Friday, May 24, 2013

Crookshanks (And Kittens!) Come Out To Play During Animal Actors Week At Harry Potter Studio Tour



Attention Harry Potter enthusiasts! What are you up to the week of May 25 - June 2? If you're anywhere near the UK, you should pack up the cats and head to London for Animal Actors Week at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. The studio, where all of the HP movies were filmed, opened its doors to the public last year, and gives fans the chance to explore the actual sets and props used in the making of the magical franchise.

Those lucky enough to attend the special event will have the chance to meet the cats who played Mrs. Norris and Crookshanks as they prowl around the Gryffindor common room (!), and pose for pics with owls who played Hedwig and Pigwidgeon. If that's not enough, you'll also have the opportunity to meet a Neapolitan Mastiff, trained like those who played Hagrid’s dog Fang, and go behind-the-scenes and learn how rats and toads, such as those who played Neville Longbottom’s toad Trevor and Ron Weasley’s rat Scabbers, were trained as animal actors.


Meet our Twitter Litter

To help promote Animal Actors Week, the studio recently introduced the "Twitter Litter", a group of kittens who will be on hand to show how the evil Dolores Umbridge's lifelike porcelain kitten plates were created. Animal trainer Julie Tottman and her team used 40 kittens during filming, and will be recreating the process with these lil babies (all named by fans on Twitter), to show how they go from acting amateurs to skilled feline thespians. 

Meet the Twitter Litter:


Fletcher


Fleur


Marbles


Nala


Rita


Nox

I am a big Harry Potter fan, and am figuring out how to apparate so I can steal meet Hedwig and Crookshanks as we speak. Animal Actors Week runs from May 25 - June 2 at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. Get your tickets here.


Via Warner Bros. Studio Tour London / Twitter (@WBStudioTour)


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Happy 6th Birthday, Maru!


I Am Maru 5

Happy Birthday, Maru! The famous Japanese feline turns six today, and as tradition dictates, his owner has put together a compilation of the cutest moments the Scottish Fold has committed to film over the past year to celebrate.



Via I am Maru.


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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Catsparella T-Shirt And Tote Bag Giveaway Winners!


catsparella.bigcartel.com

Thanks to all who entered the Catsparella T-Shirt and Tote Bag Giveaway! I used Random.org to determine the winners, and it selected comment #47 belonging to Tessa for the t-shirt, and #70 belonging to Kellyanne for the tote!  

Congrats, ladies!

In case you missed out, be sure to visit The Catsparella Shop to get your paws on the "Every Day is Caturday" tee, or a "If you think I'm cute, you should see my cat" tote of your very own!


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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Cat Cupcake Tuesdays

I recently received an email from Conny of Sweet & Spicy bakery in Vienna, Austria, who was excited to share some of her cat-themed creations!


My favorite kitty cake


Hello Kitty Cupcakes


Cat Cake Topper

Special thanks to Conny for giving us a peek at her creative kitty sweets this week!

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Have you created or spotted any kitty-themed baked goods (or other foods) lately? If so, please submit your sweet tips for Cat Cupcake Tuesdays to catsparella@gmail.com!


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Monday, May 20, 2013

Grumpy Cat Cheers Up Cancer Patients At Arizona Hospital


(Click here to watch if video doesn't load)

Being sick in the hospital is never fun, but some cancer patients in Arizona had a reason to smile last week after receiving a visit from one of the most famous cats on the internet. 

Patients at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center in Goodyear lined up for a meet-in-greet with Tardar Sauce, who used her grump for good as she dutifully posed for snapshots with fans.



"Getting five or 10 minutes where you're able to not be a cancer patient and to not be worried about the chemotherapy or the radiation or the surgery, and to just laugh at something inane and silly and goofy is absolutely essential to your survival," says Michelle Hastings, a patient at the hospital who got to pose with the puss.

While the Arizona native didn't exactly look happy about her therapeutic duties, her owner Tabatha Bundesen believes that she's really a people pleaser at heart. 



