Part 2:The Purina #BetterWithPets Summit 2015: Cats and This and That! #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post, written by me on behalf of  Nestle Purina®  I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the  2015 Better With Pets Summit.  Cat Chat With Caren and Cody only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers.

Welcome back and thank you for joining me for Part 2 of The Purina #BetterWithPets Summit 2015 Cats and This and That! If you missed Part 1 you can  click here to catch up!

After the morning panel sessions and a delicious lunch, there were a number of interactive exhibits for us to explore, but I am embarrassed to say, that I only made it around to a few. Soon you will see the reason why.

Earlier in the day I was ECSTATIC to finally meet Author, Blogger and successful business person, Hilary Grossman from the blog Feeling Beachie! Hilary was one of the first bloggers I had met online, but we had yet to meet in person. I can't begin to tell you what a thrill it was to not only meet Hilary, but to get to spend some time with her. Hilary is everything that I imagined her to  be, and more!  Beautiful, sweet, funny, intelligent, and it felt as if I had known her my entire life.

Hilary Goodman and I
**Note to self:
NEVER stand next to a hot, beautiful woman
after recently turning 60.
It just makes you look that much OLDER!! 

When Hilary and I had left the dog exhibit, we ran into my favorite Purina employee, and while chatting with him, he asked "Have you been to the Cat room?" Our ears perked up, "CAT ROOM???!!" That was it, we were off!! The Cat Room later became the reason why I only got around to a few exhibits, I spent practically the entire rest of my time there, as did many others. Here are some photos of Hilary having what appears to be a serious conversation with some new friends, and of course, playing with a KITTEN!!! Ohhhh Kittens!!!! The "ooohs and ahhs", the "ohhhs" and human purrs filled the room, the stress levels of all of us were reduced to ZERO. If this wasn't a shot in the arm for our emotional wellness, I don't know what would be!

 If Purina needed to herd some cats/cat bloggers, or if they needed to do a head count, if they checked The Cat Room it would be a pretty safe bet that is where they would find the majority of us (at least those bloggers who focus on cats!)! There were some dog bloggers who were quite smitten as well!

Upper left and bottom right, Elizabeth Keene from Chronicles of Cardigan
Top row second from left:Deb Barnes from Zee & Zoey
Directly beneath Elizabeth: Janiss Garza from Sparkle Cat
Fat lady with black cat:ME!
Far right:Kimberly Dickerson from Saving More Than Me

The Cat Room was an environment with cat-friendly furniture, cat toys, cat grass, cat ramps, houses, all designed to enrich the lives of cats! So, how many cats were there? I was told 30, all were different ages, but I am not quite sure I saw 30 cats, but there WERE lots of them! The cats were all owned by Cindy and Bob Ruggiero of Cybercat Exotics. They can be seen in the photo below with some of their cats.

Orange cat:Harley
Tabby Cat: River
I don't know the white or black cat's name! Ooops!

Once we brushed the cat fur from our clothes (or not!), we made our way back to the main conference area to listen to the keynote speaker, and learned about THE FRANK ATTLA YOUTH PROGRAM.





One of many things that makes me proud to be affiliated with Purina and why I CHOOSE to promote Purina, is that Purina has extensive support programs and partnerships with organizations around the country, all rooted in their "shared belief that people and pets are better together." Purina truly cares about people AND their pets, which is evident in everything that they do. I am honored and proud to represent a company with those values.

"Purina supports many other incredible programs, including the Rescue Bank, Leader Dogs for the Blind, Petfinder Foundation, Adopt-a-Pet, Support Dogs, Dogs on Deployment, the St.Louis Children's Hospital, and innovative shelter organizations all over the country."

Thank you Purina for inviting me to attend
the Better With Pets Summit (2015) !!

I was sad to leave "the city that never sleeps", New York is the only place I have been where I don't stick out like a sore thumb with my loud laughter and bravado...I just blend right in! Here are a few parting shots, one from the night before I left when I went out to dinner with my niece, (which was fabulous!!), the other two were shot from my Super Shuttle the next morning.

The photo on the far right
looked like my own
Abbey Road!!!

