Lil Bub Takes Time To Enjoy The View, Meets Robert De Niro

Lil Bub Visits "The View"! 

I'm still riding high off the excitement of meeting Lil Bub on Monday, and have even more news to report on her whirlwind media tour in support Vice's "Lil Bub & Friendz" documentary. Shortly after she and owner Mike Bridavsky made an appearance on The Today Show over the weekend, the tiny tabby and her dude stopped by The View yesterday, where they charmed everyone from Whoopi Goldberg to Barbara Walters.



TMZ reports that after the show, Bub jetted back to the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC, where she snuggled up to festival co-founder, Robert De Niro (check out the adorable pic here). According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Oscar winner specifically requested a meet and greet with the pint sized puss, who is said to be the breakout star of the event.


Even Sherri Shepherd and Elisabeth Hasselbeck are smitten with Lil Bub!

In response to concern from fans over Bub's hectic schedule over the past few days, Mike took to the permakitten's Facebook page to assure everyone of her well being, writing, "BUB and I would like to assure everyone that BUB is feeling great, getting lots of rest, eating lots of fishes and enjoying the trip. Please understand that her well being is my top priority. Remember that in between the interviews and red carpets (which she loves anyway), she is cuddling, napping, peeing, pooping and being awesome. GOOD JOB BUB."

He also shared that her Meet-And-Greets at Social Tees Animal Rescue in NYC and at the Pennsylvania SPCA in Philly netted $2,400 in donations, and hundreds of pounds of food and litter for felines in need.

Lil Bub Takes Time To Enjoy The View, Meets Robert De Niro

Street Pussy T-Shirt Giveaway Winner!

Thanks to all who entered the Street Pussy Limited Edition T-Shirt Giveaway! I used Random.org to determine the winner, and it selected comment #27 belonging to Amy Lynn, who wrote, "Wow!! This is such an awesome giveaway - Thank you!!! I am a huge fan of the Street Pussy artwork and obviously this shirt rocks!"

Congrats, Amy!

Be sure to check out Street Pussy on Tumblr, and follow them on Facebook to check out all of their latest feline street photography!

Street Pussy T-Shirt Giveaway Winner!

Floof Bug Cute Cat Note Card Set Giveaway!

Writing Set of 5 Notecards (enter to win below!)

As soon as I saw Kellie Michelle's Floof Bug shop, I knew I was in the right place. It was immediately clear that we shared similar passions in life, for cupcakes, cats, and the color pink!


Acrylic Kitten Pendant

After working as a costume designer for over seven years, Kellie Michelle decided that she needed a change. She left her full-time job to create Floof Bug, and opened her paperie on Etsy. 


Thank You Note Card Set

Her collection consists of beautiful stationery, cards, accessories, prints, and girly gifts that come from her love of all things cute. A self proclaimed cat lady, she even has a character named Lulu Lolli, a fluffy white diva of a feline, who was inspired by her real life cat of the same name!


Glass Cat Pendant

With her glimmering green eyes, long lashes, and fabulous white fur, Lulu reminds me of a kawaii version of French Kitty. And just like her namesake, this posh feline lives a glamorous life filled with luxury and sweet treats. ♥ 

Enter To Win!


Writing Set of 5 Note Cards

Kellie Michelle had generously offered one lucky Catsparella reader the chance to win an adorable note card set of their own!

The cute card writing set includes:
5 linen note cards
5 colorful envelopes
5 pink cat seals
Boxed with raffia ribbon for extra girly cuteness!

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, April 30 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 check out the Floof Bug Etsy shop, website, and Facebook page to stay up-to-date on all of their latest designs!

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

Comments are now closed. Thanks for entering!

Floof Bug Cute Cat Note Card Set Giveaway!

Cat Cupcake Tuesdays

This week's pretty in pink cat cupcakes come to us from Fiona of I Used to be Scared of Cats, who writes:

I love your blog and especially your Cupcake Tuesday feature, it definitely inspired me to get my bake on this weekend and I thought I'd share :)



I used this cupcake recipe and this buttercream frosting recipe from Glorious Eats.



