PET CARE EDUCATION

Hey, guys! I just found this great blog called "Pet Care Education." You can find them here - be sure to check them out. They have some great information for cat owners and Pieper is even learning something about her relatives!

Thanks to Greendog for inviting us to join in the fun!

Hope everyone has a great day. Pieper and I are off to work on the new website!

PIEPER ERIN - THE AUTHOR

Howdy folks...I've been pretty busy editing mom's material...she works so hard, you know, that every way I can help her, I do...like last night...I "quietly" walked over her about five times. I wait until I hear her breathing slow and become regular. Then, I delicately jump from one side of her to the other...oh, but I have to take a step in between cause I'm not as limber as I once was. He he.

Anyway, check out her two new articles at E-How. And have a safe weekend!
http://www.ehow.com/members/piepererin-articles.html

PieperErin the Author

Pieper here...well, it was bound to happen. Mom has decided to take all that extra time (yeah, right) and start her article writing career at E-HOW! Her first article, "How to Care for Your Aging Cat" is now pending approval. I'm sure she wasn't talking about 13-year-old moi!

Anyway, wait a few and then jaunt on over (or whatever it is you humans do to hurry) to E-How and look up Mom: PieperErin.

Oh, and I allowed her to use my name as her pen name...after all, I do most of the writing in this family anyway...he he...

I Thought I Was Going to Die!

Hi, there, Pieper here again...mommy is doing laundry, so I'm gonna tell you my tail of terror! Okay, so maybe I'm being somewhat of a drama princess, but really!

I had to go to the vet! I hate leaving my house! I hate my carrier! And at the moment, I wasn't too happy with mommy either! Why?

She left me overnight! Can you imagine? They did bloodwork in the afternoon and then some big machine came down on my little body and made this really weird sound -- the nurse was wearing an apron...I thought it was so I wouldn't scratch her...later I found out it was so they could look at my innards - x-rays I think I overheard Denise say (that was the nurse's name).

Then I got to stay in a nice, cozy little cubicle and watch all the other animals parade by...I really had to laugh at that big old German Shepherd - shaking like a leaf! So cool! Anyway, I digress.

The next morning, Denise came and got me again...I didn't really feel anything for quite a while, but boy! when I woke up my jaw was numb! And my tongue and my tonsils. Unbelievable! The room was spinning a little, so I closed my eyes. Next thing you know, my mommy was there to pick me up.

As soon as we got home, my jaw started tingling and felt really strange...I pawed at it and pawed at it. Finally, after about fifteen minutes I could feel my jaw again and guess what? I was missing two teefers!

Well, I am healed now and happy to be home. So, even thought I don't want to repeat that episode anytime soon, I am glad to be healthy and vibrant - at 13 years, you just can't beat it!

Ut oh...here comes mom...she'll get after me if she sees me on the computer again...the vet said the most interesting thing to her: "Mom, your cat appears to have carpal tunnel...very unusual in a cat...does she play the piano?" I just chuckled.

On Little Cat's Feet??

Feline Metaphors Notwithstanding by Bridget Collins
Published in CATS Magazine, January 1993



The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Carl Sandburg, Chicago Poems (1916) “Fog” US Biographer and Poet (1978-1967)

I could not resist this story. Anyone with felines will definitely know what Ms. Collins is talking about in this story:

***Carl Sandburg wrote about a fog that crept into a city on “little cat’s feet.” If that fog had crept in on my cats’ feet, a panicked populace would have fled their beds, screaming, “Earthquake! Armageddon! The end has come!”

My cats do not creep or slither. They do not glide noiselessly or steal furtively. My cats gallop. Sometimes, they clomp. No brave, clever mouse need ever gird his courage to bell my cats. It would be wasted valor. The ringing of the bell would be lost to the thrum-thrum-thrum of the vibrating floorboards. In my house, “cat-like” and “elephantine” are synonyms.

Are you imaging that these two cats must be huge, lumbering beasts? If so, you are half right. They do lumber, but they are definitely not huge. Seeing them at rest, you might even describe them as slight.

Their mother was a dainty Siamese. Their father was an unknown, errant tom, whom I suspect carried either a Clydesdale gene or a primordial allele hailing back to the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

They were kittens when I named them. I never expected that the years would prove me a sardonic poet. I called the female Isadora, after renowned danseuse Isadora Duncan, because she was lithe and loved to frolic. The irony is that, if a dancer were to move with my Isadora’s grace, critics would applaud her mastery of slapstick and mourn with her the passing of vaudeville.

