Cokie the Cat: Hollywood Insider

Thankful Thursday Giveaway! 100 lbs of Natural Balance Pet Food!

2012-01-26T20:36:00.000-08:00

Thankful Thursday is changing it's format for a while, but for a wonderful reason! My buddy Tillman is filming a new TV show for Animal Planet, called "Who Let The Dogs Out!" In my last post, I mentioned that he's going around America, looking for America's Most Talented Dog, which is awesome enough...

His sponsor, Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods, is going to be doing more giveaways on my blog! Every week until April 19th, we'll have a new winner who'll receive 100 POUNDS of Natural Balance pet food!! That's a winner a week for 13 weeks!

Complete terms and conditions here.
Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post was sponsored by Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc.

Are You the Most Talented Dog in America??

2012-01-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

OK, No one said life was fair.

Cats are not eligible for this competition but on the bright side...

ATTENTION ALL MY DOG PALS:

You could be a star - and I'm not even kidding!

My bud Tillman the skateboarding/surfing/snowboarding bulldog is holding open auditions online and in person (in canine?) across the country, in search of The Most Talented Dog in America! That just has to be someone I know, right!?

This is part of his new reality show on Animal Planet, "Who Let The Dogs Out" which premieres on February 18th.

All the details of how to audition
or where to send a video of your dog's special talent,
go this website.

Good luck, dawgs!

=^..^=

Bark Wars - Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop

2012-01-21T00:29:00.000-08:00

This just may make me buy a Volkswagen.

=^..^=

(Pause my stereo up top to listen to this video.)

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-19T02:56:00.000-08:00

All the talk about SOPA this week has got me thinking about just how much I love the Internet. Srsly. How else would a cat like me have met all you wonderful people and anipals? I wouldn't have, that's how.

It would have just been me, Mom, Dad, Wynnie (while she lasted) and the occasional visitor, or vet to terrorize. But because of the Information Superhighway, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and the good fortune of being able to afford computers (when some don't even have enough kibble), I'm lucky enough to have wonderful friends like you.

I really appreciate that, and I really appreciate you. I know Mom does, too. Thanks for taking an interest in this old cat. I'd be bored without you. Except for the Lakers. And ribbon. =^..^=

Me & @PepiSmartDog at a Lakers Game
Photo's by Pepi's mom. She's a freakball. MOL

I really want to get to know you more, and to stay in touch. Please put your pic on my TV Guest Book, on the right, so I can see what you look like, and 'like' me on my Facebook fan page, so we can hang there, too. I'm afraid they might take my regular FB page down, 'cause I'm a cat. (What kind of discriminating cat trap is that, anyway!?)

And join the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop below, and fill me in on what's floating your boat this week! ; )

Love you guys...

Cokes

#BLOGPAWTY!!

2012-01-14T01:21:00.000-08:00

Today is the first annual BlogPaws #BlogPawty on Twitter!

And I'm hosting!!

Join us for this inaugural event at BlogPaws Village Square...

Saturday, January 14 from 5:00pm - 8:00pm (EST)

This is the beautiful new BlogPaws Banquet Hall Atrium,

decorated by our own @tinypearlcat!

There will be a Parade (Parade Attire Optional)

BlogPaws Pawards

Quizzes & Prizes

Including 2 Passes to BlogPaws 2012

in Salt Lake City, UT

June 21st - 23rd

Wonderful Music

and Delicious Noms & Drinks!

RSVP & More Info Here:

http://tweetvite.com/event/blogpawty

See you at #BlogPawty!!

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop

2012-01-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful today that Mom got a call back from my mobile vet,

Dr. Sandy, with all (relatively) good news!

Dr. Sandy
She's nice, but she wants blood!

My kidneys and liver are good, which one always worries about with a (nearly) 18 year old cat, and the vet agrees that the 2 lumps on my ribs are most likely just little benign lipomas. We're going with that unless they get bigger or start to bother me. I'm at the age where I really don't want to be messed with, and quality of life is my priority. I won't go to the vet (they have to come to me!). I can't take sedatives. (I'm opposite cat. Sedatives make me insane, and NOT sedate at all!) They can only knock me out, which I don't want to do because of all the risks at my age. So we're just accepting the 99% probability that they're nothing serious.

My thyroid count is still off, so we're going to double up on my meds and I need to be retested in a few weeks - which means more fun for you, because this time Mom's going to take a photo of me in the muzzle in a compromising position.

I kid you not.
This isn't me, but this is what she put on me!!

Oh, look!
Your Mom can make you one at home!

Don't even...
Wait! Is that @stunningkeisha!? MOL...

Anyway... all thing's told, I'm a strong, healthy mancat.

I feel good, and I've even been jumping up on the sofa

and chewing on Mom's hair, which I haven't done in a long time...

And for that, I am grateful.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

Natural Balance Blog Giveaway Winners

2012-01-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Check out the winners of my Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Food New Year's Rose Parade blog giveaway HERE!

I began writing the post on January 3rd, and when I published it today, it posted retroactively on the third, so it's not my most recent post - even though it is!?

Confused? No matter. Just go see all 26 prize winners at the link above. : )

Thanks Natural Balance!

Tillman on the Natural Balance Rose Parade Float!

They work for him!!

Thankful Thursday

2012-01-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

Dr. Sandy, the house call vet, and her assistant just left, and after doing my best to terrorize them with my gigantic man eating tiger impression for an hour, it's good news so far.

RAWR VET!!

Photo by @eldad75 of Hope for Paws

I have two lumps on my ribs that were scaring Mom, but Dr. Sandy's pretty sure they're just fatty lipomas. We're not going to aspirate or biopsy, because it would cause even more stress for me and it's highly unlikely they're malignant.

Even if they were, at almost 18, I wouldn't want to deal with the drama and trauma of operations or chemo or even going to the vet anyway. I don't even want to go to vet's office or see a vet at home. I'm getting a little Howard Hughes-y as I get older.

ARE YOU NOT TERRIFIED!? RAWR!!

Photo by @eldad75 of Hope for Paws

The vets say that my feistiness is good, and it's what's kept me alive this long. ; )

Anyway, still need to hear back about my blood work, etc. Keeping tabs on my thyroid count and such, but generally a good visit! Thank Bast! =^..^=

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

Natural Balance Pet Food Rose Parade Float 1/2/2012

Guinness World Record: Longest & Heaviest Float!

Natural Balance Giveaway Winners!

2012-01-03T00:07:00.001-08:00

The 123rd Rose Parade has come and gone, and Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Food's Tillman & Friends "Surf's Up" float was a huge success! It was awarded the Guinness World Record for both the World's Longest & Heaviest Float at 119 feet 7 inches, weighing 131,950 pounds. It was also awarded the Tournament of Roses "Extraordinaire Trophy" for just plain awesomeness.

Check out the ABC coverage of the float below:

Surf's Up! The Natural Balance 2012 Rose Parade Float
from Natural Balance on Vimeo.

My Natural Balance New Year's Rose Parade giveaway received almost 1000 entries! Thank you, everyone, for entering and spreading the word to "Like" Natural Balance on Facebook. You helped raise $14,000 U.S. for The Tree of Hope to feed homeless shelter and rescue animals!

And here are the Winners - Concatulations!

Grand Prize Winners:

$200 Petco Gift Card #11 SpookyShorty NY

1 Year's supply Natural Balance pet food #86 Megan Harrigan IN

Winners: Case of Tillman's Treats

#288: Amy Orvin SC

#932 Betty Curran NE

#630 mattnneb NE

#242 Brenda Witherspoon ON, CAN

#179 Sarah Walker CA

#857 Becky S. IL

#202 Gromek the Cat MA

#943 Sunshyn V CT

#926 R Hicks NC

#527 Michelle S. FL

#89 @DaneRay/Chase OH

#182 Olivia the Service Dog FL

Winners: Natural Balance Rose Parade Commemorative Mug and T-Shirt

#790 Roxanne K. MA

#313 Jackie Craig GA

#291Cassie IL

#207 Cheryl Bravo GA

#264 Kelly Ann Thuet MO

#943 Betty Neale GA

#98 Janna Johnson OH

#497 Mike McGee AK AR!

#526 Jacob Matthew OK

#623 Tabitha Evans IL

#635 Lisa Lovegrove TX

#142 Amanda Adams GA

Special thanks to Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Food for sponsoring this great giveaway!

ROSE PARADE DAY! Yay!!!

2012-01-01T23:39:00.000-08:00

It's finally here!! I'll be tweeting live from the Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA today! The parade begins at 8am PT, but we'll be there about 6am. The Natural Balance Pet Food float featuring Tillman and his surfing dog buds will be about half-way through the parade.

Mom's nephew's best 7th birthday present:
Rose Parade Tickets!

And just look how beautiful the tickets are!

Each one is a work of art - following this year's parade theme: "Just Imagine."
We want to frame them if we get to keep them. : )

Anyway, I need a catnap so I'm not late in the morning!

This is the LAST DAY to enter my Giveaway for a $200 Petco Card, a year's supply of Natural Balance pet food, Rose Bowl commemorative mugs and t-shirts and more: 26 winners in all!

This is also the last day Natural Balance Pet Food will be donating $1 per Facebook "like" to feed homeless pets. They're goal in the last two weeks has been 25,000 'Likes' = a donation of $25,000!

Let's help them get there! Click here.

See you at the parade!!

Cokie the Cat

New Year's Eve!!

2011-12-31T01:37:00.000-08:00

I hope you're all having a brilliant New Year's Eve, in your wonderful homes, with people and animals who love you. If you're alone tonight, give yourself a big hug, toast yourself with your beverage of choice and love yourself!

This will be a big weekend for us. Mom's brother, sister-in-law and her nephew, Spencer, are coming out from Austin tonight, and everyone will be up at Grandpa's house in the L.A. hills drinking champagne and ringing in the New Year. Uncle Mike is in the hospital - he's in and out several times a year because he has bad liver - so we'll be calling him at midnight to say "HAPPY NEW YEAR!," and he'll be joking with the nurses.

