Catster Style Recap: May

In addition to my duties on Catsparella, I also write a weekly style column for cat lovers over on Catster. In case you missed it, here's a round-up of my latest posts, covering everything from cat rings and nail art, to kitty dresses, shoes, and feline-themed decor!


5 Completely Crazy Cat Dresses I'm Obsessed With


Our 5 Favorite Cat-Centric Manicures


You Tell Us: Are These 5 Cat Rings Cute or Cray?


5 Cat Shoes We're Obsessed With This Summer


Cat Decor Need Not Be Clunky: 5 Pieces We Love

Previously:
Catster Style Recap: April
Catster Style Recap: March

Catster Style Recap: May

Grumpy Cat Eyes Hollywood With Feature Film Deal

Forget YouTube videos and cat food commercials. Reigning feline internet queen, Grumpy Cat™, has proven once again that she's much more than just a pretty face by signing her first movie development deal, Deadline reports.

Tardar Sauce's reps (she has more than one, obviously) have teamed up with producers Todd Garner and Sean Robins, to develop what is being described as a "Garfield-like" live action feature film, starring a living, breathing, and talking Grumpy Cat (they do know that Garfield is a cartoon, and cats can't really talk, right?).

While no other specific details have been revealed, Garner opined to Deadline, “This started off as a picture of a cat, but rare is an image that evokes that much comedy. You read all of the memes and the comments, and one is funnier than the next. We think we can build a big family comedy around this character.”

Most people (and by most, I mean me) would gladly fork down their hard earned cat food cash to sit and watch Grumps nap in a sun puddle for two hours, so I'm sure this movie will be great. Just as they don't give her a creepy voice and ruin the whole thing.

Go and get yours, Tardar Sauce.

Via Deadline / Image: Facebook (The Official Grumpy Cat)

Grumpy Cat Eyes Hollywood With Feature Film Deal

I Heart Needlework Handmade Birthday Cat Hat Giveaway!

Pretty Kitty Spring Cat Hat

It's been a hot minute since I've featured any new and exciting feline headwear, so I was excited to discover I Heart Needlework, an Etsy shop devoted to offering knit and crochet hats, costumes, accessories, and apparel for people, pups, and of course, kitties!


Cat Cowl


Lion Mane Cat Hat

Owner Meredith Yarborough tells me that she's been avid cat lover since childhood, and her inspiration for starting the shop was to share her appreciation of the feline race with the rest of the world.

"You see so many creations and items catered to dogs, but not nearly enough for cats, and they need to be recognized too," she says.


Patriotic Cat Hat


Frog Prince Cat Hat

Meredith's adorable creations range from jaunty springtime bonnets, to costumes, cupcake hats, cowls, and more. Her feline designs are modeled by her patient and handsome kitties, Bullwinkle (primary tabby model) and Sparrow (black and white alternate hat model). Before they started a life of cat hat modeling, the two brothers were rescued at about 8 weeks old, and haven't looked back since. 

"Bullwinkle is the most docile and accepting cat you will ever meet," she says. "He doesn't discriminate, but shows an equal love for people, other cats, and dogs."

Enter To Win!


Birthday Party Cat Hat (Bullwinkle not included!)

Meredith had generously offered one lucky Catsparella reader the chance to win a Handmade Crochet Birthday Party Cat from I Heart Needlework!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your name, and some way for me to contact you if you win (email, link back to your blog or profile, Twitter, etc.) The winner be will chosen in a random drawing next Tuesday, June 4 at 5:00PM EST. This giveaway is open to everyone, so our international friends can participate too! One entry per person, please.

Good luck, and be sure to visit I Heart Needlework to check out their entire selection of handmade hats and accessories for the fashionable feline in your life!

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

[Comments are now closed. Thanks for entering!]

I Heart Needlework Handmade Birthday Cat Hat Giveaway!

Cat Cupcake Tuesdays

Cat Donuts by My Paper Crane

I'm a big fan of artist Heidi Kenney and her Yummy food designs that you might recognize from Kidrobot. In addition to her non-edible creations, she also dabbles in super cute recipes that you can actually eat. Her blog, My Paper Crane, recently featured a tutorial that transforms boring ol' baked goods into the cutest kitty cat donuts you've ever seen!