The male, who is coal black and all but invisible in the night, I named Shadow. In a darkened room, he is undetectable, unless of course, he moves. A cat burglary with Shadow’s talent for stealth would be well-advised to cultivate a palate for prison food.

When my cats walk across a table, the dishes quake. When they jump from a bookshelf, they land with a thud. When they run across the living room floor, each footfall is audible from the back bedroom. I have examined their paws, and found there no traces of jackboot or football cleat. They are both house cats, and so do not sport even a respectable callous. I cannot explain how they manage on padded paws to produce sounds one might expect from a shod mule. I suppose it will remain a mystery. For the time being, I will continue to live with the catcophany, and to laugh out loud every time I hear feline metaphors that liken the movement of cats to a silent, sinewy ballet.***

What else is there to say?

BAD HAIR DAY

Hi! Pieper here...mom is ironing something, so I thought I'd just write a thought I had...the bathtub...something we can talk about later, but for now, I think the thing I hate most about an actual bath (as if!) is not the bath, but the fact that I have to spend a good part of the rest of the day putting my hair back in place!

Here she comes...gotta run!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Good Monday morning everyone...Pieper here again reporting on my Mom...I just love to play with the mouse when she's not around...

Mission accomplished? And just what mission was that? Well, as reported here before, Mom had been working diligently to clear up clutter in our lives, clean the house thoroughly and create a more relaxing environment. And she is DONE!!!!

Boy, I'll tell ya, I was a little nervous at first -- things flying out of this house so fast, your head would swim! I was afraid we were going to move and I hate that - moving! It's so disruptive! But once I realized this was just a reorganization, I relaxed and had some fun with it...like taking her water bottle and hiding it under the chair - she didn't find it for three days! Hilarious...she talks to herself a lot! He he...

Anyway, new curtains for me to climb (if I had front claws) - white and soft and billowy...but we are doing just fine.

And by the way, did you know that I actually smell with my mouth???? It's true! It's called the Flehmen reaction (notice how close that sounds to phlegm? LOL). I suck in pheromones through my nasal cavity to a place where cells process them. Some genius cat told me this area is known as the Jacobson organ and it's in the roof of my mouth...no wonder I hate it when peanut butter gets stuck there!

Well, that's all for today...I hear her coming back from storage. Time to curl up next to her as she starts her stitching! Wahoo! I got my relaxed and creative Mommy back.

Have a GREAT week, love, Pieper

MOM KISSED HER TEE SHIRT!

Hi, Friends ... Pieper here. I just had to share this with you: My Mom kissed her black tee shirt last night! He he! I laughed until I threw up a hair ball!

See, usually I sleep on her - or in nearby proximity on her bed during the night (unless of course it's summer and then I sleep directly in front of the AC, effectively blocking anyone else from the pleasure...{insert evil feline grin here}) - anyway, I digress...

Well, when Mom makes one of her numerous trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night, she sees me on the bed and leans over and kisses my head...it's real sweet and even though she interrupts my slumber, it's a nice kind of interruption, ya know? And, she's usually half-asleep, so this was an honest error on her part.

Here's what happened...I decided to sleep on the pillow next to her head; she got up to do her "sandbox" thing, saw this black shape at the end of the bed and leaned over and "SMACK" - right on the tee shirt's forehead! LOLOLOLOLOL. Seems she had left her folded shirt on the bed in error...thought it was me. I love being able to see so well in the dark because the look on her face was priceless!

And speaking of the sandbox, did you know that cat owners spend $215 million on cat food and $295 million on cat litter in one year? I've got my calculator out trying to figure how more comes out than goes in...hmmmm.

Well, I hope you all have a fabulous weekend...and don't tell Mom I told on her!

OVERWHELMED

It was all I could do today to drag myself to the computer. I miss reaching out to everyone, but it's been a particularly trying week for several reasons. Well, I am pulling myself up by my bootstraps (whatever THEY are ... LOL) and moving into a brighter place. So, of course, what else can make me happy but kitties - every color, shape and attitude.

Pieper has recently been reading a book called The Cat's Manual, aka the cat's eye view to the human world, and she shared some very interesting facts with me today. Did you know that, according to the cat author of this book, it's bad luck to cross a stream with a cat in your arms?

This inane French proverb is not too hard to understand. You might as well say it's bad luck to light a match in a firework factory. Anyone with a modicum of smarts knows that nearly all cats hate water. (There are exceptions, but we don't talk about that side of the family.) Therefore, if you are foolish enough to try to carry a cat across a large body of the stuff, you'd better be prepared for some serious lacerations (my thoughts exactly). The cat would obviously be concerned that the human, whom most of us cats consider clumsy at best, would drop us, and really, don't most all of us prefer our water measured into bowls?