People love colored paper on New Year's Eve. I love it, too!

Sunday is Spencer's 7th birthday. He was born on January 1st! We're having a party for Spencer here in L.A. for the first time since he was two years old and we're really excited about that. Mom's making him white cupcakes with white frosting and colored sprinkles and she got a candle that plays happy birthday music that she's going to put in his cupcake. MOL!

On Monday, we're going to the ROSE PARADE in Pasadena! We have super awesome seats in the grandstands right above the press and TV cameras, and I'm going to be tweeting live from @cokiethecat with Mom's brand new iPhone, so be sure you're following me on Twitter Monday morning. Watch the parade on TV, too. You never know - you might see me!

You'll definitely see the Natural Balance Pet Food float - about halfway through the parade - that's going for another world record, this time for the longest and heaviest float. It will have an 80' wave machine on it, and a bunch of surfing dogs, including Tillman, who may also be tweeting, if he has his iBone. ; )

Tillman resting up before the Rose Parade.
Check out his bone shaped jacuzzi. MOL!

@RickRockhill, Sr Vice President of Natural Balance will be tweeting and maybe his dog @SheldonGriffin, too, and @Petco and @NaturalBalance. We'll all be using the hashtag #RosePets, so search for #RosePets on Twitter to follow all the parade action.

Click here to LIKE Natural Balance on Facebook!

Click HERE to enter.
Only three days left!

That's a lot happening in three days. I'd better take a nap!

New Year's resolutions

2011-12-30T13:05:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year To All My Old & New Friends!

New Year's Resolutions

Halo, Purely for Pets surveyed more than 1,000 pet parents to find out their New Year's Resolutions. Among other things, they found that a majority of pet owners resolved to do a better job grooming their pets and almost half said they were going to help their pets lose weight. Almost 90% want to help them get more exercise, many planning more walks and more playtime.

I don't need to lose weight, but Mom and Dad have resolved to brush me more often and walk around the house dragging a ribbon behind them more. YES! I may be 17 and have to wear pants, but I can still get "strung out" on ribbon just like anyone else... ; )

I resolve to endeavor to persevere and make it through another year. =^..^=
What are your resolutions?

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2012!

Love, Cokie

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop ROSE PARADE!

2011-12-28T22:49:00.000-08:00

I've been tweeting with Tillman the skateboarding bulldog (@tillmanskates) and with Rick Rockhill (@rickrockhill), Sr. Vice President of Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Food, Inc., and I'm totally stoked to tell you that in addition to my über cool Blog Giveaway (you can win a $200 Petco Gift Card, a Year's Supply of Natural Balance Pet Food, Rose Parade T-shirts and Mugs, & more), AND Natural Balance donating $1 to help homeless pets for each new Facebook LIKE through January 2nd - up to $25,000, I'll be tweeting LIVE from the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, giving you the play-by-play of the animals in the parade, animal themed floats, and of course, Tillman & Friends surfing on the Natural Balance float! (Wow, that was a really long sentence. I need to take a breath!)

@RickRockhill & @SheldonGryffin

Watch Live Streaming Video of the Natural Balance Rose Parade™ Float Construction - Float Decorating Cam! Volunteers are working 8 hr shifts 24/7 through Sunday.

Video streaming by Ustream
You can also listen to Rick Rockhill's Palm Springs Savant & Co. BlogTalkRadio show from last night, with the player below. It's 30 minutes long, and Rick tells us all the behind the scenes details about the parade, Tillman, Natural Balance, the float, the whole ball of yarn...

Palm Springs Savant & Co #540: Gearing Up for The Rose Parade, by Rick Rockhill

Listen to internet radio with Rick Rockhill on Blog Talk Radio

I'm so excited!
Chirp!
=^..^=

(Low Word Count) Wednesday: Xmas XVII

2011-12-28T00:03:00.000-08:00

My 17th Christmas as a present.

Yeah, yeah. O.K.

I'm a man cat. Just sayin'.

Fine. Just let me have the paper.

Bah. Humbug!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Mom & Dad woke me up & gave me to one another for Christmas.

They're very sappy & sentimental that way.

Mom wrote this dumb song in the shower this morning,

while I was in my bed next to the tub.

She sings it to the tune of "O Tannenbaum" ("Oh Christmas Tree"):

O Cokie Cat, O Cokie Cat

You are our kitty treasure

O Cokie Cat, O Cokie Cat

You give us so so much pleasure

You live your life contentedly

You wear your pants for all to see

O Cokie Cat, O Cokie Cat

You are our kitty treasure

Here's a video of me (in my pants) enjoying the Christmas nip that @tinypearlcat sent me, that she grew herself in her garden! It's really good nip... That's Doors music in the background.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;I alson &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

I also want to share @myfavpupjasmine's super awesome Christmas movie, "Santa's Little Helper":

Happy Holidays everyone!

Don't forget to enter my Giveaway!

Love,

Cokie the Cat

=^..^=

Hobbit House

2011-12-24T00:59:00.000-08:00

Mom always says I have hobbit feet because of the long tufts of white hair that grow out between my toes on the bottom of my paws.

I think she and Dad should build me one of these. Wouldn't this be a lovely place to spend Christmas!?

It only cost Simon and Jasmine Dale in Wales about $5000 US to build this wonderful hobbit house for themselves and their two little kids. Their website is here. Is this not the most perfect, snuggliest, most comfy cozy (real) house you've ever seen?

Remember that for the next week, Natural Balance Pet Foods is donating $1 for every new 'like' on their Facebook page, which will go to feed homeless shelter and rescue dogs and cats through January 2nd. They're almost up to $3000 in donations already! Please 'like' them and spread the word. An easy way to help animals over the holidays!

Merry Christmas eve, everyone!

Love,
Cokes

Thankful Thursday

2011-12-22T00:03:00.001-08:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-20T23:05:00.001-08:00

: )

; )

Natural Balance Pet Foods is donating $1 to help homeless pets for every new Facebook
LIKE through the holidays.

They're already over $2000

and there's still a week to go!

Tillman Tuesday!

2011-12-20T05:17:00.000-08:00

The 12 Days of Tillman has begun, as we count down to January 2nd, 2012, when we'll all be watching Tillman and his friends surf on the 80' waveboard on the world record winning 'World's Largest &Longest Float' at the Rose Parade!

This is going to be out of this world!

Check out this awesome Tillman video, to see what all the fuss is about:

Then be sure to "like" the Natural
Balance Facebook Page. They're giving away $1 per 'like' to needy pets this holiday season. A great and super easy for you to help homeless pets get some good food!

Dick Van Patton and My Mom!

And, don't forget to enter to win my gnarly Natural Balance Rose Parade Giveaway, where you could win a $200 Petco Card, a years supply of Natural Balance pet food, or lots of other great stuff.

Come and get it at my the Natural Balance Rose Parade Giveaways page here!

Good Luck!

Cokes

How to Make a Dog Float!

2011-12-16T22:09:00.000-08:00

I'll be posting a lot about Tillman, the skateboarding/snowboarding - and in this case surfing - bulldog and his friends until they appear (surfing) on the Natural Balance float in the Rose Parade on January 2nd.

They'll be on "The Making of the World's Longest and Heaviest Float" TV special, which premieres on local U.S. stations this Sunday, December 18th. The schedule is on the Natural Balance Pet Food website here. Try to catch it if you can, it will be totally fun and interesting - so much goes into this stuff!

Enter here daily till January 2nd, to win a year's supply of pet food or other great prizes in my super awesome Natural Balance Rose Parade Giveaway!

Natural Balance Rose Parade Giveaways! (Closed)

2011-12-16T03:59:00.000-08:00

Thank you for entering. This giveaway is closed.

Winners will be posted shortly.

Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Food is sponsoring these awesome New Year's Rose Parade GIVEAWAYS! We have 26 prizes for 26 winners!

One person will win a $200 Petco gift card, one a 1 Year's Supply of Natural Balance Dry Dog or Cat food (12 large bags), 12 will win commemorative Rose Bowl coffee mug and t-shirt sets, and 12 will win cases of Tillman's Treats! 26 winners! See instructions for how to enter at the bottom of this post.

$200.00

Win a year's supply!

Win an entire case!

2012 will be the fourth year that Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods has entered a float in the Pasadena Rose Parade featuring Tillman the skateboarding (snowboarding, surfing...) bulldog - and I'll be there tweeting live from the parade!!

They'd like to celebrate with us "The 12 Days of Tillman" as he prepares for his January 2nd parade, surfing on the world's longest and heaviest float. Facebook and Twitter will be filled with fun trivia, videos, pics and prizes as they follow Tillman's preparations for the big day.

Meanwhile, for every new LIKE on Facebookuntil Jan. 3, Natural Balance will be donating $1 to the Tree of Hope program, providing pet food to shelters and rescues.

Please read the Sponsors & Giveaways Page at the top of my blog for Terms and Conditions. The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents, 18 years and older.

Thank you for entering. This giveaway is closed.

Winners will be posted shortly.

~~To Enter:~~

Leave a comment below that you've "Liked" the Natural Balance Facebook page Include your Facebook name and email address so I can contact you if you win!*

~~Extra Credit:~~

Tweet about the promotion including the hashtag #RosePets, using the samples below. Be sure to leave a new comment for each entry and include your Twitter name. You may leave up to two extra credit comments per day, one for each different tweet.

~~Tweet #1:~~

~~Enter @CokieTheCat's Giveaway! Prizes include a $200 Petco card or a yr's supply of @naturalbalance pet food! http://is.gd/JL1h0e #RosePets~~

~~Tweet #2:~~
~~@naturalbalance is donating $1 to help feed homeless pets for every Facebook LIKE through Jan. 2! http://is.gd/UGenV9 Pls RT! #RosePets~~

Good Luck!!

This post is sponsored by Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Food, Inc.

*Note: If you prefer not to visit Facebook and/or "Like" the page, you can just leave a comment below with your email address as your initial entry.

Thank you for entering. This giveaway is closed.

Winners will be posted shortly.

What Part of "NO VET" Don't You Understand?

