As you can see, I am a cat with cattitude! Mum wanted me to pose with the Kindle version of the Completely Cats - Stories with Cattitude* book but I had other ideas. For a start, I wasn't in the mood to pose. And then I got a sweet whiff of her hand and it smelled pretty nice and soapy so I got distracted. However, I do promise you, that this book is great! An abridged version of my own rescue story A Forever Home For Athena* is featured, but the other cat stories are amazing too. In it, you'll meet so many kitties that tell you their own story or sometimes their human helped them write it instead. This is the purrfect book for the cat lover and is available for the Kindle and in paperback. I'm just so happy that the book is doing well on Amazon and that the money raised is going to a good cause 😺
*
We are joining our super friends at the Cat on my Head for their weekly Sunday Selfies Blog Hop
Completely Cats - Stories With Cattitude will be published on 21st August 2017!
And we are so glad that our rescue story was chosen - along with many other amazing cat rescue stories - to be featured in this fab book in support of International Cat Care 😻
We'll keep you posted!
Mum and I are close. Very close. But you all know that. So here is Mum to tell you that it doesn't matter if you are single and don't have a Valentine this year. Why? Well, love isn't just romantic love, is it? You can love your parents, grandparents, children, friends and of course, your darling PETS! In fact, the love between pets and humans can be very strong indeed. Some might say it's the strongest.
HERE IS MUM TO TELL YOU WHY. "My darling Athena is my Valentine because I feel complete when I'm with her. And I can't say that I've ever truly felt like that with anyone else (human). Ever since the day we rescued each other in July 2011 we have taken care of each other. When I'm down, she knows it and tries to make it all better. She sticks by me, purrs and makes biscuits on me. How soothing for the soul is that! I don't think anything else can compare. We kiss and cuddle all the time throughout the day, and neither one of us feels smothered. If Athena doesn't like it I can sense it and back off for a while. But most of the time she loves her mummy's kisses and cuddles 💕 Cats are great for someone like me. A human with depression and anxiety. Athena really helps to reduce the stress I feel most days. When my mind is gripped by yet another beastly negative thought - usually that I am a loser and don't have a future - I've learned to bring my thoughts back to the present and focus on the moment. Just like a cat. Yes, cats are experts in 'mindfulness' aren't they? Athena has the loudest purr and I love to put my ear close to her so I can feel that magical vibration and hear the sweet music of the soul that seems to heal every bone in my body and every panicky thought in my unquiet mind. She makes me feel loved and needed. For example, I know that I can't stay in bed in the morning because my little one needs feeding. And as every cat parent knows, you don't need an alarm when you have a cat! I trust her. I don't need her to tell me anything. Her thoughts and actions speak loudly to me. It's like we exist in our own little world, or on the same spiritual plane, so far removed from the insanity of human life, with its materialistic shallowness, greed and desire to destroy everything on this planet. All this stuff simply overwhelms me and I regularly need an escape. And what better way than to escape into the world of cat. Where I find nothing but pure true love. And I wouldn't have it any other way because you can never be lonely if you have a pet. So go on, adopt your furry soulmate today and experience the true meaning of love!"
Hi everyone! Today I'm letting Mum tell you all about the cool cat lady stuff she got from My Purrfect Gift Box. Mum received this cat lover's subscription box free of charge so we could test it out for ourselves and write an honest review. First, as it's my blog and you'll all want to know my own opinion I'll give it to you before Mum's... I can honestly say that the box was lovely, and there were also a few kitty treats inside for me too. I particularly liked the catnip kicker toy and had loads of fun with it. But the best thing of all of course was this rather marvelous box.
Over to you, Mum :)
I'm so glad I got to review this beautiful product as it truly is a most remarkable gift for any cat lady, and if, like me, you are in need of cheering yourself up, I would highly recommend ordering a box for yourself. As I began to unwrap this stunning looking box I couldn't tell who was more excited - me or Athena. And as you will see from the video shortly, once the beautiful purple wrapping paper was unrapped, Athena dived straight in.
