Thursday 29 November 2018

Goodbye, Dear Lucky

We were so sorry to hear that another dear little soul has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Sending healing purrs and hugs to everyone at Marg's Animals for the sad loss of their sweet Lucky.

Rest in Peace, handsome boy xx



Graphic from Marg's Animals


Tuesday 27 November 2018

Giving Back on #GivingTuesday

Had enough of Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

We have! Giving Tuesday is more up our street.

Giving Tuesday. is the time to give back. It was created in 2014 to remind people that there is more to life than spending money on stuff they don't need, to step back and realize that life isn't all about consumerism and commercialization. Life is about giving to those in need, be it animals or people. It's your choice. Give back to where your heart is telling you to do so, even a tiny amount is something to a charity.


Giving Back on Giving Tuesday


Yesterday and today, even though Mum isn't in the position to give to charity as much as she would like, she decided to donate to two cat charities because her heart told her to do so. These cats are in desperate need and the amazing animal angels helping them need all the donations they can get to enable them to take care of these poor animals.

Mum can't bear to see how these cats are treated, and how hungry they are. It's a horrible life for any soul to endure. And she hates how cats are often considered vermin in some countries. People would prefer to ignore them, or even worse, kill them.

Unlike in the UK and US, animal welfare isn't a priority in these countries.

But these cats can't help being born, can they?

💚💜

Cats With No Hope 

We've been following Cats With No Hope on Twitter for a while now. This is a cause to feed, vet and sterilize cats in Africa.

Tammy, who is from the US, is currently in North Africa trying "To help solve the problem of the enormously overpopulated stray feral cats."

She is taking care of up to  60+ feral cats and kittens in horrible conditions and has to feed them daily. "These are homeless cats living in abandoned buildings and on the streets. They have no one and are surviving on eating garbage. Many are hurt and sick. They show signs of many scars and years of damage. They look tired and worn from this life they have been given."

You can donate via the Cats With No Hope Go Fund Me page.

Follow Cats With No Hope on Twitter 



The Skiathos Cats 

The Skiathos Cat Welfare Association is a small Greek Registered Charity, formed by Sharon Hewing in 2007. The charity became a registered charity in 2011, but even so, it relies totally on donations via their website, as well as Facebook and from tourists and other fundraising events.

"The purpose of our Association shall be to :

  • Foster a general awareness throughout the local community on the plight of stray cats 
  • Engage the local, national and international community on issues having to do with Cat welfare
  • Make partnerships with various organizations to further expand opportunities to improve the wellbeing of the local stray cat population
  • Raise funds and to invite and receive donations to facilitate the provision of food, medication and veterinary services including neutering for the stray cat population."

Find out more about The Skiathos Cats in the video below or view on YouTube 
Website: The Skiathos Cat Welfare Association
Follow on Twitter and Facebook

Sunday 25 November 2018

Sunday Selfie Keeping Warm and Friendly Fill-Ins


It's Sunday, it's cold out, so we're keeping cosy in bed. Here I am at the foot of Mum's bed snuggling with my blanket.

Hope you have a cosy easy Sunday too!

Cosy Sunday Selfie
Sunday Selfies is hosted by The Cat on my Head


We're also participating in the Friendly Fill-Ins, hosted by 15andMeowing and Four-Legged Furballs. Check out more Friendlies here




1. Black Friday _________________________________.
2. A pet peeve of mine at this time of year is ___________________________.
3. ‘Tis the season for _________.
4. I never jumped on the _________ bandwagon.

Mum answers
1. Black Friday is just another annoying in-your-face day created by humans, for humans.
2. A pet peeve of mine at this time of year is all the annoying ads on TV with happy smiling people stuffing their faces and drinking too much booze. Just greed everywhere.
3. 'Tis the season for giving to those that need it. I wish I could afford to give more to charity.
4. I never jumped on the wearing false eyelashes bandwagon. I think they look disgusting. Like spider legs. No thanks. And I don't see the reason for fake nails either.

Athena answers
1. Black Friday is just a normal day for me.
2. A pet peeve of mine at this time of year is Mum being extra busy with blogging and writing and not having more time for me.
3. 'Tis the season for eating more to keep warm.
4. I never jumped on the Grumpy Cat bandwagon. I am annoyed by these famous cats. Why am I not famous? Not fair!


