Twitter Turns 10 On March 21st! What Was YOUR #FirstTweet !?

While watching the Today Show yesterday morning I learned that Twitter is turning 10!!!!!!  (on March 21st).

Back in  2009, I was encouraged by many to join Twitter which I fought tooth and nail! (I normally embrace change, but I am often slow to jump on the bandwagon pertaining to certain issues, it often takes much prodding for me to try a new social media platform.  I fought Instagram tooth and nail too until I finally gave in. I still have issues with it lol.)

I finally relented.  I remember for MONTHS feeling as if  I would never have any followers. I thought Twitter was ridiculous, now 6577 followers later on Cody's Twitter handle, and almost 3000 on Dakota's, (Dakota didn't join Twitter until 2011),  I am singing tweeting a different tune.

While many sing the praises of Facebook, I have made many of my most lucrative, important, (and more importantly, ENDURING), connections/relationships, on Twitter. (I find Facebook to be more of a "look at me, like me" forum which I often view with disdain.)

Wonder What Your First Tweet Was?

I did!! Contrary to what Cher says, you CAN "turn back time", you can see YOUR first tweet!!  I am sooo embarrassed that my first Tweet was to Ellen DeGeneres (whom I never tagged because I had no clue as to how!) And here it is!!

Is that hilarious or what?

What struck me as strange though, was I could have sworn I didn't join Twitter until AFTER I began blogging. I began blogging in October of 2009, and the date of my first tweet is March 2009. If I didn't have a blog, I am thinking my first user name had to have been different (I can't remember), because "Cat Chat" didn't exist. Regardless, I cracked up laughing when I found out my first tweet was to Ellen. I must have been watching her show that day, and she probably encouraged people to join Twitter and follow her. I am betting that is what it was.

Back in the "old" days, I was "live" on Twitter much more than I am now. I share my posts and the posts of others, I am big on tweeting quotes, photos of food and other things that strike my fancy. I tend to not do what others preach that we do, "just tweeting pet information" since my handle is pet related. I function the same with Pinterest, and have had success NOT doing things the way we are "supposed"  to.

I enjoy tweeting things that are a reflection of my diverse interests, I'm not one-dimensional, and just tweeting about pets or just pinning pets would pigeon-hole me. I love having followers that aren't necessarily actively involved in the pet world. By tweeting/pinning things that reflect all of my interests, I have found that many who end up following me, might have been interested by a tweet or a pin that wasn't pet related, and they end up having a cat or a dog (or whatever). It turns out being a "win-win."  When I follow people on Twitter I am intrigued by those who tweet a variety of topics,  and I think that many feel the same when deciding whom to follow.

It is mind-boggling to me that ten years have passed so quickly, will Twitter enjoy another ten years? It remains to be seen.  I do know that I myself and many others owe Twitter a world of THANKS!! Keep on Tweetin' on!!!!!


ARE YOU ON TWITTER? List your Twitter name in the comments so myself and others can be sure we are following you!

Photo Contest! "Walkin' in a Kitty Wonderland" with Purina!!

To be sung to the tune of Winter Wonderland:

Cameras click, are ya listenin'?

In the lane, snow is glistenin,

A beautiful sight,

You could win some  Fancy Feast and Friskies that's right!

"Walkin' in a kitty wonderland!"

Oh! Hi everyone, it's Cody and ya  caught me mid trill! I am so happy that you stopped by today! I told ya that December was gonna be a purrfectly FUN month!  All sorts of things for you to win! You thought I was pullin' your furry little legs now didn't ya? Well! I wasn't!

Yesterday I asked you about your holiday traditions and so many of you have shared! Mom and I are lovin' reading about everything that all of you kitties hold dear during the holiday season.

 Today, I want to talk to  you about DECORATING! You see, being a Jewish kitty it's kinda boring for me around the holidays. You can only do so much with Chanukah decorations ya know? You have the Menorah...and...the Menorah....and...then there's the.... MENORAH! You get my drift!  As a Purina Pet Blogger, I am happy to tell you that the folks  at Purina Purr have provided great holiday decorating tips for decorating challenged kitties like myself and for those kitties that know a thing or two about stringin' the lights!

 My furiends at Purina are always up to somethin' and this year they are really putting the "HO-HO-HO" in your HOLIDAY! Based on the great holiday decorating tips,  Purina, along with our furiends at Petco where I just happen to have been adopted from, but I digress, have created the:

  So 2-leggers, I'm talkin' to YOU now! What Mom and  I want to see is how YOU incorporate YOUR KITTIES into your holiday decorating!!