2011-12-10T23:01:00.001-08:00

Mom came across this "Don't Pet This Kitty" video on YouTube today and swears it's exactly like me when I go to the vet - and even when a home call vet comes here!

This is a new behavior for me over the last couple of years. Only my Dad can dominate me when I get this worked up. Mom doesn't have a chance.

I don't know why I get so crazy. I just do. I did it when Grandma tried to put my pants on me when she cat sat me for a few days, which meant I had to stay in the bathroom for three days sans pants till Mom got home.

Now Mom and Dad have to take trips separately, so someone's always home with me. Which is just the way I like it. ; )

Dad swears I must be related to this kitty.

Lunar Eclipse

2011-12-10T00:25:00.001-08:00

This morning will be the last total eclipse of the moon for three years. It will be most visible in Hawaii and the western U.S. beginning at 4:45am PT - with the full eclipse at 6:32am PT.

Lunar Cat by Tsuki-moonwolf (cc)

It will also be a very large and very red moon.

Mom's going to set the alarm for us to get up and watch it!

Scarlet Moon by Alex ~wonderwhatsfordinner (cc)

Thankful Thursday: Catvertising

2011-12-08T17:57:00.001-08:00

I'm thankful for cat videos.

And So Begins The Christmas Season...

2011-12-03T00:05:00.001-08:00

How to Wrap a Cat for Christmas

Thankful Thursday: She's HOME!

2011-12-01T19:26:00.001-08:00

Mom went to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with her brother's family. I stayed home with Dad. We've had a great time.

I've been talking. He's been on the computer. I've been talking. He's been watching TV. I've been talking. He's been taking showers. I've been talking. He's been eating. I've been eating. He's been changing my pants. I've been talking. He's been writing.... and playing music (which I like). Then we'd call Mom and we'd all talk to each other.

She was gone for 8 Days!!But guess what? She's home!!

Me & My Mom

I'm very thankful this Thursday that Mom's finally back home and life is good. Thanks for sending her back home, Austin. I know you wanted to keep her.

=^..^=

Wordless Wednesday with a Capybara!

2011-11-30T20:45:00.001-08:00

OK, Just a caption: Spencer - Meet @Garibaldirous
He's twice your weight. Just sayin'.

MOL! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2011-11-28T13:01:00.001-08:00

MOL! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Zazzle.com has a Cyber Monday sale going on right now, with tons of stuff on sale (including my new MOL! Merry Christmas doggy shirt featuing my award winning Santa hat pic). ; )

Use the promo code: ZCYBERMONDAY to get great deals today only - in fact, until midnight tonight only! (Monday, November 28, Pacific Time)

@zackrabbit's 2010 calendar

And not just for my stuff! Use the code for @zackrabbit's calendar, @javathecat's Pawpawty, Anipal Academy Awards & Anipal Times items, or anything else you see on Zazzle that you like!

@javathecat's Anipal Academy Awards
Customizable Mouse Pads!

$5 OFF t-shirts

$3 OFF mugs

60% OFF wrapped canvas

50% OFF cards/invites

40% OFF calendars

30% OFF ornaments

20% OFF mobile cases

FREE SHIPPING
(on orders of $50 or more)

promo code: ZCYBERMONDAY

Operation Beagle Freedom

2011-11-25T08:51:00.000-08:00

2011-11-24T08:22:00.001-08:00

It's the Thankful Thursday of all Thankful Thursdays! I'm thankful to have met all of you wonderful anipals and your humans, virtually and for real.
I'm especially thankful for my lovely wife @jazzydacat, Mom and Dad, my cousin Spencer (who Mom's visiting right now)!
How about you??

Belated Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-24T08:17:00.001-08:00

Guess where Mom is.

Free Northern California 7 Night Vacation - Last Chance

2011-11-22T01:07:00.001-08:00

UPDATE!

You have less than 10 days left to enter into this contest to win a free 7-night Food Network Guided Vacation in San Francisco and the Wine Country, INCLUDING airfare from select major US airports! Contest expires Dec. 1, 2011.

All you have to do is enter HERE and select my rockin' Mom (KristinD) as your 'preferred agent.' Check off any boxes of travel things you might be interested in hearing about in the future - special deals/packages, etc. - or don't check any and we won't bother you with that stuff.

No reason not to at least give it shot though. Who couldn't use 7 free days in Northern CA?? Do it now before you forget!

=^..^=

Cokes

Anipal Academy Awards: Still Wrapping up...

2011-11-18T23:40:00.001-08:00

Thank you, everyone who participated in the Anipal Academy Photo & Video Awards last Sunday. It was a lot of work but it was really fun and so worth it!

@pepismartdog keeping the little woman
@jazzydacatout of trouble while I was on stage!

@Pepismartdog, my one of my Associate Producers (@danapixie was the other) even created this fun opening video to introduce me as the host of the show:

If you weren't able to make it, you can get the general idea of what it was like at this site. You'll find the Photo/Video winners, the Screening Room where you can view all the nominees and winner, check out the awesome buffet, etc. I'm still finishing getting the last details of the page up, but it will be finished soon.

Me & Poppet, @holliecatrocks and Cheeto in the BlogPaws Lounge

This site is for the general awards that were presented on Saturday, along with @pepismartdog's Rainbow Bridge celebration.

And you can read @maggietkat's tribute to all the anipals who volunteer in various capacities at PawPawties, etc., which took place on Friday here. Each honored anipal received a Hollywood star image with their name on it. I even got one for my work creating The Anipal Times, and for donating Mom's artwork & other stuff to PawPawties!

Just like all those stars on my street!

More coming soon...

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop

2011-11-17T16:03:00.001-08:00

OK. I was JUST going to post that I'm retiring the Thankful Thursday blog hop for lack of participation, as I did with the Anipal Photo Hunt last year, when I saw in my stats I've had a of hits from a new source today.

Turns out that Janet, Fred and Gloria's mom at Basset Momma, decided TODAY to join the Thankful Thursday hop, even though my last one was from last week - and she drove 18 folks to my site! Thanks, Janet! Did you know you were so influential? : )

Barney & Janet

Your post alone was enough to make me not can Thankful Thursdays after all. Especially not the week before Thanksgiving. What a Scrooge I was about to be.

Gloria & Fred (guilting me out)

So today, I'm thankful for Janet (& Fred's stinky anal glands) for giving me a much needed shot in the arm. =^..^=

I just can't let this guy down.

P.S. Janet ~ Do I know you from BlogPaws? How did you find Thankful Thursdays??

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T17:29:00.001-08:00

The Anipal Academy Photo & Video Awards!

2011-11-13T00:43:00.001-08:00

Today is the day! Nov.13, 2001
Come to the 2011 Anipal Academy Photo & Video Awards

Red Carpet Arrivals at

10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm GMT.

Followed by socializing with the stars in the BlogPaws Lounge.

View the nominated photos and films in the Screening Room.
Visit the Gift Shop& the Donation Table...
Then find your seats in the AAA Theatre!

Keep alert for quizzes with killer prizes sponsored by BlogPaws!

All this info and more is at AAA Photo/Video Awards.

Formal attire suggested!

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop: AAA's - 10 Days & Counting!

2011-11-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

A little late today, sorry!

Still busy working on The Anipal Academy Awards.

I'm excited but also very thankful it will all be over

in 10 days!! LOL!

This will be a great opportunity for those of you who haven't been on Twitter long to see a Twitter Extravaganza! Go on Twitter between November 11th and November 13th and you're bound to run into either the Anipal Academy Awards or anipals on Twitter all dressed up for the Awards, tweeting pics and talking about the Awards!

The schedule is here.

Click here for the Twitvite to learn more and RSVP!

And start working on your Twitter avatars/icons,

and pics of you in the audience to post during the event!

And thanks to @danapixie for making this audience shot for me and @jazzydacat AND the trophy pic above!

(Dana rocks!)

Anipal Academy Awards

2011-11-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

SAVE THE DATES!

November 11, 12 & 13

Click HERE for Weekend Event Schedule
(& Hashtag Instructions)

Saturday Blog Hop - Last Week for Hope For Paws $25K Contest

2011-10-29T03:52:00.000-07:00

You can help Hope For Paws save more faces like this!

We're in the last four days of the Facebook/Readers Digest "Your Life" contest and Audrey from Hope for Paws is in second place. She (and their non-profit) are pretty certain to win $2500 as a runner up for her story about how Chase the dog changed her life. We still have a few days to get them back into first place so they could win $25,000! (They just spent $1500 at the vet on rescues this week.)

I've already blogged about Chase and the contest here and here, OK and here, too. Sorry for being redundant but this is a huge deal and they would help so many animals with that prize if they were to win...

Like Levi, a one year old stray shepherd mix they rescued from Sylmar, in the San Fernando Valley (in L.A.) a month ago:

Please vote once a day until the contest ends at on November 1st at 11:59pm EDT, at http://apps.facebook.com/yourlifecontest/content/chase-day. You do not have to have a Facebook account to vote.

Thanks again!

Thankful Thursday on Friday!

2011-10-28T04:56:00.000-07:00

ON FRIDAY!

Just wasn't enough time in the day yesterday, so it's Thankful Thursday on Friday!Lots of stuff going on out there, the weather is changing, Halloween's coming up, some of us will be honoring our loved ones who've left us on the Day of the Dead on November 2nd (or this weekend), and BlogPaws is sponsoring this year's Anipal Academy Awards, which will be held on Twitter over the weekend of November 11-13.

Today is the last day to cast your vote in The Anipal Academy Awards, so head on over there! There are two voting poll pages: General Nominations and Photo/Video Nominations. Vote for your favorites before 11:59pm PDT tonight! Then stay tuned for more details and to rsvp for the Ceremonies, which will be great fun. You might want to start thinking about who you'd like to go with and what you're going to wear... Just sayin'.