I have talked with Pie at length about why this water thing is such an issue? She has no problem lounging anywhere in the house, on her back with her four little paws stretched up in the air, unafraid that we will trounce on her by mistake...she doesn't mind sleeping right at my back, never giving a thought to the fact I could crush her if I turned over...or laying half on/half off the windowsill, apparently unafraid of falling several feet if she turns over in her sleep...but mention water to her and she turns into a ballistic little hairball with claws that could well ... scratch your eyes out.

Little good it does me to talk to her...she smirks at me through one half opened eye, stretches, rolls over with her back to me, and gets on with her lazy little life...such a princess...what would I do without her?

SANDYPAWS - BEACH CAT RESCUE

Last month, Pieper talked about Sandypaws and her friends at the Beach Cat Rescue. These pictures are from Sandypaws' booth. You can donate to neuter a cat, feed a bunch of cats, or buy one of the beautiful items that Sandypaws makes to benefit the cats.

Beach Cat Rescue is a NJ Non Profit Corporation with 501c3 pending! Their rescue was created to address the needs of abandoned stray and feral cats in our community. They are a small home based rescue that focuses on the rehabilitation and adoption of abandoned, homeless and stray cats and kittens. All of the proceeds from Sandypaws and Willow Blue, their other booth at Bonanzle, are to support the cats and their needs.

So much energy and love goes into the beautiful handmade creations fashioned by Renee and sold on Bonanzle. Pieper and I hope that you will visit either Sandypaws or Willow Blue and perhaps help a cat or two. It was a hard winter on the beach; summer may be coming, but with it comes a whole new set of challenges. We thank you for looking and loving these little critters in your heart.

CAT FACTS: Did you know that cats smell with their mouths? It's true! It's called the Flehmen reaction. The cat sucks in pheromones through the nasal cavity to an area of cells that specializes in processing them. This area is known as Jacobson's organ and lies in the roof of the cat's mouth...And here I thought Pie's mouth was always open because she was just so in awe of me!

A CLEAN CAT IS A HAPPY CAT

A clean cat is a happy cat...a clean cat's owner...maybe not!

No matter how good Pieper is at cleaning herself, she always has something to share with me later...also known as "the hairball!"

It's a good thing that cats don't normally need baths (although I've heard there are some who love them) because Pieper would NOT be a clean kitty...but generally kitties clean themselves quite well with their rough tongues. They spend about 30 percent of their time grooming themselves (how is that possible when they sleep 90 percent of the time?).

Nevertheless, all cats benefit from regular grooming. Longhaired cats should be brushed once a day, shorthairs, once a week. Pie loves to hold onto the brush and just rub the sides of her face against the bristles. She fairly purrs doing it...all she needs me for is to hold the brush! I tried putting velcro on the wall at about her level, but no, she likes me holding the brush better!

Anyway, supposedly having us groom them lessens the chances of them swallowing too much fur and leaving us gifts...LOL.

PIEPER'S PLACE NOW MAKES CUSTOM BOOKMARKS

Need a special gift? How about a set of five bookmarks, personalized with pictures of a cat (or dog) you love, check out Pieper's Place booth at Bonanzle to see bookmarks like the ones pictured above. You simply e-mail me your favorite pictures. Pieper and I will fit them to bookmarks, add sayings, and put them in heavy-duty plastic covers with coordinated ribbons in the top. The price is $10.00 for five personalized bookmarks! Don't forget Mother's Day! Easter! Or that Special Birthday!

THE STIMULUS PACKAGE: PIEPER'S VIEW

"There are no ordinary cats." (Colette)

Sshhh...Mom is in the other room, sewing, I think. But I have to tell you about my Stimulus Package which arrived the other day! (Mom isn't happy when I climb up here and use her desk...I'm not allowed on the desk or her work table you know--hehe--little does she know--she can't be awake 24/7). Anyway, I digress.

Well, the stimulus package arrived at our house. Mom ordered some nice handmade pictures and a couple of books from our friend, Sandypaws, at her recent Bonanza sale at Bonanzle! (Try saying that with a mouth full of whiskers!)

Sandypaws included in the box a cellophane bag of handmade toys just for me. I was (uncharacteristically--LOL, right...) sleeping. Mom put the bag on the table, thinking I would be up before she went to work and she could give me a toy.

Well, off to work she went...I hadn't gotten up yet...but when I got up...well, I just couldn't resist investigating this package! Oh my gosh! It was wonderful! Handmade, snuggly fabric, toys just for me! You should have SEEN mom's face when she came home after work...but then she laughed and saw the new decoration scattered in every direction, in every room, and I knew all was okay. You know, there is just so much power in being just the cutest thing in the family!