Saturday 24 November 2018

A Christmas Card for #CaturdayArt

Happy Caturday!


This is the first Christmas card we are posting in the run-up to the holiday season. It was made with PicMonkey. Some of the filters and effects are only available when you subscribe to the premium version, but there are some cool ones you can use for free too. You can sign-up for your free trial here.

caturday art meowy xmas

Want to participate in the Caturday Art Blog Hop? Just enter any animal art or animal photo art. You don't have to be an artist, just get creative with your photos - there are so many free online photo editor apps or sites to choose from. Then add your photo and link to our linky below and share on your blogs (linking back to us would be great too!)

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase via a link I will earn a small commission.

Thursday 22 November 2018

Speak Out Against the Fur Trade! #FurFreeFriday

Friday, November 23rd is Fur Free Friday, an international day of action for speaking out against the horrific suffering of animals killed for the fur trade. 

From ADI (Animal Defenders International)


Fur Free Friday: Celebrities back call to end “horrific” fur suffering
Los Angeles—Ahead of Fur Free Friday, an international day of action on November 23, celebrities are speaking out against the “horrific suffering” of animals killed for the fur trade and backing calls by Animal Defenders International (ADI) to consign this brutal industry to the past.

Emily Deschanel, costar of the hit TV series Bones, said: “Fur looks best, and belongs, on animals not people. To end the horrific suffering of millions of animals we need to say no to fur – for good.”
Alexandra Paul, who starred in the iconic TV series Baywatch, said: “I believe in all animals’ right to live free, pain free. Thanks to ADI’s undercover footage on fur farms, we now know the shocking truth behind this industry. We all need to make this stop – and we can do that by choosing cruelty-free fashion, not fur.”
Gemma Atkinson, who reached the final of the UK’s smash show Strictly Come Dancing last year, said: “We can all make a difference by making fashion choices that are kind not cruel to the animals. Don’t contribute to the suffering and deaths of millions of animals – say no to fur, forever.”
Deschanel, Paul, and Atkinson join a growing list of celebrities who are supportive of ADI’s campaign including Ricky Gervais, Joanna Lumley, Brian Blessed, Sara Pascoe, Peter Egan, Moby, Elaine Hendrix, and Bob Barker.

Members of the public can take action to help inform shoppers and retailers of the horrors of fur at ad-international.org/fur. These include sharing ADI’s short film “Fur: A LIFETIME” about the lives of two foxes, brothers Borys and Eryk, who were born, lived, and were killed, at the age of seven months, on a fur farm.

To obtain the footage, ADI placed hidden cameras on the Polish farm to capture this rare insight into an industry that kills more than 100 million animals a year worldwide. Poland is one of Europe’s largest producers of fur, with the US one of its largest importers. In the US, mink farms producing 3.31 million pelts a year.

Animal Defenders International President Jan Creamer said: “Treated like a product, these intelligent, feeling individuals continue to suffer for this brutal trade. Born in a cage, they die a terrifying and painful death. This is the real cost of fur – help end the cruelty and say no to fur.”
Designers and fashion brands are increasingly turning their backs on fur. This year alone, Burberry, Donatella Versace, DKNY, Donna Karan, Diane Von Furstenberg, Gucci, and Michael Kors all announced fur-free policies, with Jean Paul Gaultier pledging to go fur-free earlier this month. And for the first time ever, no designer used fur at London Fashion Week in September


Fur Free Friday




Fur Free Friday


All animals matter and their fur belongs to them ONLY and not for the vanity of some vile self-obsessed human, but did you know that even dog and cat fur finds its way into the fashion industry?

We're sorry if the text below upsets anyone, but we feel that we have to speak out in order to raise awareness for these poor defenceless animals.

From Last Chance for Animals: 


"Dogs and cats are skinned alive after being pulled from their cramped cages. Workers throw animals to the ground and bludgeon them with metal rods or slam them against any hard surface available. This mangles their bones and sends these defenceless creatures into convulsions, but rarely causes immediate death. Some animals are subjected to anal or genital electrocution, which paralyzes -- but does not kill -- them."  
"No regulations exist to govern fur farms in China, which allows fur farmers to house and slaughter animals however they please. The resulting conditions, treatment and excruciating deaths are horrific. Recent undercover investigations in China's Hebei Province found torture beyond belief. Chinese fur farm conditions make a mockery of the most elementary animal welfare standards. The animals are denied any type of compassion."



is it real fur?

