What Are You Doing New Year's Eve #CaturdayArt

Meows from Mudpie!

Tonight at midnight Mommy and I will be cuddled up together on the couch reading...which is actually where you'll find us any other night at midnight! We might be boring but we're predictable!

Visit more artsy kitties at Athena's Caturday Art blog hop!

************************************************

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and McGuffy's Reader!

1. The highlight of my Christmas was Mudpie's enjoyment of it. Last year was her first Christmas with me and she seemed kind of overwhelmed by it and distanced herself from the celebration. This year she was an integral part of everything from decorating to wrapping to Christmas day festivities. 

2. My New Year’s resolution is to stop worrying so much about things I have no control over. (She types as she found something new to stress over in the past 72 hours.)

3. This year, 2016, was pretty darned amazing in some ways and pretty darned horrible in others.

4  Next year, 2017, I wish for health and happiness for my loved ones, both near and far.

Unboxing December's Subscriptions

The theme of December's CatLadyBox was "Meowy Holidays"...this is what was inside!

Featured Cat Lady Artist: Amber Alexander from my home state of Vermont. This piece of art is titled "Snow Kitten". It's story: "Kitty has fashioned a plump Snow Kitten out of the first good sticky snow of the season. Her best friend, Nut, helps with details like finding pebbles for the nose and eyes. Mama cat has unknowingly donated her winter scarf to the cause as well."

Feline Lux Cat Clutch (CatLadyBox exclusive): Stylish, vegan-friendly clutch/wristlet/cross-body bag. Purrfect for a night on the town!

Soft Kitty Winter Gloves (Custom for CatLadyBox): Taupe color matches the lining of the clutch bag for the ultimate in coordinated cat lady chic. These gloves are so warm and cozy, and they feature touch pads for easy cell phone use.

Amber Silver Cat Ring (CatLadyBox exclusive): The amber stone symbolizes the love and tenderness we feel for our cats. The front of the ring is a little cat face and the size adjuster is cat paws wrapping around the back.

Floppy Elf and Champagne Cheer Catnip Toys (CatLadyBox exclusives): Not surprisingly, Mudpie adores the elf's dangly legs and the champagne bottle's ribbons :) 

Not a subscriber yet? Visit CatLadyBox today!

Interested in purchasing individual items from past boxes? You can do that too!

Disclosure: I receive a discount on my CatLadyBox subscription as a thank you for my monthly review. Regardless of compensation received, we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers.

I couldn't help myself...I got sucked into another cat-related subscription box, The Meow-gical Box. Lately I've become obsessed with "smalls" like cat stickers, pins and stamps, things that help me feed my cat addition while taking up hardly any room!

I missed out on the October and November boxes but signed up for the December box on the day it was announced. Cuteness overload!!! (I love every single piece by my favorite is the cat face wreath!)

And now our latest sticker from the Cat Sticker Club, of which we're honorary members!

Are you a fan of subscription boxes too?

Thankful Thursday: A Pawsome Christmas

Mommy here.

My family Christmas for the past two years hasn't been all that great, with my dad in the hospital just the week before in 2014, and my mom recovering from a heart attack last year. I spent this entire holiday season with my fingers crossed that everyone would remain unscathed, and it turned out to be one of the best Christmases in awhile.

Mudpie told you all about our amazing Secret Paws package yesterday, and today I wanted to show a few other meaningful gifts we received from our dear online friends that made this a Christmas to remember.

It's no secret that we're huge fans of the artwork created by The Menagerie Mom and for months I've wanted to ask her to do something just for us, especially when she posted that she would send a piece of her mixed media art as a thank you to anyone who donated to her favorite rescue group. Earlier this month she posted a picture of a bookmark she made starring her kitty Thimble sitting on a stack of books, reading "A Christmas Feral".

That did it. I *needed* that bookmark! I emailed Lorianne and was blown away when she told me that I was the inspiration behind the bookmark because she knows how much I love A Christmas Carol, and she was already in the process of making me one with a tortie reading the book!!! And her handmade card stars an artsy version of Mudpie too! The talent and generosity of our blogging friends never ceases to amaze me.

