A Decade of Cats, Chats and 8 Great Gift Ideas for Cat Lovers!

Today, Cat Chat With Caren and Cody TURNS 10!

 That’s right friends, today we are celebrating 10 YEARS OF BLOGGING!!

 A WHOLE DECADE! Holy Cat! Where has the time gone?

A Special Thank You to Ann
Of Zoolatry
for this special badge!

 First and foremost, we could NOT have been around for 10 YEARS if it wasn’t for YOU, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, OUR VALUED READERS! We THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HUMAN AND FELINE HEARTS!

 In honor of this momentous occasion, Cody and I have pawed through TEN YEARS of products that we have featured and chose the ones that are our FAVORITES to present to YOU!! The people/companies behind the products we are featuring are each special and dear to us as well. In regards to hand/custom made gifts the talent we have assembled has us purring with delight. Cody and I have also made sure we have featured the best of the best in the cat world for every budget. Be sure to read carefully because a number of these pawesome people included DISCOUNT CODES!!! So, grab a snack and maybe a lap, and check out these catabulous gift ideas below!

THIRSTY CAT FOUNTAINS
Handmade Ceramic Cat Fountains

Handmade Ceramic Cat Fountains – Food Safe, Quiet, Easy to Clean.

New designs each week with styles for every breed and temperament. In our opinion the ThirstyCat Fountains are the most beautiful and functional fountains for your cat. They are works of art! ThirstyCat Fountains are also Veterinarian recommended. 

Visit www.thirstycatfountains.com

 Use coupon code – catchat for 10% off

PET TREE HOUSES

Look familiar? It should because Pet Tree Houses has been featured on our blog NUMEROUS times, not always in an obvious manner, ours is often photographed with Cody on it because he is on that tree ALL OF THE TIME! Cody has had his Pet Tree House for YEARS and it is STILL his favorite place to nap and watch the world go by every...single....day. I love the tree as much as Cody and that is the reason I will never feature another cat tree on our blog, why when this is the BEST? The incredible people at Pet Tree Houses are "Purveyors of Natural Feline Fun".  Their mission is simple: Offer the highest-quality handcrafted real cat trees so that your feline companion feels as if they are living in their true nature. Of the many styles available, their most popular real cat tree is the Sycamore, and it is unlike any real cat tree you’ve ever seen before. See for yourself! Visit www.pettreehouses.com 

Use coupon code CHAT10 for a 10% discount!
Expires November 30, 2019

LENNYMUD

LENNYMUD is a small company owned by a husband and wife team that handcrafts ceramics in their New Jersey studio.  They named their business after their rescue cat Lenny- a mischievous and clumsy tuxedo cat whose accidents always ensure ample shelf space in the workshop.  As cat owners (and now new dog owners as well) many of the items they sell have sentiments that are purrfect for cat lovers with a sense of humor.  LENNYMUD was recently featured on our blog and I am simply CRAZY about their products! I am going to peruse their site some more for possible holiday gift shopping! Their website isn't just for cat lovers, they have something for EVERYONE! All items are dishwasher, microwave safe and created with all non toxic, lead free materials.

  Visit them online at http://www.lennymud.com
 and use special coupon code CAT2019 for 15% off
 to celebrate this 10th blogversary!

SCRUFFY PAWS NUTRITION

Recently featured on our blog, the Daily Multi Health bites multivitamins  are "designed to keep cats of ALL AGES in peak condition "These tasty bites contains over 20 balanced nutrients you can't find in most supplements and foods." The Daily Multi Health Bites are the first in class Health Bite chews that are designed to fill the 'Nutritional Gap' found in the modern, overly-processed feline diet. Whether your cat eats wet or dry, the Scruffy Paws Daily Multi Health Bites will support your kittys health and vitalize his or her body! 

Visit the Scruffy Paws Nutrition website and receive 10% OFF!

The 10% off discount code is CATCHAT10

CAT AMAZING SLIDERS

Cat Amazing SLIDERS is their most interactive treat puzzle – with shifting and sliding inner sections to continually change the maze and refresh the challenge! We have featured various products of theirs numerous times over the past 10 years and their mazes are the ONLY mazes that Cody owns, by choice!  They help slow down his gobbling of treats/kibble and encourages him to think and use his natural hunting instinct, while having FUN at the same time!

The Cat Ball®

"Tribal Orange"

"Navy Turquoise Geometric"

The Cat Ball® is a modern, cave-style, cat bed. This designer cat bed has two openings, one larger than the other, and has six foam-filled panels. Made in the USA with high quality cotton fabrics that look great in the home. The Cat Ball® was one of the first products that Cody reviewed back when our blog was a baby! It remains a favorite in our home!  Available at www.thecatball.com and www.amazon.com/thecatball

SQUARE PAWS
ANCHOVY CAT CANDO

Cody and I are huge fans of Square Paws and we are captivated by their unique, creative, quirky, beautiful, unique and stunning creations! The Anchovy Cat Cando is the newest offering of theirs that we are lusting over! Made of solid, paint-grade plywood, bendable plywood, and solid wood, this cat condo is hand-cut and hand-assembled with a series of routed grooves at front and back to simulate the industrial canning process.  It comes outfitted with plush nylon carpeting, gray at the top surface and golden beige at the interior to cradle your cat in comfort.  The exterior is hand-painted with a hammered-finish silver metallic paint, while the interior is painted golden yellow to mimic the interior and exterior of an actual sardine can. A fixed wood post on the exterior is adorned with woven sisal carpeting, which is an ideal scratching surface for your kitties.  The top has a screw-in hook to help complete the sense that this can is open for feasting!
  Learn more at: www.squarepaws.com