Oh, and the best part? Well, for a cat anyway, was trying to crawl inside the cellophane bag to get out every last morsel of catnip! Zowie! AND, I was able to attempt to make a home out of the flat rate box the goodies came in...I just felt a tug of comradeship with all those critters (8) who live in the house and attempt to help sew and ship the goodies (but they don't have much more luck than I do)!

And speaking of cutest things, Sandypaws runs Beach Cat Rescue in New Jersey. If you would like more information about what they do, please visit their site. They are currently pending New Jersey Non-Profit status. The program is run by the family from their family finances - what a wonderful, giving way of life. The following is just a portion of what their mission is at Beach Cat Rescue:

Beach Cat Rescue is a NJ Non Profit Corporation with 501c3 pending! Our rescue was created to address the needs of abandoned stray and feral cats in our community. We are a small home based rescue that focuses on the rehabilitation and adoption of abandoned, homeless and stray cats and kittens.

Beach Cat Rescue has a very specific mission which makes us unique in our approach and our needs. You can read much information online about the humane treatment of feral cats. We at BCR agree that feral cats have very specific needs and their treatment should be much different. TNR is a wonderful triage tool for that population as well as providing shelters and daily feedings.

However, BCR would also like to address the population that lives in that grey area somewhere between housecat and feral cat! There are so many stray and abandoned cats without socialization who are not feral. We would like to help educate people as to ways they can help with this specific population! There is a very big difference between a true feral and the stray you may be seeing in your neighborhood. Please see our article entitled "The Myth and Confusion of Feral Cats" to learn more.

Thanks to Renee and her family for what they give back to our lovely cat communities!

Many of the profits (if not all) from the sales at sandypaws booth at Bonanzle, as well as Willow Blue booth at Bonanzle, go to help care for, feed, spay and neuter feral cats, as well as socialize those animals that are able to interact with humans.

SANDBOX LOVE

“All kittens, from the very first, set out to teach their humans to adapt to the needs of a cat. As a reward, they grant them the position of honorary cat.” (Pam Brown)

The above is a true enough statement; Pieper thinks that I am a cat and that I don’t mind sharing my “sandbox” with her. I try to sneak into the bathroom and get the door securely shut before she figures out where I’ve gone. I guess she thinks there is a secret exit from the bathroom that only I know about…and that if she isn’t in there with me, I will just disappear!

The few times I do get the door shut and leave her in the hallway, she meows, tries to turn the door handle, and runs her paws under the doorway, hoping somehow to pull or push it open. It’s quite comical, really.

What is NOT exactly comical, however, is when she does manage to get into the bathroom before me and insists on “helping Mommy” go potty. (Before my son, Steve, moved back home, we never had this problem…I simply left the bathroom door open unless I had company.) Now, however, it has become an issue between Pieper and me.

Pieper just loves to crawl up in my lap from the edge of the bathtub…and then she insists that I hold her in my arms. I have no idea why she thinks this is a safe place to be, except that she can be fairly certain I won’t be jumping up in a hurry! So, I patiently hold her, pet her, nuzzle her little head as she pushes against my chin…she drools on my hand and looks up at me with the most adoring look…how can I not be so happy?

Then, when she has absorbed just about as much “sandbox love” as she can stand, she primly jumps down from my lap and strolls over to HER sandbox, turns her back on me and does her thing. She expects privacy! Of course!

NEW CAT ITEMS ON BONANZLE

Is that call for kitty? When you are talking on the phone, does your cat suddenly become playful, overly friendly, rub against your legs or swipe at the telephone cord? Pieper climbs up on the arm of my office chair, snuggles her way under my arm, puts her little paws on the desktop, and looks adoringly up at me..."Aren't I the cutest mommy?" She then rubs her little silky head against my chin, forcing me to fall in love all over again!

The reason many cats try to interfere with their owner's telephone conversations is because they think WE are talking to THEM! So, they respond in an appropriately friendly manner. Cats have no way of understanding there is someone on the other end of the line.

Okay, I'll buy that...but what if you are just looking at the computer, clicking away on the keyboard...does she think I'm typing her an e-mail?

Okay, so the two items pictured have just been listed in my booth at BONANZLE! I've been sick with the flu/cold for the past several days, but did manage to get this done. Hope you will take a look!

We'll be back with more cat facts and fellow sellers from Bonanzle in a couple of days. In the meantime, have just the greatest day you can!