One of the photo entries under 'Funniest Photo" is @eldad75 from Hope For Paws' little white dog Chase (below.) Chase is looking a little nervous because he's not only entered in this Anipal Academy Award contest, but also in a much bigger and much more important one for him and for Hope For Paws.Chase's mom, Audrey wrote a story about how rescuing Chase changed her life and entered it in the Your Life/ReadersDigest contest on Facebook.

Chase

I know I've already blogged about this a few times, but I really want to help them get some final votes down the home stretch!! In fact, I just blogged about it here last Saturday...

This is the Facebook Page to Vote on

If they win, they could have her story published, bringing publicity to their non-profit rescue work, and they COULD win $25,000 which they desperately need to continue the extreme animal rescues they do daily, along with the medical care, etc., each animal needs until they can be placed in a forever home.

Chase's rescue video is here: http://youtu.be/M4giaORFP5M
Audrey and Chase's story was in the lead for weeks but just fell back by 1000 votes this week. It's the only animal rescue organization in the competition.

@Eldad is going to be interviewed today on ABC News about his rescue of Nili, who we are very happy to say was recently adopted into this loving forever home.Here's Nili's rescue video: http://youtu.be/fJhpaS486EU

Nili's new forever family

I know I ask you to vote, donate, forward and retweet a lot for Hope For Paws, but they've really got me by the heart, and once you see what they do, especially if you are ever able to spend some time with them personally, as I was, they'll have your heart, too.

Their beautiful book is sold out but they're now giving it away free online at: http://www.eldadhagar.com/ . You can also get to their Facebook page, Twitter page, Youtube page with their 130+ rescue videos, etc. from there.

Check it out, and please vote once a day for the next several days, and forward, email, tweet, blog, call and tell your friends to vote, too. Such a small thing could significantly impact the lives of animals in Los Angeles and around the country. Please vote HERE.

And we will all be very thankful!

Win a Trip Wednesday

2011-10-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

OK, This is supposed to be my BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday post, but sometimes we have to take a commercial break and this is one of them. But, hey - you could win an awesome trip* in the process!

And now for a word about my sponsor (Mom):

I've figured out where Mom's been going every night, leaving me and Dad home alone to fend for ourselves: Willett Travel Academy. Do you know what that means?? It means she's going to be a Travel Agent. Do you know what that means?? It means she's going to be traveling MORE. Dagnabbit!!

She's already creating customized itineraries for inbound travel to Los Angeles. She knows all the cool places since she's lived here all her life, and has worked for 20 years (and is still) as a film scout and location manager on TV shows and movies.

Mom's working with the dozens of experts at Willett Travel, planning super cool vacations and corporate travel to and from all over the world. She loves it. It's a big, comfortable agency and they have experts in every place you could imagine wanting to go. They've been in L.A. since 1943.

Mom's also learning all the tricks (good girl!) and making all the connections that make using a travel agent SO much better than booking your own travel through Expedia or TripAdvisor or Hotels.com, and getting there to find your room looks over the garbage cans, the hotel's under construction, or there was just a storm and there's no sand on the beach.

You no longer need to spend all your waking hours (like Mom always did) reading online reviews and choosing which ones to trust, which airline, hotel, airport bus/sedan service or taxi?, which tours to take, which restaurants to go to. There are people who already know that stuff! Who knew??

Super Fun Guided Tours

Even in this economy - especially in this economy - people are using travel agents to be sure they get the best value for their hard-earned money, and don't have to just 'hope' they've made all the right choices.

Want to go on a Ken Burns American Journey!?

Mom's specializing in pet travel (doh!), spiritual/sacred places, Hawaii and American National Parks, but she can help you with your travel plans literally from anywhere to anywhere, so give her shout at kristind@willetttravel.com, if you're thinking of going somewhere, or just want to run something by her.

*Almost forgot the FREE TRIP part! Willett Travel always has a 'free trip' giveaway going. Right now, it's an awesome seven day FOOD NETWORK San Francisco/Wine Country vacation - including U.S. air travel! I'm not even kidding. Just enter HERE and select Mom (KristinD) as your 'preferred agent.'

Hope you win!

Hope For Paws - Readers Digest Contest

2011-10-21T23:59:00.000-07:00

If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you've seen many posts about Hope For Paws and the amazing animal rescue work they do.

Hope for Paws is Eldad and Audrey Hagar. They rescue animals deemed unadoptable by animal shelters - the ones they won't even show to the public, as they appear too dangerous - and the feral, injured and abandoned animals who've been living on the streets for years. The difficult rescues.

I wrote an article about them in The Anipal Times, which you can read here.

Audrey Hagar

Money which would go directly into the rescue and medical care expenses for hundreds of animals next year.

Please click here to vote daily in this Facebook Your Life contest until November 2nd.

Audrey's story, which is currently in 2nd place in the competition, the only animal rescue organization entered, is about one of their rescue dogs, one they kept for themselves, rather than adopting out to another good home. Chase was special and changed Audrey's own view of the world.

The video below is also part of the competition.

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop: Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-10-20T03:13:00.000-07:00

What else can I say?

I'm the luckiest cat in the world to have

a mom who loves me SO much!

Thank you and happy birthday, mama!

=^..^=

Blog the Change for Animals

2011-10-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER 15

BE, BLOG AND READ THE CHANGE FOR ANIMALS!

Get the badge & spread the word!

#BtC4A

My regular readers know that favorite animal rescuer is Eldad Haggar. HopeForPaws.org is Eldad and his wife, Audrey. They do what I call "extreme" animal Rescue.

Eldad videotapes all his rescues and puts them on YouTube here to help raise money for their medical bills and to promote their adoptions.

Most of their rescues are much more difficult, dangerous or dramatic than Sinatra's, below, but it's a perfect example of how we can make a change in an animal's life, or in Eldad's case, in hundreds of animals' lives.

Hope ForPaws needs your support and you can help them win a $25,000 to their nonprofit to help more animals and have a great rescue story published nationally just by voting in the Readers Digest Facebook competition here.

It's a story of how Audrey's life was changed by a rescued dog. They're far in the lead now, but there are a few weeks left and that could change. Please bookmark the site and vote every day!

Twitter Tips for Beginners (5): Blog Hops

2011-10-15T02:09:00.000-07:00

You've probably see a lot of references to Blog Hops on Twitter. We've talked about a couple of blog hops but I haven't gone into detail as to how they work, so let's go over that now. (If you're new to Twitter, catch up with us by clicking on the Twitter Tips tab up top.)

I host the #ThankfulThursday blog hop, BlogPaws hosts the #WordlessWednesday blog hop, and every Saturday, there's the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop, which is hosted by Two Little Cavaliers, Life with Dogs, and Baby Patches from Nip and Bones.

A blog hop, is a group of blogs which are connected with a common 'hyperlink' and usually with a common theme. If you click on any of the links at the bottom of a blog post that is part of a blog hop you'll be taken to another blog post with that same theme. You can just keep clicking on other links and visit (or hop to) all sorts of blogs, 'follow' or bookmark the ones you like, leave comments, make new friends... It's really pretty cool.

This post will be my entry in the Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop. The theme for this hop is simply pet blogs. Anyone with a pet blog can join! Even if you don't have a pet blog, you can still hop to the different blogs and see what the pet bloggers (or the pets) are up to this week.

Look at the bottom of this post and you'll see that I've joined the Saturday Pet Blogger's hop and 'linked' to the other pet bloggers in the list. The list will grow until the hop 'closes' tomorrow. Then it will be closed to new entries until next week. You can always stop by and hop to all the blogs, though.

There are a few programs people use to create the common hyperlink for a blog hop. Linky Tools is the one I use. It's $2 a month to the person hosting the hop (free to everyone else in the hop) and worth it to me because it's so simple to use. I found a great article about alternative programs here though, if you're interested.

So say you want to join the Saturday Pet Blogger's Hop. Write a post that you'd like to share in the hop, then go to one of the blogs that you know will be participating.

Some blog hops have a button or badge you can put on your own blog, so you can just click on it every week and go straight to the blog hop, like the one I made below. If there is such a button or image, it's generally expected that you'll put an image of the button, with or without a link to the original blog hop post in your own post - if you can figure out how to do that! That way visitors to your site will know they've found a post that's part of the blog hop.

Two Little Cavaliers has a Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop button like mine with the code for you to add it to your blog. Theirs is in their right sidebar here. You might also see a link to the hop on Twitter.
However you get there, read the blog post, then go down to the bottom and where it says something to the effect of Click Here To Enter, that's what you do.

When you click that link, it will take you to a page where you need to enter the url address that will take readers directly to the post you've written for the blog hop, not your basic url, i.e. www.cokiethecat.com.
You want the long url. Mine is http://cokiethecat.blogspot.com/2011/10/twitter-tips-for-beginners-5-blog-hops.html, which will take my readers directly to this post. If you can't figure it out, leave a comment below and I'll try to help you find it. Meanwhile, it won't hurt anyone if you just put in your basic url. As with Wordless Wednesdays, there are usually no Blog Hop police.

The link program will ask you where you want to link it to, that is, for your own blog post's url address, and for a caption or title to submit with your link. The captions are generally limited to between 15 and 30 characters, so type in whatever fits that describes your blog or your post. I usually just write Cokie or Cokie the Cat, depending on how many characters they allow. In this case, it says 'maximum 25 characters,' so I wrote: Cokie the Cat: Blog Hops as my caption.
See the blog hop link captions below: "I Want to be a Vet," "Doodling Dogs," "My Life with Flyball Dogs," and "How Much is That Doggie?"

Next, at least with Linky Tools, you're asked if you want the program to 'Auto crop' your image or to let you 'crop your own image.' Not all hops use images, some just use your written caption as your link. This one allows/requires an image. I always click on 'Let Me Crop My Own Image' so my head doesn't get cut off in the pic or something.

