Kokoro Kitty Tests Out Some Black Cat Nail Art

I haven't ventured back into the world of feline-themed nail art since my experience with cheetah print Sally Hansen nail polish trips, but my friend Michele from KokoroPurrs sent over these pics of her gorgeous Ragdoll kitty Kokoro inspecting some cat gel nail art stickers she found by Hedy's Body Shop.

She writes: Not sure if you've run into these in your local Rite Aid, but of course I couldn't resist. They cost about five bucks for one and a half sets, and they just stick on! Unfortunately, it fell off after just one day. I had applied it over a gel coated nail, so I'm not sure if that matters. I'll see if I can find a victim for another trial.

(Click image to enlarge)

Kokoro approved!

Kokoro Kitty Tests Out Some Black Cat Nail Art

It's Caturday!

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

This week, the curtain was lifted on Kittywood Studios, Anderson Cooper went on the offensive against his furry doppelganger, prison inmates adopted some cats with adorable results, The Big Bang Theory's "Soft Kitty" got an official singing plush, a cat and deer became BFF, Kendy got an awesome Mar cattoo, and we learned that cats always make better art.

Also, don't forget to enter to win an assortment of hip kitty toys for your favorite feline from Moderncat Studio! The giveaway is open until Wednesday 8/24, so don't delay! Click HERE for all the details!


Miss-CAT-O!

This week's featured feline is one sassy lady whose interests include sticking her nose in glasses of wine (say her name out loud), and dropping jingle bell balls in the toilet, just for fun! Sounds like my kind of girl!

Susi and Mike write:

We got Miss-CAT-O! from our local humane society last spring, after our old, old kitty passed on. Not entirely sure of her pedigree, but we are sure she is at least part Maine Coon Cat, and she does have the Maine Coon personality and little meow.


Don't I fit in here just purrfectly?

She got her name by being really nosy and sticking her nose and chin right into a glass of Muscato wine. She just has to get into the middle of whatever we are doing and be a part of it!


I know a box addict when I see one

We are retired and she is turning into a wonderful companion pet for us. And she’s always so funny! Her latest new “trick” is to take her little toy balls with the jingle bells in them into the bathroom and drop them into the toilet because it's a game for her to try to fish them back out.


So much floof to admire!

Of course, we now have to make sure the lid is always down, and she does play fetch, too. We throw the ball and she brings it back and jumps into our laps and drops it, wanting us to throw it again, so she can chase it. We have fallen in love with Miss-CAT-O!

***

Special thanks to Susi and Mike for sharing the beautiful Miss-CAT-O! with us this week!

I'm curious to know, does anyone else's cats play fetch? I'm so jealous! Priscilla is a lost cause, because let's just say she isn't the "athletic" type, and Charlie will catch something when you throw it, but he won't bring it back. After all the free catnip they've been getting lately, I think it's time they gave a little back. Come on kitties, throw me a bone!

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!

Rowdy Kitten Band Trashes Tiny Kitten-Sized Set

KITTEN BAND!!

If you're looking for 20 some odd seconds of cuteness this morning, here's your fix. A bevy of bad-ass baby kitties snarl, pounce, and destroy their tiny paper instruments in this short by Greedy Hen for the Debit Mastercard Priceless Music Series.

No detail is spared, and as the video description notes: "If you look closely, there are bottles of catnip lying around the stage, the keyboard is a Catio, and the band name on the bass drum is The Strays."

Via Lost At E Minor

Rowdy Kitten Band Trashes Tiny Kitten-Sized Set

The Catsparella T-Shirt Project

A couple people have asked me if I plan on selling Catsparella t-shirts (and I wanted one of my own!), so I'd been thinking about getting some made to see how they turned out. When the awesome team at ooShirts offered to print me a few tees, I saw it as a great opportunity to get the ball rolling.

My friend Alison helped me come up with the design, and I thought it would be fun to add the "one cool cat lady" tag to the back. Once we had the concept ironed out, I placed my order and the t-shirts arrived less than a week later! In addition to great customer service leading up to the order (they immediately responded to any questions we had), when the shirts arrived, the quality was great. The printing was clear, and the placement and coloring of everything was just as I had requested.

I'd love to know what you guys think of the design, and if it's something you might be interested in buying in the future. Also, I plan on wearing it on the first day of the BlogPaws conference next week, so if you're going, you have no excuse not to come up and say hello!

Thank you to ooShirts for my awesome new tee, and if you're interested in printing a customized t-shirt design of your own, be sure to stop by their website for the scoop!