Don't worry! Purina didn't forget Cody!!! He received a pawtastic goodie bag from Purina (and since the bag was primarily cat-oriented, since this event would be featured on Cody's blog), they were kind enough to put in some dog treats for Dakota too! The gift bag made up for the scent of cats that were all over my shoes that Cody was obsessed with when I first got home. Thanks Purina for all of the pawtastic goodies!!

Please join us Monday, November 16th for the final post in this series. Monday's post will explore an aspect of the Better With Pets Summit that I found to be the most significant and meaningful, to ME! (Let's hope I can zero in on just one!) Hope to see you then!!! 

About Nestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is a global leader in the pet care industry. NestléPurina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness.

Follow Purina!

·         Purina Facebook

·         Purina Twitter (@Purina)

·         Purina Instagram (@Purina)

Winner of the 3D Printed Steel Cat Necklace from Sea Pony Studio!

Today is a lucky day for one SPECIAL person!! Their name was chosen by rafflecopter to be the lucky winner of the:

3D Printed Steel Cat Necklace

 from Sea Pony Studio!

THE LUCKY WINNER IS:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

HUGE CONCATULATIONS

TO HILARY!!

For those that may not know, Hilary has a blog called:

FEELING BEACHIE

CLICK HERE TO VISIT!

Hilary, please email

your complete mailing address to:

cgittleman at mi dot rr dot com

THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

Book:"Dangled Carat" by Hilary Grossman

I married a commitment-phobic man, so when I heard the premise of Author Hilary Grossman's book, Dangled Carat, I knew that this was a book that I HAD to read.

Many of you know Hilary as the author of the popular blog Feeling Beachie, where her keen sense of observation, as it relates to people and their idiosyncrasies,  is conveyed (often with sarcasm and humor), on a daily basis. For the cat lovers that read both of our blogs, you probably came to know Hilary when she would write about her beloved cat, Alex, (who I was pleased to see was mentioned  a number of times in the book),  and now her current kitty,  precious Lucy. Today I am pleased to introduce you to  Hilary Grossman, AUTHOR (and a brilliant one at that!),  of Dangled Carat, the first of what I am certain will be a succession of successful novels!

From Dangled Carat:Hilary had gotten used to dating the commitment-phobic Marc, thirteen years her senior. They had a great relationship—why rush into things? She saw no need to pressure him for marriage, believing that when the time was right, he would propose. But after they had been together for four years, their friends decided to take matters into their own hands, pushing Marc to propose and making Hilary realize how much she really did want to marry the man that she loved. Unfortunately, Marc still wasn’t ready—and their friends’ meddling in the form of a faux engagement party led to a disastrous New Year’s Eve that brought their relationship to an inevitable turning point.In this relatable, lighthearted, and playful memoir, Hilary reminisces about her life before Marc—from the insecure and awkward teenage years she spent in a back brace and dealing with the loss of her father, to her early relationships and, finally, to the day she met Marc and realized that she really wanted to see him again...  Hilary shares the details of their relationship and how Marc’s inability to commit led her to find an inner strength and confidence she didn’t know she possessed.

How I wish I had this book when I met my now husband! Hilary was spot on in her often hilarious, and sometimes heartbreaking, depiction of how a woman feels when dating (and WAITING!) for a commitment-phobic man to "see the light." For women who have dated and lost a commitment-phobic man, to those like myself who married one, you will commiserate with the pain, joy, frustration and wisdom that Hilary displayed throughout her relationship with Marc.


One of many things that I found to be fabulous about Dangled Carat, was even knowing Hilary, as I do through blogging,  and KNOWING the final outcome, I found myself gasping at parts, saying "Ohhhh noooo" and cheering her on,  (and yelling at Marc!), through every page. I found myself  FORGETTING that I know her!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the title again. It didn't click with me until I read the book, the title Dangled Carat is brilliant!

How many of you are familiar with the Carrot and Stick Approach?  The Carrot and Stick Approach : "is an idiom that refers to a policy of offering a combination of rewards and punishment to induce behavior. It is named in reference to a cart driver dangling a carrot in front of a mule and holding a stick behind it. The mule would move towards the carrot because it wants the reward of food, while also moving away from the stick behind it, since it does not want the punishment of pain, thus drawing the cart."