Then you click 'From File,' 'From Web,' or 'Generic' for where to get your image/pic. I always click 'From File' and grab an image off my computer, usually one I've used in my blog post, or it could be my Twitter avatar or any pic, really.
Once you've selected a pic from your computer to use for your blog hop link image, it will come up with arrows you can use to crop the photo the way you want it. Remember, this will be a tiny photo, so don't include too much detail. Your face is better than your whole body, and just you is better than you in front of your house.
Once you've cropped your photo, you'll be given the option to go back to the blog hop. Do that and you'll see that your pic and link have been added to the bottom of the list. It might take five minutes, so don't do it again immediately if you don't see it right away.
The next step is to add the code to your blog so your readers can see all the other participants in the blog hop on the bottom of your own post and join from your blog!Go back to the blog hop back to the bottom of the page where it says 'Enter Here,' and below that it should say, 'Get the code here.' Click there.

See "Get the code here..." at the bottom.

That will bring you to a page that looks something like this:

Highlight and copy the text in the box, then back to your own blog. Log in if you need to, so you can go 'behind the scenes' in your blog. Find your last post, the one you linked to for the blog hop and click on Edit, so you can edit the post.
In the upper corner of your post it should give you the option of HTML or Compose. Compose is what we usually use, when we want to see what our blogs will look like as we create them. HTML is all the mumbo jumbo code that we don't understand a lot of! That's what you want right now, though.

Compose is highlighted on the left, above. To add your code, you'll want to click on HTML.

You want to open up your blog hop post 'in HTML' then scroll all the way to the bottom of the post. At the very bottom, past the code you copied up above. Just paste it and hit Save or Update. Then click View Blog.
You should see your blog post, with all the other blog hop links at the bottom, and voila! You've successfully navigated joining a blog hop!
If it didn't work, leave me a comment and I'll try to trouble shoot it for you, but I think you'll be fine.
Now go visit the other bloggers in the hop. Protocol suggests you 'follow' and comment on the posts of the host(s) of the blog, but again - no police. Follow and comment on all the blogs you like. Tell them you're from the blog hop, and make friends!
If you want to know how to create your own blog hop, let me know and we'll talk about that.
As always, corrections, additions and questions are encouraged!
Let's go to the Hop!Cokes

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Save the Dates:

November 12th & 13th

with Special Achievement Ceremonies

on Friday evening, November 11th

I am honored to be producing the Photo & Video segment

of The 2nd annual Anipal Academy Awards this year.

Nominations are now open for all categories

and our official Call for Submissions for Photos and Videos

has been announced.

Nominations will be open until October 15.

Voting will be from October 16-24.

(Photo/Video Voting: Oct. 18-24)

Special Achievements Ceremonies

will be held on the evening of November 11th.

The Anipal Academy Awards Ceremony and After Pawty

will take place on November 12-13.

Click HERE to submit your nominations of

Twitter Anipals in the following categories:

Click HERE for instructions on how to submit

your Photos and Videos.

Anipal Achievement Awards

The Friday evening Ceremonies will honor
Anipals' Special Achievements over the year:
#Pawpawty and #Nipclub volunteers, Anipal Times staff,
and other anipals who work tirelessly to support
animal charities, educate and entertain our communiity.

MaggieTKat is the Anipal Achievement Award Coordinator

and is looking for input on several categories HERE.

You can follow The Anipal Academy Awards

on Twitter HERE and on Facebook HERE.

We hope you will all be able to pawticipate in the nomination and voting process, and can attend the weekend of Anipal Academy Awards Ceremonies. It will be grrrrrrreat!

Disclaimer: I've lifted most of the information above directly from The Anipal Academy Awards website.

Twitter Tips for Beginners (4): #Hashtags - Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T03:33:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday, twitterers and bloggers around the world participate in a common a sort of a game called "Wordless Wednesday." It's a take off on 'a picture is worth 1000 words,' a photo that requires no explanation.

Some anipals on Twitter also post #WW for Woof Wednesday. That's basically just folks giving a shout-out to their friends/

On Twitter, folks tweet links to their Wordless Wednesday blog post photo preceded by the #WordlessWednesday hashtag. The photo or pic can be very beautiful, funny, poignant... or just an 'a day in the life' type thing.

This was one of my previous Wordless Wednesday posts.
A pic of 2 just rescued dogs needing a home.

If you don't have a blog, you can still tweet your Wordless Wednesday image using a service like TwitPic, Flickr or Picasa.

To see how it works, first put #WordlessWednesday in the search bar on your Twitter home page. That will bring up a list of tweets that contain those hashtags.

Type #WordlessWednesday into the search bar.

You'll pull up a bunch of #WordlessWednesday tweets with pics you can check out. It may just open up a window in Twitter, or it may take you to a blog page, where they might have one or several Wordless Wednesday pics.

This list I just pulled up has a lot of people re-tweeting one person's #WordlessWednesday blog post with photos of chickens.

You can click on the link in each tweet and see all the Wordless Wednesday pics. It's a great way to discover new blogs and/or people to follow on Twitter - or both.

If you want to participate, choose a photo that 'speaks volumes.' The idea is not to write about it, but sometimes people do write a bit about their pics. There are no Wordless Wednesday Police.

This was a Wordless Wednesday pic of me drinking from the tub faucet,
which my people decided for no good reason to deny me for
about three months. Humans...

Post the image on your blog with the words "Wordless Wednesday" as the post title. Then compose a tweet beginning with: #WordlessWednesday, then maybe a little hint of what your photo is of or about (or not), and then the url link to your image(s). You want the link to that one post with your image, not your basic url, i.e. www.cokiethecat.com.

You want the long url. Mine is http://cokiethecat.blogspot.com/2011/10/wordless-wednesday_12.html, which will take my readers directly to my post, whenever they click on that link, even a year from now.

Find that direct link, however you do with your particular website or blog, then copy the address bar at the top of your browser window - the whole thing. It will look something this, with your blog title toward the end of the url: http://cokiethecat.blogspot.com/2011/10/wordless-wednesday_12.html

You may want to use a url shortener, so it doesn't take up all your 140 characters in your tweet. There are many, you can just google: url shortener, but I usually use Tinyurl.com. Just put the long url in there and it generates a shortcut url that will take you to the same post. Highlight and copy the shortened url and use that in your tweet.

For example, I've just posted mine and tweeted it with the tiny url. The tweet came out looking like this:

On Twitter, you could click on the #WordlessWednesday link, to see other Wordless Wednesday
tweets, or on my 'tiny url' to go directly to my own Wordless Wednesday post.
These links aren't active here because this is just a picture of a page.

Go ahead and click here to see my Wordless Wednesday blog post for this week.

There are several Wordless Wednesday 'Blog Hops,' too, including one that BlogPaws.com hosts. If you go to their website on Wednesdays, usually after around 9am EST, I think, they'll have their Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop up and open for you to enter. Go ahead and link up if you know how, or try to figure it out. If you can't, we'll get to Blog Hops, soon!

Thanks for reading!
Cokes

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T01:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's Wordless Wednesday, but I feel a few words are in order to some of my new visitors from BlogPaws.com. The lovely Yvonne mistook me for a girl cat in featuring my "Twitter Tips for Beginners" blog series, which I can forgive, as I was wearing a dress at the time.

I do, however, wish to take this opportunity to once again post the photos revealing the obvious likeness between myself and actor Daniel Craig, for whom I am often mistaken, living in Hollywood, as I do.

I'm your Man Cat.
Cokes

Twitter Tips for Beginners (3): #FollowFriday

2011-10-07T02:52:00.000-07:00

This is Part 3 of my series, "Twitter Tips for Beginners." Today we're going to talk about the #FollowFriday hashtag.

If you're new to Twitter, click here for a list of my Beginners posts, so far, and you can read posts 1 & 2 before this one. If you're a Twitter Pro, feel free to comment below if you have anything to add.

#FollowFriday (#FF)

#FollowFriday started in January of 2009, when a start-up advisor in San Francisco named Micah Baldwin posted this tweet:

Since then, every Friday, twitterers around the world have been recommending people to follow. If you like someone on Twitter and find their tweets interesting, chances are you'll like the people they recommend, as well.

This is especially true if you have a particular interest or agenda on Twitter. Obviously, I like animals, so I'll follow other animals, and interesting people I come across, too.

Participating in #FollowFriday promotes people you like - and yourself, too, as folks often re-tweet (RT) the whole tweet, exposing you and everyone else in the tweet to even more people, and so on, and so on.

Example:
Last Friday I posted this to Twitter:

Yes, that's me wearing a dress. I enjoy wearing the occasional frock. I borrowed this one from @eddieizzard.

All of my Twitter followers who happened to be online when I posted it (I have 4300 Twitter followers) saw that tweet, and some of them probably 'followed' the names they didn't recognize because I've 'vouched' for them - that they're real people, not spammers or annoying freakballs. ; )

Some of the twitterers above re-tweeted my #FF to their own followers, so I probably got some new followers from them, as well, and that's how it works. Some of my other followers will see my tweets, including my #FF suggestions, if they click on my Twitter name to see what I've been up to.

Let's Try It

I'm writing this on a Friday, but I realize that you may not be reading it on a Friday. If it's not Friday, your time, come back when it is, and join in on #FollowFriday.

If it is Friday for you, let's go. Log into Twitter. From your Home page, type #FF into the 'What's happening' panel/tweet window, followed by the Twitter names/IDs of some of your friends/followers, or other Twitterers that you would recommend to others.

Copy and paste their names into the panel after the #FF, or just type them in. You don't need to put commas between the names but you do need to have one space between each name.

Notice the What's happening panel or tweet window at the top. That's where you type your tweet. The 3 tweets below it are in your Timeline, tweets of people you're following.

140 Characters
With this, and with all of your tweets, you'll need to keep an eye on the number of characters (letters, numbers, or symbols) including empty spaces you're using. You always start with room for 140 characters or spaces. The number you have remaining in your tweet is to the right and just under your tweet window.

You can shorten and abbreviate words in your tweets, but not Twitter names/IDs, which must always be typed in exactly, including any underscores or numbers in the names, in order for them to link properly when someone clicks on them in your tweet.

Personalizing your #FF Tweets
Let's look at my #FF tweet again:

I've added a little ♥ heart symbol, which I just cut and pasted from the Internet. You can Google 'heart symbol' and you'll find articles that tell you how to make them with your keyboard, but you can also just highlight and copy one and paste it into your tweet.

