i ad a kwestyun from  @charshy_pup on twitta an er sed …

I has a question fur u mebee fur da @anipaltimes me did not do so goodly at dog skool as Archie & I gellous :/

ello charshy .… i fort strayt away that yoo dusnt av to be jellus cos it dus be like sumfing wot dus be eetin yor insyds an yoo wil be sad.

an that dus be troo but it dusnt be th ole storee i finks. ferst archee dusnt be yoo an sekkund ee dus be difrunt to yoo …. jus like i dus be difrunt to yoo bowf.

it dus be grayt that archee is dooin wel at dog skool an lernin new fings an i shor ther dus be sum fings wot yoo is gud at aswel an i fink they dus be difrunt fings to wot archee dus be gud at.

we is al difrunt an sum dus be gud at wun fing an uvvas dus be gud at uvva fings an ther dus aswel be sum hoo dusnt be gud at ennyfing. we is al difrunt an that dus be wot mayks th werld gow rownd.

wot mattas mowstist dus be to always try yor ardist at wot evva yoo dus cos then yoo noes yoo dun yor bestist wot yoo can. an be appy for uvvas wot evva they dus acheev cos yoo noes they tryd ther bestist aswel.

… strokes … strokes … strokes …

Henry

pssst charshy … remba sum of us jus dusnt be mayd for dooin gud at skool

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). The #Pawties and Events page is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Gotcha!: @DylCat1 celebrates at #NipClub

Champagne corks popped and streamers flew as #NipClub celebrated this month’s Birthdays and Gotcha Days on Thursday. Celebrating pals included one of #NipClub‘s founders, @MaggieTKat, and @nerissathecat, accidentally left off the Birthday list for April. To everyone’s delight, it was announced that @LeoPussman had finally returned home from vet jail and a special cake had been baked in his honor. There was a poignant moment as the club commemorated the first anniversary of @JinJinDoggy’s departure for the Rainbow Bridge, and on behalf of all #NipClub members Whitney Houston sang I Will Always Love You as pals drank a toast of Rainbowtinis.

Special guest at #NipClub: SukiRoo

#NipClub also had a special guest this week when @twittinSuki (SukiRoo) arrived to host a quiz and give out some very collectable cat toys from her Etsy store as prizes. There was much giggling as she sent pals on a quest to find the spy kitteh hiding in the store, who eventually announced himself as “Bengal… James Bengal” and was promptly invited to the next secret agent pawty. Glasses and guests were hastily removed to safety as @OtisDoggy resumed his pole-dancing career, but a noticeable improvement in his skills meant that damage this week was kept to a minimum. Another spectacular dance routine came from @NancyCakeFace and @GizmoGeodog, whose request for country music to accompany the Texas Two-Step prompted DJ @Skye613, who had just completed her set, to recall an urgent appointment elsewhere. This had no effect on the Two-Steppers, who were later overheard discussing plans to hold a country pawty. Sekurity has been alerted to the need to confiscate all guns and pointed farm implements at the door.

#BlogPawty

Signature drink: a #BogPaws Blogtini

Pawty-goers were treated to two pawties in one night as #BlogPaws Conference wrapped up with a live link-up, followed by a riotous top-trending #BlogPawty. Pals excitedly watched the timeline and the livestream, eagerly searching for pals they would recognize, or hoping to get their first sight of a human belonging to one of their friends. A line of honor flags paid tribute to those across the Rainbow Bridge, and there were a few tears at the sight of pals well-loved and much-missed. Generosity was in the air as @PetsAddLife gave away two $500 checks as well as a gift bag for all prize winners; @petsmart awarded all prize winners 400 lbs of cat or dog food for the charity of their choice, and #BlogPaws gave ten pet oxygen masks to the Fire Department of Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Found: the Dalmatian lost at #BlogPawty

To the relief of the pawleece on duty, there was no repetition of last year’s flash mob, when flat pets and plushies twice descended on the Conference, invaded the stage and danced, fleeing before the traumatized pawleece could intercept them. A link to the video of the first occasion began circulating, however, reducing this year’s Conference watchers to hysterics. There was a pawleece emergency of a different kind when towards the end of the pawty a life-size plush Dalmatian went missing. It was feared that the animal, who was not micro-chipped, may have wandered off or been abducted, and speculation was rife as to how a full-size plush Dalmatian could possibly have been smuggled from the premises without anyone noticing. As the hall cleared, however, the mystery was solved when the Dalmatian was discovered fast asleep with both front paws around the remains of a glass of red wine. This provided remaining guests with the perfect excuse for one more drink to toast the doggy’s safe return before heading into the night, a number already clutching their tickets for next year’s Conference. As it will be held in Las Vegas, it is expected that extra pawleece training will commence well ahead of the event.

Upcoming Events

Remember to check out the #Pawties and Events calendar for more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #Purrs4Peace, #PetChat, #caykclub, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #FBjam, and monthly #HopePawty and #SeniorPetsRock. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative regular shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new ones, too!

This is the week for #HopePawty, so do join @NewttheCat from 7-9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday in his basement at Newtopia and have some fun!

#DiscoFever

You’re the one that he wants: @VincentRocket will host #DiscoFever

On Saturday, 25 May from 7-10 p.m. EDT @VincentRocket is holding a #DiscoFever pawty for his friend Joey’s medical expenses. Joey is an Italian Greyhound in a rescue in Florida, and right now he needs all the help that he can get. There’ll be noms, drinks, prizes, music, and of course lots and lots of disco dancing, so come show off your best Travolta moves!

#BelleHerm

Looking forward to their big day: @TattleCat and @Frankencat #BelleHerm

Strictly, the #BelleHerm hashtag is for the wedding of Herman @TattleCat and Belle @Frankencat in June, but Herman’s using it in the meantime for his bachelor pawty on Friday 31 May. Details of the event are still being finalized, but you can be sure it will involve plenty of noms and drinks, and probably a few high jinks, too! Timing and more information will be available next week.

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Please include the name and date of the #pawty, the organizer’s name(s) and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). The #Pawties and Events page is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Happy return: @DuchessCrabtree at #NipClub

There was great excitement at #NipClub on Thursday as anipals got into the pawty groove ready for the big third birthday celebrations planned for the weekend. Cheers rang out as popular barktender @DuchessCrabtree returned to the club following a long absence due to her mom’s health. Duchess quickly proved she had lost none of her dancing skills during her absence by performing her signature pole-dance then leaping up on to the bar and dancing the Texas Two-Step arm in arm with @ShaynaCat. It was at this point that things started to get out of paw, when @PixelDoggy showed a photograph of herself and her sisfur @JinJinDoggy pole-dancing at the club and wondered if her brofur @OtisDoggy could be persuaded to try his paw at dancing, too.

Flying dismount: @OtisDoggy at #NipClub

Egged on by other pals, Otis agreed. In the absence of @Doggymolly, who was apparently on a mission to wreck London for a change, it had been hoped that for once a week might go by without the need to reorder most of the #NipClub glasses, but Otis proved himself a worthy replacement for the missing Molly. His first pole-dancing lesson ended with an unintentional flying dismount from the pole followed by a spectacular slide the full length of the bar, sending Otis, most of the club’s glassware and several whiskey bottles crashing to the ground. @ShinerDoggy kindly volunteered to help clean up the mess, but @DuchessCrabtree had a better idea, demonstrating to Otis the best way of licking up the spilled liquor while avoiding any glass splinters. Otis helped her with such enthusiasm that he got a little dizzy, and on being asked how many paws one pal was holding up he was unable to distinguish any. Talks are ongoing between ,anagement and local glass suppliers in the hope of finding glasses that are #NipClub-proof; so far to no avail.