This contest has a SUPER SHORT SUBMISSION DEADLINE! Here is what ya need to do!

1)  Email a photo to my Mom and I showing how YOU  incorporate YOUR KITTIES into your  holiday decorating! (NO PHOTOSHOPPED photos please! We want the REAL DEAL!) Email the photo to: cgittleman at mi dot rr dot com BY  SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9TH at 5PM EST. (With Purina Photo Contest as the subject).

2) You must also include your COMPLETE NAME AND SHIPPING ADDRESS (AND PHONE NUMBER) with your ENTRY...AND...a line of copy that grants Nestle Purina permission to ship a prize to your house should you win. (As if you would turn it away..but that is the RULE!)

3) You must be aware that submission of your photo grants CAT CHAT, Nestle Purina PetCare Company, Petco Animal Supplies Stores, Inc. and its agents the right to publish, use, adapt, edit and/or modify such photo in any way, in any and all media, without limitation, and without consideration to you. 

Being the intelligent kitties that you are, I know you won't pass the word on to your 2-leggers about this contest until you find out WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU? Well...read on! Mom and I will pick the TOP FIVE PHOTOS from those that we receive, and from those we will also pick a GRAND PRIZE WINNER! What FUN this is gonna be!! Yesss...I said there would be:

PRIZES!!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER will have their photo added to a special holiday photo album on the Petco Facebook page on DECEMBER 14TH that will feature ALL OF THE WINNERS from the Purina Blogger Community's contest!!  The Petco Facebook page ( currently has 1.9 million "likes" but who's counting? MOL!) The GRAND PRIZE WINNER  will also receive:

• A Fancy Feast Holiday ornament
• A coupon for a free variety pack of Friskies or Fancy Feast-a $15 value (only good at Petco) 

THE FOUR RUNNERS UP WILL RECEIVE:

• A coupon for a free variety pack of Friskies or Fancy Feast- a $15 value (only good at Petco)
• FIVE coupons for a free can of Friskies or Fancy Feast (only good at Petco)

When will the winners be announced? I'm glad you asked that! We have to keep our mouths covered with our paws until the Petco photo album goes live on DECEMBER 14th and then...AND ONLY THEN...will we announce OUR WINNERS!!! 

So keep those laser eyes lit on December 14th and watch for a blog post from Mom and I announcing the winners AND we will showcase their photos on our blog!

Now....where was I?

Cameras click, are ya listenin'?
In the lane, snow is glistenin',
A beautiful sight,
You could win some  Fancy Feast and Friskies that's right!
"Walkin' in a kitty wonderland!"

You're "It!"

Now THIS is unusual! THIS is a FIRST! We were just "tagged" by our friend Sammy from One Spoiled Cat and due to having NOTHING prepared for today, for the FIRST TIME- EVER we aren't going to take a gazillion months to respond!

The first requirement of this blog post is  that we answer TEN "BURNING" questions about us! We decided that since this blog is a joint venture, Cody and I would BOTH answer! Here goes!


1) Describe yourself in 7 words:
Cody- cuddly,  loving, determined, intelligent, adorable, lazy and fearless.
Mom- ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto, funny, focused and stubborn.

2) What keeps you up at night?
Cody- my never-ending quest for food
Mom-playing "Words With Friends"

3)  Who would I like to be?
Cody- "King of the Forrrrrrrrrrrreeeeesssst!!!!"


Mom-  the next winner of either Mega Millions or Power Ball

4)  What am I wearing now?
Cody- the finest quality silver gray tabby fur
Mom- gray Lions sweatpants, gray and blue Super Bowl sweatshirt from 2006.

5)  What scares me?
Cody- the thought of  Mom's canned Royal Canin Veterinary Formula canned rabbit running out.
Mom-  the way that I look without makeup as I look right now while I am typing this!

6)  The best and worst of blogging:
Cody- all of the fun kitties, doggies and their pawrents that I have met!
Mom- best? The people and their pets that I have met along the way both online and in person.  Worst? Self-imposed deadlines which translates to pressure that I have created for MYSELF. Bottom line? "WHO CARES?"  As far as blogging goes, NONE of us are nearly as important as we think that we are.


7) The last website I visited:
Cody-www.hotcatsforonenight.com
Mom-One Spoiled Cat told ya! I literally came from there, directly here and started typing! It's a MIRACLE!