Remember the lavender sachet we featured in our 2016 Holiday Gift Guide for Tortie Lovers? Did anyone really think I'd be able to resist buying one for myself? Well I couldn't, and as a thank you for featuring her shop on our blog, the wonderful owner of The Velvet Cat sent me BOTH of the tortie twins, one to be Angel Truffles and the other to be Mudpie. She also enclosed a Catnip Perogi on a rope for Mudpie, and I don't know what they put in Canadian nip but that girl has lost her mind over it!!! On Christmas day my Dad was swinging it around for her and she went bonkers. (Silly Mommy here kept snappy blurring pictures instead of filming a video.)

Lastly, earlier this month I signed up for the Second Annual Holiday Cat Book Exchange hosted by Cheshire Loves Karma where each participant was paired up with another to exchange a book about cats, by cats, or featuring cats. We enjoyed it so much last year that quite honestly, if Cheshire's mom Robin hadn't decided to continue the tradition I probably would have taken it over myself!

My exchange partner Jennifer and her cat Indy (who has his own YouTube channel!) sent me two books from my Amazon wish list and I can't wait to read them!

Tell us about your Christmas! 

Did you do anything or receive anything extra special?

Secret Paws 2016

Meows from Mudpie!

The wait has been nearly unbearable but I *finally* get to tell you about my Secret Paws package which came last week from our sweet friends Allie, Ellie and Raz, aka The Florida Furkids!

I believe in being very "paws on" in everything I do so I immediately started pulling out packages. Who needs a human's opposable thumbs?

The first package Mommy helped me open contained this unbelievably beautiful Christmas kitty blankie and Mommy's eyes started to leak! It meant even more when she found out that the Furkids' mom, Miss Sharon, made the blanket for us herself! Now that is a gift straight from the heart and filled with love, and we will never forget her kindness.  I predict lots of cold winter nights cuddling with my new blanket! 

I couldn't keep my paws off this Christmas lights wand toy long enough for Mommy to even take it off the card!

Getting a picture without a tortie blur was nearly impossible.

Like my meerkat pose? I do it a lot but Mommy's never gotten photographic evidence of it :) 

Between this cute catnip palm tree...

and beach ball I feel like the Furkids sent me a part of their home state of Florida in my Secret Paws package!

Mommy had ideas about making me wear this cute Meowy Christmas bandanna but I wasn't having it...

but I did manage to find a more willing victim model.

In case you had any doubts that this package was customized for us in every way...check out the pawsome tortie tea towel!!! Mommy will be hanging this in our kitchen and I have a strong feeling it will never be used for it's intended purpose!

Just look at everything! In addition to what I've already shown you I also got some yummy Temptations treats and Mommy got a brand new kitty coloring book.

Mommy and I both want to thank the Florida Furkids so very much for their thoughtful, generous, and purr-fectly wonderful gifts. We couldn't have asked for a better Secret Paws!

And remember the aforementioned blankie? After we finished opening our Secret Paws prezzies and needed a break Mommy laid it on her lap and I immediately hopped up and took a snooze. It's the warmest and coziest nap spot ever, and will be used as our "couch cuddling" blanket from here on out. (On Christmas Eve Mommy sat down to read at 11 PM and you know what time I let her get up to go to bed? 2:30 AM!!! She just didn't have the heart to put me down, even though she kept warning me that Santa was going to catch us!)

**************************************************************************

Now would also be a good time to reveal that we sent our Secret Paws gifts to Angel, Kirby and Max over at A Wizard and an Angel. They wrote about their package here and we're so happy to see how much everyone loved what we picked out.

Many thanks as well to Truffle and Brulee's mom Paula from Sweet Purrfections for organizing this wonderful event that makes many blogging kitties very, very happy.

Now I have a very important question...how many days until Secret Paws 2017???

Tortie Shorties: Wrapping Up the Christmas Season

Sadly, Christmas is over and with it go all of the wonderfully festive holiday stories that have been the purr-fect accompaniment to a mug of peppermint hot chocolate. Today we wanted to tell you about the last few that we've been curled up with. There's still time to enjoy them...it is still technically the holiday season, after all!

