Win A Yoga Cat Mat From Feline Yogi!

The Yoga Cat Mat

It's no secret that cats are natural yoga practitioners because of their innate flexibility and meditative nature (who hasn't caught their cat in a "yoga" pose?), so why not get them a mat to practice those sun salutations in earnest? Introducing the The Yoga Cat Mat from Feline Yogi, for "today’s hip modern enlightenment seeking cat." 

Paige Hodges is a 20-year yoga veteran and cat lover who created the Yoga Cat Mat with input and guidance from her kitty, Pippy. The innovative product serves as a toy, scratcher, and most importantly, "an ideal place for kitty to chill out, meditate, and practice Shavasana (aka “resting pose")."


Hunter

Paige recently shared an adorable testimonial on her website from a Maine Coone named Hunter, who enjoys keeping his practice low-key. The fluffy yogini even has his own ridiculously adorable affirmations (affurmations?), which frankly we could all benefit from:

* My humans provide me with plenty of yummy food several times a day.
* I am the perfect size and I’m grateful for all my fluffy fur.
* I am smart enough, I weigh enough,and doggonit my humans love me!



The extra thick kitty-sized mats are made with phthalate free dyes and inks, and are equipped with a catnip stuffed twine ball on sisal rope "to stimulate and inspire you to transcend any perceived limitations and further explore the inner space of your feline self." 

Also awesome? A portion of all sales are donated to help homeless cats in need.

Enter To Win!



Paige and Pippy have generously offered one lucky Catsparella reader the chance to win a Yoga Cat Mat from Feline Yogi!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name, and some way for me to contact you if you win (email, link back to your blog or profile, Twitter, etc.) The winner be will chosen in a random drawing next Tuesday, February 26 at 5:00PM EST. This giveaway is open to everyone, so our international friends can participate too! One entry per person, please.

Good luck, and be sure to visit the Feline Yogi website and Etsy shop, and follow them on Facebook for more tips on helping your cat follow their path to feline enlightenment!

(If you have trouble leaving a comment, please email me at catsparella@gmail.com)

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Win A Yoga Cat Mat From Feline Yogi!

Amazing Feline Yoga Master

Yoga Cat

Cats are natural yoga practitioners with built-in flexibility and meditative mindsets, but this feline teacher takes it to the next level, painstakingly overseeing every aspect of his student's mat routine. I must admit I was pretty blown away by this cat's technique, and would love to see him open up the world's first cat-led yoga studio, along with fellow fitness enthusiast, Shorty the cat!

Mr. Sprinkles charges $75/hour and has a six-month waiting list

Via Daily Picks and Flicks

Amazing Feline Yoga Master

Yoga with Shorty the Cat

I already have a soft spot for cats doing yoga - After all, the 2011 Yoga Kittens calender is currently gracing my wall - So it's no surprise that I instantly fell in love with the little black kitten known as Shorty the Cat, after viewing her relaxing and informative yoga instructional video! (Let's be honest, this cat is better at yoga than me.)

According to her Facebook page, Shorty was adopted from the Humane Society in November 2010, and since then, she's gone on to "explore dance, high jumping, world domination, and trapeze, not necessarily in that order." At only six months old, this budding video star is clearly one to watch, and you can catch up with her weekly adventures on the Shorty the Cat YouTube Channel, and on her official Facebook Fan Page!

Yoga with Shorty the Cat

Custom Kitty Yoga Mat

Oprah Winfrey recently celebrated her 57th birthday, and Jennifer Aniston dropped by her show yesterday to present a gift to the talk show queen. What do you get the woman who has everything? Aniston gave Winfrey one of her personal favorite things, a customized yoga mat by YogaMatic.

Oprah's mat featured a full-color portrait of her furry "family" of dogs, but I was thinking how cool would it be to get a mat covered in kittens? While struggling in a challenging pose, there'd be nothing like looking down at a cute cat face to keep you calm and motivated!

You can upload your own photo at the YogaMatic site, but they come at a price - $85.00 for a mat and a shoulder bag, which is pretty steep. Looking for some more economical options? I did some searching and came across these two cat-themed mats to help fulfill your yoga kitty needs!

Cat Yoga Mat - Karma Kiss, $37.00

Cat Paws Print Yoga Mat - YogaRat/Amazon, $19.99

I also found pics of these amazing Hello Kitty mats, but unfortunately, I can't find any information on where to buy them! Any clue? Let me know in the comments!