Decorating was pretty simple, mini M&Ms for the eyes and nose, raspberries for the ears, licorice for the whiskers and a little flower candy (because I couldn't help myself :P)



They were fun to make and delicious to eat, although I did feel a little guilty for chomping into their cute faces!



P.S. I included a pic of the chickens at my house because I got to use their eggs!

Special thanks to Fiona for sharing her adorable cupcakes (and chickens!) with us this week! I thought her idea of using raspberries for the ears was purrfect!

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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!

Cat Cupcake Tuesdays

I Met Lil Bub!

Me and Lil Bub

Today, I joined hundreds of other cat lovers at the Pennsylvania SPCA in Philadelphia for the chance to get up close and personal with celebri-kitty, Lil Bub. I've never met an internet famous cat before, so going in I was a little bit nervous, and didn't know what to expect.



The crowd was a diverse mix of age and gender, but one characteristic that everyone shared was a pure, unadulterated love for Bub. Many of the people I chatted with in line took the day off of work to meet her, and when asked what makes her so special, one grown man replied, "because she's f*cking awesome." 


Got my Lil Bub "YES" pin!

While waiting in line, we were instructed to sanitize our hands, and given adorable "YES" pins (cuz Grumpy Cat says, "NO", get it?), along with a postcard promoting her upcoming book, due out in September. Fans could purchase Lil Bub merch, including tees, totes, buttons, and posters (30% of the profits price were donated to the shelter), and were also encouraged to leave donations of money or food, toys, and litter, in exchange for the chance to meet, kiss, and take a picture with her Bubness.





The whole experience kinda felt like being at a concert, and after waiting over an hour for the chance to see her (I got there way early), we were escorted to a private room where was stationed. When I walked in, she was calmly seated on a soft green knit blanket, just chillin' and doing her own thing. 

We were allowed to pet her and take pictures  - the only rule was that she didn't like being touched behind the ears. They had a little ribbon that they were wiggling around trying to get her attention, but in typical cat fashion she just looked up and smiled when she felt like it. Her dude, Mike Bridavsky, was also there keeping a close watch over her. I got the chance to chat with him for a few minutes, and he couldn't have been nicer.


Looking good, Bub!

What really struck me about the whole experience wasn't how tiny or soft she was, but witnessing firsthand the happiness that she brings into people's lives. I saw men exiting the meeting room with huge grins on their faces, and a woman clutching her chest and exclaiming, "She's just perfect!" You would think they had just met a rockstar, not a tiny, toothless cat who they follow on the internet. 



Bub was in town as part of her East Coast tour for the release of her new documentary, "Lil Bub & Friendz", which debuted last week at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC (check out the trailer and screening times here). I viewed it over the weekend in preparation for meeting her, and found it unexpectedly moving. In addition to being an examination of internet cat culture (mostly in terms of videos), it also provides a closer look into Bub's life, including her medical conditions, and the story of the family who found her in their shed as a kitten. It also gives fans the chance to observe the deep bond that she shares with Mike, who says she is like his daughter.

Watching the documentary and meeting Bub in person today has really given me a deeper understanding about what makes her such an extraordinary cat. She truly is a living, breathing miracle, and nearly two years after landing on Earth, it's clear that her mission is far from done. Long live Lil Bub!

To learn more about Lil Bub, visit her website at lilbub.com.

I Met Lil Bub!

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, Grumpy Cat, Lil Bub, and Henri, le Chat Noir became published authors, my kitties reviewed Miaow.ie, the cat video toy for 21st century felines, Jacki shared her hilarious and heartwarming bachelorette (catchelorette) party cake, we checked out some cool reader pics and posted updates on The Catsparella Store, and Around The World In 80 Cats visited Taipei, where they recently unveiled a half million dollar "Cat Overpass" in Houtong!