The Cat of Yule Cottage by Lili Hayward

From the publisher: A magical tale of Christmas and cats, perfect for everyone who loves A Street Cat Named Bob and Alfie the Doorstep Cat. It's nearly Christmas, and Jessamine Pike needs a serious life overhaul. Jess moves into Enysyule, a centuries-old cottage in Cornwall, and begins the process of renovating the rundown house by day and finishing her novel by night, planning to have both finished in time for the holidays. She's got good company: a beautiful, arrogant tomcat stalks around like he owns the place, and seems very skeptical of Jess' tenancy. But there's magic in the air...Local legends tell of a spirit that inhabits the area, and an ancient standing stone that keeps watch over the valley. As Christmas comes closer and closer, Jess uncovers treasures from Enysyule's past, and becomes involved in a fight for its future. For Jess has stumbled into a story that's been going on for five hundred years. A story about land, love, friendship, the Yuletide...and one remarkable cat.

Tortie Shorties Review: I'll admit that this book wasn't at all what I expected, but not in a disappointing way. Looking at the cover you'd expect a typical cat Christmas story with a touch of "chick lit," but it's actually much deeper than that. Written in a lyrical style the story is a mixture of mystery, history and romance, and at the center is an extra special cat whose care goes from an inconvenient obligation to Jess to a great honor when she comes to understand the depth of his magic. This is an enchanting story that can enjoyed any time of the year, not just during the Yuletide season.

The Meowy Christmas Kitten (Beatrice Young Cozy Cat Mysteries #10)

From the publisher: Ashbrook, New Hampshire gets a sudden windfall of cash, thanks to being designated one of the state's "Magical Towns." Amateur sleuth Beatrice Young would rather spend it on something practical, but the rest of the town folk are instead captivated by a mysterious developer's plan to turn Ashbrook into Santa's Village, the ultimate Christmas tourist attraction!

As opening day approaches, Beatrice and her three crime-fighting cats have to figure out if this developer could be the town's savior ... or if his motives are much more sinister.

With the Cozy Cat Cafe's holiday season in full swing and her annual Christmas day party to plan (with Matthew as co-host and official boyfriend for the first time), Beatrice is going to need all the help she can get from Hamish, Lucky, Petunia ... and a new Christmas kitten!

Tortie Shorties Review: Beatrice and her crime-solving felines save Christmas - and their town - when an unscrupulous developer promises to turn Ashbrook into a year-round Christmas tourist attraction. Plus they make an addition to their little family, making it truly a Christmas to remember!

Egg Noggin': Cooper Sisters Cozy Mystery 3 by Willow Monroe

From the publisher: It’s the night of Cooper’s annual Winter Festival, and everybody is all decked out in holiday cheer - especially Sissy, who is spreading a little more cheer than she probably should. Between her ‘secret’ eggnog recipe, her crazy assistant, and the ever watchful Chuck the Cluck, Sissy has outdone herself this year. Jenny, on the other hand, has decided to sit this year out and simply enjoy herself.

Except that nothing is ever simple, and Jenny finds that out first hand when she and Sissy stumble onto a body and have to find the killer before they escape from the Winter Festival and get away with murder.

Tortie Shorties Review: Super cute short starring a pair of sisters in their 50s who own a chicken farm in Tennessee. While working at the annual winter festival their spiked eggnog has unintended consequences which leads to murder. I have two other of their adventures on my Kindle and I'll definitely be reading them.

The Silence of the Elves: A Holly Hopewell Cozy Mystery by Meg Muldoon

From the publisher: After getting reassigned from the North Pole by a jealous Mrs. Claus, misfit elf Holly Hopewell is sent to work in the worst place imaginable: The North Pole Emporium Department store in Mistletoe, Oregon.The elves call it Mistletoe Row: a place so devoid of joy and Christmas spirit, that many a curly-toed folk has lost their poor mind working there.

But just when Holly thinks things can’t get any worse, the store’s manager, who also happens to be Mrs. Claus’s nephew, is found murdered in his office. And good-natured Holly Hopewell finds herself as the prime suspect in the local police’s investigation. 