The November box theme is AND RELAX, and this couldn't have arrived at a better time for me because I was having a pretty miserable morning on the day it was delivered. And even though I have the lovely Athena to help me chill on days like these, the super delightful gifts in this box gave me an extra reason to smile. What struck me at first was how this exquisite box came so well wrapped in this pretty purple paper. This made it feel inviting and I sensed that a lot of thought went into choosing the items and packaging. I simply LOVE the logo, and PURPLE just so happens to be my favourite colour, so this created an extra special personal experience for me.
Another nice touch was this lovely message
And this cute little photo of a dear sweet lap kitty melted my heart and gave me another reason to smile. Adorable, isn't it?
On the reverse of this sweet card there is a complete list of what's inside the box. And what lovely delights awaited us both as you can see!
As you will soon see from our unboxing video, Athena sniffed around a bit and then made a dive for this HUGE catnip filled Kong Kickeroo. I could clearly see beforehand how much she would love playing with it. On the label it states that it is intended to help promote the cat to exercise, and Athena, being an indoor cat, certainly needs more of that. Plus, watching my beautiful fur daughter having fun gave me another reason to smile and I soon forgot my troubles.
Cat lady gifts in detail
De-stress with the Colouring for Mindfulness cat book
This Colouring For Mindfulness book is just purrfect for easing away stress and partaking in some mindfulness (which admittedly I find extremely hard to do.) I haven't used a colouring book since the 1980s, so maybe I should really try this. In fact, I want to try it and I will make sure I will do so over the holidays. I might even show you the results in one of our Caturday Art Blog Hop posts! I really like that the book comes with with detachable pages so if you would like to frame your artwork you can. The book normally retails for £7.99.
The cat colouring book also came with a set of colouring pencils in this charming pencil case by Zookaboo. The handcrafted case can also be used to store make-up and for carrying around other bits and bobs too.
Colouring pencils and case for the cat lady
I use lavender a lot to help me relax and for cleaning around the house so already know of its huge benefits. From personal experience, it really does help with stress and can help induce calm. It's very IMPORTANT to note however, that the Lavender sachet below is not a cat toy and is intended as a gift for the cat lady.
I am always very careful about what I leave around the house and in front of Athena, so when I noticed she couldn't wait to get her graceful but excited little paws on it, probably thinking it was something for her to play with, (and she is very attracted to some scents), I took it away immediately.
Though this product smells lovely, Lavender can be toxic to cats so I'm keeping this in my wardrobe instead to help keep my clothes smelling sweet. As an added bonus, lavender makes a great moth repellent!
Beautiful handmade sachet filled with dried French lavender from ViviCreative at Etsy
Another lovely little product is this gorgeous smelling Plum and Rhubarb scented candle by Nancy&Nell. These personalised candles are made from a high grade blended soy wax and you can find them on Etsy.
Personalised with a delightful cat image on the lid
Gorgeous smelling candle by Nancy&Nell
Athena's gifts
Ready to attack Kong Kickeroo!
As you can see, Athena loves playing with and attacking her HUGE Kong Kickeroo. It was just so entertaining watching her wrestle with it one minute and snuggle with it the next. This was definitely the highlight for me and it gave me so such pleasure seeing my little girl enjoying herself as we unboxed My Purrfect Gift Box together.
Gotcha!
Next for Athena were these healthy Salmon Niblets from Green & Wilds. I was pleased to read that these are 100% natural, full of Omegas 3 & 6, and naturally dried at low temperatures to preserve high nutritional values.
Mmm... smells tasty
100% natural cat treats from Green & Wilds
Athena also received 3 catnip filled bamboo balls but I forgot to take a photo of these. However, you can see them in the photo of the card above and also in the unboxing videos we made. You can view these videos at the end of this post.
What is My Purrfect Gift Box?