Elsewhere, there's still time to enter for your chance to win a limited edition tee from Street Pussy! I'm drawing the lucky winner this coming Tuesday, 4/23!

Also, I want to give a shout-out to Christie from Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society for inviting me to attend their Paws for Celebration event last night in East Brunswick, NJ! The company (and food!) were top notch, and I had a wonderful time! The rescue had a terrific year, and found forever homes for 154 cats in 2012. I'll be writing more about the awesome work they do later this week!

And finally, it is with great difficulty that I write this (literally, because the screen keeps going dark every two seconds, ughhh), but after five years and nearly 2,000 posts, my beloved laptop has decided that it's time to retire from the cat blogging game. It probably seems silly to be so sad about a machine, but I have a tendency to get emotionally attached to things, and it was my first laptop, and the computer I started Catsparella on almost three years ago. I'm going to pick up a replacement as soon as I finish writing this (I'm not quitting blogging, just mourning my dead Mac), but first, let's have a toast to the good times. It only seems fitting that she went out on a Caturday.

~*RIP MacBook 2008 - 2013*~

Frankie

This week's featured feline is a pretty ginger rescue kitten, and her beautiful stepsisters!

Sara writes:

Frankie is a 10-month-old rescue kitten from Buffalo, NY! She always sleeps with her tounge out!



She is our little devil, the last one in the litter that no one wanted because she was all covered in dirt and sadly full of parasites. A little bit of soap and a lot of medication from the vet, and she was as good as new. She loves rolling in her Sunday paper, stealing q-tips, and she can't sneak attack her stepsisters enough!


Kitty and Penny

My other two rescue cats are Kitty (gray) and Penny (black). Penny was named after penguins since they both wear the same outfit, and was adopted from our local pet shelter just last year. Her hobbies include harassing her people parents for water from the tub faucet every time they use the bathroom, and hogging the cable box for warmth.

Kitty is our little diva. She likes to lay on you a certain way and will wait until you have that blanket just right before she will grace you with her presence. After years of being jealous, Kitty finally found a friend in her buddy Frankie, and loves rolling around in hourly wrestling matches with her.

Special thanks to Sara for sharing her lovely ladies with us this week!

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

This week:
Own a Piece of Your Favorite Internet Celebrity Cat

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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!

It's Caturday!

Around The World In 80 Cats #29: Taipei

Cat Overpass

On March 30, officials in the Houtong area of New Taipei City’s Ruifang District, (aka "Cat Town"), unveiled a 200 foot long feline-friendly indoor overpass, constructed in the shape of a cat's body and tail. The ambitious project cost the city over half a million dollars, and took eight months to complete.


Exterior shot - Can you see the cat?




Interior view

According to the Taipei Times, Houtong has become a popular tourist destination in the past few years because of its large cat population and feline-friendly atmosphere. When the city recently underwent renovations, officials felt that a cat upgrade was in order. The purpose of the bridge is to benefit tourists and cats, who will now be able to walk, relax, and interact with each other side by side in the new structure.





Even before the bridge was conceived, the town featured a cat-themed train station, souvenir stands, and over 100 friendly roaming felines, happy to pose for pictures.





The images in this post were found on the New Taipei City Tourism Facebook page, taken during the bridge's unveiling. Not only do they include the overpass itself, but also some neat surprises you might encounter around Cat Town, including these cool, feline appointed buses!





While explaining the inspiration behind the overpass, city official Chen Ching-fang told the Times, “We must take the cats’ needs into consideration because they have become an important part of the town.” 





She also added that she hoped the bridge would "reflect the harmonious coexistence of the town’s residents and the cats, as well as promote animal protection."

Check out more pics here and here, and read more about Houtong cat village at China Tour Advisors and TripAdvisor.

Via Taipei Times / Images: Facebook (新北旅客) 

Previously: Around the World in 80 Cats #1 - 28

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Know of any cat-themed travel destinations, or have any cool kitty vacation pics to share? Drop me a line at catsparella@gmail.com!

Around The World In 80 Cats #29: Taipei