Pets Add Life, All Year Round

Priscilla got dressed up for my birthday back in October

As we approach the end of the year, I find myself reflecting on the events of the past 12 months, and thinking about the impact my cats Charlie and Priscilla have had on my life. In a year filled with ups and downs, I know that I can always count on them to be by my side, to inspire me and make me smile. 


Charlie celebrating Black Cat Appreciation Day in August

I was recently shooting a video for an upcoming project, and wanted Priscilla to be in the shot. I held her while saying the first few lines, then put her down on the table, to which she responded by letting out an indignant hiss. Needless to say, I started cracking up, and we had to stop filming. I knew she wasn't really that put out by what I had done, but true to her name (Prissy, for short), she always has to make sure things are done on her terms, and not yours.

Priscilla likes hanging out and marathoning TV shows, being brushed with the Furminator, and getting tons of kitty kisses. Charlie loves when we play with Da Bird, runs to the kitchen drawer when he hears it opening because he knows his favorite toy is in there, and delights in stretching out for long, relaxing belly rubs. They're both always doing something to amaze me, and are the best friends a girl could ask for.


Feeling patriotic on the 4th 

During this holiday season, please consider volunteering at your local shelter, fostering an animal who doesn't have a home for the holidays, or if resources allow, adopting a new feline family member of your own. Studies show that having pets can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and help fight depression and loneliness -- not to mention bring joy, laughter, and comfort. If owning one cat is like having a apple a day, two or more must be the equivalent of a whole bushel! 


All dressed up for a Valentine's Day date!

I am proud to once again be teaming up with Pets Add Life (PAL), a non-profit campaign dedicated to spreading the joys and benefits of owning more than one cat, and increasing responsible pet ownership. To learn more about PAL and their initiatives, please visit their YouTube channel, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership, which I believe in and am happy to do.

Pets Add Life, All Year Round

Talking Cat Explains Why Pets Add Life

Pet Interviews - Talking Bird, Dog, Cat

Pets Add Life interviewed 1,000 pets including a talking bird, pup, and cat to see how they felt about being an only pet, and came to the conclusion that they need another furry pal around to keep them company. While my cat Priscilla probably would take issue with this notion, I'm sure that Charlie would agree that his life is more full because she is in it (although just like the kitty in this video, he is also obsessed with his Dream Curl scratcher.)

As part of their ongoing mission to spread the joys and benefits of owning a pet and increasing responsible ownership, PAL is asking animal lovers to take action to help make life better for pets in shelters. I hope that you'll join me in taking their pledge on Facebook, and resolve to adopt your next cat instead of buying it, make time to volunteer at a local shelter, or take a picture of a homeless pet and share it online. Even these seemingly small gestures can help make a huge difference in the life of a dog or cat in need, and remind us that we must work together to help lift the burden facing many shelters and rescues who are struggling to do the right thing.

"Allow me to introduce you to my wife."

This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership, which I thoroughly believe in and am happy to do.

Talking Cat Explains Why Pets Add Life

Some Thoughts On Cat Lady Inspiration

Priscilla

One question I get asked a lot is, "How did you become a cat blogger?" And while the entire answer in itself isn't so simple, it all starts with one source: My beloved cat, Priscilla.

As many of you know, she is my first cat, purchased for $10 at a flea market eleven years ago from a woman whose cat had given birth in a barn. Her fate was to remain a barn cat, be sold to a local pet store, or something far worse. She was the only tuxedo cat in a cage of grey kittens, sitting in the corner by herself, while her littermates hungrily chowed down on some wet food for the first time (antisocial even then). From the second I held her, I knew she was mine, but at the time I had no idea that a decade later, she would be responsible for changing the direction of my life forever.

Priscilla is part of what inspired the name Catsparella, and it is she who is to blame for turning my love of cats from a passing interest into a full-fledged obsession. Catsparella's two year anniversary is coming up in August, and it's hard to believe that something that started as a form of creative expression, has led to extraordinary opportunities that I never could have imagined while working in Human Resources (I know) and thinking, "This is not what I'm supposed to be doing."

Charlie

I think about all of the incredible people (and cats) I have met along the way, which would not have been possible had it not been for this blog that I started from my bedroom with nothing but a cat and a dream (heh). Or rather, two cats, because when Charlie unexpectedly came into my life a few years after Priscilla, little did I know that this lovable black teddy bear would once again change my idea about the feline species, and give me that much more material to write about.

