY SORRY-BUTT LOSER WHO ISN'T!

From the Publisher: With How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity, readers can unlock the secrets of grooming your kitty for success, creating a terrific viral video, managing your cat’s burgeoning stardom, and much more. Packed with practical tips and helpful diagrams, this indispensable resource shows how ordinary housecats can follow in the venerable pawprints of the Internet’s brightest stars.

While many of the tips are written in a "tongue-in-cheek" manner, there are MANY tips/suggestions in this PURRFECTLY POWER-PACKED PAPER-BACK BOOK that can be put into practice NOW! DO YOU HEAR THAT MOM! I SAID "NOW!!!"

Now kitties, I don't want to reveal ALL of the tips in this book, heck, if NO ONE made it EASY for ME to make any BUCKS I'm certainly NOT going to do that for you, hehehe! 

 Trust me, you and your HUMANS NEED THIS BOOK if you have any hopes of hitting the big time and having some extra loot for more noms and toys!

To learn How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity, you will have to do a couple of things on your own:

1) BUY THE BOOK

Available as an ebook

E-Book ISBN: 

9781594746840

ISBN: 

9781594746796

Book Price $12.95

2) ENTER TO WIN A COPY!!!!! YEP!! THIS LOSER CAT WAS OFFERED A WORLD-WIDE GIVE-AWAY BY THE PUBLISHER!! 3 LUCKY (OR LOSER) CATS LIKE MYSELF WILL WIN A COPY OF THIS MUST READ (OVER AND OVER AGAIN), GUIDE BOOK!! IT'S A PAYCHECK AT YOUR PAWS!!! AND....THEY ARE GOING TO EACH WIN A POSTER TOO!!! 

You do realize the Publisher must have felt sorry for me and my Mom when Mom asked if we could do a give-away and they agreed, right? Well, we'll take anything thrown our way, and you should too! 

ENTER ON THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Full Disclosure: (of course there was no money given to us for this review because if you remember, my LOSER MOM DOESN'T DO THIS FOR THE MONEY!!!!), we were given a copy of the book to review and the publisher will send a book and a poster,  to each of our 3 winners.

Winner of whiskerslist:the kitty classifieds by Angie Bailey

THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED OUR GIVE-AWAY!

The lucky winner

(as chosen by random.org) is:

FOZZIE MUM!!!!

you can visit her blog here

CONCATULATIONS!!!

Please email your

COMPLETE MAILING ADDRESS TO:

cgittleman at mi dot rr dot com

Book:whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds by Angie Bailey of Catladyland fame:Not your Mama's Classified Ads! ENTER TO WIN!

Yo kitties it's Cody and ONE OF OUR CLOSELY GUARDED SECRETS IS OUT!  I don't know about you, but for the past 4 years I have worked HARD at not letting my Mom know what I do on the computer while she is out, but kitties, YOU and I HAVE BEEN BUSTED! We have been caught red-pawed!

Angie Bailey, the multi-award winning creator of the Catladyland blog has LET OUR DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS (and in MANY cases in this LAUGH OUT LOUD BELLY BUSTING BOOK, whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds,  they ARE DIRTY, but in a purrfectly acceptable and hilarious way), OUT OF THE BAG!

I nearly ran into the closet and hid when Mom told me that she took this book on a recent trip! Mom said it was the PURRFECT way to pass boring airplane time, and  that in the 21 and a half years that she worked  in the Classified Ad Dept of a major newspaper, she had never run across ads  as purrfectly hysterical as these! Why she finds these funny, I have no clue. To kitties this is SERIOUS STUFF! This is OUR LIFE, OUR THOUGHTS, whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds is the craigslist for CATS! Minus the creepy stuff, well, maybe there IS a LITTLE of the CREEPY STUFF, but it is FUN CREEPY STUFF!

Mom said that some of her purrticular favorites were:

Female in heat looking for quick hookup
Can you hear me now? I'm rolling around and rubbing myself on the sofa thinking of you. Absolutely no strings attached. You won't be disapppointed. Meeeooow!

Polite Jewish South Philly boy looking for likeminded travel partners
Brand new kosher deli open in Fishtown. Maury AKA "Bootsy" says there's some nice pastrami. Anybody wanna travel with me to check out the dumpster? Looking for easy going travel partners. No kvetching.

The nakeder the better...
I will be in town next Tuesday and am looking for a female Sphynx to meet up for an evening of intense bathing and uninhibited fun. Must be COMPLETELY smooth. Email me with pic.....

And of course, I am featured in whiskerslist as well!

