Valentine's Day 2025 (Love is In the Air!!)

 Valentine's Day is definitely in the air around our house!! A few weeks ago Levi bought a Valentine's cookie for his girlfriend at Canine College, Sadie!! Then, Sadie bought one for him!! Levi and Sadie have been an "item" for some time now. Levi is definitely smitten!!

Sadie is the large Shepherd mix with the curled tail. The photos aren't good because I took them from the camera while I was watching him at Canine College !

Then, poor Roary is still looking for a girlfriend! Anyone interested?

Who could resist that face?????

Last but definitely not least, I want to wish my husband Lenny a most wonderful Valentine's Day!!! I love you, hang in there, this is one bumpy (or should I say "lumpy" ride???? Bad joke I know!) Love you always!!!!

And...to ALL OF YOU we wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!!!

xoxo

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you SWEETHEARTS! #WordlessWednesday

 

Happy Valentine's Day 2022

 

Our First Valentine's Day!!

 Hi all! It's Roary!! Recently, Mom was telling Levi and I that February 14th is Valentine's Day!!! She explained the history of Valentine's Day to us too!

AHHHH love is in the air!!!!! I can smell it!

I wonder if one day 

I will have a Valentine of my own?

Mom says right now I am too young.

All I have is this woofie

who has no respect for social distancing.

He's acting like he's at the movies

trying to cop a feel!!!!

LEVI: 

"Move on Mom, there is

NOTHING for you to see here!"

That was certainly 
NOT what I had in mind
when I said I hoped
one day I would have a Valentine!!!

Mom says that Valentine's Day

isn't just about having a lover,

it's about showing the people

and pets you care about

lots of love...

that's all well and good but

I hope you have better luck than I did!!!

From the bottom of our

furry , crazy little hearts

we wish you ALL

a Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

We LOVE YOU!!

Roary, Levi and Mom too!

Day One of our TWO Day Valentine's Day Give-Aways!

Cody and red hearts
done by Glogirly
Text and big heart
done by Cody

Happy Valentine's Day my furiends!!!!! I don't usually post on Sundays, but when I do, it's Valentine's Day and it is DAY ONE of my TWO DAY GIVE-AWAY for YOU!!!

Day One is a WORLD-WIDE GIVE-AWAY!!!

Late in 2015 Mom and I were  contacted by a sweet lady named Lucie who has a lovely shop on Etsy,  and she has a website too! Mom and I were  flattered because she found our  blog all the way in  Valašské Meziříčí in the Czech Republic!!!!

·      Quirky hand-painted stainless steel jewelry

 and jewelry stands

The above photo are the earrings that Mom chose to feature on the blog
 (she received ONE pair of earrings, but she took two different photos for you).
Visit www.Cinkylinky.com and Cinkylinky on Etsy!!

The jewelry that is in the shop is "Whimsical stainless steel jewelry"

Kitties, you won't believe it, but there are only TWO people in the shop, where Lucie works? Just Lucie and her husband Petr!

FROM PETR ON ETSY: Lucie has always been very good at painting, and when she was fourteen she started to make wired jewelry. She combined beads, stones and semi-precious stones for her friends, whilst also making some extra "pocket money" at her friend´s Mom´s shop by making and selling hand-made products.

The idea to start a business came in 2004, when we were students here in the Czech Republic and wanted to go to Greece during the summer break. We were poor, and could certainly not afford an expensive "holiday". However, we could afford the journey itself, so we bought the tickets, packed our bags with a lot of wires, beads and two pairs of pliers and, after a forty hour coach journey from the geographical "Heart of Europe", we made it to the original "Heart" of European philosophy and culture. We ended up on the beautiful island of Paros, slept on the beach and sold our jewelry to other tourists. On good days, we were able to leave our bags in a bush and go to a restaurant for a lovely Greek meal. Sometimes we even traveled to surrounding islands. It was a great summer, and, when we came back, we were full of enthusiasm for more "good days" - something we knew now was possible. Here in the Czech Republic we found more shops to ally ourselves with, and things started to "roll up".