I am by no means comparing Hilary to a MULE, but the clear message is that through Marc's obvious signals, gestures and  behavior, he DID love Hilary, but enough to marry her?

 Marc showed Hilary enough love and affection to make her remain in a relationship with him, but the obvious reward, marriage, remained out of reach, just like the elusive carrot of the mule. Hilary was in the "driver's seat" in the relationship, but often didn't realize that. Controlling a successful career was easy for her. Hilary endured  heartbreaking traumas in her life that would have broken one with less internal strength, but she emerged victorious. Those battles in hindsight were EASY compared to what she was experiencing with Marc. While  she wanted to remain in the relationship, and in her heart KNEW she would be married to Marc, she also considered moving away from it, wanting to escape the pain that she often felt would happen if she stayed, much like the mule pulling the cart.

In the Jewish religion there is a word and the word is Beshert which means  "inevitable" or "preordained." It can apply to any happening which appears to bear the fingerprints of divine providence"

From Hilary and Marc's first meeting it was evident that this relationship was Beshert, it just took patience, intellect, emotional fortitude, listening to one's gut and the intervention of a VILLAGE! (Marc's friends/family) to have this 40-something commitment-phobe see the light!

  Dangled Carat   is a GEM!!!

To  purchase visit:

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE


In Full Disclosure: I received no compensation for this review, over a year ago I was speaking with Hilary on the phone and learned of her plans to write "A" book, (not knowing it would be this one!) I told her that when she did, I wanted to be SURE to be included as one of the reviewers. That is why I broke away from A HUGE RULE when reviewing Dangled Carat:: I only review books featuring cats, (well Alex IS in the book a teeny-tiny bit!)

Animal Disaster Preparedness Day- By Hilary Grossman

FROM CAT CHAT- Animal Disaster Preparedness Day  2013 was May 8th. When thinking of the chances of a disaster happening to US, we often turn blind eyes and ears thinking that there is NO WAY that this will ever happen to any of us. Well, disasters CAN and DO happen.

When thinking of the importance of conveying this message, my thoughts immediately turned to Hilary Grossman of the blog Feeling Beachie who not only LIVED, but is STILL living the horrors of Hurricane Sandy. I thought it only fitting that Hilary be my guest blogger today, she can  convey the importance of Animal Disaster Preparedness better than I ever could. I am honored to feature Hilary's post:

I originally posted this on November 17, 2012 eighteen days after Hurricane Sandy slammed the beach community that I call home.  Let’s face it, life is so unpredictable.  We never know what tomorrow will bring... We get spoiled.  We never think that a disaster will happen to us or to our pets.  But sadly, sometimes they do. Two years ago I sat at a village meeting about hurricane preparedness.   I barely paid attention, after all, no bad storm would hit us, I naively thought.  But then, later that year as Hurricane Irene approached, we had to evacuate our home for the first time, along with our cat, Alex, who just had his tail amputated.  As a pet owner, I never thought prior about what would happen if a disaster hit.  But I quickly learned you have to be prepared for everything.  We left our home with not only Alex’s necessities (food, litter box, litter locker, medicine, bowls, and important papers) but also blankets and toys that smelled like home to help comfort him in an unfamiliar environment. Despite sharing a house with two dogs, he did great.  I am sure his evacuation was so successful because we properly prepared his “refugee room” to be as home like as possible.  We made it through Irene unscathed.  Unfortunately the year after we wouldn’t be so lucky.....  I learned the hard way, you really have to prepare in advance for a disaster because even though you think you understand what a situation may be like, until you live it you never really know...

Images on television don’t prepare you....

You had a very difficult day.  Nothing seemed to go your way.  You are tired, you are cranky, and you are stressed.  You are so looking forward to relaxing.  You want a break.  Scratch that.  You NEED a break! You put on some comfy clothes and perhaps grab a snack or maybe a glass of wine.  You sit yourself down on your couch remote control in hand.  You aim it at the television and let out a quiet sigh of relief.  Finally you are going to get the break you deserve.