Visit My Paper Crane to get the 411 on how to make a litter of your own!



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Have you created or spotted any kitty-themed baked goods (or other foods) lately? If so, please submit your sweet tips for Cat Cupcake Tuesdays to catsparella@gmail.com!

Cat Cupcake Tuesdays

It's Caturday!

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

This week, Grumpy Cat visited cancer patients at an Arizona hospital, Conny shared her delightful catcakes, animal actors took over the Harry Potter studio tour in London, and everyone's favorite kitty, Maru, celebrated his sixth birthday!


Boo

This week's featured feline is a handsome senior lad, all the way from Australia!

Liddell writes: 

Boo is an 18-year-old Oriental cross from Perth, Western Australia. I adopted him in July 2004 from Cat Haven (@CatHavenWA) where I am now a volunteer and board member. He doesn't show much sign of slowing down on account of his age, and he is so healthy (fingers crossed).



Boo has always been a real little character and the neighbourhood star...and we have had a few neighborhoods. He follows me any time I walk away from the house, so he has been to the local shops a few times over the years. 



He visits his nan and granddad (my dad and stepmum) most weekends and loves to explore their backyard and the park across the street. They bought him the jumper he is pictured in here and, like most jumpers gifted by grandparents, he wore it a couple of times to be polite but doesn't actually like it. 



He was also the 'editor-in-chief' of Cat Haven's Haven Happenings newsletter for the five years I was its mere editor (his title came from him sitting on top of the monitor while I typed up the document).



The photo in which he is wearing a blue bow is from his 18th birthday party last July. He had a blast and got more guests than I admittedly did for either my 30th birthday or university graduation parties - he has so many friends. He loved his star-shaped cake made from a tin of sardines, an egg and a quarter-cup each of flour and cheese; he did not, however, love the candle.

My dream is to buy a house two years from now so he can have his last ever home, with an enclosed backyard, and we can finish being at the mercy of the cut-throat Perth rental market where landlords rarely allow pets in their properties.

I hope you think Boo is as awesome as I do.

Special thanks to Liddell for sharing the incredible Boo with us this week! 

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

This week:
5 Cat Shoes We're Obsessed With This Summer

It's Caturday!

Crookshanks (And Kittens!) Come Out To Play During Animal Actors Week At Harry Potter Studio Tour

Attention Harry Potter enthusiasts! What are you up to the week of May 25 - June 2? If you're anywhere near the UK, you should pack up the cats and head to London for Animal Actors Week at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. The studio, where all of the HP movies were filmed, opened its doors to the public last year, and gives fans the chance to explore the actual sets and props used in the making of the magical franchise.

Those lucky enough to attend the special event will have the chance to meet the cats who played Mrs. Norris and Crookshanks as they prowl around the Gryffindor common room (!), and pose for pics with owls who played Hedwig and Pigwidgeon. If that's not enough, you'll also have the opportunity to meet a Neapolitan Mastiff, trained like those who played Hagrid’s dog Fang, and go behind-the-scenes and learn how rats and toads, such as those who played Neville Longbottom’s toad Trevor and Ron Weasley’s rat Scabbers, were trained as animal actors.


Meet our Twitter Litter

To help promote Animal Actors Week, the studio recently introduced the "Twitter Litter", a group of kittens who will be on hand to show how the evil Dolores Umbridge's lifelike porcelain kitten plates were created. Animal trainer Julie Tottman and her team used 40 kittens during filming, and will be recreating the process with these lil babies (all named by fans on Twitter), to show how they go from acting amateurs to skilled feline thespians. 

Meet the Twitter Litter:


Fletcher


Fleur


Marbles


Nala


Rita


Nox

I am a big Harry Potter fan, and am figuring out how to apparate so I can steal meet Hedwig and Crookshanks as we speak. Animal Actors Week runs from May 25 - June 2 at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. Get your tickets here.

Via Warner Bros. Studio Tour London / Twitter (@WBStudioTour)

Crookshanks (And Kittens!) Come Out To Play During Animal Actors Week At Harry Potter Studio Tour

Happy 6th Birthday, Maru!