I also added 'Good Follows:' just to personalize my #FF a little bit and make it a little more personal - I'm really recommending these particular people. You can customize your #FF tweets, or you can simply type #FF and your list of names.

Now YOU Follow Some #FF Suggestions
The other part of #FollowFriday is looking for twitterers you want to follow, based on your friends and followers' recommendations. When you see someone tweet a #FF list, go ahead and click on the names in their list. Look at the people (pets, companies...) they're recommending and if you like the looks of them, go ahead and follow them, too.

The more people you follow, the more tweets you'll see in your Timeline and the more opportunities for interaction you'll have, whether that's talking about your business, your pet, your favorite chile recipe or what you just saw on the news.

Captchas
Some people use a service which makes you prove you're a human (and not a computer spamming program) by copying a code called a captcha into a text box. Go ahead and do it. It's no big deal.

captcha

Follow Back
Be sure to check your own followers to see if there are new people following you that you want to 'follow back.

Twitter has an arbitrary number of 'follows' they'll allow you per session, so if it says you've 'hit a following limit,' give it up for a while. When you come back and more people have followed you, you'll be able to follow people again. That whole thing's a little more complicated to explain, so we'll leave that for later.

Now go #FollowFriday!

Questions, observations, suggestions? Please comment below. Thanks for reading!

=^..^=
Cokes
@cokiethecat

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop

2011-10-06T03:12:00.000-07:00

OK, so it's been a week since Mom went to the orthopaedist doctor lady about her neck and her knee. Since then she's had two physical therapy sessions for her knee and an MRI of her neck.
Turns out both of her knees have patella tracking problems - her knees have both been injured many times over the years, and never really 'fixing' them completely, they've continued to be chronically inflamed and therefore more susceptible to injury. It's like a "Catch 22," which is the title of an old movie about a human who wanted to get out of flying combat missions in a war.
To be excused, he had prove he was insane, so he was unfit to fly. Unfortunately, according to Army code 22, no sane person would want to fly combat missions because they were so dangerous. Because he was asking NOT to fly, it proved he was sane and was fit to fly, so he had to stay. Or something like that. (SPOILER! Oops... Sorry.) Now I'm confused. Actually, I think Catch 22 refers to circular logic or bureaucracy, not knees so much.

The movie poster from 1970.
Look at the fur on that guy.

A vicious circle? Yeah, maybe more like that. Vicious like that COBRA health insurance Mom has to pay so much for, but I guess it's a good thing she did, since she'd have been paying even more right now if she didn't.
She's doing all these exercises on both her knees to make her stronger so she doesn't fall down so much or walk funny, like me. Only one of us can be listing to the right in this family. If she's going to be listing at all, it has to be to the left, so we can keep each other straight! Just want to get that out there.

Mom's Physical Therapy Team.
How many physical therapists does
it take to screw in a light bulb??

The exercises right now are just making her legs and her ankles and her butt hurt, but she says it also feels like they're all getting stronger. (How strong does a butt have to be?)
Her MRI showed that her neck is actually in the recovery phase of an earlier injury and it's getting better, not worse. She does still have inflammation where a nerve is pinched, but in just the one week that she's stopped doing the things the doctor told her not to do with her neck, she's like 30% better.

No kundalini neck rolls for mom.

So, for now, no shots in the neck! Yay! Although I think a shot in my spine would do me good. Maybe I could get hers. Just sneak me in under her insurance and say I'm her. Do you think they'd notice?
Anyway, that's what I'm thankful for today. Mom's getting better and no shots!
How about you?
Cokes

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

Mom's Cokie the Cat Halloween Card

Mom's Eddie Baby Cat Holloween Card

Holloween Magnet

Twitter Tips for Beginners (2): Hashtags

2011-10-05T06:09:00.000-07:00

There are now 100 million active Twitter users! Isn't that amazing!? We've tried, but haven't found a concrete way to determine how many of those are pet bloggers. Lots, though!

This is Part 2 of my series, "Twitter Tips for Beginners." Today we're starting a discussion on hashtags. As soon as I finish this Twitter series, we'll move on to Blog Hops, Blog Carnivals, and other fun blog stuff.

If you're new to Twitter, click here first, to start from the beginning. And FYI, while I am a cat, this Twitter series is for humans, too. We're all-species-friendly.

If you're one of my regular readers and are either new to, or not comfortable with Twitter, this is for you! If you're all over Twitter, feel free to either skip this post or proof it for me and let me know if I'm doing a good job with this. And send your Twitter-phobic friends and family on over...

Hashtags
I think hashtags are the things that confuse folks the most on Twitter. A hashtag is a word - any word - on Twitter with the pound/number symbol (#) in front of it. When you add a # to the front of a word, you're categorizing your tweet, so it comes up when others are looking for that same subject.

Political Hashtags
There are hundreds of hashtags, and some of them come and go with popular topics of conversation. Right now, for example, there are thousands of people using hashtags like #occupywallst (or #ows, for short), #occupyLA, #getmoneyout, etc.

If you see a hashtag in a tweet that's piqued your interest, click on it and you'll see a list of all the twitterers who've added that hashtag to their tweets. In other words, you can view a list of all the tweets about that particular subject - in the examples above, the protests on Wall Street and around the U.S., and the "Get Money Out Of Politics" movement.

#p2 (Progressives 2.0) is sort of an umbrella hashtag for 'progressive' or liberal tweets, and #tcot (Top Conservatives on Twitter) and #GOP are hashtags commonly used by U.S. conservatives and Republicans.

If that was something you were interested in, you could indentify and follow folks whose tweets you liked by clicking on those hashtags.

Pet Blogger/Anipal Hashtags

There are lots of hashtags that pet bloggers and anipals use, but they warrant their own post, coming soon. Some examples are: #woofwednesday, #tortietuesday, #pinkpups (I'm an honorary Pink Pup), and the ever popular pet blogger/anipal Twitter Party hashtags: #pawpawty, #nipclub, and various pet birthday pawties, weddings, etc. There's also #pawcircle, a Twitter prayer circle for pets and their people who could use some love and light - and many, many others.

Again, if you see a hashtag that looks interesting, click on it, and you'll see a lot of tweets you might like, and twitterers you might like to follow.

Hashtags for Everything Else
There are hashtags for every topic under the sun: Athletics - #Lakers, #MLB, Television - #Dexter, #Glee, Events - #BarkWorld, #BlogPaws, etc.

Heck, I'll start one right now: #TwitterTips. There. It's that easy. Click on it and you'll see all the tweets about Twitter Tips. Now I'll just add that hashtag when I tweet about my Twitter Tips posts. You can create a hashtag, too.

What are you interested in? #knitting? #moms? #travel? #deals? It's easy to find link-minded (oops! that was a typo, but I like it!) souls out there who share your interests. Just put a hashtag in front of your topic and voila! It's a Twitter hashtag. If it's one no one else is using yet, just start using it. It will catch on!

Next up, we'll get more specific with the very popular weekly #FollowFriday and #WordlessWednesday hashtags.

Please send your friends, sisters, moms, and others who you know would like Twitter if they could just get their feet wet, to my original Twitter Tips for Beginners (1): Getting Started, which will lead them through the whole series. Eventually, I'll put it all together in a free e-Book.

Questions, observations, suggestions? Please comment below. Thanks for reading!

=^..^=
Cokes
@cokiethecat

Out and About!

2011-10-03T04:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, I was outside tonight! It was very cool.

Mom went outside to put a letter at the mailboxes and asked me if I wanted to go out with her. She just left the door open and walked downstairs. When she came back, I was half-way down the stairs.

I don't walk as well as I used to. I list very heavily toward the right. If I were a boat, I'd just keep turning left in a circle. Luckily I am not a boat, so I just make up for my right hip pulling to the right with all my other legs pulling me back to the left. That way I go pretty straight.

Hey! Let's see how you walk when you're 87

(in cat years) and wearing a diaper!?

So I made it to the bottom, not exactly gracefully but steadfastly, and spent the next HOUR wandering around the trees and shrubs in our apartment courtyard! Mom just kept following me and making sure no other cats were around to bother me.

I don't know why she even does that. They don't bother me. They get all hissy and stalk-y, and I just look at them, then look away. I barely acknowledge them. They're all much smaller and younger than me and none of them have Tiger blood like me and Charlie Sheen. (I've heard he does, anyway. Mom's brother took photos of him at a film festival in Paris once and he said it seemed like he had something in his blood but I don't think it was Tiger.)

That head, those paws... C'mon.
I definitely have Tiger blood.

I don't think Charlie Sheen
actually *has* Tiger blood.

I think Mom just wants to make sure no one swipes at me and makes me sick. Our building manager takes in rescue kitties and he has a bunch of cats of his own, and they all usually hang in the courtyard. Tonight they all seemed to be inside though, so I had the run of the place.

Some of our courtyard cats. This isn't the cool part of the
courtyard with the trees & bushes & dirt, though.

There was one fluffy young cat - maybe three or four years old - perched on his first floor patio railing giving me the cat-eye like he was gonna to jump me, but Mom told him to knock it off and let me do my thing, and he did. I totally could have taken him, though. Just sayin'. Tiger blood.

Anyway, I walked all over the place and under stuff and behind stuff and on crunchy dry leaves that made noise, and smelled stuff - lots of other cat smells - and crawled behind bushes in the dark where Mom couldn't see me... It was awesome.

I even took off my pants in the bushes when Mom wasn't looking and the next thing she knew I was streaking! Well, not streaking exactly. More like walking around slowly with a heavy limp NAKED in the courtyard! Oh, yeah.

Streaking

Naked Kitty!

That's the longest I've been out in... well, I don't know if I've ever been out that long, actually.

Mom and Dad said they're going to see if I want to do it every night, to keep me moving my old bones and just to let me have fun looking around and smelling stuff.

Not bad for an old cat...