8) What is the one thing I would change about myself:
Cody- to be ALLERGY-FREE so that I could eat allllll different kinds of food!
Mom- to be less of a control-freak

9) Slankets yes or no?
Cody- What in the hell is a slanket???
Mom- ditto

10) Tell us something about the person who tagged you:
Cody- Sammy is the coolest cat. He is wise beyond his years. He has a really great blog that if you haven't checked it out, you sure should! He says he is "spoiled" but he really isn't, he is just treated the way ALL cats should be treated, as the Gods and Goddesses in furry little suits that we ARE!

Sammy as a baby,
his baby basket and his Mom! (Pam!)

Mom- Where do I begin? Sammy's Mom (Pam) is an incredibly talented woman. She is a writer (who I will be featuring on February 24th, save the date!), she is an artist, (she sent me the most BEAUTIFUL NOTE CARDS!!) , she is loving, kind, fun, warm and she possesses a quality that makes her a kindred spirit of mine, the quality of never ceasing to think like a child. If you maintain the untainted child-like quality of being able to be excited about things that you see and experience and never lose your ability to imagine, or have a laugh that starts from deep within your belly,  then in my opinion, you HAVE IT ALL!!! Pam also has another blog (The Magic Forest Chronicle) that features just those things:

Now....we must tag some other folks....no pressure...seriously none...if you don't want to do this then just pussyfoot on by as if you never have seen this post! (For some of you I KNOW that "pussyfooting on by" isn't a problem! MOL!!)

CAT WISDOM 101

OUR LIFE BY ERIC & FLYNN

FEELING BEACHIE

ROSIE LARGER THAN LIFE

HART STORIES BY MEG S. HART

MARIO'S MEOWSINGS

NERISSA'S LIFE

If  we didn't list you here no worries!!!! There are some of you who have jumped through these hoops so many times that the thought  of having to do one of these again would make you want to scratch our eyes out if you had to purrticipate, and since we value our eye-sight and our lives, we  neglected to mention you.

There are still others that  we could mention who we follow and comment on regularly that we KNOW NEVER visit, (we are observant and snide cusses...hehehe)  so what would be the point of listing them? MOL!, and still others whose blogs aren't set up for this kind of blog post and we respect that completely.

And...well, if you don't meet any of the above criteria....we're just plain tired of typing right now.

IMPORTANT "WORDS" WEDNESDAY-SOPA-BLACKOUT THE INTERNET DAY

Thank you to The Adventures of Scarlett & Melly for posting  this about SOPA:


PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Book Review: Pampered Pets On A Budget: Written By: Jeffrey L. Barnes And Kristen M. Levine

I was excited when I was contacted a few weeks back asking if I would like to receive a copy of Pampered Pets On A Budget by Jeffrey L. Barnes And Kristen M. Levine to read and review.

My pets, like everyone else's are pampered and since I am virtually unemployed and my husband has recently retired, the idea that I could read about how to pamper my pet and receive ideas/suggestions about how to do so AND maintain a budget had my ears perked and my tail on alert!

These are tough times in which we live. Every day people are losing jobs and struggling to make ends meet, while the prices of groceries, medical care, etc. continue to rise. Sadly, when a family experiences a financial blow one of the first casualties is often the family pet.


As pet lovers we can never have too many tools in our tool belt to help us not only care for our pets but to maintain a budget while doing so and this book sets out to do what it promises, and that is to:

"help pet parents uncover new ways to save on the products and services you need to take great care of your pets, without compromising your pet's health and wellness care or severely damaging your pocketbook."



This book is short (74 pages) but don't let that fool you. It is 74 pages that are jam-packed with must-have information for today's pet owner.

Take a look at some of the chapters:

Chapter 3-The Internet is not Always Right: this chapter was written by Jeffrey Barnes and is one  of my personal favorites. We have all fallen victim to running to the internet when our animal is ill. It can be anything from a Google search to posting a problem on Facebook and receiving 500 differing opinions. Many of those opinions include horror stories that when you are already stressed and worried, are the LAST things that you need to hear.

This chapter explains:

• How the internet is NOT a substitute for your veterinarian, your veterinarian knows YOU and your pet!
• It reinforces how when you are reading ANY information from the internet you need to look at the qualifications, licensing and formal education of the source providing that information!
• It mentions how drug and vaccine manufacturers stand behind their products ONLY when they have been purchased directly from your veterinarian.

