About

Catsparella is Stephanie Harwin. I enjoy cats, cupcakes, and cupcakes that look like cats, and count meeting Hello Kitty in Japan as one of the happiest days of my life! A New Jersey native, in December 2013 I moved to St. Louis, MO where I now work at Nestlé Purina as the Community Manager for Pro Plan Cat!

10+ years ago I made up the word "Catsparella" as an email address. I was trying to think of something "cool" and "glamorous" that 1. involved cats, and 2. (more importantly) wasn't already taken. The name was inspired by Cinderella, Barbarella, and Catwoman and Vampirella, which I happened to be reading at the time. Years later, when I decided to start a cat blog, the name seemed like a perfect fit.

Now, Catsparella is an award-winning cat culture blog, dedicated to my passion for finding and sharing all of the coolest cat related content online.

Beyond pictures, news, and videos, I go deeper into kitty culture, tracking trends, and highlighting everything from cat art and fashion, to cupcakes and celebrity cat gossip. I get exclusive interviews, feature unique products, and dig up all of the latest cat dirt you won't find anywhere else!

Within the first year of launching Catsparella in August 2010, I was named as a finalist in the search for the first ever Purina Cat Chow Correspondent, invited to be a Guest Blogger on the set of the Fancy Feast "Something Borrowed" Storybook Wedding commercial shoot, and honored by Dogtime Media with a coveted 2011 Petties Pet Blogging award in the category of Best Social Integration Blog. 

Catsparella has appeared on sites such as PawNation, Jezebel, BuzzFeed, and I Can Has Cheezburger, and has garnered mentions in The Washington Post, LA Weekly, Travel + Leisure, Modern Cat Magazine, and Family Circle. I have worked on projects for Purina Fancy Feast, Pets Add Life, and Apartment Guide, and was featured on "The Dr. Oz Show," where I did a segment on kitty litter facials.

I am a professional member of the Cat Writers' Association, and was a contributing writer for Catster, where I penned a weekly style column for cat lovers.

Press and Media Appearances

Family matters / Pets - Family Circle, August 2013

Petco/Purina Purr Magazine - Summer 2013, Issue 5

Craziest Places for Cat Lovers - Travel + Leisure

"The Dr. Oz Show" - America's Funniest Health Videos, Segment on cat litter facials, aired Jan 8, 2013 

Pet Bloggers Get to Know Purina

Modern Cat Magazine, Fall/Winter 2012 

Inside the Mainstream Cat Media - LA Weekly

Randall Goes 'On The Prowl' At New York City Cat Fashion Show - PawNation

May Blog of the Month: Catsparella - The Cat Site

Meet Katy Perry! As A Furball! - Teddy Hilton
Are These Celebrity Lookalikes Made Out of Hairballs Gross or Cute? - Glamour
Celebs Get Crafted Out of Cat Hair for Hairball Awareness Day - Catster
The Top 5 Pet Blogs of 2012 - Pets Adviser
Featured Blogger of the Week: Stephanie Harwin - PetPR.com
3 Toys Cats Go Crazy For Featuring Catsparella - Cool Products Blog
Crafting with Cat Hair: The latest fashion trend? - The Washington Post

Interview with Catsparella's Stephanie Harwin - Mousebreath!

Exclusive Interview with Catsparella - Cat Wisdom 101

Member Spotlight: Catsparella - Pets Blogroll

Meet the Purina Cat Chow Finalists: Charlie and Priscilla's Mom - Mousebreath!

Purina finalists vie at cat callbacks - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

For cat lovers, a purrfect day - The Boston Globe

Monday Meet and Greet "Catsparella" - Cat Chat with Caren and Cody

Honors and Awards

Finalist: Best Use of Social Media Blog, 2012 Dogtime Petties Pet Blogging Awards

Finalist: Best Meow Blog, 2012 BlogPaws Nose-to-Nose Pet Blogging and Social Media Awards

Winner: FURminator National Hairball Awareness Day 2012 "FUR Creature" Contest 

Winner: Best Social Media Integration Blog, 2011 Dogtime Petties Pet Blogging Awards

Finalist: 2011 Purina Cat Chow Correspondent Search

Want to know more? Drop me a line at catsparella@gmail.com.

Logo design by sayonarabeat.

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