Disclosure: ooShirts provided me with free shirts, but the opinions expressed in this post are my own.

The Catsparella T-Shirt Project

Cat and Baby Deer Take Afternoon Cuddle Break

The Odessa Zoo in Ukraine recently played host to the precious pairing of a baby deer and orange tabby who amazed onlookers with their unusual display of affection.

Photographer Vitaly Ktach observed, "The cat seemed to really take its time to run its fur along the deer, which must have felt very nice. It then sat down and they enjoyed gently rubbing their faces together. They looked in bliss!"

Via Metro / The Daily What

Cat and Baby Deer Take Afternoon Cuddle Break

Retro Meow: Vintage Cats and Kittens Looking for a Good Home

Cat with Glasses, Midcentury Fun

There's nothing like visiting a garage sale, flea market, or thrift shop and coming across your dream cat figurine. However, for Amanda of Retro Meow, a shop consisting of vintage cat and kitten collectibles, she doesn't have to look far because she already has more than she knows what to do with!

It all began when she was a child and used to count the number of cat figurines at her grandparents' house. She says, "There were cats in curios, cats on shelves, cat themed blankets and pillows, stuffed cats (not dead ones thankfully!), and dishes with cats on them. There was even a cat-shaped tape dispenser!"

Vintage Avon Cat Bottle, Pink and Pretty Cologne

After Amanda's grandmother passed away, the extensive collection was passed down to her ("I guess she remembered all the hours I spent as a child counting the cats"), and she began looking for ways to disperse them.

She gave them away to relatives, sold some on eBay, and almost resorted to a "drive-by catting" (leaving boxes of cats on people's doorsteps), before finally deciding to adopt them all out to permanent homes through the online shop she calls Retro Meow.

Vintage White and Pink Cat Salt and Pepper Shakers

For me, all of this led to the question of exactly how many kitty figures did her grandma have, so I asked Amanda to give me some totals, and she happily let the cat out of the bag:

"So, I originally started with about 8 or 9 big rubbermaid totes full. The last time I counted all the cats (as a young child) there were over 1,000. And my grandmother usually added a few more each year, so there were probably at least 1,200 when I started.

After my grandmother passed away, I culled the collection pretty quickly. I tried selling some at a yard sale, but that was a bust. I switched to eBay and ended up selling a handful. Then I donated a lot of the ones that had chips or obvious repairs. I also donated those that were clearly from the dollar stores and those that probably wouldn't have much resale value. Of course, I kept a few favorites for my home, too!

Tiny Goebel Cat with Blue Ball, Midcentury, German

I have about 3 large totes left to sell. My guess is that there are probably about 300-400 cats left, but it's hard to say. A number of them are under 2" so you can imagine how many there might be! There are also some really large ones, including cookie jars, so there may be a lot less. I just don't know! I guess I'll find out as they get unwrapped, photographed and listed.

I plan to keep listing cats until they are all posted. I just found out the Teal Cat Project this week, so I think I'll probably donate the ones that don't sell (and meet their criteria) to their fundraising efforts. I think what they're doing is pretty rad, and I think my grandmother would have supported it, too."

Enesco Garfield, Orange Tabby Trinket Box

I'm sure Amanda's grandma would approve of her efforts, and it's really fun looking through her shop and finding such a diverse array of choices. Since I came across Retro Meow last week, I notice she's been continuously adding new stock, so I recommend not only checking in once, but going back again if you're looking to find the purrfect, well-loved kitty figurine for you!

Retro Meow: Vintage Cats and Kittens Looking for a Good Home

Beautiful Mar Cat Tattoo

Mar

Congrats goes out to our friend Kendy of MissMuffcake who wrote in to share her gorgeous new kitty tattoo! Her cat Mar (a.k.a. Marilyn) is one handsome, 14-year-old, cancer surviving dude who loves eating spaghetti, smelling flowers, and being brushed.

Kendy writes:

I have been wanting to get Mar done for a few years. I went around to a handful of shops and was either unimpressed with the artist's attitude or work. I happened upon a tattoo shop while buying cosmetics in the mall and found an artist that got it! 2.5 hours later I got Mar on my arm!

Artist: Christopher Corvi

Shop: Art 4 Art Sake (Sacramento, CA)

Special thanks to Kendy for showing off her new ink! What an amazing way to symbolize how Mar is always with you!

Beautiful Mar Cat Tattoo