Will Holly be sent to a row of a different sort for a crime she didn’t commit? Or will the handsome yet mysterious homicide detective assigned to the investigation find the real murderer before the gumdrops hit the fan for Holly?

Tortie Shorties Review: I requested a review copy of this book based on the cover alone before even reading it's synopsis, and I'm so glad that I did. If you believe in the magic of Christmas you will fall in love with this enchanting story of an elf struggling to find her place in life. Very creative and filled with holiday spirit, and kitty Bob Cratchit has simply stolen my heart!

Maisie, Millie and Molly: Three shelter cats who rescued me ...and saved each other!

A guest post by Leslie Goodwin

The first time Maisie looked at me, I was bewitched. There were hundreds of cats at the shelter, but only one was sending me urgent 911 calls for help. It felt like stepping on a banana peel; or speeding downhill with no brakes. I couldn't look away.

I didn't go to adopt a cat. I went to sign up as a volunteer. But Maisie climbed my leg and clung to my neck. I didn't know then that she had a fever. Now I know she was clinging to me for warmth. She knew she had to get out of there.

I had just lost a cat I had loved for 17 years. This little face looked eerily similar. Was Maisie the reincarnation of my lost one?

Maisie's instant claim on me was flattering and frightening at the same time. I had just lost one old cat and the other was declining rapidly. Could I salvage their loss by rescuing another? And she was burning up. I couldn't bring her home until her fever broke.

I had been running a cat hospice for months, and now I was going to adopt another sick cat? It wasn't logical. But it was imperative.

The first night I brought Maisie home, I was taking pictures to celebrate the long journey I hoped we would share together She would take the place of ghosts haunting my house, and banish all sad memories of loss and sickness with her quiet goodness. But she clung so tightly to my leg I couldn't focus the camera to record the joy and insecurity I felt. How could she put such faith in me? She was drowning and I was a life preserver. I felt the same way about her, I was drowning in grief and she was the oxygen I needed to keep breathing.

Maisie and I clung to each other.

After two days at home, her fever spiked again and we were in the emergency room. Her first weeks home were a nightmare of multiple trips to the vets with no answers and no cures. She had stopped eating, clinging to life while I medicated her and fed her with syringes. Six weeks of antibiotics. She had chosen me and even when my veterinarian recommended that I return her to the shelter, I couldn't let go.

Even after she started to thrive, the first weeks were surprisingly sad despite her over-bearing sweetness, her eagerness to please and her self contained, unremarkable contentment. I was tightly bonded yet repulsed at the same time; my love for her was mixed with pity.

There was something otherworldly about her eyes, slightly slanted, giving her an inscrutable look. Her way of staring at me as if to see a greater meaning in a mundane moment was unnerving. She moved quietly through the house like a memory, sometimes darting away at some small sound or imagined threat that only she could see. She was still a kitten but she acted like she was carrying a 30-pound pack on her back.

She also kept a rigid schedule. Every morning between ten and eleven a.m. she asked to be picked up and alternately purred and whimpered, apparently only able to be happy while expressing sadness. It felt more like hearing a prophecy or a confession.

Living with her was surprisingly sad despite her overbearing sweetness.

Every day at six a.m. and only at six a.m., she waited at my shoulder until I lifted the bed sheets so she could climb under them. She gently lowered herself and flowed into every corner of my bent sleeping body. In the crook of my hip she rested the softest paw. She buried her downy head under my armpit and our breathing fell into sync. Other times, I would attempt to brush her face and she would jerk away. After using the box, she would clean every inch of the top edge after covering. Had she suffered brain damage from the week spent at the shelter clinic burning a temperature of 106?

Maybe she would be happier with a playmate. In Millie, I found her polar opposite, a kitten exploding with energy and with no other goal than to be frenetically happy.

After a rocky introduction, Maisie embraced her adopted sibling. All tragedies averted, we were finally living in domestic bliss. I was overjoyed with my two foundlings and confident of my ability to provide for their every need. Still, the constant sense of impending doom that is common to anyone raising children haunted me. These were not kittens I had raised...kittens I knew had never suffered a day of neglect. These were refugees...discarded by their caretakers. By adopting them, I was trying to piece together our three lives and outlive our painful pasts. We had only our future to celebrate.