#NipClub Monthly: Third Anniversary Pawty

Happy Birthday: #NipClub pals celebrate in style

Way before the doors were open on Saturday, pals were eagerly assembling for #NipClub’s birthday pawty, and it was clear from the air of excitement that they were expecting something special. They got it. As well as celebration music from the DJs and a pawesome menu from Head Chef @WinstonTabby, there was a hilarious scavenger hunt through a vast array of anipal shops. This caused much discussion of the meaning of clues and such technicalities as exactly which stone was, or was not, a fire opal (your correspondent bows to the knowledge of DJ colleague @CathyKeisha on that one). The bagging game, making its first appearance at #NipClub, proved a great success, with contestants excitedly bagging everything in sight including noms, drink, nip and @GeorgeTheDuck. Entertainment Manager @mattiedog got a little carried away and managed to bag a quantity of jewelry from @GeorgeTheDuck’s Typist, who had donated it as a quiz prize. A severe quacking from George, the sight of @sanjeethecat’s claws, and the arrival of a Sekurity Officer to see what the fuss was about may possibly have played a part in Mattie’s quick decision to admit the mistake and return the jewelry. Its return was a great relief to @fkat72758, who had just won it.

This way for bargains: some of the #NipClub store-fronts

Mystery still surrounds events in Aisle 6, where Sekurity cordoned off the area and @trailerparkdogs called for a clean-up team. There seemed to be no bio-hazard involved, but @RealFakeGator would say only that pals didn’t need to see it. Faced with a reporter’s notebook, @NewtTheCat later volunteered the information that he had no idea what had happened anywhere, but whatever it was he had no part in it. In the absence of hard evidence and given Newt’s long rap sheet, this could not be verified. Another clean-up operation involved removing cake, cream and bacon-fat from the DJ booth and other areas of #NipClub after @PepiSmartDog’s enthusiastic cooking on Sunday. The cleaning crew expressed deep gratitude to @PuppyNumber7, @WhatdoingDugal and @JessieJaney, who kindly got to work on the problem with their tongues. @OtisDoggy had clearly been practicing his pole-dancing, and earned tips by showing off his skills. The evening ended with the announcement that Head Chef @WinstonTabby has also been promoted to Head Barktender, a duty which includes the responsibility of quality-checking the supplies of nip. His blissful expression suggested that he may already have taken up that duty. Pals remarked wistfully on how quickly the 24 hours of the pawty had gone by, and all agreed that they were greatly looking forward to the fourth year of #NipClub.

Upcoming Events

Remember to check out the #Pawties and Events calendar for more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #Purrs4Peace, #PetChat, #caykclub, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #FBjam, and monthly #HopePawty and #SeniorPetsRock. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative regular shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new ones, too!

#BlogPawty

Village goes worldwide: live link-up at #BlogPawty

On Saturday, 18 May from 6:30-9:30 p.m. EDT, @BlogPaws will be holding a very special #BlogPawty direct from this year’s conference. Excitement is already mounting ahead of the big occasion as pals exchange memories of last year’s conference and look forward to the upcoming one. Come along and chat with the conference speakers as well as catch up with all the gossip—a live link-up is great fun and an experience not to be missed!

#DiscoFever

Run, Joey, Run: #DiscoFever

On Saturday, 25 May from 7-10 p.m. EDT @VincentRocket is holding a #DiscoFever pawty for his friend Joey’s medical expenses. Joey is an Italian Greyhound in a rescue in Florida, and right now he needs all the help that he can get. There’ll be noms, drinks, prizes, music, and of course lots and lots of disco dancing, so come show off your best Travolta moves!

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). The #Pawties and Events page is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Under starter’s orders: #NipClub Downs

As anticipation of this year’s Kentucky Derby grew, #NipClub temporarily relocated this week to its new racecourse, #NipClub Downs. Eager to put their horses through their paces, owners, trainers and jockeys converged on #NipClub, sending the venue to the top of the Trending Topics list in what may be a world-record time. Tips abounded as pals swapped form assessments, inside knowledge and sheer guesswork at the bar. Top trainer @CheshireK was in demand for interviews by all the major news media, and handled all enquires with grace, helpfulness and a link to the #NipClub tips jar.

From the trainer’s mouth: @CheshireK at #NipClub Derby

A number of riders brought their horses with them, which seemed like a good idea at the time. Sadly, some of them decided to race each other around the premises, with a few forgetting they were supposed to be racing on the flat, not over jumps. The DJ booth proved a particularly tempting target, with @GizmoGeodog’s horse’s hooves leaving major dents in the roof of the booth, and @Doggymolly’s horse-whip terrifying every creature in the club except her horse. When DJ @CathyKeisha announced that her playlist disappeared and had been eaten by Grooveshark, it was initially assumed she was referring to the music service, but it later turned out that a horse of the same name entered for the #NipClub Derby had been disqualified after a positive test for nip, and is now believed to be the culprit. The winner of the race itself is still not known, as judges are continuing their attempts to establish which of the horses actually crossed the line first. From the stands it was impossible to tell, but it’s hoped that photographic evidence will help the judges sort it out eventually.

#TeddyBBQ

What’s cookin’?: Embassy chefs Chalky and Cuddles of @Chalkybear13 at #TeddyBBQ

Saturday saw the arrival of a major new player in the world of diplomacy as the #TeddyBearEmbassy opened its doors and threw open its delightful gardens for the the first-ever #TeddyBBQ. There was much discussion about what to wear—most Embassy events require formal evening wear, but it was agreed that for a BBQ (and in view of the cleaning costs involved if anyone got bacon fat on their best suit) something more casual would be appropriate. Sir Toddy Furrington (@ToddyFur) showed guests around the Embassy and gardens and encouraged them to make use of the beautiful conservatory if the weather turned chilly towards the evening.

Bumble Bee Gee: Maurice Bee with @ToddyFur at #TeddyBBQ

Head Chefs @Chalkybear and Cuddles (@Chalkybear13) did a magnificent job of keeping everyone supplied with best-quality sausages cooked in a delicious BBQ sauce, and one or two guests ate so many of them that concern was expressed for the strain put on their seams! It has to be admitted that some guests availed a little too freely of the generous supplies of drink on offer, too, with reports of a few found snoring in the Beer Tent. @OllyTed, @mogsbear and @ToddyFur himself had guests dancing to their DJ sets, and lots of heads were nodding in agreement when @ToddyFur admitted to having had a crush on Suzi Quattro when he was a cub. To the relief of those who have recently had lots of rain, the weather was perfect, and it was late into the night before exhausted guests were ready to board the bed bus thoughtfully provided by the Embassy, all very much looking forward to Sir Toddy’s next event.

#BlogPawty

#BlogPawty sponsor: Rachael of @Nutrish and Rachael’s Rescue, with Isaboo

Saturday’s pre-conference #BlogPawty was sponsored by Rachael Ray’s Nutrish, which gives a portion of the proceeds from the sales of its products to Rachael’s Rescue to highlight organizations dedicated to helping animals in need. There was an air of excitement and anticipation about the upcoming @BlogPaws conference, with pals catching up with friends they hadn’t seen since last year and arranging to meet those they’d only spoken to so far online. Memories were shared about previous conference meetings, and @PepperPom admitted embarrassing her Mom last year by barking at @brutusthedane! Bru was very gracious about the incident, though, telling Pepper that a lot of other dogs had barked at him, too.

Out of Twitmo: @Twiglet2 heads back to #BlogPawty

Sekurity had a number of gate-crashing incidents to deal with, and @brutusthedane and @BaileytheDane showed that they’ve already become a successful pawlice partnership. Other pals were happy to join in the crime-fighting, and one gate-crasher whose language went too far was last seen running down the road yowling loudly after being bitten by @CarmaPoodale and @RealFakeGator. There was also a chance for @BaileytheDane, who’s already three-feet tall, to show her softer side when she lowered her head to allow three-inch @GeorgeTheDuck to check out the excellent view from between her ears. Several pals exchanged recipes, though most remained unconvinced that multi-worm cake served with sauce was a great idea—for the benefit of those who want to try it, @kolsnotes offered the advice that the right spot in the garden for the candy worms is facing east. #BlogPawty hosts @Nutrish, @Twiglet2 and @BlogPaws landed up in Twitmo, which all agreed was a sure sign that the event had been a great success.