Along with the Classified Ads that were written by cats like YOU and ME,  Author, Angie Bailey included many of our discussion forums such as:

Baskets vs. boxes

I like the sound of the hair dryer: Is that weird?

 which we have been known to purrticipate in online at http://whiskerslist.com/  I must say Angie left NO piece of kibble unturned in the writing of this book. She even included our PURRSONAL ID numbers and the DATES that our ads were placed and the DATES we pussyfooted around the forums!!! Is NOTHING SACRED!!!???

whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds is simply purrfect from the clever and intriguing cover (that makes you WANT to read what is inside!)  to the  "160 uproarious posts." It will have you nodding your head in recognition, covering your face with your paws in shame at secrets that have been revealed, and will it will have you laughing MILK OUT OF YOUR NOSE as your paws purruse the 208 pages.

"Cat lovers and laugh lovers alike
 will be delighted by this highly amusing parody!!!"

Photo used WITHOUT purrmission from http://www.angie-bailey.com/

About the Author
ANGIE BAILEY is a freelance writer, blogger, humorist, and professional member of the Cat Writers' Association. She is the creator and writer of the Catladyland blog, which won the 2011 Pettie Award for Funniest Pet Blog/Blogger, as well as the 2013 BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Pet Blogging and Social Media award for Best Humor Blog. She lives with her husband, two kids, and three cats in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. Find the book online at whiskerslist.com, and Angie at angie-bailey.com.  WANT TO MEET ANGIE IN PURRSON? CLICK HERE TO SEE WHEN SHE WILL BE COMING TO A BOOK SIGNING EVENT NEAR YOU!!!!

Order whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
IndieBound
Powell's Books
Books-A-Million

ENTER TO WIN!!!!!

Kitties you are in luck!!  I have an EXTRA copy of whiskerslist:the kitty classifieds that KITTIES ALL OVER THE WORLD CAN ENTER TO WIN!!! (A $12.95 US and $15.00 CAN VALUE!) 

HOW TO ENTER: MANDATORY:(entries without this info will be disqualified) leave a comment telling me what sort of ad YOU would place on whiskerslist.com and make sure I have a way to contact you, should you be the lucky winner who is 18 and over (in HUMAN YEARS)

THE GIVE-AWAY IS OPEN NOW AND WILL END AT 5PM ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH. THE WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY www.random.org and will be announced on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27th.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Now, if you will kindly excuse me I have passwords to change before Angie Bailey goes and gets MORE of my PURRSONAL INFORMATION and CLOSELY GUARDED SECRETS!!

LOVE, CODY



In full disclosure, I was not compensated with kibble, cat treats, or green papers for this review. I was sent a complimentary copy of whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds in exchange for my honest opinion.

"A Cat Like That" video has been selected from over 7,000 submissions to be included in the #Catvidfest 2013!

Oh my cat am I excited about this news!

This is Cody, and back in 2011 Mom and I reviewed an adorable book by author Wendy Wahman, called "A Cat Like That."

Along with the book, Wendy Wahman created an amazing video trailer, that along with Henri, Shark Cat and Grumpy Cat were selected from over 7000 video submissions to be FINALISTS in the competition and will be a part of the catvidfest2013. A U.S. Tour Will Follow!

Here is Wendy's video!

The Internet Cat Video Festival will be held August 28th at 7pm at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand. If you can make it you just might be lucky and meet the cool cat ladies from Minnesota, Glogirly and Catladyland! How much fun would THAT BE?

Concatulations to Wendy!

"The Highlight Of My Year" Part III "Meet Purina! "

If you have been reading Part I and Part II of "The Highlight Of My Year", you are aware that my trip to Purina for their "Meet Purina Blogger Summit" was indeed, the highlight of my year!  If you missed Part I you can read it here and to read Part II click here.

The people at Purina couldn't have been more welcoming, informative, open, and accommodating, there wasn't a need that went unmet. They also never stopped feeding us!

We were treated to a most interesting lunch in the Purina Culinary Center where Chef Amanda Hassner creates dishes that are "pet-inspired" and later become the flavors in much of the Purina pet food that you see in the stores today!

Chef Amanda Hassner was a complete joy!
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

I must be part dog because my favorite dish was the inspiration for Chef Michael's Carvery Creations, Beef Short Ribs Flavor.

Check out the waffles
 and the maple glazed BACON!!Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

I never stopped laughing and smiling
on that trip!
Dan Koehler and I laugh at
something Diane Silver of
To Dog With Love said
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

My least favorite was believe it or not the inspiration for Friskie's Tasty Treasures and it was made with chicken, tuna and cheese in gravy. Great for cats, for me? Not so much.

Was Tamar texting her kitties about the food?
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

The "cat food" I didn't love that much
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

That wasn't the end of the food! That evening Purina treated us all to a delicious and fun dinner at Sqwires. I greatly enjoyed not only the meal, but dining with my friends and having a wonderful conversation with Adrian Palensky who is Vice President of Quality Assurance for Nestle Purina.

Left to right:Dorian, Tamar, Angie, me
and in the middle, Jaime

Friday morning greeted us with a torrential downpour that lasted the entire day. That didn't dampen our spirits though. We were headed to Purina Farms!