I Am Maru 5

Happy Birthday, Maru! The famous Japanese feline turns six today, and as tradition dictates, his owner has put together a compilation of the cutest moments the Scottish Fold has committed to film over the past year to celebrate.



Via I am Maru.

Happy 6th Birthday, Maru!

Catsparella T-Shirt And Tote Bag Giveaway Winners!

catsparella.bigcartel.com

Thanks to all who entered the Catsparella T-Shirt and Tote Bag Giveaway! I used Random.org to determine the winners, and it selected comment #47 belonging to Tessa for the t-shirt, and #70 belonging to Kellyanne for the tote!  

Congrats, ladies!

In case you missed out, be sure to visit The Catsparella Shop to get your paws on the "Every Day is Caturday" tee, or a "If you think I'm cute, you should see my cat" tote of your very own!

Catsparella T-Shirt And Tote Bag Giveaway Winners!

Cat Cupcake Tuesdays

I recently received an email from Conny of Sweet & Spicy bakery in Vienna, Austria, who was excited to share some of her cat-themed creations!


My favorite kitty cake


Hello Kitty Cupcakes


Cat Cake Topper

Special thanks to Conny for giving us a peek at her creative kitty sweets this week!

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Have you created or spotted any kitty-themed baked goods (or other foods) lately? If so, please submit your sweet tips for Cat Cupcake Tuesdays to catsparella@gmail.com!

Cat Cupcake Tuesdays

Grumpy Cat Cheers Up Cancer Patients At Arizona Hospital

(Click here to watch if video doesn't load)

Being sick in the hospital is never fun, but some cancer patients in Arizona had a reason to smile last week after receiving a visit from one of the most famous cats on the internet. 

Patients at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center in Goodyear lined up for a meet-in-greet with Tardar Sauce, who used her grump for good as she dutifully posed for snapshots with fans.



"Getting five or 10 minutes where you're able to not be a cancer patient and to not be worried about the chemotherapy or the radiation or the surgery, and to just laugh at something inane and silly and goofy is absolutely essential to your survival," says Michelle Hastings, a patient at the hospital who got to pose with the puss.

While the Arizona native didn't exactly look happy about her therapeutic duties, her owner Tabatha Bundesen believes that she's really a people pleaser at heart. 



"It warms my heart to spread joy and I think Grumpy Cat really likes doing it despite her expression about it. But she's really happy about making people happy," she told MyFoxPhoenix.

Via MyFoxPhoenix.com

Grumpy Cat Cheers Up Cancer Patients At Arizona Hospital

It's Caturday!

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

This week was a bit of a short week, because I was off at the BlogPaws pet blogging and social media conference, and took the opportunity to step away from my laptop for a few days to reunite with my fellow cat ladies, and meet new blogging friends from across the country. I have to give a big shout out to Purina for being my sponsor, and making it possible for me to attend this year!

I definitely learned a lot, and am excited/nervous to put out there that while I plan to continue blogging, I am also hoping to parlay my experience into a career in the pet industry. It's hard for me to admit that I need a little help, but if you or someone you know is looking to hire a passionate, (award-winning!) blogger with three years of online media experience and proven results, I am interested in exploring positions in content creation, blogger outreach, public relations, and social media. You can read a little more about me here, or contact me directly at catsparella@gmail.com for more information, or with any tips or advice you have to share. Thank you in advance for your help!

And finally, there's still time to enter to win your choice of a Catsparella "Every Day is Caturday" t-shirt, or "If you think I'm cute, you should see my cat" tote! I'm drawing the lucky winners this coming Tues. 5/21! 


Cheech

This week's featured feline is an adorable kitty who is super loved! His Caturday submission was a family affair!

Laurie writes:

Cheech traveled all the way to Maryland from Washington State with my daughter, Chelsea. She found him when she was there for a short stay and couldn't leave without him. She was destined to have him in her life, and he has brought her a lot of joy!





Our whole family loves our fur baby Cheech. He likes lazing around on her T.V. stand, and chasing a laser pointer for hours on end. He also loves his catnip and belly rubs, and has a sister named Violet!





I also heard from Laurie's daughter, Chelsea, who told me a little more about her baby boy!