We fit together like puzzle pieces.

For months we had been floating on a joyful cloud, so at first I was oblivious when one day, Maisie began to slip away into a shroud of apathy. She was hostile to Millie and refused food. Her body was burning with the fire of a high and persistent fever. My vet taught me how to stick a needle in her neck and administer fluids to bring her temperature down.

Now, the mere sight of her was a reproach, a warning that I could actually fail at doing something that should be as automatic as breathing: to protect and care for my cats. Speeding downhill with no brakes. She had chosen me and once again, I discovered my role in her fate.

Again, I felt the heavy weight that she had been carrying for months: Her body had been fighting a deadly virus ever since that day we met at the shelter. Before, it had gone undetected even in blood work. But our luck had run out. What was once a benign virus had morphed into a fatal disease called Feline Infectious Peritonitis. Her short time of grace came to an end only 13 days after the fever returned.

For days, Millie and I were paralyzed with grief. Then the grief spurred me into action. I could help others with cats suffering from F.I.P. and raise money for research into this mysterious disease. I could share what I had learned with my vets who had never treated a case of this killer mutant virus. Her loss could give new meaning to my life.

We were floating on a joyful cloud.

Losing Maisie taught me that love has no ending. One love leads to another. From the ashes of loss, Maisie chose me and relit the fire of hope. Because of her, we found a blessing called Millie and Maisie led us to Molly.

Here are their stories in their own words:

Millie's Story: The Monster of the Litter

I was the monster of the litter...that's what they said! They called me a Tasmanian Devil! I don't know why. I just liked to attack my sisfurs and brofurs until they squealed. I could play all night. I climbed the curtains and jumped off the shelves. I guess the family didn't like it when I bunny kicked them with my spiky toes and chomped on their fingers when they picked me up because they started to make me go outside.

I was the monster of the litter.

One day a big man in a truck came and took me away to the place where bad kitties and lost kitties go and put me in a cage. I couldn't run, I couldn't jump and I had no one to play with. I went to a hospital and woke up groggy and alone with sewing on my tummy. Would I ever see my family again? For five days I wished they would come and bring me home. Maybe if I acted gentle and sweet they would like me better. Then a lady saw my picture and came to visit me so I could be a sister to her other cat. They couldn't even find me at first because I was still in lost and found. I did my best to act adorable and it worked! She said, "What a sweet, sensible and quiet kitty." (Wink. Wink.)

My new mom kept me by myself at first. In the morning, she came in to visit me and put me inside her bathrobe and tied the belt and toted me around while she made coffee and ate her toast and gave me little bits of egg too. Then I met my new sisfur, Mazy, but she hated me. Hiss. Hiss. Hiss. She yelled at me all day long. Mom said: "I've had enough! Can't you two little punks get along?"

After seven long days of acting afraid, I couldn't take it anymore. I got up some speed and ran straight into Mazy like a bowling ball, screeching with all my might. She toppled over. When she picked herself up, she looked at me with owly eyes! After that, everything changed! She stepped back and let me walk by! We both got into our own baskets. Mazy walked up to me and stuck her nose right into my ear! I didn't dare move. Then she mumbled a little hiss that wasn't scary at all. Just a quiet Fizzz.

After that we started liking each other. She would follow me around and tease me until I chased her. I would sneak up on her and try to tickle her tummy then run away.

We never fell asleep alone.

For a little while we were best buds. We never fell asleep alone. We always cuddled or spooned. Then one day she caught a fever and when I came up to lick her face she hissed at me.

I still can't believe what came next. Mom said my sisfur Mazy had to go to a bridge and sometime I would see her and we could cuddle again. I looked everywhere for the bridge but I couldn't find her anywhere. I stopped eating for a little while cause my tummy hurt I missed her so much. My mom gave me a pill from the doctors but I still felt bad. I wanted Mazy back...but Mom said we could adopt a new sisfur or brofur. Some nights, Mom picked me up and held me to her face and I could feel water leaking out of her eyes. Mom went to the shelter to meet my new buddy but none of the kitties picked her. Finally one day, she met my new sisfur. It took a long time! Six weeks! Her name was Molly.