I'm the one that looks like a bag lady
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

At Purina Farms we were treated to presentations informing us about the purpose of the Farm, how Purina is involved with working with breeders and shelters and a discussion about "why pets make us better." As if we didn't already know :)

We toured Purina Farms and the Event Center, enjoyed a fabulous Cat Training Demonstration and a Dog Frisbee Competition!

You think that only CATS
love Brian's Home (Terry?)
Think again.
He was the "Poodle Whisperer!"
while Candy Caciolo,
the Portfolio Director for
Specialty, Breeder & Pet Acquisition
at Nestle Purina PetCare
was giving her presentation.
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

See what I mean?
Don't let the kitties of
Brian's Home
see this!
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

Have no clue what I was babbling about
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

Love this photo!
Left to right: Paris, me, Anastasia, Jaime, Felissa
and Terry in the middle!
Wish I could remember what we
were reacting to
Photo Courtesty of Nestle Purina PetCare

This dog performing is a rescue dog!
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

It was pouring rain
and nothing stopped these dogs!
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

Who says cats can't learn tricks?
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

More kitty tricks!
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

Even more kitty tricks!
Photo Courtesy of Nestle Purina PetCare

After lunch in the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge VIP tent, Tamar (I Have Cat) Angie, (Catladyland) and I were given an impromptu tour of the incredible Cat Tower at Purina Farms!

Hey! What's a dog doing there?
Left to right: Tamar, me, Angie
and unnamed woofie

Cat Tower at Purina Farms
I had blogged about it in October
read about it here

Most of the cat bloggers, including this cat blogger, left on Friday, but a number of people stayed for events that took place on Saturday that were primarily dog related. Much of Saturday was involved in giving back to the community and helping pets. You can read about how Purina is deeply entrenched in animal welfare here.

I had the joy of sharing a ride back to the airport with Angie and Tamar,  just reading those names you know it was a good time!  Sadly, Tamar had a plane that left from a different part of the airport, so she missed me getting stopped by security and having my entire suitcase emptied (probably all of that Purina swag we received, but the security agent at Delta,  was kind enough to repack for me after I fussed about how hard it had been for me to get everything in there!). Tamar also missed a delicious hummus snack that Angie and I shared along with a double Bloody Mary for me (the nervous flyer! Angie had wine which thankfully unlike BlogPaws 2011 I didn't spill it on her. But I DID spill coffee on her at breakfast the day before!) 

Now do you see why it took me so long to blog about this trip? There was so much to write about, and there is so much more I could write about, but this was already longer than I had intended. THANK YOU to all of you for reading, and a HUGE THANK YOU to Nestle Purina for a trip that will always be appreciated and will never be forgotten!


Disclosure: Nestle Purina PetCare completely paid for my trip, accommodations, travel, etc. All opinions are my own.

The Cat House at Purina Farms®! Semi- Wordy Wednesday

Leave it to me to not give you a chronological rundown of events from the Meet Purina Pet Blogger Summit that I was lucky enough to have attended last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in St.Louis, MO.

Today, I am going to share something from Day 3, one of the most awe-inspiring structures for cats that I have ever seen!

First, let me back up the bus a bit. While visiting Purina Farms® last Friday, my blogging friends, Angie Bailey (Catladyland) , Tamar Arslanian (I HAVE CAT) and myself were the last three bloggers at the farm, because we were leaving Friday instead of Saturday. The others were already en route to their next adventure.

Turned out to be lucky for us, because we were given the treat of seeing one of the most incredible cat houses I have ever laid eyes on! The Visitor's Center at Purina Farms houses a  Pet Center with attractions such as The Incredible Dog Arena,  a full-size barn with domestic farm animals and an indoor theater,  just to name a few. It is also the home of a 20 foot tall, multi-level cat house which is the key attraction of the center.

One look and you can see why!

 The Cat House has windows, stairways, rocking chairs, a "time-out" bench and other furnishings. It is the purrfect paradise for the kitties of Purina!

A staircase climbs around the structure giving visitors an eye-level view of the kitties!

Who do we have here?

It's Tamar Arslanian

from I HAVE CAT!

If you get the chance to visit St.Louis,

 make sure that Purina Farms

 is on your MUST SEE list!

Disclosure: Purina completely paid for our trip. We were not obligated to blog about our visit at all.  All opinions are my own.

"Are You Ready For Some Football???"

Cats in football helmets? Football on a cat blog?  "Why?" Because we feel sorry for our friends in Minnesota, that's why!

The roof at the Metrodome where the Minnesota Vikings were scheduled to play the New York Giants today at 1pm, has collapsed!!!





Being a cat with clout I was able to playwith pull some strings and the game will now be played in Detroit at Ford Field (Home of the Detroit Lions and is a nice and cozy domed cat house) this Monday, December 13th, at 7 (or 7:30pm....

Lions=felines which=cats which=cat blogs (huh?) which is what this is and I live in the Detroit area, hence the importance of this post!

We hope that a lot of our friends from Minnesota (Angie from Catladyland are you listening??) will be able to make it!

Safe travels and welcome to
The "D!!!"