Mum avoids buying anything that states it is "fake". She doesn't trust that the statements from manufacturers are true. But if you are going to purchase any item that states it is "faux" fur please follow the tips in the graphic above.

We will be doing more to help this campaign and others like it. As most of you already know, Mum is always involved in raising awareness for animals - all animals.

We hope you will join us and do your bit for the sake of our furry friends.

There is simply no need to wear fur in this day and age. Let's help end this horror now.


Tuesday 20 November 2018

Adopt a Cat is Back! #charitytuesday

Regular readers will have noticed that our weekly Charity Tuesday Adopt a Cat feature had taken a break for a while.

But now we're pleased to say that we're back doing what we're passionate about - helping homeless pets find their forever homes!

Adopt a Cat


Adopt a Cat Today!


OZZY

OZZY
(photo: Wood Green)

Handsome Ozzy is looking for a new home but needs a very particular and special type of home where he can be himself. He has had quite a bit of upheaval in his short life and this has left him feeling a bit frustrated and anxious. 

A patient and understanding owner is what he needs to help him find his mojo and become a confident and settled cat. Ozzy has a warm and loving side to his nature though and he has the ability to wrap people around his little paws. 

READ MORE ABOUT OZZY HERE



💚

ATHENA'S RESCUE STORY

All proceeds from A Forever Home For Athena will be donated to the following charities:

Wood Green The Animals Charity
Greek Cat Welfare Society
Cats Protection





🐾💖🐾💖


💜

More homeless pets looking for forever homes can be found on my Mum's Pinterest Pet Rescue board.



Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. As a rescue kitty myself I want to help other rescues find their forever home, so each week on Charity Tuesday I share adoptable cats from Wood Green, the Animals Charity (which is where I was rescued) and some other charities dear to our hearts. Mum and I are so grateful to Wood Green because without them we would never have found each other! Please note however that this post does contain some affiliate links. This means if you click on the Amazon links to purchase any of the items featured, I will receive a small affiliate commission. We are not affiliated with any charity mentioned in this post. 


Sunday 18 November 2018

Sunday Selfie Snuggle Up Easy

Sunday Selfie Snuggle Up Easy


It's feeling colder today in Essex, UK, so I'm going to get cosy with Mum and snuggle up under the duvet for an Easy Sunday afternoon nap. What are you doing today?

Sunday Selfies Blog Hop is hosted by The Cat on My Head

Saturday 17 November 2018

Caturday Art: Princess Day

Mum thinks I make a lovely princess so she made me have a digital tiara because tomorrow is Princess Day.

The tiara graphic came from Fotor and the rest of this Caturday Art image was created in PicMonkey.


Princess Day Caturday ART
A Fairytale Princess Cat

Check out the Christmas Collection at Zazzle!



Caturday Art

Artify your pet photos with any photo editing app you like and share! All animal pics welcome, not just cats! If you are an artist who paints and draws or crafts, you can also join in the fun! 


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click to make a purchase via these links I may earn a tiny commission.

Tuesday 13 November 2018

Symphonic Metal Day

We had no idea that there was a Symphonic Metal Day,  so here we are, posting some Symphonic Metal music. This is Mum's favourite genre, and as she has been feeling quite sad lately, I thought I'd let her indulge herself. Music always makes her feel better. Not as better as I can make her feel, but she always calms down a bit after she's listened to some tunes.

Symphonic Metal has been Mum's favourite music genre since she discovered the Finnish metal band Nightwish 11 years ago. She finds the music so inspiring - it's a mixture of classical music with metal. Mum has always loved classical music and she's always loved rock and metal.

The music of Nightwish, and indeed other bands of the same genre, has inspired Mum's writing. It's what she listened to while writing her fantasy novels.



I like a lot of what Mum listens to and I quite like Nightwish. She has almost everything they have released so that means instrumental versions of their albums and orchestral ones. I favour the orchestral versions as cats do tend to love classical and instrumental music. Metal is a bit too loud for my liking.