Molly's Story: Coming home...for good.

For the first two years of my life, I worried: Would I get enough to eat? Have a warm place to sleep? If I went potty on the floor, would I get hit or thrown outside? I learned not to expect much. Nothing lasts forever and if you have a home, you can't hold onto it. By the time I was two, I had four different homes...twice I lived in the same orphanage.

When I was old enough to be a teen mom, they made me go outside. A man in a truck said I was a "public nuisance" so they took me to the place where lost kitties live and they give you operations so I wouldn't be a mom. Pretty soon a man adopted me because I was cute. But only a few months later...he kicked me out. He said he had allergies but he got angry when I peed over the top of the litter box. Why didn't he just clean it and get me a higher one? I learned to hide where no one would hurt me. I didn't want anyone to pick me up because they might throw me again. I learned to hunt on counters or cupboards for food if I didn't see anything in my bowl. I didn't need much to eat because I hid all day and slept. And I moped. I was still very young but I felt very old.

My first day home.

When my real mom came to meet me at the shelter, she looked like she was tired of shopping. I could see that she was sad like me. She had only one cat left and a hole in her heart where the others used to live.

She examined me like a cheap used car. She even opened my mouth! Was I good enough? YES, I said bumping her hand with my head. BE THE ONE I said burrowing my nose into the space under her armpit. PLEASE DON'T GO I said, rubbing her legs with my cheeks. When I saw the open cat carrier in the corner, I hid inside. Even if she didn't pick me, I could escape! She left without me and I went back in the cage. Again. But then she came back and picked me!

My new sisfur, Millie, wanted someone to play with and boss around. She was lonely because her other sisfur got sick and went to a bridge.

Millie was an all-star wrestler and all muscles! She was much stronger than me. And wild, too! So I hid under the bed. I stopped eating I was so worried. I tried to show her not to come near my box by peeing over the edge. I hissed until I was hoarse. Mom didn't understand why I cried when she tried to pick me up or why I wouldn't play with Millie or why I wouldn't ask for food or eat in front of her but I would find an empty can on the counter and lick it clean. I knew my Mom liked Millie more than me. I didn't know yet if I could trust Mom or love her either.

But Mom didn't give up. She got me a higher box and put it where Millie couldn't use it. She kept picking me up every day and one day, I stopped crying because I believed she wouldn't throw me or drop me. She took me to the doctor for not eating. I had to lie on a table and they shaved my tummy and looked inside my guts. Mom taught me how to eat pills and I was pretty good at it. Next we went to another doctor for my chin sores. She made me special homemade chicken dinners and coaxed me out from under the bed.

We had a lot to learn. Mom taught me that I was worth keeping and I taught her to slow down to my speed and be patient. My sisfur taught me how to play hide and seek and how to wrestle. My mom was teaching me to stop worrying.

At first I couldn't even purr. But one day I saw my mom sitting next to the fireplace and I climbed up onto her lap...and I felt a little purr coming. I didn't feel shy anymore. I knew I was where I belonged. Mom was purring at me too, she just kept stroking my cheeks and neck and saying my name. When she felt my throat vibrating from the little purr sound, she hugged me a little too tight but I liked it a little. I knew she must be my real mom forever because I never lived this long in one place before.

I clean her face and she cleans mine.

I'm not scared of my big sisfur anymore. Sometimes I put her in a headlock to let her know I'm boss. We love to play hide and seek. Every night we curl up together and I clean her face and she cleans mine and we tell secrets and sometimes we talk about that time long ago when we were in the orphanage where lost kitties go and we hold each other tight. Then Mom says: Goodnight my sleepy bears.

Leslie Goodwin is the author of the award-winning book CAT SKILLS: Loving care for cats. For over two years, she volunteered on an F.I.P. support site and continues to support F.I.P. victims. Find her on Facebook. Story and photos ©Leslie Goodwin, 2016

Believe in the Magic of Christmas

Meows from Mudpie!