#ChiliPawty

Sweet 16: #ChiliPawty special guest Miss Chilipepper

On Sunday there was a very special pawty when @kittehboi’s sisfur Miss Chilipepper of @sisfurcats celebrated her Sweet 16 with a Cinco de Mayo theme. Barktenders were running off their paws serving delicious spicy dishes, and drinks included tequila-based cocktails and Nip-Mint Julep. A number of designers including @Samthewatcher had produced a stunning variety of dramatic costumes for their clients, turning the venue into a riot of color as they stamped their heels and twirled their skirts.

Y’arriba, y’arriba!: @cathound7 at #ChiliPawty

DJs including @Dogstoyevsky and @TheNascarKitty already had the joint jumping by the time rock band @Feral_Beast took the stage to play their regular #FBjam direct from #ChiliPawty. Anipals discovered the delights as well as difficulties of trying to click castanets in time with the music, and one or two who’d drunk too many Nip-Mint juleps found it easy to conceal their identity by tipping their enormous sombreros down to hide their faces. Inevitably, though, this added an extra difficulty to their attempts to walk in a straight line, as it made it very hard to see where they were going. It also inspired @Feral_Beast to include the Mexican Hat Dance as a late addition to their set list. With both #ChiliPawty and #FBjam trending, those pawty-goers not yet in the slammer all agreed that the event had been a great success and decided that the most appropriate way to end the evening was by finishing up the Tequila with repeated toasts to Miss Chilipepper.

Upcoming Events

Remember to check out the #Pawties and Events calendar for more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #Purrs4Peace, #PetChat, #caykclub, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #FBjam, and monthly #HopePawty and #SeniorPetsRock. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative regular shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new ones, too!

Please note that this week’s #FBjam celebrates the first anniversary of the formation of rock band @Feral_Beast, so come along on Sunday and enjoy a very special gig!

#NipClub Birthday Pawty

Birthday bar: #NipClub celebrates in style

#NipClub is now three years old, and all plan to celebrate in style! As well as music, noms, drinks, quizzes and pawty games, this month features a scavenger hunt, anipal shops and a whole 24-hours of #NipClub trivia. Now’s your chance to air your knowledge, and maybe learn a few things, too! The event runs for 24 hours from 2 p.m. EDT on Saturday 11 May, so come help #NipClub celebrate!

 #BlogPawty

Conference link-up: #BlogPawty

On Saturday, 18 May from 6-8 p.m. EDT, @BlogPaws will be holding a very special #BlogPawty direct from this year’s conference. Come along and chat with the conference speakers as well as catching up with all the gossip—a live link-up is great fun, and an experience not to be missed!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Please include the name and date of the #pawty, the organizer’s name(s) and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

Cats can make the perfect pet for some people but it may not be the best choice for others. If you’re planning to get a cat it’s important to figure out if a cat is really the animal for you. It’s going to be a lifetime experience — a cat is not an “until you’re tired of it” animal, it’s a “forever” animal. Are you up for that? Are you willing to live the rest of your life with a furry companion?

Just like any other animal, they need food, they need you to get them food, water and unconditional love and devotion. Cats need medical attention, exercise, shelter and companionship.

We got Suki when she was six months old.

Kitten or Adult

I know from experience that kittens are hard to resist. Do remember that kittens need a lot of attention and have to be house trained, but they also adapt quickly to new things and environments. Sometimes an adult cat makes a better option, especially if you work all day long. An adult cat doesn’t need to be house trained anymore.

Coat Length & Breeds

There are so many cats, so many breeds and so many choices! Do you want a cat with long hair, medium, short or no hair at all? Long-haired cats need to be brushed daily to keep their fur from tangling. Cats with no hair, like the Sphynx need to be bathed.

Do you want a specific breed? Do your homework and read about it. You may think a Siamese is beautiful — and they are! Know that Siamese cats are one of the most vocal cat breeds.

In or Out?

Many discussions can be held about this subject. People have different opinions. I think it all depends on the cat and the neighborhood you live in. Do cars speed a lot on your street or do you live near a busy road? Then it’s better to keep your cat inside. If you live in the countryside, with thousands of grass fields in the distance and no busy road nearby, then letting them outside could be much safer.

If you’re thinking of letting your kitty go outside, question yourself: Does my cat like going outside too? Some cats prefer to be inside most of the time. Would you let a young child play outside unsupervised? If so, then your cat will most likely be fine.

The Litter Box

The litter box: not everyone’s favorite item in the house. But it needs to be cleaned or your cat may do his business outside the box. Scoop it every day and clean it thoroughly every week or two weeks. When you get a cat, know that you have to scoop and clean out litter boxes for a good 16 years.

Be Ready

Be ready for crazy moments with your cat.

For hairballs, litter box accidents and bills. I’m not saying that you have to pay a lot for your cat. But he needs to see the vet every year for his annual check-up. Your cat needs food, litter, toys, a place to sleep and he may get sick, needing medical attention.

You can put an amount aside each month in case something happens to your cat. These days there is also insurance for your cat. There are many options to make it as easy as possible.

With unconditional love, a roof above his head, food and a warm place to sleep, your new kitty will be just as happy.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). The #Pawties and Events page is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Taking the stage at #NipClub: @ReillyDog

There was great excitement on Thursday as the #NipClub jet landed at Seattle-Tacoma Airport ready for a pawty at the world-famous Space Needle. @mattiedog had organized a visit to the beautiful beach and a fascinating tour of the landmarks of the Emerald City.  The lifelike statue of Jimi Hendrix in action with his guitar proved a particular hit, with one DJ gazing at it for so long that she only belatedly realized that the others had gone on without her! Fortunately @SeattleP and other local residents were on paw to rescue stragglers and get them safely to the Space Needle for the pawty.

Taking the wheel: @YDWWYW’s Chester heads for #NipClub

Much of the music was provided by Seattle bands and artists, including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Fleet Foxes, Judy Collins, the Ventures and of course Jimi Hendrix. #NipClub‘s special guest for the evening was another Seattle resident,  @YDWWYW, who called in to celebrate the relaunch of her redesigned blog, You Did What With Your Wiener? Doxie owners took the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about the particular needs of their dachshunds, whose long bodies and short legs involve them in some special health challenges. The aim of the blog is to encourage owners to share a more active and adventurous lifestyle with their dogs, and it certainly sounded like a lot of fun!

#Jesters

Love Is In The Air: #Jesters

The theme for #Jesters Comedy Club on Saturday was Love Is In The Air, which proved an excellent excuse for @Eddiebabycat to set up a kissing booth! As Eddie pointed out, kissing lots of girls is a tough job, but when it’s to help Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue (@RMGDRI) someone has to do it. Noms and drinks all had a theme of romance, as did the pawty games, with prizes for Best Couples Dancing, Best New Couple, Best Love Joke and Best Love Poem. Pals could also try their paw at Anipal Speed Dating and Dirty Dancing, but details sadly cannot be related in a family newspaper.

Melting hearts: a love-themed cocktail at #Jesters

To your correspondent’s embarrassment, @kingtuttifruiti and @ShaynaCat were invited to recount their first date, when Shayna misspelled Tutti’s name in her acceptance of his invitation to Cowboy Night at #NipClub, leaving him thinking that she’d turned him down and her thinking that he’d stood her up! There was great hilarity when it was discovered that @HenrytheCat2002 had entered himself and @toughteddybear as a stag couple, leaving Teddy, who hadn’t known anything about it, with the task of explaining to the absent @LilyLuWhoT. To the delight of the crowd, @Eddiebabycat announced at the conclusion of the pawty that there would be another #Jesters evening in the summer.

Upcoming Events

Remember to check out the #Pawties and Events calendar for more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #Purrs4Peace, #PetChat, #caykclub, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #FBjam, and monthly #HopePawty and #SeniorPetsRock. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative regular shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new ones, too!

Please note that this Wednesday has the #SeniorPetsRock monthly chat, and also that to avoid clashing with the #wlf #Catference, #CaTMO has been postponed—I’ll give you the rearranged date and an RSVP link for that as soon as I can.