Your favorite TV show is not on.  Instead every channel you select is featuring coverage of a tragic event - brush fire, school shooting, earthquake or hurricane.  You pause and watch.   You feel terrible for those affected.  You vow to make a contribution to help.  Maybe you end up doing it.  Maybe you don’t.  You sympathize with those affected and you feel like you understand their plight.  But do you?

I can tell you first hand, you don’t.  No matter how much you think you can relate to the heart ache and devastation you see on television you can’t until you lived through a catastrophe, like Hurricane Sandy. Trust me, I know…. And I hope that you never have to know….

Images on television don’t prepare you for how helpless you feel as you watch your brother-in-law’s home, the home you evacuated to, fill with over a foot of ocean and bay water within moments.  The images don’t prepare you for the panic and desperation your feel as you and your nieces help your sister-in-law elevate her antique chairs to try to protect them from the gushing water before you all move to another room to try and save her clothing that was on the bottom of her closet.  Keep in mind that all this is happening while the wall to wall carpet begins to sway in the waves.

Images on television don’t prepare you for the fear you feel as you and your husband get into your sister-in-law’s car, because his car was destroyed by the flood, to venture to your home to access your damages.  You know you will find major damages when you get there, but you don’t know how severe they will be, and you are afraid.  You pray that you will find your home where you left it.

As you drive you see images out of a television report.  You see down trees, missing roofs, pieces of boardwalk on people’s front lawn, and sand filling the streets.  While these images are similar to what you have seen previously on television from past catastrophes these images are different.  They are from your home town.   You know the people affected and your heart hurts.

Images on television don’t prepare you for the moment you arrive in front of your own home. If you are lucky your home is still standing.  Your breath hitches in your throat as you slowly open your front door, fearful of what you will find inside.  And when you walk in you wish you could walk right out.  Ocean in your den…. Major flooding in your basement….. Loss of property… Structural damage…. The list goes on and on.

Images on television don’t prepare you for the emotions you feel as you find your friends and neighbors.  You are relieved to see they are physically alright.  You are heartbroken to see that their homes are as devastated as is yours, or maybe even worse.  You hug each other.  You cry.  And sometimes you even find a reason to laugh.

Images on television stop after the major event is over.  It isn’t their fault. No one wants to see old news.  Images on television don’t show the aftermath…. 

No one knows how your days and nights are spent cleaning up and throwing out all your destroyed belongings, in the cold and the dark, as your basement ceiling collapses on your head.  You are covered in dirt, muck, and sometimes sewage.  You feel filthy, but you can’t bear to take a cold shower on a New York November day, so you don’t.   You forget the basic necessities; you forget to take your medicine and brush your teeth.  Day turns to night and back to day again. You lose track of the hours and the days as you try to help your neighbors and friends who are in the same or worse condition as you are.  You share necessities – flash lights, batteries, bottle water, garbage bags, and even a car.  And if someone miraculously has a cell phone that works, you share that too…

You realize who your friends really are, and you see people’s true colors.  Some shock you in a good way, some in a bad way.  Regardless, you know you will never forget these moments, although you really want to.

Weeks pass and life returns to normal that is for most people, but not you.  You are a person who was hit hard.  You may be staying with friends or you may be struggling to stay at home.  Regardless you still are struggling….  You feel a wide mix of emotions.  You are sad and angry that you have to endure this.  You are jealous that others are going about their life as normal.  But you are also thankful that you are okay, and you know that in the future, one day too your life will return to normal….you just hope it happens soon.

A furry bundle of kitten joy!!

Our dear friends at Feeling Beachie are now the proud kitty parents of:

Marc and Hilary's beloved Alex

 crossed the Bridge this past summer.

Alex is  purring with delight

over the Bridge, because I am certain that

he sent little Lucy to help heal their broken hearts.

Alex  wanted Lucy to have the same

amazing home and love that he had 

for so many years.

We couldn't be happier for them

and wish them a lifetime of happiness!!

Stop on over and welcome Lucy

by clicking here

Our Hearts Are Hurting....

"Warm light coming from far below,

Twinkling, sparkling is the candle's glow.
All is well up on the ridge,
The place we know as Rainbow Bridge.

