Cat-vertising From Vintage Vanity Fur Parody Magazine

Back in the late 80s, Ilene Hochberg made a name for herself by authoring several best-selling animal themed magazine parodies, including titles such as Dogue, Catmopolitan, and later, Good Mousekeeping. While all of the books include articles, paws down, the highlight of each is the advertisements.

I recently came across a copy of another one of Hochberg's meow-sterpieces, Vanity Fur, and scanned a few of my favorite cat-themed ads for your enjoyment! Click on any of the images below to enlarge.

Hissey Miyake

Poisson Espurrit De Parfum by Catfish Dior Paris

Pawsession by Calvin Klaw

Scratch Watch

Purrscriptives

Purry Ellis

Bonus! In a feature called Slaves to Fashion, "designer dogs and couture cats" show off their pet designers. Can you guess who this young and fresh faced fashion designer is? Why, it's none other than Michael Kors and his Devon Rex cat, Max!

Cat-vertising From Vintage Vanity Fur Parody Magazine

Maru Comes Stateside With New Book Release

Maru is coming to America! Well..kind of. The most popular cat on the internet is poised to take over the New York Times Best Sellers list when his book, "i am maru" is released in the U.S. by William Morrow on August 23rd.

From the publisher:

This round, adorable Scottish Fold cat may be an internet sensation, but he knows how to keep his celebrity status from going to his fluffy head...mostly. Maru and his owner, mugumogu, give readers a peek into the low-key life of the world's most famous cat. See all his favorite hiding places - trash cans, cupboards, cereal boxes...if it's cozy, he's there - meet his treasured toys, and learn what it means to wield just the right amount of catitude.

The book was originally released in Japan in 2009, and the English version is said to include "a special edition inside jacket poster." The 96-page hardcover will retail for $15.99, but you can pre-order it now on Amazon for just $10.87.

Finish the following sentence: I haven't been this excited for a book to come out since _____ !

Updated to add: Commenter Ten22 reminded me that there are a SLEW of awesome cat books coming out soon!

Look for Yasmine Surovec's "Cat Versus Human" to be released on October 4th [pre-order here], and "Crafting With Cat Hair" to hit bookshelves on November 1st! [pre-order here].

Update #2: "i am maru" UK pre-order link - Thanks, Beth!

Via USA Today, courtesy of my friend Ann from Careers For Your Cat!

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Visit http://www.dogtime.com/petties to vote!

Maru Comes Stateside With New Book Release

Priscilla Reviews "The Meowmorphosis"

I recently reported on a new book called "The Meowmorphosis," a mash-up of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" and, well...cats. Since I've had a lot on my plate lately, I asked Priscilla if she'd mind stepping in to provide a review of the latest Quirk classic, and after much negotiation over a bag of Temptations treats, she begrudgingly agreed.

What do we have here?

At first she was dubious.

"I can really relate to Gregor Samsa's struggle of waking up as a cat."

Then I gave her some more treats she really got into it.

"Zzzzzz"

She also tested it for comfort, in case of an unexpected nap attack.

Final verdict: Two paws up!

"The Meowmorphosis" is available now online, and at a bookstore near you!

The keen observer may notice that several pictures of Priscilla now have been staged in the same spot (See: here and here). No, that doesn't mean she's bound to her faux sheepskin bed, but rather that I've found the best time to elicit her cooperation is when she's half in the bag, i.e. during her afternoon nap.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, however they did not tell me what to do with it or what to say about it. All thoughts and opinions expressed by my cat are her own!

Priscilla Reviews "The Meowmorphosis"

Kafka Goes Kitty in "The Meowmorphosis"

Quirk Classics, an imprint of Quirk Books, has enjoyed mountains of success with their popular series of mash-up novels that combine literary classics with modern cultural references. You may be familiar with some of their standout titles, such as "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," and "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters."

Most recently, their latest take on the quirk-ified classic is "The Meowmorphosis," a retelling of Franz Kafka's haunting tale of transformation... now with more kittens!

The plot is similar to the original, in that Gregor Samsa wakes up one day transformed into something other than himself, however this time it's not as a monstrous insect, but instead as a very large pussycat. The book trailer promises, "A version of Kafka's nightmarish tale with more anxiety, more terror, and more hairballs."

Early reviews have been generally positive, and this appraisal in particular caught my attention:

"While the initial chapters stick close to Kafka's well-known novella, the book spirals out of control (in a good way) when Samsa leaves his parents' home to relieve them of the burden of caring and feeding for such a large, adorable kitten. Co-author Coleridge Cook (a pseudonym for an award-winning fantasy novelist) describes Samsa's feline behavior in detail, and not a page goes by in which a piece of furniture is not scratched for perched on. Bowls of milk are lapped at, and humans are snuggled with. Will cat-lovers enjoy "The Meowmorphosis"? Yes -- there's no doubt in my mind that cat-lovers will find Samsa just as cute and cuddly as his sister does in the story. I'm a dog person, and even I was LOL-ing by the book's end."