Mommy and I are taking a brief 72 hour break, so we're submitting our Christmas greeting in both Athena's Caturday Art blog hop and the Sunday Selfies hop over at The Cat on My Head. We hope you'll stop by on Monday when we have a guest post featuring a very special adoption story.

We'd like to wish each and every one of our dear friends the happiest of holidays, whatever you'll be celebrating. You make our days so much brighter with your kind comments and support. Thank you for being a part of our online family...we cherish your friendship more than we could ever express.

Mudpie's Letter to Santa

Dearest Santa,

Mommy told me I should write you to tell you what I'd like for Christmas. I've been putting it off and putting it off because what on earth could a pampered little tortie like me ask for?

Last year at Christmas I'd only been in my forever home for a few months and already I had everything I could possibly ever want, and now a full year later it just gets better and better. Tons of toys, yummy treats, food I (mostly) like, warm and cozy places to catnap, more love than I can handle...

Santa, it almost seems unfair that I have so much when other kitties and doggies have so little. Mommy just read to me a story on Facebook about a dog who is going to be spending his third Christmas alone in the shelter, and he feels like no one wants him. He's actually one of the lucky ones...so many cats and dogs are cold and hungry on the street. Others have a "home" where they're neglected and abused and not treated as the treasures that they are.

If I could ask you for anything it would be that you comfort those who are feeling forgotten this Christmas. Every animal is worthy of being safe and loved and cared for and my greatest wish now and all through the year is for all of the cold and scared homeless animals out there to find their forever homes where they will be as cherished as I am.

Can you work your magic and make that happen for me? I promise I've been the bestest girl in the whole wide world and hardly ever get into any trouble. Those two times I scratched Mommy were because I was annoyed by the neighbor cat begging at my door. And I didn't mean to knock that stack of freshly folded laundry on the floor...I tossed a toy in the air and it landed on top of the pile and my nail got stuck trying to get it back. And speaking of toys, Mommy complains that I scatter them all over the house but they're so much fun to play with and then I get tired and don't feel like picking them up. I'm sure you understand.

Maybe I should stop now. Actually, maybe I should ask you for a fur sibling that I can blame these things on!

Merry Christmas, Santa...I love you!

Purrs,
Mudpie

************************************************

And now our weekly answers for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, hosted by 15andmeowing and McGuffy's Reader!

Mommy's answers:

1. I still need to do some baking before Christmas.

2. My favorite episode of Seinfeld is um...should I admit that I've *never* watched an episode of Seinfeld???

Mudpie's answers:

3. What I really would like for Christmas is the 3-day holiday weekend with Mommy all to myself!

4. My favorite part of Christmastime is Secret Paws! Mine arrived yesterday but Mommy says I have to wait until this weekend to open it :(

Santa Arrived Early with Petstages' Tower of Tracks Toy #ChewyInfluencer

Meows from Mudpie!

Even as fussy as I am I love my job as a Chewy Influencer where Chewy.com sends me free food and treats in exchange for my feedback. Who knows, maybe one day I'll receive wet food so good I'll be willing to put away my kibble bowl forever! (Okay, so it's not likely to happen but theoretically it could...)

Still, what really gets my purr motor running is when Chewy offers me a toy. I eat to live but I live to play! This month when my choices arrived in our inbox the Petstages Tower of Tracks toy caught Mommy's eye and she requested it for me with the intention of saving it as a Christmas gift. (Didn't she think I'd find it fishy to see my blogging friends reviewing theirs when I didn't have one? She doesn't think these things through sometimes.) Anyways, the man in brown shorts delivered it early one morning and sure enough, she stashed it away unopened, thankful I was still asleep and didn't hear the little balls rolling around inside. Makes me wonder what else she's been keeping from me...

Fast forward to Monday afternoon when I hear some really interesting sounds coming from the basement where Mommy's wrapping Christmas gifts. I pawed my way down the stairs and guess what I found? One of the most pawsome toys I've ever laid my eyes on! And guess what? Since I immediately started playing with it Mommy didn't have the heart to take it away from me, so I scored a Christmas gift nearly a week early!!!