MUNCHIECAT

Regular readers of our blog will recognize this hilarious and adorable Wine and Cheese set from munchiecat.com  When I photographed Cody with their items for the blog, it was one of my most FUN photo sessions ever. I chuckle when I walk into my office and find Cody's "wine bottle" laying on the floor as if he just finished a bender! This Wine & Cheese set by munchiecat is made with soft minky fabric and includes catnip, crinkle, and jingle toys to bring out your cat’s playful yet sophisticated side! Munchiecat’s toys are made from durable, non-toxic materials, so you can feel good about offering them to your cat. Plus, unlike many other pet toys, their toys are designed to be safe.  They do not  use any small plastic parts, feathers, string or beads that could break off and pose a serious safety issue. In fact, they follow strict safety guidelines and constantly try to improve through their customers’ feedback and extensive research.

So, tell us! Which gifts will you be getting for the favorite cats/cat lovers in YOUR life? 

We have our ears perked wanting to know!

Once again, thanks for joining us throughout this past decade, sharing the good times, the sad times, the exciting, loving, fun and sometimes crazy times as well! Your support and caring are unsurpassed and deeply appreciated. Without YOU, there would be no Cat Chat With Caren and Cody!

Much love and gratitude from,

Caren and Cody

The LOVE Cat Tower Created to Help Hurricane and Earthquake Victims

To learn more, visit Square Paws

Meet The Mastermind Behind Square Paws: the most "Truly Unique Cat Furniture"

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY: A few months ago I had the pleasure of discovering the MOST "truly unique cat furniture" that I had ever laid eyes on. In my opinion, "truly unique" doesn't begin to cover the genius and talent that is behind the most CREATIVE, as well as "unique" cat furniture I have ever seen. I immediately fell in love. Today, I am thrilled to present to you the owner/creator of 

his name is Mario Arbore.  Mario's philosophy is " Here at Square Paws, we’d like to think that your cat's play-towers should be part of your home environment and not a completely foreign object. That’s why our cat towers and other pet pieces are made to delight both pet and owner."  10% of net profits are donated to agencies dedicated to animal rescue and refuge.

I am beyond smitten with the furniture at Square Paws, so much so, that I asked Mario if he wouldn't mind writing a guest post to give us some background as to how Square Paws came about, and how he came to create what is, in my opinion,  the most endearing, unique and creative furniture that exists in the cat world! I am thrilled that he accepted! Now, I proudly present, Mario Arbore

CLICK HERE TO VISIT
the above picture is a sponsored ad on our sidebar

In early 2014, I had come to a fork in the road in my career as an architect.  Having completed several long-term projects in New York and in Florida, I found myself with some extra time on my hands and asked a friend what she thought I should do next.  “Why not build cat towers?” she asked.

I scratched my head, wondering how I might approach the subject of cat towers.  I had purchased several of the garden-variety cat trees from the big box pet store chains in the past and had even tried my hand at making a small cat perch many years ago.  But this was different.  This occurred for me as an opportunity to “say something different” about cat furniture.  I pondered for a few days what I might do and what kind of design vocabulary I might bring to the subject.  In those early days, I began to take visual notes and sketch the various habits of my three cats, often measuring them while they slept or watching how far they would jump.

I noticed how two of my three cats preferred sleeping at the highest spot they could find, whereas the other cat preferred to hole up in a more cave-like setting.  Drawing upon my knowledge of architectural history, my first thought was to one of my favorite building types: a lighthouse.  It had the verticality most cats desired, while still allowing for a place to “cave.”  I found images of a lighthouse in Nova Scotia that I liked very much and immediately went to work designing the form and inner platforms for a kitty lighthouse.  Within a week, I had created the working drawings, then cut, painted and carpeted my first cat tower.  And, after watching my cats quickly take to climbing within its walls, I knew instantly I had stumbled upon an intriguing approach to making cat habitats!

The lighthouse opened up a wellspring in my mind of building typologies and iconic items that could be tailored to serve as jungle-gyms for curious felines.  Nautical themes led me to creating various lifeguard chairs.  The concept of a chair led me to creating a Royal Throne. 

Photo Courtesy of Square Paws
"Royal Throne"

Common household items like grandfather clocks and coffee pots became inspiration for new cat tower designs, all the while challenging me to fit a cat’s natural curiosity to climb and sleep safely atop their domain paired with a piece of sculpture that could enhance a person’s home rather than appear like an afterthought. 

Photo Courtesy of Square Paws
"Hickory Dickory"

Use of bold colors and different carpets became fun to experiment with, to see how various cats of different stripes and fur color might appear against the different backdrops.

Photo Courtesy of Square Paws
"Espurresso"

Indeed, one of the greatest joys I got in the process was the joy and wonder experienced by PEOPLE as much as cats!  The sheer idea of fashioning something such as a collection of musical instruments into a cat condo took many people by surprise and sparked their imaginations towards new possibilities.  And cats, being the sensitive animals that they are, are quick to react to a person’s loving, doting energy, and that’s good for both feline and human alike.

Photo Courtesy of Square Paws
"Musicat"

Photo Courtesy of Square Paws
"Ferris Wheel"

From an oversized stiletto shoe to a kitty Ferris wheel, from a cat-friendly potted flower to a peering giraffe, the journey thus far to explore and create new ways to enhance the lives of cats and their human custodians has been very rewarding, and we are looking forward to creating new Square Paws wonders for folks to marvel at!

Mario Arbore