Maybe they'll have to start calling me "Cokie the Cat: Hollywood Insider (but sometimes in the courtyard)"

=^..^=
Cokes

Twitter Tips For Beginners (1): Getting Started

2011-10-02T03:55:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are new to Twitter, I'm going to write a few posts explaining some Twitterisms to help you navigate the Twitterverse. (Yes, believe it or not, Twitter pros, some people and pets are just joining the party!)

If you haven't already, sign up for a Twitter account at www.twitter.com. You'll need an email address and a photo you want to use for yourself on your computer, and you may have to be creative coming up with a Twitter ID (name), since there are SO many Twitter accounts now, but you'll think of something cool.

Just don't make your Twitter ID too long, because you only get 140 characters per tweet and since folks have to use your Twitter name to address you or mention you in a tweet, you don't want it to take up too much real estate!

My Twitter ID is cokiethecat, written as @cokiethecat. That's eleven letters (not including the @ symbol) and I wouldn't make yours much longer than that. The shorter the better for Twitter!
There's all sorts of Profile info you can fill in and set your Settings, but that's pretty basic. I'll cover some of it later. Right now, let's get you tweeting!

First, you want to get some followers. Go to your Who To Follow page and type something you're interested in, in the search bar, like, say... "Animals." Hundreds of Twitter accounts will come up for animal associations, zoos, etc. Type in "Anipals" and you'll get hundreds of 'online animals' like me.

Or you can hit "Find Friends" and find your friends using your email accounts.

You can also look for the "Follow me on Twitter" or "t" buttons on blogs and websites you like and click on them. Sometimes people have their Twitter name on their Facebook information page, too.

Once you've followed a few people, take a look at their followers. Click on someone's name or their picture (pic, photo, avatar, icon), then look in the upper right side of their profile page to see who they're "following." Check out those folks and if they look interesting, follow them, too. Go back to your "Home" page and you'll see the tweets of the folks you're following.

I follow people I comes across who tweet about family and kid stuff (they're often interested in pets), the Lakers (just sayin'), and random folks I just happen to find interesting.

Every few days, check your Profile page to see who's following you, and if you want to follow them back. Some of the people you followed will be there, but there will be people you didn't follow, too. Some will be marketers trying to sell you something, which you may or may not be interested in following back (or you can block them with the drop down menu from the little person symbol to the right of their name on your followers list, but most of them will be people (or pets) like you!

Little drop down menu man

I follow back most everyone who follows me, except the 'bots' which automatically follow and re-tweet (RT) every tweet containing a specific word, like @thebotlebowski, which tweets a quote from "The Big Lebowski" every time someone tweets the word 'dude' (LOL), and the girls who want to show me what they look like naked. You can also use the little drop down menu man to report spam.

OK. You're signed up. You're signed in. You're following some folks. Some folks are following you. Don't forget to follow me! @cokiethecat

Ready, set, TWEET! Say hello! Say "This is my first tweet ever!" Say you're brand new to Twitter and ask whoever is reading your tweet to follow you! Say hi to me and ask me to follow you.

Let the tweeting commence!
When you're ready, head on over to Part 2.
Twitter Tips for Beginners (2): Hashtags
There's also a Twitter Tips tab at the top of my blog.

Questions? Comments? Corrections?

Please leave a comment below.

Next up:

#FollowFriday Revised Oct. 5, 2011: Next up - Hashtags

=^..^=
Cokie the Cat

Caturday

2011-10-01T02:37:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday. Time for the Saturday Pet Bloggers Hop.

I'm tired and don't have much to say, unbelievable, I know...

So I'll just share this pic with you and get hopping.

Happy Caturday!

(Especially to everyone at #BarkWorld)

=^..^=

Cokes

Thankful Thursday - Even If It Hurts...

2011-09-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

Mom can haz diagnosis? Yes! Today I am thankful that Mom finally got to a good orthopaedist type doctor human and is going to start getting treatments for her huge pain in the neck (I told her it wasn't ME!) and her huge pain in the knee, before her insurance runs out in a couple of months.

Dr. Bloze, Mom's Spine &
Sports Medicine Doctor

Right now Mom says she's on a COBRA! I don't know why she calls it a COBRA, 'cause it has nothing to do with a snake, but that's what she insists on calling it. It's really a health insurance program that she pays for herself, so she can keep her same health insurance she had back when she worked for a company that paid for her insurance. Does that make any sense? I know, me neither. And where's the snake?

Mom's not on this COBRA.
I don't think.

Anyway, she's been having these terrible neck pains for about six months. She thought it was just because she had bad posture when she was helping me with my blog and with The Anipal Times. Way to blame it on me, Mom.

Mom looks like this ALL THE TIME.
Except for her fingernails.
And she might have a few years on this woman.
Just sayin'.

Turns out it wasn't, it is from a pinched nerve in her neck, and she's not crazy. The doctor confirmed that what she has would cause sharp stabbing pains in her neck and burning pains in her shoulder. Her x-rays look good, so probably no surgery - YAY! She'll have an MRI on Saturday and then probably a series of gigantor shots in her neck! OUCH! But they should make her feel a lot better. YEAH! (She is going to get a 2nd opinion 1st, though.)

That's what I'm talking about!!
Hey, I think I could use one of those...

Meanwhile, her knee gave out a few times at BlogPaws and was very painful. OUCH! Then it got better, just in time for her to walk Maggietkat's mom's butt all over Washington D.C. YAY! Then this week it started going out again, it's like it slides off-track. OUCH! But the doctor took x-rays and they look good, so no surgery. YAY! But she starts physical therapy on Friday and has a LOT of work to do to build up the muscles around her patella (that's a knee cap), cause she's injured it so many times she's starting to walk like me. YEAH! Well, that's not really a good thing cause I walk kind of funny. Ok, I walk really funny, but I've got a freaking spinal injury people! Work with me!

I think this guy has the same knee problem Mom has.

Anyway, I'm very thankful that Mom's going to be getting treated by a good doctor so she can get rid of the pain in her neck (NOT ME!) and the pain in her knee, and of course, be better able to help me write on the computer and pick me up and give me big lovings and stuff. =^..^=

All Things Must Pass

2011-09-24T02:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, All Things Must Pass, my friends. That is the name of a wonderful George Harrison album. It is also the title of this post.

George loved his garden. And his gnomes.

The thing that is passing in this particular instance appears to be what was left of my continence.

I'm just going to talk straight here. You probably know the story, but folks never seem to tire of hearing it. Basically, I fell out of an 80' palm tree when I was just one year old, right after I was adopted from the shelter. Don't ask me what I was doing up there, because I really don't remember at this point. It was almost seventeen years ago, after all.

Not the tree I fell out of. These are the trees
where I live now. But it looked just like this.

Anyway, I did, and I hurt my back, but the vet didn't find anything in particular to treat, and said I'd probably walk a little funny and get arthritis early. Well, I do walk a little bit funny, especially for the last several years, but all in all I've done pretty well.

Four and a half years ago something gave out and I was paralyzed for a little while - something to do with that original accident. I got better, but I never got the feeling back in my tail, so it just follows me around like a pony tail. I've also been more or less, lately more, incontinent, ever since.

Mom tried everything and eventually we settled on a system of using Simple Solution 'washable diapers' that are made for girl dogs in heat. I take a medium. Just sayin'. They're really pants and I prefer to call them that, if you don't mind.

That dog is NOT a Medium.

Mom puts on my pants every morning and changes the Poise pad in them a couple times during the day, then takes them off so I can sleep naked in my bathroom at night.

It's worked fine and at night I've made it to the litter box about 50% of the time - sometimes more. I always knew approximately when I needed to go, but sometimes it would happen just as I was heading toward, or walking away from the litter box. This is not an exact science, people. Hopefully, you'll never experience this yourself. Those pads are made for humans, you know...

So this past week, Mom noticed that she hasn't had to clean the litter box at all. It's been clean every morning, which sounds like a good thing, but it really means I just can't tell when I have to go at all anymore. Well, I can, but not in time to actually make it to the box. My warning time has gotten much shorter that it used to be.

Hello? Simple Solutions? Your cat model is waiting for your call...

Which is good news and bad news, really. Good news in that no one needs to clean a litter box anymore, or buy cat litter for that matter. Bad news in that Mom has to put towels and training pads down on the floor of the bathroom every night. It's not that big a deal, though. She just picks up the towels and the pads and does whatever it is that she does with them, cleans the floor with Lysol wipes, puts on my pants and we're off to the balcony to check the weather and eat some kitty grass.

It is a little sad, admitting that I am almost, pretty much - OK, completely incontinent, but hey! I'm here, I'm loud and I'm proud. I'm eating and drinking and taking my meds. I'm peeing and pooping, not necessarily where most cats do, but it's better than not peeing or pooping at all!

I'm almost always in a good mood and I have two people who love me as much as they love each other and a beautiful young Bengal in England who adores me, and an old man cat like me really can't ask for more than that.

=^..^=

Thankful Thursday Blog Hop

2011-09-22T03:03:00.000-07:00

Thursday's sure do come fast and furious around here... And here it is, Thursday, again. Today I am appreciating a lot of things. I love Fall! This is the beginning of the holiday season for me, and all the tissue paper, good smells and table scraps that implies.

L.A. liquid amber tree photo: Angel City Art

I'm happy that my mom has finally chosen a blog name and published her first freaking post after talking about writing her own blog (for humans - MOL!) for years, now. That does mean something has to give on my end, and that something is that I'm stepping down from my Editor in Chief position at The Anipal Times.

This is a good thing, as it will give me more time to nap in the empty bathtub, but there will be no shortage of 'lying under the momma at the computer' time, which is equally important.

I'm not leaving The Anipal Times, I'll still be writing articles - probably more articles, now - and I'll still 'represent' the AT as a Co-Founder.

If you want to write for The Anipal Times, have story ideas, promotion or advertising questions, tweet Publisher @snick_the_dog or email him at snickers at anipaltimes dot com.

If you want to follow Mom's new blog, it's at NotesForMyNextLife.com. She's going to be talking about (some of) her adventures and escapades, sharing things she'd do differently next time - and things she'd do sooner! She's all ears, if you'd like to share your stories, tips and tricks with her.

