Keeping Your Cats Happy Indoors

With this extreme cold weather (40 below zero with the wind-chill today!), there is no way my little kitty devils are going outside.  My cats are indoor/outdoor cats, and they spend most of their time literally going in and out of the door (I figure maybe I burn calories running up and down the stairs all day to cater to them!).  When outside, they are never far away... always lounging with the dogs on the deck, or hanging around the Tiny House that occupies a small corner of my property.  They know their territory, and rarely venture outside of the boundaries of our yard.  Smart little cookies!

Nevertheless, it is much too cold outside this weekend to risk the chance of Tux, Cali or Newman getting stuck outside someplace.  So, inside they stay.  This requires some fancy footwork on my part, and a lot of patience, as they can get into trouble, get bored, or stir up the Pack Leader, Charlie, who can sometimes start herding them around inside the house.  There is never a dull moment around here, that's for sure!

One of my fellow blogging/internet friends sent me this awesome infographic with tips for keeping felines happy indoors.  Check it out, and enjoy.  Feel free to Pin or Tweet!



Keeping Your Cat Happy Iindoors by Terrys Fabrics.

Get the Best Night's Sleep of Your Life with Morris the Cat #giveaway

Welcome to the final edition of Morris the Cat's advice column, revealing need-to-know information on how to release your inner cat and get the best night's sleep of your life. 

As an iconic spokescat and star of over 50 9Lives cat food commercials from the 1970s onward, Morris has a prolific career envied by many of the Internet cat sensations of today. The secret to his longevity? Well, for one, the fact that he eats 9Lives. But more importantly, he has a disciplined sleep regimen – racking up about 140 hours per week!

Morris wants to teach YOU the tricks of the trade and give you all the tools you need, so he's hosting a giveaway on his Live Well & Prospurr site [http://prospurr.9lives.com/] to win a Morris-shaped plush bed that's big enough for you AND your cat to snuggle up on.

Dear Morris,

My cat and I are BFFs. We do everything together – play, eat, snuggle – we make a purrfect team. But in the bedroom, I prefer to have my space. My cat, on the other hand, thinks there's no better place to sleep than right on my head! Why does she do this? I'm not all that fun when I'm sleeping.

Warmly, 

Tired Tails

Dear Tired Tails,

You have been bestowed a great honor. As cats, we don't always wear our hearts on our paws, but one tell-tail sign we love and trust you is when we choose to make YOU our bed. Plus, you're warm. And getting our warmth from you helps us to conserve our own energy for more important things like eating. The rhythm of your breath also creates a calming effect and the curve of your face, stomach, or legs perfectly forms to our bodies. Basically, you're like a waterbed, heated blanket, and memory foam all in one! So the next time your cat goes to curl up on you, think of it as a compliment and drift off to sleep knowing you are loved... and you're very comfortable.

Kitty hugs,

Morris

Thank you, Morris the Cat, for your wonderful nighttime tips! See the rest of them here and here. 

For more info on Morris' mission to help cats and humans live well – including his initiative to donate one million 9Lives meals to rescue kitties – check out his Live Well & Prospurr website [http://prospurr.9lives.com/]. And while you're there, enter to win the limited-edition, human-sized Morris the Cat plush bed along with a year's supply of 9Lives!

This is a sponsored post from 9 Lives.  I received product compensation for my cats in exchange for writing this post.  

However, k2k9 only writes posts for products we already use! 

Join us for #DoggyDateNight Twitter Paw-ty with Milk-Bone

Get ready tomorrow night, February 3rd, for #DoggyDateNight on Twitter, with Milk-Bone!

Coop and Charlie practicing for #DoggyDateNight  (slurp, slurp!)

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, love is in the air -- and pups can sniff it too!  That's why I've partnered with Big Heart Pet Brands (makers of Charlie Brown and Cooper's favorite dog foods, including Milk-Bone, Pup-Peroni, Canine Carry Outs and Milo's Kitchen) to invite you to the first-ever #DoggyDateNight Twitter Party!