Chelsea adds:

As my mom told you, he hails all the way from WA state :) So clearly he is my pride and joy. His sister Violet has the COMPLETE opposite personality of Cheech, but that doesn't stop her from loving her brother. They're constantly washing each other, it's absolutely adorable. She follows him everywhere, even to the food dish. 


Cheech and Violet



But back to the star ;) Cheech is almost 5 years old. We believe he is Maine Coon, but we're not positive. I just did a little research and that's what I found to fit him best. Cheech LOVES to play, especially chasing a laser pointer. I've never seen a cat move so fast in a circle, haha. He also loves to jump super high for his toys! 





He is a total people person and lap cat, and he loves having his belly rubbed. I call him my little puppy because he follows me around like a dog :P When we lived in Washington State he was an indoor/outdoor cat. But since moving back to Baltimore if I take him out it's on a kitty leash. 

Cheech loves crab meat, tuna, and just about anything!





Special thanks to Laurie and Chelsea for sharing the incomparable Cheech with us this week!

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

This week:
You Tell Us: Are These 5 Cat Rings Cute or Cray?

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Want to see your cat(s) on Catsparella? I'm always accepting submissions for my weekly Caturday post! Just email your best kitty pics to catsparella@gmail.com, and include your cat's name and anything else you'd like to share. I can't wait to hear from you!

It's Caturday!

TVStoreOnline.com Kitty T-Shirt Giveaway Winner!

Soft Kitty T-Shirt

Thanks to all who entered the kitty-themed t-shirt giveaway from TVStoreOnline.com! I used Random.org to determine the winner, and it selected comment #5 belonging to Valerie, who chose the Soft Kitty t-shirt! 

Congrats Valerie!

Be sure to check out out TVStoreOnline.com for their huge selection of licensed tees and other merch from your favorite tv shows, movies, music, and more!

TVStoreOnline.com Kitty T-Shirt Giveaway Winner!

Catsparella T-Shirt And Tote Bag Giveaway!

Every Day is Caturday Ladies Fit Tee

It's been a little over a month since the Catsparella shop flung open its virtual doors, and I'm thankful for the kind words and cute pics that everyone has sent in so far!


If You Think I'm Cute, You Should See My Cat Tote 

The tees are high quality Gildan Softstyle t-shirts, available in Ladies and Unisex sizes. The totes are sturdy enough for everyday use, and made out of eco-friendly cotton canvas. Both are available now!


Every Day is Caturday Unisex Fit Tee



Enter To Win!

As a thank you for your support, I would like to offer two lucky readers the chance to win! One person will receive a Catsparella "Every Day is Caturday" t-shirt, and another will win the "If You Think I'm Cute, You Should See My Cat" tote! 

*Available shirt sizes include Ladies S, M, L, XL and XXL and Unisex in XL and XXL.

To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me if you would prefer to win a shirt, tote, or either, along with your name, and some way for me to contact you if you win (email, link back to your blog or profile, Twitter, etc.) The two winners be will chosen in a random drawing next Tuesday, May 21 at 5:00PM EST. This giveaway is open to everyone, so our international friends can participate too! One entry per person, please.

Good luck, and be sure to check out the Catsparella shop to pick up a t-shirt or tote bag of your very own, or for the very special cat purrson in your life!

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

[Comments are now closed. Thanks for entering!]

Catsparella T-Shirt And Tote Bag Giveaway!

Cat Cupcake Tuesdays

This week's sweets come to us from Michi, who shares some purrfect feline-themed treats that were part of a recent bake-off.

She writes:

Hi Stephanie!

Your "Cat Cupcake Tuesday" inspired me for my cat cupcakes!



I made them for a baking contest from the Austrian cat rescue organisation, Felidae Austria, and won second prize in the Cupcake category!



At the baking contest there were three categories: Cupcake, Cake, and Vegan. The first place cake was funny.. the cat is eating from it!



 First place in the Vegan category went to a beautiful cake with nine cats.



Special thanks to Michi for sharing these edible works of art! I also want to wish her congrats on her well deserved cupcake win!

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Have you created or spotted any kitty-themed baked goods (or other foods) lately? If so, please submit your sweet tips for Cat Cupcake Tuesdays to catsparella@gmail.com!

Cat Cupcake Tuesdays