Pets not only add life, but they enhance it, and have the inexplicable ability to change it forever with a purr. In addition to rescuing one life at a shelter, you just might find that they are eager to return the favor. They are a source of unconditional love, comfort, inspiration, and motivation, and if that's not enough of a reason to consider opening your home to a furry family member, I can't think of a better one that is.

This year, I am once again proud to be teaming up with Pets Add Life (PAL), a non-profit campaign dedicated to spreading the joys and benefits of owning multiple cats, and increasing responsible pet ownership (although as everyone knows, cats own us, and not the other way around).

To learn about PAL, please visit their website and YouTube channel, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership, but it's no secret that I think everyone should adopt a cat!

Some Thoughts On Cat Lady Inspiration

What YouTube Videos Have Taught Me About Owning Cats

Pets Add Life (PAL), has officially declared November 19th National Get a Pal For Your Pet Day, in hopes of encouraging pet owners to "adopt additional furry, winged and/or finned family members."

That being said, I'm not going to lie to you. Despite reports that multiple pet ownership can make animals more social and active, and help prevent health problems in humans such as stress and heart disease, my cats still don't like each other very much (I guess they can't read).

However, despite their tenuous relationship, they've both made my life better, and I believe that they've improved each other's lives, too. So, instead of making a flowery list of reasons why having two cats is better than one, I've come up with a few unconventional observations on the benefits of multiple cat ownership, whether they see it that way or not.

Cats gets caught barking by human and resumes meowing

Breaking Stereotypes

I don't think I had a true perspective on cat ownership until I got my second cat. While Priscilla is the classic model of a perfect, "prissy" feline, Charlie came along and turned everyone's world upside down. While she is moody, elegant, and reserved, he's clingy, clumsy, and attention seeking. What this has taught me is that cats really do have their own unique personalities, and that the stereotype of them being cold and aloof is just as ridiculous as the stereotype of me being an old, hermitous woman just because I like cats (ok, maybe the hermit part is true, but I attribute that more to being a blogger than to being a cat owner).

Angry cobra cat

Cat Fights

I asked my friend Alison why she thought having two cats was better than one, and she said, "because they keep each other company and it's fun to watch them beat each other up." While she meant her comment (mostly) as a joke, she also has a point. The daily scuffles between my cats can be amusing, and if nothing else, help keep Priscilla active, even if that just means moving from one side of the couch to the other to avoid Charlie's stares. He keeps her young, whether she likes it or not.

The two talking cats

Communication

For better or for worse, it always helps to have a buddy around who speaks your language, and I know for a fact that my cats talk to each other. Ok, maybe "fact" is a strong word, but I 100% believe that they telepathically communicate. When guests come over to visit, Priscilla bolts under the bed at the first sign of intruders, while happy, social Charlie (who doesn't harbor the same fear of people), flees after her, as if she's shouting to him, "RUN, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

Also, when it's time for supper, the chorus of two kitty voices singing for their dinner is better than one.

Cats Walking On A Treadmill

Motivation

As seen in the video above, having another cat around can increase curiosity, friendly competition, and motivate your kitty to up its game. Who can just lay around and sleep all day when there's another cat around who could potentially be getting more treats, attention, and camera time than you?

Save a life!

In all seriousness, animals of all kinds languish every day waiting to find their forever homes, while others needlessly die because there's just not enough space for them in shelters. If you have the desire, time, and resources available to welcome another pet into your family, I highly encourage you to do so. Not only will you be responsible for changing the life of that lucky dog or cat, you'll also likely be changing your own life for the better, too. Join Pets Add Life on Facebook, and help us celebrate National Get A Pal For Your Pet Day on November 19th!

This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership.

What YouTube Videos Have Taught Me About Owning Cats

Enhance Your Cat's Social Life By Adopting Them A Friend

Cat Banter - Bad Move

I freely admit that my cats aren't the best of friends, but they still share a special relationship, like only two kitty-cats can. While you're more likely to find them duking it out, as opposed to indulging in the (very) occasional "how-do-you-do" nosetaps, even the pet psychic told me they love to gossip, and that they'd miss each other if the other weren't around.

This new video from the Pets Add Life campaign illustrates how sometimes, having someone else who speaks your language makes all the difference (I also got a laugh out of the dog version). Follow PAL on Facebook to share your experience, and to enjoy stories and pictures from other pet lovers, too!

This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership.