#TeddyBBQ

Invitation to the Embassy: #TeddyBBQ

On Saturday, 4 May at 2 p.m. EDT (7 p.m. UK) you are invited to enjoy the spring sunshine and join in all the fun at the Teddy Bear Embassy’s first #TeddyBBQ. You don’t have to dress up specially—come as you are, bring your favourite BBQ treat to share or just nom on all the lovely food coming off the Teddy Bear Embassy BBQ. Please do come and say hello! BBQ starts 7 p.m. UK time (2 p.m. EDT) and runs until we run out of sausages.

#BlogPawty

Pre-Conference warm-up: #BlogPawty

On 4 May from 6-8 p.m., @BlogPaws will be holding a pre-conference #BlogPawty to put everyone in a pawty mood ready for the big event. There’ll be music, dancing, noms, drinks and prizes, and if you have any questions about conference arrangements, here’s your chance to ask them. Come and make some contacts to meet in person!

Cinco de Mayo #ChiliPawty

Sweet 16: Miss Chilipepper invites you to her #ChiliPawty

On Sunday, 5 May from 2-8 p.m. EDT, you’re invited to celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the 16th birthday pawty of @sisfurcats’ Miss Chilipepper with music, including a live gig by the fabulous rock band @Feral_Beast at 6 p.m., dancing, noms, drinks and prizes—your host will be @kittehboi, and the fun begins at 2 p.m.!

#BlogPawty

On 18 May from 6-8 p.m., @BlogPaws will be holding a very special #BlogPawty direct from this year’s conference. Come along and chat with the conference speakers as well as catching up with all the gossip—a live link-up is great fun, and an experience not to be missed!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Please include the name and date of the #pawty, the organizer’s name(s) and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). The #Pawties and Events page is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#HopePawty

Enough noms?: @NewttheCat checks fridge at #HopePawty

There was bling galore and stardust filled the air as pals, many wearing tiaras, assembled for @NewttheCat‘s #HopePawty in the basement at Newtopia. Aiming to raise awareness of the hope for a healthy, happy life for liver-shunt cats, Newt had arranged a delicious banquet of the foods he is allowed to eat, and as these included a great many chicken dishes there was a continuous line of pals eager to sample them. Always one to make creative use of an opportunity, Newt responded to @kingtuttifruiti‘s question about whether it was acceptable for a king to wear a tiara by saying he was happy for Tutti to wear one—on condition that he promised not to arrest him in future. Cheers rang out when @sanjeethecat arrived at #HopePawty to her play her first DJ set from across the Rainbow Bridge, and the warmth of her reception left no doubt that pals miss her very much and want her to continue to DJ for them.

Bling is king: @AbbyDawgBlog wears tiara at #HopePawty

Difficulties were reported with some Twitter apps, with @NewtheCat advising @PepperPom to bite the feet off a particularly misbehaving one. Newt was also quick to reassure #HopePawty‘s first fish guest @LePoissonCharle that despite their love of fish, kitties could be trusted not to nom a pal, before entertaining the pawty with his excellent accordion playing. @whskr was a little late arriving at the pawty, but all pals agreed that not trying to move before the kitten snoozing on her knee woke up was an excellent example of how well-behaved a properly-trained human can be. @cherylpoestone’s ferrets kept up their reputation for pawtying all night, and starry-eyed female anipals who’d been standing in line for hours at @NewttheCat‘s kissing booth promised they’d be back for more at next month’s #HopePawty.

#StanMooPawty

Groovy babies: @whitie99 and @Doggymolly at #StanMooPawty

Pals gathered on Wednesday in their best 1960s fashions to celebrate Stan @whitie99′s birthday and @Doggymolly‘s Gotcha Day in the company of Austin Powers, who had emerged from a lengthy cryogenic nap and was ready to pawty. Hot pants, mini skirts and psychedelic swirls were much in evidence, and the International Man Of Mystery felt so much at home that on hearing the Electric Prunes singing a request especially for him he began retweeting messages with his name in them! @CatizenSmith showed that his recent surgery had not damaged his ability to dance, showing off a very stylish hop with tail swish which other pals including @karen_hackett and @cherylpoestone’s ferrets couldn’t wait to try.

Groovy, baby: Briar @wonderwinger at #StanMooPawty

Unfortunately one of the guests of honor then added to her already lengthy rap sheet when @Doggymolly was once again packed off to Twitmo. There is some suggestion that on this occasion she may actually have been placed in protective custody after announcing her intention to play golf at #NipClub the following evening—it appears club management had not forgotten the incidents with her lance before the trip to Camelot. @TheJoycie was so excited by the psychedelic-styled noms she dove head-first into them, while @RileyDevilDog was kept busy licking beer froth from his fur. The evening ended with Austin Powers being escorted back to his cryogenic chamber and the controls adjusted so that pals can wake him up again next time they want a 1960s pawty.

#NipClub

Going upscale: #NipClub Hills Golf Course

It looked at first as if for once the evening at #NipClub would pass in a quiet and genteel fashion, with the premises transformed into the #NipClub Hills Golf And Country Club. That was, of course, before the gophers got there. At first there was just one—a cute little guy the pawty-goers found appealing… until someone looked out of the window and found that his friends and relations were busy tearing up the golf course. Chaos ensued, with a DJ playing the theme from Caddyshack as Sekurity staff and greenskeepers chased the little critters up and down the course and #NipClub patrons argued over whether a gopher is a rodent, an anipal or both.

Gopher it: Caddyshack comes to #NipClub

With the mayhem at its height and club management believing things could hardly get much worse, @Doggymolly arrived, a golf club clutched tightly in her paw. With the course overrun by gophers she elected to tee off from the clubhouse instead of from the first hole. Barktender @MeisRoxyThePug ran to rescue the club’s new crystal whiskey glasses as Molly climbed up on the bar to drive. Her first shot went straight through a window. Her second hit the door. Her third had the DJ cowering beneath the turntables, and her fourth looked like the best swing ever seen at #NipClub… until she missed the ball entirely, dropped the club and came close to falling off the bar. At this point club owner @kingtuttifruiti felt obliged to intervene, and, describing Molly as a walking hazard, in desperation called the cops and suggested they should throw her into Twitmo. Unbelievably, for once they didn’t want to know, and Molly remained free to play her unique form of the game until the time difference eventually came to #NipClub‘s rescue and she finally went home to bed. It is hoped that that a new insurance company will provide the club with cover after the previous one went broke on receiving the latest damage claim.

Upcoming Events

Remember to check out the #Pawties and Events calendar for more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #Purrs4Peace, #PetChat, #caykclub, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #FBjam, and monthly #HopePawty and #SeniorPetsRock. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too! Please note #BlogPawsChat is back this Tuesday after taking a break last week for  #HopePawty.

#Jesters

Love Is In The Air: #Jesters

#Jesters Comedy Club will be opening its doors on 27 April from 3-8 p.m. EDT for a very special evening of fun and laughter. Your host is @jesterscomedyc1, otherwise known as @Eddiebabycat, and the theme is Love Is In The Air. You can find more details on the club blog—previous events have been hilarious, so do come along and join the fun!

#CaTMO

Your host at #CaTMO: @Mr_Pie

On 4 May from 3-6 p.m. EDT, @Mr_Pie will be hosting a joint birthday pawty for @Mikey_W_Cat‬ and @Mittennkitten. The pawty will be held at the Cat and Trumpet Pub (@CatandTrumpet)—look out for more details and an RSVP address next week!