I love soundtracks too - Outlander is one of my faves. But let's get back to Symphonic, shall we?


Here are some of Mum's favourites.

I like the first one the best because it's a nice song to nap to. I like it when Mum does her singing and she performs this song. Only in her bedroom, mind you.


The next song is Mum's favourite.

Monday 12 November 2018

Farewell, Sarah.

We were so shocked and saddened to learn that one of our blogger friends had passed away. Sarah Andrews was known to us in the pet blogging community as Roby Sweet from her blog, The Cuddlewumps Cat Chronicles. Though we did not know her personally, Sarah was always so lovely to us and always left sweet and inspiring comments on our blog. We wish we could have got to know her better.

Sending Sarah's family and friends lots of love and purrs at this very difficult time xx

Sarah, you will be sorely missed xx

If you would like to offer words of comfort for Sarah's family, you can sign the Legacy Guest Book at this link.



Sunday 11 November 2018

Remembrance Day Sunday Selfie

Today we are remembering the people and animals lost in the war. We will never forget these heroes who sacrificed their lives so that we can all enjoy the freedom we have today.

Lest we forget.



Here are some of our favourite Remembrance Day tweets today that we would like to share with you.






Sunday Selfies with The Cat on My Head

Saturday 10 November 2018

Caturday Art Sketch with Friendly Fill-Ins

Caturday Art
We used MySketch for the sketch effect and the border/frame is from PicMonkey


Caturday Art Blog Hop



Come on everyone, let's see your animal photo art! All animals welcome, not just cats! Some free photo editors and apps are really simple to use and you can have a beautiful artsy photo of your pet to share in an instant!

You can add your photo art to the Caturday Art linky at the bottom of this post.

Friendly Fill-Ins

Today we're also joining the Friendly Fill-Ins with 15andMeowing and Four-legged Furballs

1. I just _________________-.

2. My next ________________ will be ____________________.

3. The sound of _________ makes me cringe.
4. Right now, I am craving _________

Marie's Answers
1. I just wanna be a stay at home cat mum, is that too much to ask? When I was younger I wanted to be a singer and tour the world. Then I wanted to be a best-selling author. I became neither of those but I am a writer and self-published author, and I just want to be able to earn an income from home so I can look after Athena.
2. My next novel will be another fantasy involving cats.
3. The sound of loud crowds and screaming, shrieking, screeching kids and women makes me cringe. Any loud noise really, unless it's my favourite piece of music.
4. Right now, I am craving chocolate.

Athena's Answers
1. I just had a wash and I'm going to nap.
2. My next treat should be given to me when I awake.
3. The sound of plastic bags makes me cringe.
4. Right now, I am craving a nice long nap while I listen to Mum tap on the keys as she writes this post.




Wednesday 7 November 2018

Catit Senses 2.0 Super Circuit Review

This post contains affiliate links. Full disclosure 

The lovely people at Catit sent me a Catit Senses 2.0 Super Circuit to try out and I just wanted to tell you how much I love it!


Catit Senses 2.0 Super Circuit Review


They also sent me the Senses 2.0 Oval Scratcher which fits right inside the Circuit, as you can see in the photo above. Most scratchers don't interest me much but this one is great and I'm using it a lot! The game is SUPER fun too because I can play by myself when Mum is too busy to play with me. I like attacking the ball with my paw and watching it go round and round. We keep it in Mum's bedroom and when Mum is downstairs she can hear me playing and scratching, pounding on it and batting. Here is a video of me playing.



Here is me with that delightful scratcher! Yeah, I'm a bit drunk on catnip 😻😸😹





From the Catit website:

The Catit Senses 2.0 combines the Catit Senses 2.0 Play Circuit with the Catit Senses 2.0 Wave Circuit for a maximum amount of fun. The special peek-a-boo cover stimulates cats to chase and swat the ball, which quickly adds up to hours of entertainment!

100+ layouts! 