"It warms my heart to spread joy and I think Grumpy Cat really likes doing it despite her expression about it. But she's really happy about making people happy," she told MyFoxPhoenix.

Via MyFoxPhoenix.com


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Sunday, May 19, 2013

It's Caturday!

Welcome back for another edition of Caturday, where we catch up on the week's latest cat news, and get to meet some of your amazing kitties!

This week was a bit of a short week, because I was off at the BlogPaws pet blogging and social media conference, and took the opportunity to step away from my laptop for a few days to reunite with my fellow cat ladies, and meet new blogging friends from across the country. I have to give a big shout out to Purina for being my sponsor, and making it possible for me to attend this year!

I definitely learned a lot, and am excited/nervous to put out there that while I plan to continue blogging, I am also hoping to parlay my experience into a career in the pet industry. It's hard for me to admit that I need a little help, but if you or someone you know is looking to hire a passionate, (award-winning!) blogger with three years of online media experience and proven results, I am interested in exploring positions in content creation, blogger outreach, public relations, and social media. You can read a little more about me here, or contact me directly at catsparella@gmail.com for more information, or with any tips or advice you have to share. Thank you in advance for your help!

And finally, there's still time to enter to win your choice of a Catsparella "Every Day is Caturday" t-shirt, or "If you think I'm cute, you should see my cat" tote! I'm drawing the lucky winners this coming Tues. 5/21! 


Cheech

This week's featured feline is an adorable kitty who is super loved! His Caturday submission was a family affair!

Laurie writes:

Cheech traveled all the way to Maryland from Washington State with my daughter, Chelsea. She found him when she was there for a short stay and couldn't leave without him. She was destined to have him in her life, and he has brought her a lot of joy!





Our whole family loves our fur baby Cheech. He likes lazing around on her T.V. stand, and chasing a laser pointer for hours on end. He also loves his catnip and belly rubs, and has a sister named Violet!





I also heard from Laurie's daughter, Chelsea, who told me a little more about her baby boy!

Chelsea adds:

As my mom told you, he hails all the way from WA state :) So clearly he is my pride and joy. His sister Violet has the COMPLETE opposite personality of Cheech, but that doesn't stop her from loving her brother. They're constantly washing each other, it's absolutely adorable. She follows him everywhere, even to the food dish. 


Cheech and Violet



But back to the star ;) Cheech is almost 5 years old. We believe he is Maine Coon, but we're not positive. I just did a little research and that's what I found to fit him best. Cheech LOVES to play, especially chasing a laser pointer. I've never seen a cat move so fast in a circle, haha. He also loves to jump super high for his toys! 





He is a total people person and lap cat, and he loves having his belly rubbed. I call him my little puppy because he follows me around like a dog :P When we lived in Washington State he was an indoor/outdoor cat. But since moving back to Baltimore if I take him out it's on a kitty leash. 

Cheech loves crab meat, tuna, and just about anything!





Special thanks to Laurie and Chelsea for sharing the incomparable Cheech with us this week!

p.s. Looking for more Catsparella? Check out my weekly style column over on Catster!

This week:
You Tell Us: Are These 5 Cat Rings Cute or Cray?

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Want to see your cat(s) on Catsparella? I'm always accepting submissions for my weekly Caturday post! Just email your best kitty pics to catsparella@gmail.com, and include your cat's name and anything else you'd like to share. I can't wait to hear from you!


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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

TVStoreOnline.com Kitty T-Shirt Giveaway Winner!


Soft Kitty T-Shirt

Thanks to all who entered the kitty-themed t-shirt giveaway from TVStoreOnline.com! I used Random.org to determine the winner, and it selected comment #5 belonging to Valerie, who chose the Soft Kitty t-shirt! 

Congrats Valerie!

Be sure to check out out TVStoreOnline.com for their huge selection of licensed tees and other merch from your favorite tv shows, movies, music, and more!


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