#BlogPawty

Conference link-up: #BlogPawty

On 4 May from 6-8 p.m., immediately following #Catmo, @BlogPaws will be holding a very special #BlogPawty direct from this year’s conference. Come along and chat to the conference speakers as well as catching up with all the gossip—a live link-up is great fun, and an experience not to be missed!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Please include the name and date of the #pawty, the organizer’s name(s) and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

i ad a kwestyun from @Ibsabella on twitta<

I haz a Q, Henry! Why am I stuck and can’t follow more anipals until I get more anipal followers first?

twitta av rools wot say yoo carnt follow mor than bowt to fowsund untill yoo av got bowt th saym numba hoo follo yoo. it dus be abit silly reely cos ow wil yoo mayk new frends if yoo dusnt follo them ferst.

wot i did wos gow frew my list of them hoo i follo an tayk sum owt hoo dint tork wiv me an then woch to see th numbas get abit neera to eech uvva.

wen i lookd at yors it wos bowt ayteen undrid agaynst to fowsund. so i finks if yoo tayk owt sum it wil bring th numbas neera to eech uvva. an yoo wil av to be payshunt for th numba hoo follo yoo gets abit bigga. it dusnt appun no mor wen yoo get abit ova th to fowsund numba.

… strokes … strokes …

Henry

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). The #Pawties and Events page is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Birthday raver: @PankythePanfur at #NipClub

Sounds of trance and techno filled the air as pals held a rave at #NipClub on Thursday for the monthly Birthday and Gotcha Day celebrations. @GeorgeTheDuck’s dark glasses proved a useful protection against the flashing lights which many blamed for (or credited with) the upsurge in energetic, if not totally controlled, behavior. With hindsight, the decision to allow nipped-out ravers to rehearse for the weekend trip to Camelot was not a wise one, and management must take some share of the blame for the carnage which followed.

Birthday Pearl: @BichonPearl at #NipClub

While terrified revelers (including your correspondent) fled for their lives or hid under the bar, @Doggymolly ran amok with a lance in preparation for her jousting match on Sunday. Fearing for the safety of his guests and the survival of his club, exasperated #NipClub owner @kingtuttifruiti eventually brought the rout to a close by arranging jousting lessons for Molly with the aptly-named Sir Lancelot. Club co-manager @TinyPearlCat’s patience was sorely tried once again as she was left to clear up the broken glass left over from Molly’s rampage, and she has been overheard discussing with fellow-manager @TheNascarKitty the possibility of a new car as compensation. The damage caused to the bar has now been repaired, and it is hoped that a sufficient quantity of new glasses will arrive in time for the bar to open as usual this week.

#NipClub Monthly: Trip To Camelot

Seeking the Holy Grail: Sir @RealFakeGator at #NipClub

On Saturday the #NipClub transporter picked up eager pals and whisked them through the mists of time to Camelot—and it can be safely said King Arthur’s Court had never seen the likes of it before. Many new knights volunteered to join Arthur on his quest to find the Holy Grail, clanking awkwardly around in suits of armor. There was a touching moment when, on the command of @Skye613, all riders and their horses bowed their heads and all lances were lowered as a mark of respect for those across the Rainbow Bridge; then all descended into chaos. @Doggymolly took @pupChloe for a horseback ride, but the animal turned out to be a bewildered dragon, who had to be coaxed with mints and hugs by @3phibotticelli to sit down and let the pair get off again. On being recognized by @WinstonTabby as an occasional visitor to #NipClub, the dragon was consoled for the indignity with a nip cigar and promptly nicknamed Puff.

Chilling at #NipClub: Puff the Magic Dragon

Unaware that dragons had been declared a protected species, @BadAndy_KityCat, aka Sir Purrsalot, was caught hunting them, and Officer @TerenceTerrier threw him in the stocks. Pleading that he had believed he was protecting the Kingdom, Sir Purrsalot was given bail, which @morriscat paid. @NutmegTorby arrested @BorisKitty after an unseemly brawl with @mattiedog. Bail was raised, but a further appeal had to be made after Boris was rearrested and sent to Twitmo dungeons. Flying lances in the stands during the jousting showed @Doggymolly’s aim had not improved. Some knights needed treatment for bruised dignity after falling from their horses, but all recovered after a few glasses of Lancelot’s Blonde Ale in time to see @ChloeToby and @3phibotticelli declared joint winners. Then war broke out for real, with a major invasion of naked ladies and foul-mouthed barbarians. Turning the weapons of block/report and @Doggymolly’s lance on them, the knights declared it more fun than crusading. Held to raise funds for Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue in honor of Sekurity Captain @brutusthedane, the event trended #1 for over 30 hours, and a roll-call of returning pals suggests that some may still be pawtying in Camelot.

Upcoming Events

Remember to check out the #Pawties and Events calendar for more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #Purrs4Peace, #PetChat, #caykclub. #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #FBjam, and monthly #HopePawty and #SeniorPetsRock. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too! Please note there is no #BlogPawsChat this week as #HopePawty is this Tuesday, but #BlogPawsChat will be back for your enjoyment next week!

#HopePawty

Pawty Anipal: @Newtthecat rehearses for #HopePawty

On Tuesday, 16 April @Newtthecat will be holding a #HopePawty to raise awareness of the high quality of life that’s possible for cats with liver shunt. The basement at Newtopia will be rocking to the sounds of some of the best DJs online, and there will be an all-you-can-eat buffet  of Newt’s delicious special noms. Do come along and join this very special pawty, where, as Newt himself says, hope sparkles like crown jewels!

#StanMooPawty

Groovy, baby: @Doggymolly and @Whitie99 head for #StanMooPawty

Yeah, Baby! Please join us for @Doggymolly and @Whitie99 joint pawty! 16 April is Molly’s Gotcha Day and 21 April is Stan’s 13th birthday, so from 4-6 p.m. EDT (9-11 p.m. UK) on Wednesday, 17 April we all are going to Austin Power’s London! So break out your mini skirts, cool rad polyester shirts, headbands, and grooviness! And as always, you are welcome to come in your own fur, fins, feathers. Just come, baby!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

Charming his new Grammy

Introducing a rambunctious, barking, jumping, slightly hyper puppy into what has always been a cat-only household was going to be a bit trickier than, “Hi! This is McKorkle and he’s going to live here for four loooong months!”

I had been telling my mother all about the “poor little pup” since he arrived at the vet office so I was hoping when she finally got to see the adorable face that belonged to those sad stories, getting her to melt on the spot would be quite easy.

McKorkle loved his new home and he really loved his new kitty siblings, even if they weren’t too impressed with him. His attempts to initiate play with the kitties were usually met with a growl or a hiss. On one particular instance I remember a very irritated D.C. responding to McKorkle’s invitation to play with a not-so-kind smack on McKorkle’s head that sent him sliding across our wood floors and into a bookcase. Being quite the resilient puppy, he just popped back to his feet and ran off to pester another sibling.

Just a couple of weeks after I brought McKorkle home, I thought we were both gonna get kicked out of the apartment. His latest puppy shenanigans would be noticed: I had to go out one afternoon with my mother for a quick errand to buy groceries and couldn’t take McKorkle so we had to leave him. We left him in the bathroom, it being the smallest room for the little cyclone to create damage. Having already puppy-proofed the entire apartment we just fixed up his bed, toys, water dish, etc. and with a big hug and kiss from mommy, I said I would be back very soon.

Still trying to play with D.C.

We really weren’t gone very long, 30-ish minutes, maybe. We walked back into the apartment with a few bags and I then walked to the bathroom door so I could get McKorkle to go out for potty. I opened the door and found the biggest, fluffiest, white cloud of toilet paper! It was actually pretty! Popping up from the middle of this cottony cloud was a little angelic face with two floppy ears looking at me with a face that said, “Look at my pretty cloud Mommy! I made it for you!” Somewhere under all of the fluff I could hear his wagging tail swishing back and forth through the paper, so proud of what he had made for his Mommy.

Three months after his injuries the eye did not look promising. It was very clear he no longer had any vision but the condition of the eye was in question. We were also afraid he could be in pain. We decided the eye needed to be removed.

The night after the surgery I slept on the couch and pulled an armchair up against the couch for him to sleep in like a bedside bassinet. McKorkle was really loving the attention and playing the part of “poor little patient”, although I could tell he really didn’t feel well. That night was a bit rough on the little guy but after some snuggling with his mommy McKorkle was able to fall back to sleep and get some much needed rest.

