Monthly Archives: November 2011

Nov 29 2011

a warning to my friends

I’m not usually a very serious cat, but I have a serious message for my fans tonight. Over the last week, I’ve noticed some weird things about some of my new subscribers. There are a few that appear to be trying to sell products or looking for donations to their causes when I’ve gone to their blogs or clicked on their gravatars. They may be legitimate businesses or charitable organizations, but I don’t know that for sure. So I just want to urge everyone to think hard and really check out any organization before you even consider giving them any money. I would feel awful if any of my friends was taken advantage of by someone they connected with on my blog…

Having said all that, I will also feel awful if I’ve alienated a real new friend by writing this post. I hope all of my subscribers understand that I’m just looking out for my friends. Cats are fiercely loyal creatures. It’s part of our charm. 😉

Nov 28 2011

versatile blogger & kreativ blogger award acceptance & nominations

I was so excited when my friends Dianda and Sammy nominated me for awards earlier this month. I’ve been spending all of my free time consulting with Mirror Cat (he’s shy, but you can see the tip of his ear behind me in the photo below) about how I should compose my acceptance and who I should pass the awards on to.  We finally decided to consolidate posts, and we’ve let Kitty help in choosing some of the nominations.  I hope you enjoy them.

The rules for both of these awards are that the nominee must:  A) thank the blogger than nominated them in a post, B) list 7 things about themselves that haven’t been written in their blog, and C) must pass on the nominations to deserving blogs.  Here we go:

Thank you to Dianda, who nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award. Dianda’s blog is Cats & Co.  It’s full of interesting feline info, photos of cute kitties, and stories of her cats, Suki & Hiro.

And thank you to Sammy, my favorite polydactyl from One Spoiled Cat.  I don’t think Sammy is spoiled at all – he’s a great cat and deserves everything he receives – but you can read his blog and decide for yourselves.

Here are a few things you don’t know about me:

–  Sirens and alarms make me howl.  Kind of like a dog, but much cuter and more refined.

–  I think Calpurnia from Three Cat Yard has the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.

–  Before my human adopted me, I had a family that I lived with for 4 years.

–  I love to eat papayas.

–  I like to be brushed and petted against the grain.

–  I come running when my human claps her hands and calls me.

–  I don’t like wasabi.

Here’s the best part – my nominations!

Nominations for the Versatile Blogger Award:

http://clevermuffin.com/

http://sparkymac.wordpress.com/

http://thejackieblog.com/

http://crabbyoldfart.wordpress.com/

Nominations for the Kreativ Blogger Award:

http://mydailycow.wordpress.com/

http://lahgitana.wordpress.com/

http://kanatyler.wordpress.com/

http://lemonysqueezes.wordpress.com/

http://rumpydog.wordpress.com/

http://heretherebespiders.wordpress.com/

Nov 25 2011

i wish every day was black friday!!!

I couldn’t believe it when my human woke me up at 3:00 am. I’m on my winter schedule and I normally start ordering breakfast and waking everyone up at 4:30 am, so I was tired and cranky as I washed my face and prepared for the day. I knew she planned on getting an early start, but this was just ridiculous!

I was having a tough morning, so imagine my delight when my human returned home a couple of hours later with a fantastic present. And it was for ME!!!

I love my new box.  Look at how roomy it is!  It’s perfect for laying in wait for  the perfect moment to pounce on an unsuspecting gazelle.  Or Kitty.

Black Friday is the best holiday ever!

Nov 24 2011

a time for cats to give thanks and get turkey in return

It’s Thanksgiving.  It’s time for American cats to show their appreciation for the humans that normally receive our mockery and scorn, and then receive a large meal complete with bits of stuffing and morsels of turkey.  Since this is also the time that Santa is making his list of naughty and nice felines, I intend to do this gratitude thing right.  My wish list is extensive this year, so I’m highly motivated…

I know there are lots of kitties and people less fortunate than I am.  I am thankful that I have a warm home, healthy food (even though it’s diet), fresh water, and clean litter boxes.

I am grateful to have been adopted by a human who grooms me, cuddles with me, and lets me lean on her when I feel insecure.  I am thankful that she is concerned about my health enough to encourage fun exercise (remember the kukui nut?) and watch my caloric intake.  I do wish she would stop brushing my teeth, although I appreciate the concept of dental hygiene.

I am thankful for the ambition and means to begin pursuit of my lofty career goals.  I am grateful to have been able to start on that path with this blog.  I am thankful that I am a beautiful cat with amazing whiskers, gorgeous ear tufts, fancy red Soft Claws, and a fun cow-spotted coat so that I can attract visitors.   And I’m very thankful that I am intelligent and witty enough to keep their interest and turn them into adoring fans.

I’m especially grateful for the community of bloggers that I’ve found and their support.  They are sometimes comical, sometimes surly, and sometimes deep and meaningful, but they are always THERE.  I had no idea that as I was starting to build my fan base with this blog, I would also be building a family.

I would also like to show my appreciation for Kitty.  She pretends to hate me, but I know she really loves me.  I appreciate her sharp wit and sarcastic (sarCATsic) humor.  I enjoy playing tag and hide-and-seek with her, and I enjoy giving her the long baths I know she loves.

I would also like to express my gratitude to the genius who invented Black Friday.  While my human is battling fellow shoppers for the best deals and enduring painfully long lines in the middle of the night, I appreciate that I will be able to shop for my deals online in the comfort of my couch.  And I am thankful that my human is big and mean enough to win any wrestling match over a new appliance or gadget.

In closing, I would like to say again that I am thankful that I am stunningly handsome and exceedingly charming. And I am very, very thankful for the little nibbles of turkey skin I’m expecting to receive. And maybe for a dot of whipped cream on my lovely nose.

Nov 19 2011

my human, cont.