To keep your cat interested, you need to change their toy set-up often. The Senses 2.0 Circuits can be built and rebuilt into different shapes around the house. Surprise your cat with a new layout every few days to keep the experience fresh and exciting!
review Catit Senses 2.0 Super Circuit

The cardboard oval scratch pad fits purrfectly in the Catit Senses 2.0 Super Circuit. I found the corrugated cardboard nicely appealing to scratch. As I said, some cat scratchers just don't do it for me but this one is fantastic. I am already wearing it out because I use it most times throughout the day.

Scratching helps us cats to stretch our muscles, get some well-needed exercise (especially if you are an indoor cat like me), and of course, it also helps us mark our scent. It also stops us from scratching furniture!

You can purchase these products from the Catit website or from Amazon.






We received the Catit 2.0 Super Circuit and Oval Scratcher for free to test out. No financial compensation was received for writing this post. All opinions are my own.


Sunday 4 November 2018

Fireworks Night Selfie and Friendly Fill-Ins

My selfie is what I posted last night on my Instagram during Bonfire Night (well, it is Bonfire Weekend really, as Bonfire Night is traditionally on 5 November).




Friendly Fill-Ins

1. One can _____________.
 2. Given the choice of _______________ or _______________,  I would pick _________________.
 3. _________ makes me feel _________.
4. I never go a day without _________.

Marie's Answers

1. One can try to make a difference one step at a time.
2. Given the choice of going out or staying in, I would pick staying in with Athena.
3. The love of a cat makes me feel happy.
4. I never go a day without coffee or chocolate.


Athena's Answers

1. One can make a human happy by purring
2. Given the choice of napping or playing, I would pick napping.
3. Sleeping with Mum on her bed makes me feel happy.
4. I never go a day without a nap.



Hosted by Four-Legged Furballs
and 15andmeowing
You can add your own link here

Sunday Selfies

Hosted by The Cat on my Head

Friday 2 November 2018

Fireworks Night Safety Tips for Pets #caturdayart

Pet Safety and Fireworks
Created with LunaPic and PicMonkey

Graphic design templates sized just for social. Take PicMonkey's ad-vice.
More crazy human festivities following on from Halloween here in the UK in the form of Fireworks Night (Bonfire Night, Guy Fawkes' Night).

So, I guess that means pets must endure and suffer again so that humans can let off loud bangs and watch them light up the sky in the name of entertainment.

Now, I must admit, I am not a cat that finds fireworks that terrifying. I've been known to want to peep through the curtain so as to watch these exploding lights in the sky. The noise is a bit scary though.

But having said that, I'm an indoor cat and Mum rarely leaves me on my own. But as we've moved to a new area, we're not quite sure how the locals will celebrate. There will be a fireworks display on at the local town park, that we do know. But will people be having them in their back gardens too? We hope not as this area is so magically quiet. We just hope it was as quiet as Halloween night because it wasn't really that bad.

Back when we lived in North London, there were idiots letting off fireworks in the streets well into the early hours of the morning. And not just on Firework Night. It was more like Firework season right through to New Year and a little beyond.

Mum says she worries about all animals at this time of the year. Well, Mum, being an animal lover worries about animals all the time, but at this time of year, she wishes they didn't have to experience fireworks. Life is hard enough for a lot of animals.

Pets are luckier than most because we are part of the family (or should be), and our human family will want to look after us (hopefully), but what about the strays and the homeless pets, or wildlife and other animals? It's not fair that they should be made to feel scared, is it?

Please look after your pets, and all animals if you can.

Here are some cat safety tips for Halloween, from Cats Protection. 

To ensure your cat is kept safe and calm, you should:


  • Keep your cat in after dark

  • Provide your cat with a litter tray and securely fasten all windows and doors

  • Reduce noise by keeping curtains drawn

  • Play soothing music

  • Provide a safe, comfy place in familiar territory for your cat to hide (a simple cardboard box or igloo-style cat bed should be enough)

  • Create a reassuring environment with a Feliway classic plug-in diffuser

  • If you’re concerned about your cat’s behaviour, don’t hesitate in contacting your vet.


Here's some more fireworks pet safety info for all pets from the Blue Cross and Wood Green, The Animals Charity 



😻


 CATURDAY ART BLOG HOP!

Come on everyone, let's see your animal photo art. All animals welcome, not just cats! Some free photo editors and apps are really simple to use and you can have a beautiful artsy photo of your pet to share in an instant! Join us every Saturday!