Some time the next morning I woke from the feeling of my head being slightly bounced like a ball. I opened my eyes to see my little one-eyed, pug-mix puppy bouncing his front paws on the couch pillows beside my head telling me to, “Wake up Mommy! Time to play!!” Well, so much for recovery time!

Spoiled little pup!

If I had thought that little handful of energy was happy and playful before the surgery, it was nothing compared to what we uncovered after that apparently painful eye had been removed!

Now the cats were really gonna be mad!

To be continued…

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). The #Pawties and Events page is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Prescribing nip: @TinyPearlCat at #NipClub

Cries of “Nip—stat!” rang out again at #NipClub as pals flocked in for their eagerly awaited Doctors and Nurses night. The doctors on duty quickly realized that the quickest way to cure most of their patients’ problems was with a prescription for nip, referred to by some as a presniption and called by others a nipscription, which was quickly and efficiently dispensed by barktenders. Doctors of all kinds put in an appearance, from House to Hawkeye and from Frasier Crane to Doctor Who, and Sekurity stood by with hypodermics filled with a strong sedative to deal with any gatecrashers.

Dr. Who?: @cathound7 brings the Tardis to #NipClub

However, it has to be admitted that one or two of the medical staff became a little overzealous, with one doctor in particular determined to administer treatment at all costs, even to a protesting colleague. Seeing Dr. @Doggymolly on patrol with a loaded hypodermic, Dr. @TinyPearlCat, niptini flask in paw, fled up a tree. Despite the cold she stayed there, ignoring Dr. @Doggymolly’s attempts to persuade her that it wouldn’t hurt a bit. In the hope of luring Dr. Pearl down again, Dr. Molly even pretended to be going home, but that didn’t work either. Eventually the time difference came to Dr. Pearl’s rescue—with Dr. Molly’s timezone eight hours ahead of Dr. Pearl’s, it was just a matter of waiting it out ’til Dr. Molly had to go home for real. A chilly Dr. Pearl then came down from her tree and was treated for hypothermia by being wrapped in a warm blankie and consoled with nip.

#FrodoPawty

Inspiration for #FrodoPawty: Frodo Doxie

What was planned as a pawty to celebrate Frodo’s rescue from a shelter and a fundraiser for his dental surgery—which had proved to be much more expensive than expected—quickly turned into a chat as it began to be realized how much information is needed on the well-being of senior pets and how many of them are in urgent need of rescue and adoption. A number of knowledgeable individuals and organizations turned up to share much-needed experience and wisdom, and lots of important questions were asked and answered.

Knowledgeable guests at #FrodoPawty: @Pet360

There were a great many heartwarming stories shared about the joy senior pets had brought to people’s lives, and one of the most rewarding moments came when a potential adopter said she had been greatly reassured about the implications of adopting a senior pet and was now seriously considering doing so. In response to a number of requests from guests it was agreed that there was a need for a regular forum to discuss the care of senior pets and therefore that a similar chat called #SeniorPetsRock, moderated by @flacatlady and @SeniorPetsRock, will in the future be held monthly.

#RainbowParade

Rainbow Refreshments: Easter Cayk and Bunneh Bread at #RainbowParade

Not even  a major Twitter glitch which left some pals staring at a screen filled with messages from 2011 and wondering where all their recent tweets had gone could dampen the arrival of Spring with #RainbowParade at Easter Island. The event was held to raise funds for the Rainbow Rabbits Retirement Home, and it was clear from the get-go that @Bilbo_the_bunny and her team of helpers had put a vast amount of planning and hard work into it. Questions were initially raised about the wisdom of hiring a dog to work Sekurity for a rabbit pawty, but @ClaptonTerrier quickly dealt with them by taking a solemn oath not to chase the bunnies. As the pawty quickly trended he was soon able to find unwelcome quests to chase instead.

Easter Bonnet: @Bilbo_the_bunny at #RainbowParade

There were lots of quizzes and a number of  competitions, including best Easter bonnet or fancy dress, but by far the most exhilarating was the binky competition. This involved a spectacular kind of hop, often including a mid-air twist of 180 degrees, and with Madonna, Van Halen and the Pointer Sisters all encouraging the entrants to jump there was great excitement as contestants showed off their best moves. All anipals were invited to join in, and an instructional video was shown to help non-bunnies in the audience to understand the finer points of what was needed. This may possibly have played a part in the shocking announcement by judge @Harvey_Rabbit that the winner was actually a kitty, @claudiab53! The bunnies had set themselves an ambitious fundraising goal, and there was tumultuous applause when it was announced that the goal had not only been reached but deservedly exceeded.

#SCIFIpawty Update

Resistance is futile: @NewttheCat at #SCIFIpawty

The Anipal Times can now reveal that fears for the safety of the judges for the Best Cat Costume at @BorisKitty’s #SCIFIpawty have proved to be unfounded. Pals may recall that when no announcement was made regarding the winner it was feared that the judges may perhaps have been assimilated by Newtcutus of Borg, previously known as @NewttheCat. However, the judges have now been located and the winner has been declared to be… Newtcutus of Borg! Reports that the whole matter has been referred to the Sekurity Division of the United Federation of Planets for investigation cannot at present be confirmed.

Upcoming Events

Remember to check out the #Pawties and Events calendar for more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #Purrs4Peace, #PetChat, #caykclub. #BlogPawsChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #FBjam, and monthly #HopePawty and #SeniorPetsRock. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too!

#NipClub Monthly: Trip To Camelot

Around the Table: #NipClub goes to Camelot!

This month’s #NipClub weekend will be held from 2 p.m. on Saturday, 13 April to 2 p.m. on Sunday, 14 April at King Arthur’s Court at Camelot! The transporter is ready to take you right there in a heartbeat, and as always there are noms, drinks, games and quizzes. Come meet Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and Merlin, be part of history as nip is for the first time shared at the Round Table, swap magic spells with Morgan le Fay, and even try for yourself to get the Sword out of the Stone!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

I believe cats come into our lives for a reason. Why else would cats sometimes appear suddenly in someone’s life? If you go to a shelter and you have an instant strong bond with one of the cats, is it a sign? I believe they are trying to teach us something and show us a glimpse of their world and how they see things in return for food and a loving place to stay.

Without Cats

I would miss Suki’s seriousness.

I haven’t been without my cats in a long time, but if I think about it, what will I be missing? In all honesty, I would miss doing things for them. Giving them food, their routine that keeps my routine up and going too. I think I would even miss cleaning their litter boxes. I would miss their late night crazy-times, as it always makes me laugh. I would end up being an even messier person, as they make me keep my place clean and tidy. If I keep stuff on the dinner table, it will be all over the floor within an hour.

Because of my cats, I have never been late for work. I remember when I had internship away from home and the kitties. I overslept several times simply because I didn’t have my cat Hiro who would always wake me up every morning between 5 and 6 a.m. Even though I always set my alarm clock every evening for work, Hiro always manages to wake me up by being very annoying–so I won’t be late.

Sensing Danger

Animals are known to sense danger and feel natural disasters coming. It wouldn’t be the first time you hear about cats or other animals saving their owners from a gas leak or a fire. Scientists aren’t quite sure how animals or cats know this but there are several theories.

According to scientist Konrad Lorenz ,cats see the surface covered with an energy net made by geomagnetic fields coming from the ground. It’s like a net, and this net grows thinner before an earthquake, because the earth’s crust is ‘tensed’ or ‘overloaded’. Maybe that’s how they can sense dangers and manage to save us.

Unconditional Love

Cats know unconditional love and they teach us about that. They won’t judge us while we pour our hearts out to them, or while we are sobbing on the couch with a bucket of ice cream. Cats know when you’re sad, when you need a hug, they know when to be by your side or to cheer you up. They help us open our hearts, save our lives and drag us through the hard times. Cats teach us to live from day to day, to take it easy and especially not to stress!