Ladies and gentlemen and cats and Rumpydog, I am proud to unveil my favorite photo of my human:

Sure, Kitty did a fine job on her post about our human yesterday. But I knew I could do it better! Our human is quite elusive, so I was amazed to find this photo in the archives. It was taken just as my evening brushing session began.  (I know it was evening because we’re starting on my driver’s side.  In the morning I like to start with the undercarriage.)

P.S.  Kitty has had almost double the number of hits that I’ve had today, which is unheard of and untolerable (if it isn’t a word, then it should be).  So please check out this page several times.  And invite all of your friends.  I have less than 10 hours to remedy the situation.

Nov 16 2011

pedro the [wise but hungry] cat

In the words of Winston Churchill,

“All [cats] make mistakes, but only wise [cats] learn from their mistakes.”

I know what you’re thinking.  You’re thinking that you’ve seen this before, and it wasn’t pretty.  You’re thinking that I didn’t learn from my previous mistake.  You’re thinking I’m going to fall off this couch with this bag on my head.  And you’re wrong…

This time I carefully judged the size of this bag full of tasty-smelling goodies before I stuck my head in completely, so I knew there would be no chance of getting stuck with a paper bag on my head again.  I am a wise cat.

Oh, no!  That’s not my order!  I can’t believe that my human forgot my order again.  And she’s just sitting there, eating her fries and pretending nothing’s wrong…

I should scratch Churchill’s quote and replace it with Bill Purdin’s, “Those who cannot admit making stupid mistakes are destined to repeat them over and over.” Who the heck is Bill Purdin?  Zemanta doesn’t even know who he is.

Nov 15 2011

reviewed business plan = renewed confidence

Yesterday I was wandering through WordPress, and I found a post entitled “Blogger Scores Book Deal for ‘You Are Not So Smart’ “.  (I know I should be able to turn that title into the actual link, but I haven’t figured out how yet.  So use this instead:  http://wp.me/pf2B5-2i7 .  Give me a break, I’m a cat.  I’m also going to use the feline excuse for not knowing whether a blog title should be underlined or put in quotes.  I did both.  Go big or go home.)  In that post, there was a quote from David McRaney that confirmed that my entire business plan is sensible and realistic.

As a businesscat, I’ve wondered whether my strategy translates well into the human business world.  And as a new blogger, I’ve wondered whether my plan is progressing at an appropriate rate.  After reading the following paragraph, I knew that I am absolutely on the right track:

“This is an amazing and revolutionary time for writers,” David says. “The barriers to entry are so low, and the platforms like WordPress.com are so well made, anyone with a voice can start shouting and be heard. Instead of writing a book and hoping a publisher won’t throw it into the slush pile, writers can start a blog and build a fan base. They can prove to publishers there is a market for their work and their voice.”

I am firmy entrenched in Phase I of my business plan, which consists of building the brand and establishing a fan base.  In Phase II, I will be prepared to leap that low barrier to entry with manuscript in paw and followers following.  With or without a Dinky Pony or Drugged Poltergeist or whatever, I will be a successful businesscat and celebrity…  And now I just need to find another few thousand subscribers.  And take a little nap…

Nov 13 2011

the kitty is out of the bag

Kitty came clean today – she told me about the secret page she snuck into my blog.  We’ve come to an agreement that I feel will meet both of our needs…  I will rent her the space needed for Kitty’s Page and subsequent entries and allow her to Post occasional updates since it seems subscribers aren’t alerted about new Pages.  In return, I get first dibs on the human’s pillow and the cable box for napping, Kitty agrees to never mention anything that happens in the litterboxes, and she will stop calling me any variation of the following:  Lardo, Hippo, Blubber Butt, Semi, Wide Load, or Oaf.  I think this arrangement will be mutually beneficial, and hopefully we’ll be able to spend some quality time over the blog and really bond.  I enjoyed the page she published today http://pedrothecat.com/kittys-page/november-13-2011/, and I’m happy enough with this plan that maybe I’ll even throw in some extra long baths for her.  I know how much she loves them…

Nov 12 2011
Aside

Just an FYI – I have responded to the Dinky Pony’s legal team at their blog address. Anyone wishing to follow that correspondence can see it at http://isobelandcat.wordpress.com/about/#comment-5632 .

Please note that this doesn’t mean I’ve ruled out the Dainty Penguin, Dorky Porky, Sammy, or any other candidate for DP. I think I’m going to need all of the help I can get!

dinky pony’s snooty legal team

Nov 12 2011

rethink-y dinky pony

My friend Mojo Cat made it very clear that I had to replace my DP ASAP after my first video was posted http://pedrothecat.com/2011/10/10/my-first-movie-thank-goodness-its-short/ .  He’s a very smart kitty with a lot of experience, so I trust his judgement on such things.  I immediately fired my Drunken Panda and invited the Dinky Pony named Einstein to join my team.  Unfortunately, Einstein’s snooty legal team hasn’t gotten back to me, so I’m beginning to think it’s time to move on…  Kitty helped me make a list of other DP options that fit the color scheme, but I’m having a hard time deciding which one will be the most effective…

Daring Polar bear – slightly concerned about condo association’s 40 lb weight limit, but this DP could just consume association’s board members

Doughy Priest – good for kneading, if nothing else

Damp Poodle – very concerned about the smell

Dainty Penguin – would he outshine my fabulousity?

Dorky Porcupine – unsure of usefulness beyond security

Nov 8 2011

an apology…

I feel as though I’ve been neglecting my fans this week.  I’ve just been so busy that I haven’t had much time to devote to my blog.  And, unfortunately, today isn’t going to be much better…  Today was laundry day, which everycat knows is exhausting.  Between supervising the front-loading washer, managing proper sorting, and overseeing folding and distribution I was busy all day long…