Come celebrate with other dog lovers, show off your best puppy pics, and get treated to lots of cool surprises. Just cuddle up with your furry soulmate and tag your tweets with #DoggyDateNight to join in the fun!

For those are you unfamiliar with Twitter Parties, they are really fun and oftentimes, huge, live chats on Twitter that use specific hashtags to connect participants to the conversation stream. 

In preparation for the #DoggyDateNight twitter paw-ty, I found some great doggy outing ideas at TheNosePrint.com, a site with tons of paw-some tips, tricks and advice for dog parents. (It's one of my go-to resources!)

• Turn date night into a mini getaway? Yes, please! This article tells us the top 10 best dog-friendly destinations in America.  Check it out, here:  http://thenoseprint.com/article/america-s-best-dog-friendly-destinations

• How about a sweet treat? Here's a great roundup of DIY Valentines to make for your furry friend. http://thenoseprint.com/article/valentines (Bonus Treat: Make and share a photo of your DIY Valentine project at the Twitter Party and you could win a prize!)

With Valentine's Day coming up, this #DoggyDateNight couldn't have come at a better time. I'm excited to do something special for Cooper and Charlie. Though I'm fairly certain their idea of a dream date is feasting on some Milo's Kitchen Steak Grillers. They are a fan favorite!

Because, you know, my next dog is going to be a Pug!!  

Readers, which is your favorite Doggy Valentine DIY Project?  Tell me in the comments below.  Plus, share a photo of your homemade doggy valentine at the Twitter Party and you could win an awesome prize!

I can't wait to see you all at #DoggyDateNight on Wednesday, Feb. 3, from 8-10 pm ET(5-7 pm PT). 

Please RSVP here to join the fun:  http://tweetvite.com/event/doggydatenight

Catch more Zzzs with Morris the Cat #Giveaway

Hey readers, I'm back with iconic 9Lives cat food spokescat Morris, giving advice to us lowly humans about how to sleep like a pro, and by that I mean, a cat. After all, they do sleep up to 140 hours a week – that's 3.5 times your typical 9-5.

To help on your quest to catch more Zzzs, Morris is also giving readers the chance to win a super-cool, human-sized bed in the shape of Morris himself... because who doesn't sleep better when snuggling up with a cat? Just go to his Live Well & Prospurr website [http://prospurr.9lives.com/] to enter and check out his video with more sleeping tips.

Dear Morris,

I'm a cat but as you know, even animals have 'spirit animals.' Mine is an owl – a night owl to be exact. I love to play "catch the speck of dust" or "chase your tail in the middle of the bed" into the wee hours of the morning. My humans have no idea what they're missing out on. They just lay there snoring and swat at me when I come too close. How can I make them see that daytime is lame, and the real party happens under stars (the stick-on, glow-in-the-dark kind)?

Yours truly,

Hyper Harry

Dear Hyper Harry,

Sadly, this is a case you may not win. Humans need their sleep at night. You get to spend all day snoozing and they only get a few precious hours when the sun goes down. Your humans can, however, make sure that they understand why it is you're pouncing about and provide things to make nighttime more fun. For instance, your humans could consider getting a kitty condo or put out bags or boxes for you to explore. For extra credit, they can hide treats around the house so you can go on a midnight scavenger hunt. Or, if you're really lucky, they'll bring home a kitty best friend for you to play with whenever you please. Other cats might be up at night because they get hungry, in which case their humans could try an automatic food dispenser to provide small meals throughout the night. Remember, the more you let your humans sleep at night, the more energy they'll have to play with you during the day!

Kitty hugs,

Morris

Thanks for the pawesome nighttime tips, Morris! Read Morris' first advice column here.  Plus, don't forget to check back for the last installment of "Dear Morris," and in the meantime, check out his website [http://prospurr.9lives.com/] to see how you can live as well as a cat and enter the giveaway!

This is a sponsored post from 9 Lives.  I received product compensation for my cats in exchange for writing this post.  

However, k2k9 only writes posts for products we already use!