THE GENTLE (and not so gentle) WAYS OF CAT PERSUASION

"To sit in a comfortable chair means getting there a split second before the cat--and having to suffer its resentful stares as a consequence. IT may infiltrate behind you--and shove. Or sit on the arm--and lean. Or wrap itself round your neck--and throttle. Or touch you light with persuasive paw or gentle nose--until, of course, you give in."

Or, in the case of Ms. Pieper, give you the death stare...LOL. Yesterday was NFL Playoff day at our house and as a result, Ms. Pieper and I jockeyed for position on the couch...after I settle down and get covered up, she assumes her rightful position at my left shoulder...she "gently" nudges me with her behind until she is just right...then she gets up, looks at me, jumps on my chest and lays there...for about three minutes...then it's back to the rightful place...bump, bump, bump goes her rear end...my shoulder moves...she settles down...and of course, by this time I have to go potty, so it's me up again...and the whole scenario plays again...

And at the end of the day, I feel as though I have played the entire afternoon of football!

SEW IT'S THE NEW YEAR!

"Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause the most inconvenience." (Michael Stevens)

And this was never more true as I begin sewing and crafting again. If Pieper cannot be on my lap, then she wants to be on my pattern, or on my fabric (a no-no when they are for resale) or on the phone or texting...honestly, she's such a princess!

SELLING ON BONANZLE!

In late October, I discovered a wonderful new selling site called BONANZLE. I heard a long interview with Mark Dorsey, a member of the creative team, and he convinced me to take a look--and I LOVED what I saw...

*my own booth
*no listing fees
*four pictures allowed - no fees
*customer support extradinaire
*very reasonable (VERY reasonable after-sale fees)
*helpful and informative forums

to name just a few. I had previously sold on Etsy, but found that it was only for the things I created and what was I going to do with the stuff that I had around that was not handmade by me? I branched out, but like many others, made little profit for my efforts.

I decided that I needed to start crafting and sewing again to relieve the stress of my everyday life. I am very creative and when I can't be, I get frustrated. And, my favorite subject is cats, so my focus would be on cat-themed items. I have, it seems, not limited myself to that venue, but have, instead, created what appealed at the time.

If you are selling in another venue, or would like another place to shop, I encourage you to check out BONANZLE (www.bonanzle.com). It is growing (the members have more than doubled since I joined in late October of 2008), but we are a warm and welcoming bunch and you would be very welcome to join us.

THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS PARTY

Surely, Sallie had misheard the lyrics as she dozed in the chair…but no, the doorbell rings and there stand “Jingles”, the neighborhood St. Bernard…Around his neck was a little keg…we suspect it was peppermint schnapps, but Sallie immediately confiscated the cask AND his keys…and ordered him to stay the night…

“K-9 Bob will get after you,” Sallie warned Jingles, “if he catches you with that keg.” Jingles agreed to stay the night and joined the party, leading the singing with, “I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus…arf, arf, barf, barf..”

That Jingles has a heart of gold and he’s got big bells to boot!

THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS PARTY

Oops, had a little too much catnip? Escaped from Broadway? Went to a Mary Kay party?

Nope, just showed up early for a New Year’s Masquarade! Pieper, being the perfect hostess, donned her favorite masque and the two meowed the night away.

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS PARTY

The official Pieper’s Place Christmas Party was held on Saturday, December 14. Over the next twelve days, we will introduce you to the partygoers and give some dog and cat eye-views of what a party it was!

The menu was “appawsed” by some; dissed by others, but no dog or cat can say that there wasn’t something for everyone:

For the doggies:

Homemade Dog Bone Bonanzas (of course!)
Homemade Bacon Bits for Dogs
Homemade Dog Bad Breath Banishers
Homemade Dog Banana Biscotti (to go with the peppermint cocoa of course)
Homemade Dog Icy Paws

For the kitties:

Homemade Savory Cheese Treats
Chick N’Biscuits
Crispy Liver Morsels
Tuna Tidbits
Catnip Punch

The neighbors finally called the police when they heard all the animals yowling and howling the following:

TWELVE DOG DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

One the twelfth day of Christmas
My Owner gave to me
Eleven Frisbees flying
Ten cats for chasing
Nine bones for chewing
Eight ropes for tugging
Seven scraps-a-spilling
Six fleas-a-dying
Five puppy friends
Four falling squirrels
Three mailmen
Two tennis balls
And a fire hydrant so I can pee.

I mean, even the cats! Fortunately for me, I work for the PD, so no official noise disturbance report was filed. I was asked, however politely, to call off the dogs and go to bed.