Via Oprah.com / YogaMatic

Custom Kitty Yoga Mat

Catsparella 2011 Cat Calendar Guide

2011 is rapidly approaching, and what better way to celebrate than with a brand spanking new cat calendar to help make the passage of time more bearable?

I've picked out a few of my favorite feline styles for the upcoming year that I can't wait to get my paws on this season!


Yoga Kittens 2011 Calendar - Amazon, $11.19

Yoga cats are so last year; This year is all about yoga kittens! Thanks to my local Lululemon Athletica store, most Sunday mornings you will find me on my mat, releasing all of the tensions that come with a busy week of cat-blogging. ;) This calendar is the perfect combination of two of my loves, and is probably what you will most likely find adorning my wall come January 1st.

Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association 2011 Calendar, $15.00

Remember the kitten massage therapy cats, Clea and Oreo?? (if not, check them out here). They are just two of the success stories that have come out of VOKRA, or the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association. The calendar features 160 pictures of their cats and kittens, "heart-warming stories" (my favorite kind!), and useful information for cat owners. Also, I have it on good authority that darling kitty Clea made it into the calendar this year! Best of all, proceeds from the sale go towards VOKRA's amazing rescue work!

Dreamcats - fieldguided, $10.00

Dreamcats is one of my favorite cat-themed photo Tumblrs, dedicated to the pursuit of capturing "girls & cats, cats in soft focus, cats on film, dream cats." In the spirit of capturing the feline ethereal, one of the curators of the site has created a dreamcats inspired calendar, featuring laser printed images of hand-drawn cats and kittens that would look lovely just about anywhere.

2011 Invincible Summer Animal Calendar - Spinster Summer, $12.00

This is my one selection that isn't strictly cats, but I am letting it slide because I love the idea of these whimsical illustrations taken from real life. If these images look familar, it's because you've probably seen them before.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

In addition to "2 Unhappy Cats" and "2 Contented Cats", the calendar also includes drawings of "2 Fennec Foxes", "2 Cuddling Deer", "2 Dressed Up Dogs", and "1 Singing Dinosaur".

Angel Cat Sugar 2011 Wall Calendar - Calendars.com, $14.99

Still plotting her world domination, new Sanrio cat on the block Angel Cat Sugar shines in her 2011 calendar. I must admit, this kitty angel with a heart of gold is growing on me.

2011 Sleeping Cat Calendar - Paper Source, $13.50

This adorable cat-a-month calendar features twelve multi-colored kitties that can be stacked together and placed in a small stand to sit on your desk. Meow, meow!

Hello Kitty 2011 Wall Calendar: Classic - Sanrio, $14.00

Hello Kitty fans are in luck this year. With a multitude of HK calendars to chose from, your only dilemma will be choosing which one is your favorite! While I love the Hello Kitty and Sanrio Friends special edition style, my first pick is this classic calendar that brings me right back to my childhood.

2011 Lucky Cats Standing Desk Calendar - Lucky Bird Press, $16.00

My well-documented love of lucky cats, or Maneki Neko still stands. This darling calendar even has a list of holidays you should remember every month, and space to jot down notes and birthday reminders.

Tournee Chat Noir 2011 Wall Calendar - Calendars.com, $17.99

Featuring my favorite cat poster art ever, Steinlen's "Le Chat Noir", this artsy calendar includes a sophisticated selection of French posters and advertisements "all for the love of cats."

United Bamboo 2011 Calendar - United Bamboo, $50.00

Looking to splurge? Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you've probably already heard about clothing company United Bamboo's now annual cat fashion calendar. I posted some sneak peeks last week, and now Fashionista is sharing the exclusive backstories of some of the cat supermodels.

I have to say that the biggest surprise was that my favorite cat, a gorgeous white fluffball in a grey and turquiose printed frock, is actually a cross-dressing boy named Ziggy!

Vice is also featuring some shots of the calendar, along with the cat's real-life fashion counterparts.

Purrfection!

Know of any fab kitty calendars I missed? Let me know in the comments!

Catsparella 2011 Cat Calendar Guide

Cats and Yoga

I've been on a yoga kick lately, and when I saw this meditating kitty video thats been making its way around the net today, I knew it was time for a cats and yoga post.

Of course, not all cats are open to the practice:

Images via ReservoirBlog and YogaDork

Cats and Yoga