Then Lucie came up with very funny hand-painted copper birds with wired legs. They were a great success and, because they were very much of a "novelty", they sold so well that we could never make enough of them. At that time we started to go to summer music festivals and craft shows, meeting our customers face-to-face. This was a great joy, especially because some of them had already become familiar with our designs and became our "regulars". 

Photo Courtesy of  CinkyLinky.com

Then we changed from copper to stainless steel, a material which enchanted us with its amazing qualities and characteristics.

We started to sell jewelry because we wanted to enjoy our summer holiday. However, soon it became more than that - making jewelry, and everything associated with it, became a passion we could not live without.

We still bring our designs to customers at craft shows and music festivals and cooperate with local handmade shops. Now, thanks to Etsy, we feel blessed to be able to bring the results of our work to people all around the world.

Petr (2014)

Kitties wait til you see all of the earrings and other adorable items on their website and in their Etsy shop! If you didn't get your human anything for Valentine's Day, you can make up for that right now! When Mom was looking at the site she saw a DARLING cat shaped earring/jewelry holder  that I bet your human would love, and many other items as well!

Photo Courtesy of Cinky Linky.com

Mom LOVES her earrings and they have all sorts of different kinds! There are of course cat earrings, there are also ladybugs, woofies, fish, even LIZARD earrings!

Mom and I thank Lucie for Mom's beautiful earrings and guess what? YOU CAN WIN TOO!!!!! Lucie has generously offered THREE OF OUR READERS WHO LIVE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD the chance to PICK OUT ANY PAIR OF EARRINGS for themselves!!!! (an approx $20 value).

Entering is easy!! Just enter on the Rafflecopter below and good luck!!!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In full disclosure:We were not compensated for this review/give-away. Mom received one pair of earrings in exchange for her always honest review.

It's a Love Connection on Valentine's Day!

Hi every furry!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

It's Cody and I am extra light on my paws today!! Yesterday I found out the most PAWESOME NEWS!!! WAIT TIL YOU HEAR!

First, allow me to set the scene. A little over a year ago I wrote a blog that stated that I was tired of being alone. That is no way for a handsome mancat like myself to exist. So, I put out a request for a ladycat to while away the hours with me, or even one for a quick prance around town.

The responses were OVERWHELMING!!!!! I was approached by a chickin' lovin' ORANGE MANCAT,  (sorry pal, you aren't my type), I even had a response from a WOOFIE!!! (That woofie needs counseling, and FAST, but I digress...)

What was a mancat to do? 
Well, not wanting to hurt any kitty's feelings, I picked ALL of the special ladycats who were kind enough to respond. (Sadly, the beautiful Harley unexpectedly went to the Rainbow Bridge last year, and it broke my heart). 

There were a couple of  kitties however, that stood out from the rest. One, was the adorable Lucy pictured above. The problem was, she was (and is), still considered to be in kittenhood and her overprotective Jewish father was afraid that I would corrupt her. Moi? NEVER!!

Then, late in 2014 Truffles , (also in the photo above),  and I started purring to each other, around the time that she was my Secret Paws pal. But Truffles lives soo far away!!

There was one response however that I just couldn't shake off of my tail. It was from the exquisite (and oh-so mischievous) Crepes from Cat In The Fridge (even her blog name piqued my interest! Any cat who ties in a "Fridge" and "Food" already earns bonus points with me!). Here is the comment that she left.

CatInTheFridgeJanuary 15, 2014 at 11:36 AM

I've been waiting for this moment...- Crepes.

The game of cat and mouse began!!

Throughout the year, when I would least expect it, she would leave me the most "lascivious messages" (by her own admission!) on my blog.  We all know that sometimes certain mancats aren't that quick on the uptake and I would just let them slide. Until...I saw this week that Crepes was seeking a date for Valentine's Day!!