"The Meowmorphosis" will be released in bookstores on May 10th, and is available now for for pre-order on Amazon!

Via EW

Kafka Goes Kitty in "The Meowmorphosis"

Kittens Enjoy a "Busy Day" in Vintage Children's Book

I have a small collection of unusual cat books, and decided that maybe it was time to dust some off and share them with you! In the first installment of Catsparella's Bookshelf, we have "Busy Day," a hardcover children's picture book by Suzanne Green, published in 1987. The 28-page book documents a day in the life of a trio of precious little kittens, and their disciplinarian mother.

Our story begins with sister kitty sewing herself an apron while said mother is out running some errands.

Things start to go awry when mama cat returns, and sees that the wee kits have made a big mess while she was out.

She sets them off on a series of tasks, including sweeping floors -

And washing windows!

After lunch and chores are complete, she gives the kittens permission to play!

It's been a busy day indeed, and Mother reads them a story before tucking them in for the night.

It's important to point out that no animals were harmed in the creation of the book, and the introducton also contains an interesting Note to Grown-Ups that both reassures and warns readers that the "Pelorian Cats" seen in "Busy Day" are no ordinary kitties.

In other words, don't try this at home!

Kittens Enjoy a "Busy Day" in Vintage Children's Book

You Oughta Know: Homer the Blind Wonder Cat

I recently picked up a copy of Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, Or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat, written by Gwen Cooper.

Homer was a tiny, abandoned black kitten when he was taken to a vet's office in 1997 with a life-threatening eye infection. The couple who brought him in wanted him to be put to sleep, but the young vet saw potential in the little fellow, and felt that he could still live a fulfilling life even without his sight.

No one wanted to adopt the special needs cat, until Gwen came along and fell in love at first sight (or first sniff, in Homer's case). From career and apartment changes, through experiencing 9/11 in NYC, to finding love, and eventually getting married, Homer was always by Gwen's side to provide motivation and inspiration.

The beginning of each chapter includes a passage from The Odyssey that corresponds to the theme of the section, and there are many examples that illustrate how Homer's irrepressible spirit inspired Gwen, and continually pushed her forward. Like Homer, Gwen learned that sometimes you have to take a risk when you don't know what's going to happen (Homer truly embodies the phrase, "blind leap of faith"), and just because something in life seems improbable, it doesn't mean that it's impossible. As Gwen explains in the video below, Homer "doesn't let uncertainty stop him" and "nobody can tell you what your potential is."

I found the book to be both moving and inspirational. Sometimes funny, sometimes dramatic, it showcases the love and true bond that a pet owner has with their animals, and how sometimes life's most unexpected surprises can be the sweetest.

Homer's Odyssey is available now in hardcover, and was just released in paperback today with a new cover, after word, and never before seen pictures. The best part is, 10% of all Gwen’s domestic royalties from the book will be donated to organizations that serve abused, abandoned, and disabled animals, including Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary, Inc. Be sure to get your paws on a copy today!

You Oughta Know: Homer the Blind Wonder Cat

Bedtime Story: "Big Little Kitty"

"Big Little Kitty" is the charming tale of a kitten named Muffin who is gifted to little Karen Kay on Christmas morning. Muffin does all of the things normal kittens do, such as tangle a string, admire herself in the mirror, play with mice, pretend to cry when Karen Kay goes out, etc.

One day, Muffin decides she is bored being a house kitten. Living in the lap of luxury isn't exciting enough for her, so she decides to run away because it's "time to see the world." Apparently, she is a highly aspirational kitten who has read Karen Kay's mother's copy of "The Feminine Mistake."

Wordly as she is, Muffin's first stop is the meadow to speak with some friendly cows who try to convince her to stay with them.

Unimpressed, she continues on her journey and meets a shady Choo Choo train who lures her to the city with a promise that "the city has lots more things to see than a field and a fence and a chestnut tree."

Oooook, then. So, she hops on the train and away she goes to see wonderful things like "smoke and sunshine" and "roofs and doors" because they only have those things in the city, you know.

Meanwhile, back at the homestead Karen Kay keeps praying in her cute pink nightgown that Muffin will return someday. And wouldn't you know, since this is a 25 cent children's story, she does! And she doesn't come alone, she brings two other ragamuffin kittens with her! And instead of being cold, hungry, and dirty they all look super cute and have coordinating ribbons tied around their necks. Muffin looks happy, but the other two looked kinda bewildered, like, "we left the city for this?"

Anyway, the point is: Muffin finally comes to her senses and returns to the good life. In the land of tell-tale books, this includes a mouse on wheels, a customized food dish, a cozy cat bed, and a small pink ball of yarn. It does not include living in the city, riding public transportation, and rats.

The End.

Bedtime Story: "Big Little Kitty"