My Purrfect Gift Box is the only gift subscription box in the UK for cat lovers, handpacked with fantastic cat-themed finds from around the world. Many of these items are hand made. Boxes are shipped starting the 20th of each month.
Who are My Purrfect Gift Box?
My Purrfect Gift Box is a family-run business, founded by Kim and Juan Kniveton. The couple also own the idyllic Boodee Beg Boarding Cattery on the Isle of Man.
This is a business that definitely knows and loves cats, donating 5% of the sales of each month’s boxes to a chosen cat charity.
From the My Purrfect Gift Box website:
"Each month we choose to focus on a different cat charity, rescue centre or shelter and highlight the work they do through our social media sites and through information that comes in each box. We then donate 5% of all our profits from that month’s box to our chosen charity of the month... So you can be confident that with every My Purrfect Gift Box you receive, you are also giving to help support the lives of cats."
How does it work?
Buyers first choose a gift box size to suit their budget. 'Lite' (starts at £15.95 per month) or 'Standard' (starting at £20.95 per month) - then a billing cycle/subscription length; monthly, 3 months, or 6 months. With a longer subscription, the greater the discount to the customer. You can also make a One-Time Purchase with no recurring subscription. However, the one-time purchase of the boxes currently does not include gifts for kitties. But if that is an option you would like to have, you can always email catlady@mypurrfectgigtbox.com
So what did I think?
I loved this box so much and think it's a great idea to have products thoughtfully chosen for the cat lady in your life (or for yourself!) As an animal advocate, I'm also pleased that this company is also helping charities too. I would definitely order a box in the very near future, and would certainly consider taking out a subscription. Cat men please note: Though the gifts chosen are mostly suitable for cat ladies, if you are a cat man or cat daddy (and I know there are many of you out there that are), you can email catlady@mypurrfectgiftbox.com and they will start up a box for you. So, come on you cat daddies, you deserve a treat too so just go for it!
Disclaimer: We received a free subscription box from mypurrfectgiftbox in exchange for honest review. All words and opinions are my own. Full disclosure
This week's quote comes from my own mum. For her the most important love in her life is the one she shares with me. It's real soul to soul love she says. Humans always let her down, and she's not really a people person, but a cat person. And I wouldn't really have it any other way (as long as I'm the only cat in her life.)
LOVE THIS QUOTE?
CHECK OUT ATHENA'S ZAZZLE STORE FOR SOME GREAT PRODUCTS FEATURING THIS QUOTE!
We had no plans to post a new video today but then I surprised Mum with some loud purring and loving action as she was preparing this post. Look at me loving the camera and Mum's hand! Love is certainly in the air :)
As it's National Cat Day today we thought we'd highlight the plight of many homeless pets in this not so wordless post.
Of course cats are celebrated each and every day in our house, and in between taking care of and pampering me, Mum does a little every day to help homeless and orphan pets by tweeting and retweeting for them, as well as pinning to her special Pinterest board. She wishes she could do so much more, like running her own cat sanctuary where no cat will have to die, and one day she hopes she will be able to do just that.
As a rescue kitty myself, I feel the need to help other homeless and orphaned animals too so I tweet for them on my own twitter as well. It's heartbreaking, but the truth is there are just too many cats in need of forever homes and not enough homes available. Spaying and neutering helps to keep the birth rate low, but it's also important for humans to adopt and don't buy. It really is true that so many shelter cats will die if they are not re-homed. So, please, please, please try your local rescue shelter when you are considering getting a pet and don't be tempted to buy.
While messing around on Photoshop, Mum created this posterized photo art. She loves it so much that it has inspired her to create more products for my Zazzle store CatGoddessDesigns
* book but I had other ideas. For a start, I wasn't in the mood to pose. And then I got a sweet whiff of her hand and it smelled pretty nice and soapy so I got distracted.
* is featured, but the other cat stories are amazing too. In it, you'll meet so many kitties that tell you their own story or sometimes their human helped them write it instead. This is the purrfect book for the cat lover and is available for the Kindle and in paperback.