Enhance Your Cat's Social Life By Adopting Them A Friend

Pets Add Life: The Power of Three

Growing up, we always had one pet in the house. A dog. So when I suddenly became a cat lady in my teens, it surprised many people, especially my Dad, who while an animal-lover, didn't particularly like cats.

When I adopted Priscilla ten years ago while still living at home, he was less than thrilled at the prospect of this tiny kitten taking over our house. To make matters worse, we also had a dog named Teddy at the time, who had barely met a cat in his life, and certainly wasn't going to tolerate one taking over his territory either.

Holding Baby Priscilla, while Teddy proudly watches on

The first few days of Priscilla's arrival were tumultuous; Teddy barked for something like 24-hours straight (ok, he stopped to sleep and eat), even when she was out of sight and safely sequestered in another room. I barely knew anything about cats at the time, and was terrified to bring them together. I remember worrying about what he would do to her, but looking back, it seems like my biggest concern should have been, what would SHE do to him?

Teddy was a small dog, a Papillon, and for as long as I live, I'll never forget the first supervised exchange between the two. Priscilla hid behind the couch, as Teddy ran back and forth from side to side, anxiously anticipating a sighting of this little creature that had just turned his world upside down.

Suddenly, he stopped pacing for a minute, and sat down, confidently waiting for her to emerge. Just then, this little black ball of fuzz popped out from the other end of the couch, and stealthily crept up behind him, just so she could give him a good *WAP* on the back. Teddy stood idly in shock, as feisty little Prissy fled back in the other direction from whence she came.

It was a hilarious site to see, and at that moment I knew that having two pets was infinitely better than having one. Together they were a constant source of endless amusement, and when they were around, you knew hijinks would ensue.

Priscilla and Teddy, just close enough

As Priscilla grew older (and Teddy finally stopped barking), they still remained wary of each other, but didn't mind hanging out, and one could always rely on the other for a good game of "chase." They would sleep near each other - not touching, of course, always at least a few inches apart, but I think it was nice for the other one to know that they were there.

They were both fiercely jealous, especially Teddy, for the attention of my Mom, and barking and hissing were a near daily occurrence at our house, but so was laughter from watching the two of them interact. Of course the other footnote of this story is that within a short time, Priscilla turned my Dad, the cat hater, into the biggest cat loving guy on the planet, and I would often find them napping together, her purring contentedly by his side.

Charlie on his last day outdoors before we brought him in to live with us

Charlie came into our lives about five years after Priscilla, so for a time before I moved out, there were three pets in the house. I always see pictures online of people's pets cuddling together, and I have to admit that's was not the way it was for our family. Surprisingly, it was actually Priscilla who reacted the worst to the introduction of another cat (to this day, she still sometimes acts like she's never seen Charlie before in her life), but they eventually all learned to coexist peacefully, and I would always smile when I saw them napping together in a triptych, always close, but still not too close.

The triptych (from L to R) - Priscilla, Charlie, Teddy

Sadly, Teddy passed away suddenly two years ago at the age of almost-fourteen, and I think Charlie and Priscilla each felt the loss in their own way. I must say it was also a great comfort to my family to have the two of them around, and while they could not replace Teddy in our hearts, their constant companionship and soft purrs certainly helped soften the blow.

Priscilla celebrating her 10th birthday in April of this year

Of course, there are lots of other reasons having more than one pet is a good thing. There's the scientific reasons, like how studies show that pet ownership can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and decrease your chances of getting heart disease. And there's also the serendipitous ones too, like having an extra furry body can reduce energy costs by warming your toes in the winter. There's also my favorite (and most selfish) reason of all, and that's if one cat isn't in the mood to cuddle or take pictures for your latest blog post (hehe), you always have a spare around to pick up the slack.

I am proud to be a part of the Pets Add Life (PAL) campaign, and to talk about how having Teddy, Priscilla, and Charlie have enriched my life. PAL is a national, non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting the positive roles pets play in the health and well being of people, families and communities. If you are able, I encourage you to think about adding another furry family member to your home, so you too can experience the joys of multiple pet ownership for yourself.

This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership.

It's your daily reminder to vote Catsparella today for Best Social Integration Blog at the 2011 Petties Awards! If I win, I'll donate the $1,000 prize to Tabby's Place Cat Sanctuary! You can vote every day, twice a day, through July 29th!

Visit http://www.dogtime.com/petties to vote, and please help spread the word!

Pets Add Life: The Power of Three