From Mom's new blog: www.notesformynextlife.com

What's good for you, this week?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

OK, but just a few words:

PetFinder.com

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week

Sara and Abby, Mom and daughter really want to stay together.

They're at The Forgotten Dog Foundation in L.A.

I'll help pay for transport!

Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week!

2011-09-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

It's time again for Less Adoptable Pet Week!

Last year, Mom painted a digital portrait for Boomer, a 'less adoptable pet'
at our local shelter who we were trying to help get adopted.

Boomer!

And this was my post at the end of the week,

when we found out he'd been adopted!

Click here to read my "Adopted!" post.

I'm happy it's Adopt A Less Adoptable Pet Week again now, because this gives me the opportunity to showcase these two adorable dogs who need a home, already!

Super sweet mom and daughter Abby and Sara were rescued after living on the streets in Watts for six months by Eldad Hagar from Hope For Paws, and are now staying at The Forgotten Dog Foundation, but they need to find their forever home soon to make room for new rescues, and they really want to be kept together!

Sara and Abby

Who could use two sweet dogs' worth of unconditional love about now??
You? Someone you know?

If you're in the Los Angeles area, you can meet Abby and Sara in purrson this weekend at the super cool NoHo Taco Cook-off Festival

Check out the 'less adoptable pets' gallery at PetFinder!

Blog Like A Pirate Day

2011-09-19T00:54:00.000-07:00

"Arrrr"

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here...

Prepare to be boarded.

Savvy?

Avast ye mateys!

Only a bilge rat would be caught dressed as a 'lubber on a great day such as 'tis! Ye might just be caught'n ye belly shaved wit' a rusty razor.Arrr.

Shiver ye humans' timbers with a Salty Dog:
Salt th' rim o' their fav'rit vessel.

Pour 5 oz o' grapefruit juice 'n 2 oz o' vodka over ice.

Salty Dog

Discover ye Pirate Name by takin' this quiz.

I be the BLOODY ROGER BONNEY!!

Fer me mateys who be bloggin' 'n Tweetin' today,

ye might be best t' use the POST LIKE A PIRATE pirate translator.

In honor o' all o' ye scoundrels 'n scurvy dogs celebratin'
International Talk (Bark, Meow, Tweet) Like a Pirate Day,
me mateys be hereby, hereunder 'n hereafter invited
t' place ye pirate pics among th' others belowdecks
where they shant be scuttled nor blown away fer posterity.

25 Anipal Acronyms

2011-09-16T01:22:00.000-07:00

Join Here

For those of you who may be new to the online animal/anipal world (and those who aren't so new, too), I've created a helpful list of Twitter abbreviations. Please feel free to add any I may have left out!

1. ATV AT THE VET

2. ITC IN THE CAR

3. WMH WALKING MY HUMAN

4. BOL BARKING OUT LOUD

5. MOL MEOWING OUT LOUD

6. BMTO BARKING MY TAIL OFF

7. ROFB ROLLING ON THE FLOOR BARKING

8. JM JUST MEOWIN’

9. = O SQUIRREL!

10. OMD OH MY DOG!

11. OMC OH MY COD!

12. CP CUDDLEPILE!

13. === BACON!

14. 8/ NEUTERED

15. : P PEDIGREED

16. IRU I RUV YOU

17. ^@ HIGH PAW!

18. HIR HUMAN IN ROOM

19. IMHO IN MY HUMAN’S OPINION

20. NT NAP TIME

21. OO HAVE TO POOP

22. PB PEE BREAK

23. BOR BARFED ON THE RUG

24. BYOB BRING YOUR OWN BONE

25. BAYL BARK AT YOU LATER

Did I forget any??

=^..^=
Cokes

Thank You, Michele & Pepi Smart Dog

2011-09-15T02:41:00.000-07:00

Today's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop is in honor of Pepi Smart Dog, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge two years ago on Sept. 16th. Pepi was and is my best friend and I want to make Pepi and his mom's week a little brighter, after all the smiles and comfort they've given all of us.

Pepi Smart Dog

Pepi's dear mom, Michele, will be feeling pretty sad and sentimental, despite her dauntless demeanor. She (and Pepi) have given SO MUCH to our community - when he was alive and even more after he moved on to become the official Ambassador of the Rainbow Bridge, taking on singlehandedly and of his own accord the heartbreaking, time and energy consuming duty of virtually transporting countless numbers of our loved ones to the other side.

Pepi's Pram Escorts Bunny Jean Cook
to the Rainbow Bridge

The pomp, humor, ceremony, and unlimited kindness Pepi and Michele offer has helped so many deal with sadness and heartache, the depths of which they might have been unable to process in a healthy way without Pepi's pram and the Rainbow Bridge welcoming banquet and party to lighten an unbearable situation.

RudyTKat's Welcome Pawty
to the Rainbow Bridge

Pepi's Rainbow Bridge 2010 Christmas Card

Michele and Pepi encourage all animal lovers in the Twitter community to share thoughts and feelings they very likely couldn't with others outside our circle. We are all very fortunate to have Pepi as the guardian, spokesdog and keeper of the flame for all of our furry loved ones happily ever after.

Michele and Pepi

Michele's love and dedication to animals - and people - doesn't stop with Pepi or Twitter. You may have read her investigative journalism regarding the animals left behind in Fukushima in The Anipal Times, where Pepi writes both real news stories and a regular Rainbow Bridge page - or heard about her cat rescue in Greece or her ongoing roo wrestling kangaroo rescues.

Of course, Pepi still barktends at all the #PawPawties with an enthusiasm and flair only he and his Las Vegas showgirls could manage, and we're all grateful to his mom for helping him with all that Tweeting and Photoshop at all odd hours of the night and morning!

Pepi and his Show Girls!

Two Wild and Crazy Guys!
Pepi Smart Dog and Cokie the Cat

Here are a few ways you can say thank you to Pepi and his mom during this week of his second Angelversary:

If you see Pepi online, to say hello and tell him you love and appreciate him - especially when it's Friday in Australia.
Post a comment on his blog at www.pepismartdog.com.
His Facebook page was taken down, which broke his heart, so please re-like him on his new page and leave a comment at http://www.facebook.com/pages/PepiSmartDog/153493788050623.
Post on your own blog about Pepi and link it to this Thankful Thursday Blog Hop any time this month.
Leave a comment here, whether you have a blog or not.
Put the 'Remembering PepiSmartDog' Twibbon on your Twitter or Facebook pic http://twibbon.com/join/Remembering-PepiSmartDog.

Thank you for joining me in my appreciation of Pepi Smart Dog and his mom. They so appreciate all of you.

Love,
Cokie (Still your cat brother, Peps)

Mom's Pepi Portrait

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T01:11:00.000-07:00

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP

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What Mom Didn't See In Washington D.C.

2011-09-11T04:16:00.000-07:00

MaggieTKat suggested to Mom that she should see the Pentagon Memorial first off, when they were discussing sight seeing in Washington, D.C., the day after BlogPaws. Mom didn't have her head on straight and thought - Pentagon Memorial? No, she wanted to see the White House, the Vietnam Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, World War II Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Jefferson Memorial...

All of those are amazing, of course, but Mom didn't put two and two together and 'get' that the 'Pentagon Memorial' was a '9/11 Memorial' to the people who died there as the result of the hijacked plane crashing into the Pentagon.

Ohhhhhhh..... Yeah. Now she wishes she'd gone there. She did try, the second day, after Maggie had left for home, but after an hour of trying to figure out where to park, she gave up, and thought it must but the three giant spires in the air near the Pentagon that were the Memorial, so she paid her respects, sort of, while driving by, and headed back to Virginia.

Air Force Memorial (background) & Pentagon 9/11 Memorial (foreground)
Photo courtesy Wikicommons

It turns out the three giant spires are an Air Force Memorial - and pretty awesome - but that the Pentagon Memorial is something different altogether. She'll have to make that one a priority (by public transportation) on her next trip to D.C, as she really wants to go back now - and has a summer house in the Berkshires if she wants one, since she did such a good job of farm-sitting last month.

So she'll be sure to see the Pentagon Memorial next time. You can see from the photograph that it's beautiful, elegant, profound, and we really wish it didn't have to be there at all.

Oh, Homer!

2011-09-10T01:17:00.000-07:00

Eldad Hagar from HopeForPaws.org got a call at 6am Thursday from a woman who'd come across this guy in South L.A., where he'd been hit by a car. She wasn't able to pick him up, as he'd tried to bite her. He was obviously scared and in terrible pain.

Eldad got there and got him to an emergency vet. His pelvis was broken in four places and his femur was fractured, poor thing! I'd bite, too!

Hello. My name is Homer.

Homer turns out to be a really sweet dog, and he'll need a special foster mom or dad once we raise enough money for his surgery ($2000+), because he'll need to stay in a cage for some time so he heals properly.
If you want to help, you can make a tax deductible donation (even just $1 to the cheeseburger fund) and help get Homer get into surgery right away before his bones start to set wrong, by going to www.hopeforpaws.org.

OUCH!

If you want more info or want to foster Homer, please email Eldad Hagar at eldad75@gmail.comor you can call him directly at 310-869-3680.

Meanwhile, he's on his way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida Saturday night, where someone's asked him to help rescue a dog there!

You can also help by ordering a copy of "Our Lives Have Gone To The Dogs" - a gorgeous hard copy book of some of Hope For Paws' 'before and after' success stories - for only $15 - including U.S. shipping.

I gave some of them away at #BlogPaws and they were VERY popular. They're really great books and make great gifts. (Just sayin'...)

Cokie the Cat: Hollywood Insider

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#BLOGPAWTY!!

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Tillman Tuesday!

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Thankful Thursday: She's HOME!

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MOL! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Anipal Academy Awards

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Thankful Thursday Blog Hop

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Blog Like A Pirate Day

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Thank You, Michele & Pepi Smart Dog

Wordless Wednesday

What Mom Didn't See In Washington D.C.

Oh, Homer!

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