Other great chapters in this 10 chapter book are:

Chapter 4-Trusted Online Pet Resources-

in this chapter Kristen Levine points out that there is some online information that can be trusted but that it should NEVER take the place of human professionals when it comes to your beloved pet.

 This chapter talks about:
General pet information and adoption sites such as petfinder.com and catster.com
 It also mentions reputable Veterinary and Health Sites such as VeterinaryPartner.com 


Chapter 5-The Value of Your Veterinarian: as explained by Jeffrey Barnes one of my favorite points made in this chapter is "your veterinarian is your pet's medical health care captain and is the only authority on medical issues."


Chapter 7-Pet Health Insurance is discussed by Kristen Levine and is relevant to me because I am still pondering the issue as to whether or not to purchase pet insurance for Cody and Dakota. Some points that Kristen mentions that are important to consider are:

Consider Premiums, Co-Pays and Deductibles
Pick Coverage, Not Cost

This book contains so much information and delivers it in an interesting,  straight-forward, concise and  reader-friendly style.

I loved that at the end of each chapter there is a page called Chapter Highlights which is a summation of information listed in an easy to refer to bulleted format.

Pampered Pets On A Budget  will be your newest, invaluable resource to help you "properly position yourself to give your pet the best lifestyle possible."


For more information about this book please visit:
 www.PamperedPetsOnABudget.com


Pampered Pets on a Budget is available from: www.lulu.com and www.amazon.com.
Paperback · ISBN: 978-1-105-20415-9 · $15.99
Kindle · ISBN: 978-1-105-20415-9 · $9.99

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Jeffrey L. Barnes: is a business advisor, consultant, and business intermediary, who strives to give veterinarians and business owners sound business advice in their day-to-day operations and represents them when they buy or sell their practice or business. His professional experiences with such respected companies as Aventis, John Deere, Merial, and the Sandler Sales Institute has afforded him the extensive sales, client service, and marketing knowledge that he now shares with countless veterinarians, practice managers, manufacturers, distributors, local, state, and national veterinary associations. Jeffrey lives in Tampa, FL with his wife and two dogs.

Kristen M. Levine's  volunteer work led to a fifteen-year career as the Public Relations Director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Tampa Bay, Florida, where she played a critical role in promoting pet adoption and pet lifestyle education. Kristen's knowledge of pet lifestyle concerns and family dynamics coupled with her understanding of public relations led her to found Fetching Communications, the nation’s first marketing and public relations firm wholly dedicated to serving the pet industry, in 2003. Having logged over 1,000 live national radio and television show appearances, Kristen is also a frequent contributor to pet and veterinary trade magazines nationwide. Kristen serves as Bissell Homecare’s official pet spokesperson, educating pet parents about pet clean up solutions, as well as on the Toyota Pet Expert Team (P.E.T.), where she shares her knowledge to help develop programs to teach pet parents the importance of properly protecting and securing pets in automobiles. Kristen lives in Florida with her husband, dog and a pair of miniature donkeys.

I received no compensation for this review. I received a copy of the book to read/review.

Bring On The POOP!!

Yep! That was me yesterday. It happened. I was happily resting on my favorite blanket when Mom came over to me and said she had to have a "talk" with me. She told me that because I wasn't eating or pooping I was off to the V-E-T... AGAIN!

You guessed it. I had the "Big E"...they should call THAT the "Big Easy" cause not long after "Dr.Smiley's" gang (he was off yesterday planning his next assault on me) invaded my private spot....things began MOVING!! Boy did they MOVE!!! I HAD A HUGE POOP!! IT WAS SUPERB!  EPIC!  You would have to travel far and wide to find a more perfect poop!! On the "poop-o-meter" it TOPPED THE CHARTS!  So fine in fact, that the nice female doctor said she was so EXCITED that she was gonna TEXT "Dr.Smiley!" (If you ask me, that's pretty sick, wonder if she photographed it. Sure hope it doesn't turn up on Facebook!!)

Not long after the "poop that rocked the world" I came home. I ate a hearty dinner, snuggled alllll night on the couch with Mom, let my Sheltie brother kiss me and kiss me and even had my usual rabbit nightcap before bed!

This morning when Dad got up to feed me I was READY and WAITING! I ate EVERY BIT AND I WANTED MORE!

You are NOT gonna believe this my friends, Mom just got up to check and see if I have pooped yet this morning (boy does she ever need to get a LIFE!) and so far there isn't a poop in the pot!