Photo Courtesy of Cat In The Fridge

Being the master of translating the meaning of non-verbal cat poses that I am, I knew that I had to take a chance and pounce on this incredible oppurrtunity!. So, I put together some photos (well, Mom helped me with them but I did all of the writing), and set out to impress that saucy little wench!!

Then, I received the surprise of my LIFE!!!! Crepes chose ME to be her MAIN DATE!!! Why am I saying "main date?" Well, it appears that she has two other mancats who are hot on her tail, (Boomer and Tuna from Da Tabbies O Trout Towne.   But I guess they chose to be mystery dates cause they never sent in photos!! MOL!!!)  Being the polite ladycat that Crepes is, she is going to be entertaining THEM during the day, but is SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST!!! WHO?? ME!!

That's fine, let her have her fun, I have her in the night, (and we all know the "night time is the RIGHT TIME!!"),  where we can do some hot prowling around, and you know what they say about the number THREE?  "The THIRD one is the CHARM!!"

This is my HAPPIEST Valentine's Day EVER!!!

Love, Cody

Kitty Kisses and A Party!!!!

Hi every furry! It's Cody!

In honor of Valentine's Day being tomorrow, I wanted to share the most adorable video that our furiends at the ASPCA shared with us. The video features cats from their adoption center being paired with their potential adopters. The video features the ultimate sign of feline affection, the "slow blink", which is also known as "Kitty Kisses!" Enjoy!!!




Along with the “Kitty Kiss” video, the ASPCA will  be hosting a “Cutest Couples” social media photo contest celebrating the love people have for their pets. They are encouraging people to submit adorable photos of themselves with their pet, or a pair of pets using the hashtag #ASPCACutestCouples.

Also, for the one or two of you who might not  know, my furiend Summer is having a Valentine's Pawty today!!!!! I am on my way over and you should join me! You can visit her here!

I'm gonna get my sexy on and see what lovely lady cats I can meet  there!

See you there!!
Love, Cody

"Will You Accept This Rose?"

Hi my furiends! I was doing some thinking and I realized that for approximately four years I have been watching various kitties go on dates, dances, become engaged and even MARRIED, and here am I:

ALL BY MYSELF



That's no way for a kitty to be! Now don't get me wrong, I have a great home, but a guy needs the companionship of a FEMALE kitty sometimes, ya get my drift?

ABOUT ME:
AGE: nearly 7
RACE: well I chase mice around quite a bit if THAT'S what you mean! Oh wait! That's NOT what you meant!  I am a Silver gray tabby but I don't care about your color or the length of your fur, I love ALL female kitties!
HOBBIES: sleeping, eating, sleeping, eating, chasing mice, sleeping, eating, harassing my woofie brother, sleeping, eating, YOU get the idea!
I have MULTIPLE BEDS (now get your mind out of the alley! I mean for cat-napping, I have no clue what YOU were thinking!) tons of tasty food and  many toys to offer you!! 
Plus I LOVE TO CUDDLE!!!! (no STRINGS attached!! MOL!!!)

This is where YOU come in! I would LOVE to have a kitty girlfriend, or even paw around town with a few! 
If you are interested in being my date, (or maybe my girlfriend!) give me a MEOW-OUT!!!

 PLEASE SEND ME YOUR PHOTO, NAME AND BLOG LINK! (Oh you don't need to have a blog to enter but if you do, please send it!), and if you want to tell me a little about yourself that would be great too!! YOU CAN EITHER EMAIL IT TO ME AT catchat at mi dot rr dot com OR you can POST IT DIRECTLY ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE BY CLICKING HERE!! (There might even be a prize involved, we will see!)

PLEASE SEND ME YOUR PHOTOS BY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH for a VALENTINE'S DAY SURPRISE!!!!

I can't wait to hear from you!!