What's so great about this toy? For one thing, these balls can't get lost under the couch or fridge (where Mommy may or may not have recently found 8 things that belong to me.) It can sit out 24/7 so I can play even when I'm alone, and there's nothing unsafe about it to require supervision. The non-skid pads ensure that it can stand up to the most vigorous play from both single and multi-cat households. I've seen a lot of reviews saying this is the purrfect toy for kittens, but I'm a mature ladycat of 3 and I simply adore it! I have a single layer crazy circle that's been passed down from cat to cat in my home for years, but three levels is so much more fun!



The Petstages Tower of Tracks Cat Toy is currently available at Chewy.com for $13.99. It's probably too late to order and find under your tree on Christmas morning without paying ginormous shipping costs, but we're cats and worthy of special gifts any day of the year, right?

Tell the nice Chewy peeps that Mudpie sent you!

Disclaimer: This toy was sent to us for free by Chewy.com as part of their Blogger Outreach Program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are our own and we never recommend a product we don’t fully believe in.

Paws On Preparations for Secret Paws

Mudpie: Okay, Mommy. I'm done shopping for my Secret Paws* and everything is in this bag. (Darn, that toy really looks like fun. Wish I'd bought one for myself too. I wonder if Mommy would notice if I slipped her credit card out of her wallet again...) I'm gonna need you to help me with the wrapping.

I wanna use this paper and these labels. And make sure they know everything is from Mudpie!

Think we can speed this up a little? My 3:00 nap is already 10 minutes late...

Here, let me help.

Good job, Mommy! Have fun at the post office...and please don't wake me when you get back home. I'm exhausted...

From what I understand our package has already arrived at it's destination. I sure hope my friends enjoy everything I picked out for them!

* Secret Paws is a Secret Santa gift exchange for us kitties who have a blog in the Cat Blogosphere

#ShelterCatsLoveChristmasToo - 5 Ways To Ensure They Aren't Forgotten

Over the past couple weeks on Instagram I've been following the hashtag #CatsLoveChristmasToo. Our precious fur babies may not understand the reasons why we're in such a festive mood but I have no doubt that they're picking up on the fact it's not "business as usual" in our homes.

This got me to thinking about all the kitties still waiting in shelters for their forever homes, and why shouldn't they have the opportunity to enjoy our most joyous of holidays too? These are cats who won't have a Christmas unless someone brings it to them, so we put together some ideas to help brighten their lives.

1) Play Santa Kitty for your local shelter by bringing them a donation of toys and treats. (Small toys work best so you can buy more, but a few wand toys work great too.) Ask your community to donate as well! Then spend an afternoon socializing with the kitties and playing with their new goodies. I guarantee you'll end the day just as happy as the cats!

2) Let Amazon play Santa for you. Thanks to the wonders of Amazon Prime you can have anything delivered anywhere with no shipping charges, plus they'll include a gift receipt for you too! For instance, Tara and Truffles' Alma mater is a good one hour drive north for me, but I always like to send them a little something at Christmas. Last week they put out a call on Facebook for their mascot kitty's special diet food, so we hopped over to Amazon and bought them a bag, and also threw in a case of their favorite wet food and a fun pack of 20 assorted toys. 48 hours later our gift was delivered to their door!

3) Is your cat getting a new bed or cat tree for Christmas? If their old one is still in good shape consider donating it to your local shelter!

4) Grab a bunch of Christmas stockings at the dollar store, one for each cat cage (or dog kennel!) Ask the shelter to encourage visitors to stuff the stockings with toys and other goodies.When the animal is adopted their stocking can go home with them!

5) Foster a cat or kitten for Christmas. Have you ever read the book A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid? In the story a shelter seeks temporary homes for its dogs during the days leading to Christmas in an effort to clear the shelter for the holidays when there is not enough staff available to care for the animals. This not only alleviates the pressure on shelter workers but also gives the cat or dog a sneak peek of what Christmas in their forever home will be like...and who knows, maybe you'll end up discovering you can't live without each other! Wouldn't that be the greatest Christmas gift of all?

We can all do something to shower shelter animals with love and gifts at a time when they might otherwise be forgotten. After all, shelter cats love Christmas too!

Have you done something special for your favorite shelter this holiday season? 

Tell us about it!