When I was younger, reaching puberty, I didn’t really have anyone to talk to. I didn’t have a strong bond with my sister and my parents didn’t seem the right people to talk to. When I had one of those big tantrums again, I would lock myself up with Rosie, one of the cats. She would just purr and listen. Her company and her listening to me was all I needed.

Boogy

My father had a friend who went on a big journey and because of that he couldn’t keep his cat. He gave the cat to my father who promised to take good care of him. His name was Boogy, and he would scare the life out of my sister and my mother sometimes. He would always sleep in my dolls’ bed, and my mother had a hard time keeping him out of my room when I was a baby. I could do anything with him! From putting on doll’s clothes and dragging him around like a baby. He never growled or hissed! Sadly he passed away many, many years ago when I was away for a few days. It’s like he did it on purpose. I know I wouldn’t have been able to handle it being there at that time.

What They Taught Me

Hiro

Suki and Hiro are my everything. I wouldn’t know what to do without them. Hiro is the biggest clown in this house–always managing to cheer me up when I am sad, in the funniest ways. Suki on the other hand comes to you when she wants to. She taught us that love doesn’t come or happen instantly, and that it takes time to fully trust each other. Both Suki and Hiro taught me to take things easy and look out after myself. I know that when I am stressed, Hiro and Suki will feel it too. It’s like holding a mirror in front of me. They will behave differently and Hiro won’t feel like himself.

Whatever I do has an effect on my cats. But what they do, has an effect on me too. I have grown in a much neater, more patient and less chaotic person. Because of them I now know where my passion lies and what I want to do in the future. I am happy I let them into my life, thankful for what they have taught me as they guide me further into my life.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). The #Pawties and Events page is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Cheerleading at #NipClub: @Doggymolly

This week’s #NipClub revealed a cultural divide when one transatlantic DJ had to reorganize her playlist on discovering shortly before the start of her set that March Madness in the USA is sports-related and not a reference to the behavior of hares in spring, and downtown can mean being within 3-point range rather than a reference to #NipClub‘s location. It had been hoped that rivalry could be kept down to a manageable level, with nothing more dramatic than pals chanting slogans for their favorite teams and DJs playing their theme songs but then DJ @CathyKeisha arrived, clutching a brand new basketball given to her by her Pop. Inevitably, the cry went up: “Let’s shoot some hoops!” and in less time than it takes to mix a barkarita teams had formed and all-out war had broken out.

Slam dunk! @IamRustyCat scores for #NipClub Longhorns

The first problem was what to call the teams. As players argued over whether to be Gators, Jaguars, Eagles, Panthers or whatever, it was plain to see that no two names were going to be enough, so in the hope of keeping hostilities to a minimum it was decided that each player should have their own team name of choice. This also had the advantage of making it less noticeable that players seemed to have no concept of loyalty to their team-mates, shooting at whichever basket looked less well defended at the time and amassing points according to their score at either end. As Sekurity staff were joining in the game and no one was apparently brave enough to referee, it did not seem advisable to draw attention to this. With individual scores claimed to be in triple figures and the game apparently heading for overtime the crowd was on its paws and roaring encouragement as @IamRustyCat scored a magnificent slam dunk, only for @CathyKeisha to dribble towards the basket, swerving around a number of defenders, and rise into the air to hit the net with a spectacular shot. Her claim that it was within .5 seconds of the end of the game was initially disputed on the grounds that no one had noticed what time the game began, but as the ball had by then been thrown into the makeshift stand for a shutdown it was agreed that the game was over and the timing stood. It had been decided that the winners would buy the drinks, so with all involved claiming victory the barktenders were rushed off their paws taking orders. At the time of writing there have been no reports of any of the #NipClub players being drafted, but it is understood that @CathyKeisha is considering an offer to make a training video. Members of the Sekurity Team are believed to be still looking for the ball.

Upcoming Events

Remember to see the #Pawties and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #caykclub. #BlogPawsChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, #FBjam, monthly #HopePawty and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, roaring, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make (or, if you’re a bunny, you might like to hop), to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#FrodoPawty

Frodo the Doxie: your host at #FrodoPawty

On Wednesday 3 April there will be a celebration of senior pets to raise funds for urgently needed dental work for Frodo, the 10-year-old doxie considered unadoptable because of his senior status who was recently rescued to join the family of @flacatlady. Shelters are full of senior dogs that are discarded. Most of them just need some TLC and a warm bed. Frodo is hearing-impaired but very affectionate, and is gaining in confidence and energy every day. Please come along to enjoy the music, noms, drinks and fun, share awareness of the joys of seniors and trade tips on things to help our senior animal friends!

#RainbowParade

Pink cocktail: #EasterParade

On Saturday 6 April there will be a #RainbowParade from 3-10 p.m. EDT to have some fun, learn about bunnies and help support Rainbow Rabbits Retirement Home. There will be music from their bunderful DJs and lovely buntenders to serve you drinks and noms. They will also have door staff to help anipals and hoomins who have not been to a Twitter pawty before, a quiz with pawsome prizes and a competition or two. Your host is @bilbo_the_bunny, and you’re guaranteed to have a bunderful time!

#FBjam Meets Hope Pawty!

Waiting for #FBjam: @Skeeterthetabby

On Sunday 7 April from 6-9 p.m. EDT there will be a special edition of #FBjam, when @Feral_Beast will dedicate their popular weekly gig to promoting @NewttheCat’s #HopePawty for liver-shunt cats. Liver shunt in cats is often assumed to mean a severely restricted life for kitties, and Newt’s mission is to spread the news as widely as he can that with proper management this need not be so. Both @Feral_Beast and @NewttheCat are well-known for the excellent entertainment they provide, so come along on Sunday and join in the fun!

#NipClub Monthly: Trip To Camelot

Around the Table: #NipClub goes to Camelot!

This month’s #NipClub weekend will be held from 2 p.m. on Saturday 13 April to 2 p.m. on Sunday 14 April at King Arthur’s Court at Camelot! The transporter is ready to take you right there in a heartbeat, and as always there are noms, drinks, games and quizzes. Come meet Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and Merlin, be part of history as nip is for the first time shared at the Round Table, swap magic spells with Morgan le Fay, and even try for yourself to get the Sword out of the Stone!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Happy Birthday, @IamRustyCat: #NipClub

Thursday was the monthly Birthday/Gotcha Day at #NipClub, with a joint celebration for all the members celebrating either of those occasions during March. As these included club owner @kingtuttifruiti and his human, @flacatlady, a special shipment of @TinyPearlCat’s much-sought-after primo nip had been arranged, and the speed of its disappearance suggested that it was indeed of the highest quality. The celebrating doggies, including @PepperPom, were not left out, however, with extra supplies of bacon arranged to keep them happy.

Birthday Girl: @PepperPom at #NipClub

As the evening wore on it was noticed that there was something different about the voices mingling with the celebration music—for once it was almost exclusively barking, with very few meows being heard. Investigation showed this was directly related to the primo nip. Many newer #NipClub members had not sampled nip of quite such strength before, and a number were unprepared for its effect. Every available area of floor space, including the dance floor, the kitchen and @kingtuttifruiti’s office, was occupied by sleeping kitties. It did not take doggies long to realize that for the moment #NipClub was largely theirs. Chanting “Who Let The Dogs Out? Who? Aroooo!” they headed for the kitchen and the DJ booth. Apart from a few aspiring rock stars yowling along to several different artists’ versions of the Rufus Thomas classic “Walkin’ The Dog,” little could be heard except for sizzling bacon and the sounds of doggies nomming. By the time the kitties started to wake up, all traces of the unexpected bacon-fest had been licked clean, and apart from a few extra Snoop Dogg tracks which could be heard three blocks away, life at #NipClub had returned to normal. An inquiry next day into the bacon-less state of the #NipClub fridge concluded that no action could be taken as the evidence had all been eaten. Bacon supplies are expected to be restored in time for next week’s #NipClub.