Love,

Cody

"Lookin' for love in all the wrong places" Thankful Thursday

Hi every furry! It's Cody takin' over the blog today.

Some of you may not be aware that I am really a cuddly guy who just LOVES LOVE! I'm a veritable lover from way back! I like being cuddled, I don't cringe at being touched, wanna rub my belleh for good luck? Go for it! I languish under the spell of my Furminator gliding across my silvery gray fur, heck, I've even been known to hold hands paws with Mom when we watch TV!

I'm also the kind of guy that when the call for love goes out, I answer! Doesn't matter if you are a girl or a boy, hey, I'm neutered remember?  I don't just swing both ways, I swing every which way!  I don't judge ya if you have fur, scales, flesh or feathers, if it's love you're lookin' for, I'm your guy!

That's why when I saw this video that my Chihuahua buddy, Bullet, posted on his Mom's blog, I just had to answer. Doesn't Bullet have just the CUTEST doggy face...EVER??



No one should be without love on ANY day, but Valentine's Day? It's Casanova Cody to the rescue!

I left a comment on Bullet's Mom's blog saying that I would be his Valentine, and guess what? I won! I not only won some great prizes but I won Bullet's heart. Ok his Mom really has his heart, but I am in second place!

I was sooo excited when I got a beautifully wrapped package in the mail from none other than Bullet!  I was in complete shock that a woofie would know just what I love!

Bullet, THANK YOU for these most thoughtful and FUN prizes! I am having the BEST time with them! I am your special furiend today and always!

It just goes to show ya, it doesn't matter WHAT or WHO someone is, they should be loved and appreciated and not ever made to feel alone on Valentine's Day or ANY day! Now go out there and start "lookin' for love in all the wrong places"...you just might have something WONDERFUL turn up like I did!



Hey Bullet! Thank you!!

Love you buddy!!!

Tell your Mom I love her too!

Casanova Cody

Dancin' With The Dogs (and CATS!) On Valentine's Day! Or Valentine's Day as WE Know It!

I am one lucky kitty!

I didn't have just one date,

I had TWO!

I escorted two of Dakota's friends

the beautiful

Roxy and Torrey

of the blog 

Roxy the Traveling Dog

to the

Which actually took place
before the U.S. Valentine's Day
Here is a video of some
of the cats/dogs that attended



You can visit the blog

right here!

and see who 
the King and Queen
of the ball were


Aren't Roxy and Torrey
just beautiful?

Now, I am escorting
Roxy and Torrey 
to the fun pawty going on
over at the 
Tabby Cat Club!!

Hope to see you there!!

Have a Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!

Love you!!

Cody and Caren

Wondering what "single" cats are doing for Valentine's Day?

Well now you know........

Cat Artist/Cartoonist Extraordinaire: Gary Patterson, "Better than a batch of fresh catnip"

Many of you who have been following Cat Chat for a while, know that I come from a family where the patriarch was a gifted and brilliant Editorial Cartoonist.  Having an artistically gifted father was so much a part of my life, that at the tender age of five I glared at a friend's father with disgust, when after I asked him to draw me a picture of Mickey Mouse he stated that he couldn't. I was aghast. What did he mean he COULDN'T? Didn't ALL fathers know how to draw? I guess not.

"Bee-Wildered"

When I was contacted a few weeks ago via LinkedIn by a gentleman named Sean Patterson asking if I would be interested in viewing his father's work, the first thing that touched me was this proud son, who possessed the passion of wanting to share  his father's artistic gift with the  world. I could relate. He had piqued my interest.

Sean emailed me samples of his father's work and links to his website. To say that I was captivated is an understatement. I was mesmerized, smitten, I fell head-over-heels (or should I say paws) in love with the creations of Sean's father,  Gary Patterson, "Creator of Smiles".