Furbabies sleeping in heaven's light,
Tended by candles in the night.
Peaceful dreams be theirs to keep,
As they slumber in this night so deep.

Hearts on earth that miss them so,
Take comfort in the candle's glow.
Watching for them in skies above,
Bound eternally by a cord of love."

Poem from http://www.franscandles.com

Precious Alex,

We will never, EVER

stop loving you

We will never, EVER

stop missing you

Your heart, your love, your bravery

will be a part of us furever

Our Angel Bobo  has his paws wrapped around you

protecting you, loving you

he will take good care of you

from his special place

over the bridge

We pray for strength for your Mom & Dad

in this most difficult time

With All Of Our Love,

and our deepest sympathy

Caren, Cody, Lenny and Dakota

And yet another...purrs and prayers

This one is particularly hard for us. We were shocked and heartbroken when we learned  that our beloved Alex from Feeling Beachie is not doing well.

Alex and his Mom and Dad have been special friends of ours for quite some time now. It pained us to read that the ever-vigilant and seemingly ageless Alex is suffering from the effects of old age.

Alex's mom wrote about it here. This one hits  too close to home (as we went through this with our Angel Bobo) and too hard for us to write about or talk about, but we wanted Alex and his Mom and Dad to know just how special they have been to us and how special they CONTINUE TO BE TO US.

We love you and are here for you!

With all of our love, Mom, Cody, Dakota and Dad

"Easy" And "Awesome" Like Sunday!!

Happy Sunday everyone!  For today's post  I would like to first present you with the "Easy" that this Sunday has to offer:

I remember the first time I read about "Easy Like Sunday" in the blog-o-sphere, it was on the charming and loving blog Brian's Home! From that moment on I was hooked! It is only fitting that today I would post the precious bumper sticker that Cody and I were lucky enough to receive in the mail this week from none other than Brian's Home!

 We are proudly displaying it in our kitchen along with Alex's bumper sticker from Feeling Beachie!

Cody and I love how this bumper sticker made by Build-A-Sign reflects the essence of Brian's blog purrfectly!! Thanks so much to Brian for sending it to us!!

Now.... on to the "Awesome!"

I was stunned and thrilled as I was reading CindyLu's Muse tonight to see she had presented Cat Chat  an award that Cody and I  hadn't received yet:

Wow are Cody and I ever flattered!! Thanks so much to CindyLu'sMuse for presenting this "Awesome" award to Cat Chat!! Cody and I think you are pretty darned "Awesome" yourself!

One of the requirements that I must complete in accepting this reward is to tell 7 things about myself. Last time I mentioned things about me, this time I would like to mention 7 things about Cody!

•  The day I adopted Cody I actually wanted to adopt his sister or his brother but not Cody (yes I am ashamed that that is true!) Wasn't meant to be. His sister and brother didn't like me at all. 
•  Cody is an incredibly friendly cat. He has to greet whomever enters our home and he always walks right up to them to be petted (or ideally given something to eat!)
•  Cody is also quite brave. When someone he doesn't know visits our home, his Sheltie-brother, Dakota, stands BEHIND Cody waiting for Cody's approval of said visitor!
•  Cody can eat his food in less than 30 SECONDS. (Not good!)
•  Cody is an incredibly good brother to Dakota. They play together and kiss each other every day.
•  Cody doesn't like to sleep with my husband and I at night (he is totally different than most cats in that way) He prefers to sleep in the living room with Dakota.
•  Cody helped begin the healing of my aching heart after Bobo had crossed over The Rainbow Bridge. I adopted Cody two weeks after Bobo had passed.  I couldn't bear to live without a cat, and I am convinced that Bobo sent my loving and cuddly Cody to me to help ease my pain.

Another requirement of this award is to present it to 15 blogs that I think are "Awesome". For those of you who follow this blog regularly, you know me well enough to know that I simply cannot choose just 15 blogs that I think are "Awesome". If I follow you and comment on your blog, I already think you are "Awesome", if I didn't, I wouldn't be following you or commenting. It's that easy, that's how I roll. So, if I am a follower of your blog or you see a comment from me in your feed,  please accept this "Awesome"  award "with love, from ME to YOU!!"