If you excuse me, I think I better get my butt moving and get busy producing my next epic poop!!!

 I have had ENOUGH of the V-E-T for one week!

Stay tuned....



Thanks for all of your love, concern, advice and messages! Mom and I really appreciate it! We are sorry we haven't been able to visit many of you and hope to start visiting everyone again soon!!

"Walking On Sunshine" Sunday! And Happy 6th Birthday Adorable Rosie!

Mom and I were deeply touched to receive the "Sunshine Award" a few weeks ago from our catabulous friends Au and Target from Katz and Other Tales, it really was a surprise and made us smile!

We have to answer these questions and pass this award on to 9 people. We didn't want to just pick 9 so we wanted everyone to have this award who visits and comments on our blog and fills OUR lives with SUNSHINE! 

01. Our favorite color:Mom-green (look at the background of our blog, can't ya tell? MOL!) ,
 Me-anything that even resembles stinky goodness!

02. Our favorite animal: are you kidding us? What do YOU think?

03. Our favorite number: Mom 10 or 20,
Me-4 cause that is how old I am!

04. Our favorite non-alcoholic drink: Mom-COFFEE!!
 Me-water but it must be served from my brother's dog bowl
 
05. Social media? Of course!! Facebook, Twitter, BlogPaws Community, blogs, just to name a few! Mom and I work as a team on many of these!

06. Our passion: Mom-writing, reading, cats,  swimming, walking, art, Shelties, cooking, music, Weight Watcher's.
 Me-Eating, Sleeping  and playing with my mousies or Neko fly.


07. Getting or giving presents? Mom & I  both agree we love BOTH!

08. Our favorite pattern? Huh???

09. Our favorite day of the week? Any day we are both on the right side of the grass!

10. Our favorite flower? Mom-Mums or White Roses.
 Me-the flowers on my catnip plant!

We're passing this award on to:

YOU!!

Also...today is a special day!

 Happy, Happy
6th Birthday

 to our adorable kitty friend:

ROSIE!!!!

Rosie has "Easy Sunday" down to an art!

Happy Birthday Beautiful Rosie!!!!

Michigan! Help Carol’s Ferals ‘Double Your Dollars’

Carol's Ferals has launched a Spring Campaign on Facebook Causes – Double Your Dollars – to raise funds to pay for spaying and neutering.  This will allow them to help people who can’t afford the cost of the surgery themselves.  Up to $5000 of these funds are being matched by a generous donor.   That means that by meeting their goal, they will raise $10,000 to support Carol’s Ferals and the cats in West Michigan.

"Just because you can't touch them,

 doesn't mean you can't help them!"

National Hairball Awareness Day Is April 29th! Let's Celebrate With A HUGE Give-Away Sponsored by Hill's And Checkout Their New Game On Facebook!

Every cat owner, at least once (usually in the middle of the night), has stepped into a pile of something that looks and feels like anything but hair and wondered, "Does my cat do this on purpose?!" No, your cat doesn't. In fact, hairballs are the number one health condition reported by 35% of cat-owning households.  Is your household one of them? If so, Hill's honors and educates you TODAY (April 29th), National Hairball Awareness Day.

 Hairballs, or the formation of hairballs is a common feline condition that is brought on by self-grooming and the associated ingestion of hair. The ingested hair can accumulate in your cat's throat or stomach, causing irritation. Cats with hairballs are often seen gagging, regurgitating or vomiting hair and mucus. Controlling this issue is as easy as feeding their cats Science Diet® Hairball Control cat food. Hill's® Science Diet® Hairball Control formulas use natural vegetable fibers to help move hair safely and naturally through a cat's digestive system. They're also formulated to nourish your cat's skin and coat with essential nutrients, reducing unnecessary shedding. Here is more on the food Hill's offers http://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/hairballs-trouble-with-fur-adt.html.

GIVE-AWAY!!!!

The fabulous folks at Hill's have offered a fantastic give-away to the readers of Cat Chat!

They are generously giving 15 (that's right...FIFTEEN!!) lucky readers one bag each of their hairball control formula cat food!! (Contest is for the U.S. ONLY, I am sorry!!)

All you have to do to qualify is leave a comment discussing hairballs on this blog post by midnight EST on MONDAY, MAY 9TH. That's it! Super easy!!

Winners will be chosen by www.random.org  and will be announced on Wednesday, May 11th!!

Thanks much for entering and GOOD LUCK!!

I was not compensated in any way for this post.