I nodded in recognition when I visited Gary's website and discovered that Gary wanted to be a professional artist for as long as he could remember. Gary's father was a cartoonist for the Navy and the Los Angeles Fire Department and he used to stand by his father's  drawing board watching him draw and wanted to do the same. As a little girl, so did I. My dream was to "draw like my Dad" and write and illustrate a children's book, but for me, life went in another direction. Let's be honest here, if I had one iota of the talent that Gary Patterson has I would have written/drawn 50 books by now!

Gary Patterson
from his website

Gary's style reflects what I can only WISH that I could do.  Drawings/cartoons that are not only hilarious, but to me, are visual perfection. They fill my heart with delight.

Gary's depiction of cats are now my absolute favorites. The comical expressions on the faces of the cats that he draws are often cherubic and  chubby. One of many things that I love about Gary's drawings of cats is that it isn't just black or white cats that are featured. He draws orange cats, tabby cats, gray cats and every cat in-between! Gary is spot-on in his drawings of cats because he captures what makes cats, CATS, their essence their "purrsona". Other than being incredibly gifted, Gary probably is better able to capture the essence of cats,  because he is "owned" by 2 cats. He has a cat named Bandit who "likes to walk in the rain on a leash" and "enjoys riding in the car with his head out the window like a dog". 

"Dogs Eat, Cats Dine"

 I could sit and look at his work for hours. They make me smile, they touch my heart. They don't call Gary the "Creator of Smiles" for nuthin my friends!

"Boo"

While viewing Gary's work you will notice the presence of another creature: a MOUSE! Sometimes you have to look closely, but he is always there!  The mouse is named "Boo" and Gary first "met" him in 1982 when he was "sitting at his drawing board on New Years' Eve" trying to finish a deadline and was feeling lonely. Out of nowhere a mouse appeared and sat by his drawing board. The rest is history. 

After agreeing to feature Gary on Cat Chat, I was sent the most incredible box of goodies that I could ever imagine! I received a precious magnet, note pads and a book that Gary illustrated called Cat Laughs. (you can view the magnets, notepads and so much more on Gary's online store by clicking here)

From Cat Laughs: "Enjoy funny stories and quotes and this laugh-out-loud collection of cartoons. And only here will you discover the top 10 things cats do when you aren't looking."

This  book may be pint-sized in stature, but that is the only thing SMALL about it. It is jam-packed with quotes, stories, humor, it is the purrfect gift for any occasion for the cat lovers in your life. Mine is signed by Gary and will have a place of honor, not just on my book shelf in my office, but on my desk. It's THAT delightful.

Happy Valentine's Day

Guess what? Because WE LOVE YOU and because Sean is incredibly generous and Valentine's Day is this week, we are having a GIVE-AWAY!!!

TWELVE PEOPLE from the U.S. and/or Canada will be chosen to win a copy of Cat Laughs for themselves! (A $9.99 value). The winners will be chosen by www.random.org. THE GIVE-AWAY BEGINS NOW and will END at 5pm Monday, February 18th. Winners will be announced WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20th.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment telling me what it is that YOUR cat does to make YOU laugh. Be sure I have a way to contact you should you be one of the lucky 12 winners!

Good luck and enjoy a couple of snippets from the book to tide you over:


"They say the test of literary power is whether a man can write an inscription. I say, "Can he name a kitten?" Samuel Butler

"Cats love one so much-more than they will allow. But they have so much wisdom they keep it to themselves." Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

To purchase Cat Laughs click here

In full disclosure: I was not compensated for this post or give-away. Gary's son Sean sent me the items listed in the blog post as a thank you for featuring his Dad on Cat Chat. It was my immense pleasure to do so!

ASPCA presents MEET YOUR MATCH Dating Show!

Pay it forward and Share the Love, with Pawsitively Pets Valentine's Day Fundraiser

Wouldn't you LOVE a photo like this done of your pet(s)?

I knew you would say yes!!

Click here
to find out how YOU
can help "Share the Love"