#wlfhop

Ready for #wlfhop: Rydell High

Rydell High School was bursting at the seams on Friday as pals flocked through the doors to join the #wlfhop. The dance competition had been eagerly looked forward to for weeks, and rumors were rife that some competitors had gone to great lengths to spy on their rivals’ routines in rehearsal. It was clear right from the start that a great deal of hard work had gone into practicing new steps. Fears that @CatizenSmith’s recent surgery might have affected his dancing were quickly dispelled as he launched enthusiastically into a new move immediately named the Wolfie Hop in his honor. There was no rest for Danny and the Juniors as dancers rocked and rolled it, stepped and strolled it at the hop, until anipal band, the Crickets, brought along lead singer Buddy Holly to give the exhausted Juniors a break. Sekurity was tight, with Murphy Shaw (@ilovejambutties) refusing all offers of alcohol and drinking only apple juice as he kept his eyes firmly on the CCTV footage from the many cameras around the school. The Cats’ Chorus was a great success, with the audience greeting every yowl with loud applause. A new feature was introduced into the dance contest as instead of the traditional tap on the shoulder, couples were eliminated by being arrested and removed to Twitmo. It happened so many times that DJ @Doggymolly played “Jailhouse Rock” especially for them.

At the #wlfhop: a bowl of nipcorn

Then, disaster struck. Upon noticing that the bar was unattended for no more than a moment, @Mikey_W_Cat and @ShaynaCat both volunteered to fill the vacancy and agreed to share the duties until the scheduled barktender could return. Sadly, after initially refusing customer offers to buy them a drink, both decided it was clearly part of the job to ensure the drinks on offer were of suitably high quality by sampling them all. The situation deteriorated even further when @Skye613 led the way down to the cellar to quality check the bottles there. Meanwhile, back at the dance competition, the air of excitement was growing ever more intense. Those individuals and couples still in the competition (and still out of Twitmo) danced till their paws were aching, but still there was no news of a result. Finally, with the tension ratcheted up to breaking point, the result was announced—the judges had been unable to agree on just one winner and had decided by a whisker to award the prize jointly to @MrTibbsatAP and Betsy Blue Eyes (@TigLaMig). The audience greeted the announcement with delight, and toasts were drunk in honor of the popular winners. The event trended at #1, and despite the arrival of a number of gatecrashers, promptly evicted by Sekurity for not wearing socks (or, indeed, much else), everyone agreed that #wlfhop had been a major triumph.

#SCIFIpawty

To boldly cook: @RufusRabbit and @ZackRabbit at #SCIFIpawty

On Star Date 11303.23, more usually known on Planet Earth as Saturday, anipals jetted in from all parts of the known universe including Babylon 5 and Deep Space 9 to boldly go to @BorisKitty’s #SCIFIpawty. The many kinds of unfamiliar craft arriving proved a major headache for the organizers, but Boris and his team coped catfully, arranging for all scheduled arrivals and departures from the nearest airfield to be rerouted and hiring some extra space from the local helipad. Cats and Dogs In Black were on paw to ensure that none of the aliens on the Intergalactic Banned List managed to creep in by insisting that all arriving aliens should give the password, “I come in peace for all paw-kind.” Those who failed to do so were detained and put on the first available transport to the penal colony on Pluto. @TerenceTerrier was recommended for a citation from the Federation for his heroic seven-hour journey through a storm of space debris locally described as snow. @ChazzTheDog was delayed for a different reason—having recently fallen under a leprechaun’s spell, he was unable to rid himself of his green elf suit and was therefore unable to get his space helmet on. Failing to get the costume off, he had to cram the helmet on as best he could, earning himself the title Elf In Space. It is believed that the next edition of Style and Fashion Universe is planning a feature on his outfit. In a TV first, celebrity chef @ZackRabbit and his brother @RufusRabbit were hosting a special edition of their popular #cookinwifrabbits show directly from space when their Starship Bunnyprise answered a distress call from the Planet Gingerbread. Finding the inhabitants were being nommed by worms, Captain Zachary quickly deployed the bovine lasers and drowned the worms in milk.

Resistance is futile: @NewttheCat at #SCIFIpawty

#SCIFIpawty quickly hit Top Trend, prompting an attempted invasion by aliens described by one indignant Sekurity officer as enough to daunt the Men In Black. Cats and Dogs In Black are made of sterner stuff, however, and with phasers were set to stun they soon routed all the semi-naked aliens. Another type of Sekurity issue arose when @TheHobbitMovie, with a sponsored tweet staying stubbornly at the top of the #SCIFI pawty timeline, was challenged by @Flicka47 and @DashKitten and invited to make a contribution to the #SCIFIpawty charity. It is believed that Middle Earth communications may be offline, however, as up to the time of writing no reply has been received. Having recently become a member of the Borg Collective, the anipal formerly known as @NewtheCat but now renamed as Newtcutus of Borg proceeded to assimilate as many pals as possible in his quest for the Best Costume title. He certainly assimilated many votes, but when the pawty ended the result of the competition had not yet been announced, prompting fears that Newtcutus may have accidentally assimilated the judges, too. If they can be retrieved, it is hoped that the result will be available in a few days’ time.

Upcoming Events

Remember to see the #Pawties and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #caykclub. #BlogPawsChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, #FBjam, monthly #HopePawty and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, roaring, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make (or, if you’re a bunny, you might like to hop), to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#caykclub

Welcoming drink: #caykclub

There’s a new regular addition to the Anipal Events Calendar—#caykclub, hosted by @mogsbear, is held every Tuesday from 8 p.m. UK (that’s 4 p.m. EDT this week, and 3 p.m. EDT from next week) till late. You can share good food & good company. All furries, stuffies & their humans are welcome to share great noms & make new friends around the world!

#BlogPawsChat

Community square: #BlogPawsChat

From this week until 30 May, #BlogPawsChat will be held each Tuesday from 6-10 p.m. EDT, except for 16 April. Come along and meet your friends to chat and share your views, and enjoy the build-up to the next big @BlogPaws Conference!

#EasterParade

Pink cocktail: #EasterParade

On Saturday 6 April there will be an #EasterParade from 3-10 p.m. EDT to have some fun, learn about bunnies and help support Rainbow Rabbits Retirement Home. There will be music from their bunderful DJs and lovely buntenders to serve you drinks and noms. They will also have door staff to help anipals and hoomins who have not been to a Twitter pawty before, a quiz with pawsome prizes and a competition or two. Your host is @bilbo_the_bunny, and you’re guaranteed to have a bunderful time!

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If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Wanted at #NipClub: the Leprechaun Gang

Promises of untold wealth flowed faster even than the green beer as a gang of leprechauns invaded #NipClub on Thursday in honor of St Patrick’s Day. And for one night only the Wiggle was replaced by the Riverdance high-step as the patrons’ dance step of choice, a crowd of little people (some of them looking suspiciously like @3phibotticelli, @germanshorthair, @Doggymolly and @Skye613) dressed in green and carrying what appeared to be large crocks of gold, succeeded in talking their way past Sekurity and gaining entrance to the club. Although they initially charmed customers by claiming that because nip is green it must have come originally from Ireland and was probably introduced to these shores by St. Patrick himself, it was soon noticed that they were not making good on their promises to share their gold and had in fact run up a considerable bar bill.

Guarding the faerie gold: @Frankencat at #NipClub

Instructions were quickly passed around that the thing to do was trap one in a corner and look straight into his eyes until he had to obey the Leprechaun Law and surrender the gold. Unfortunately as this trick has been in use for centuries the leprechauns have developed great skill in distracting their would-be captors and vanishing the moment eye-contact is broken. Resourceful club manager @kingtuttifruiti found a way around their defenses, however, by luring one into the #NipClub storeroom with promises of sharing his famous nip cigars. Under the influence of a couple of the said cigars the creature proved no match for @kingtuttifruiti’s unblinking stare and had to leave his crock of gold in Tutti’s paws. With the gold (which has since been tested and found to be full 24-carat) safely under lock and key and heavily guarded by sekurity, the leprechauns were escorted from the building and the celebrations continued unabated until dawn.

#Newt5

Freedom of DC: #Newt5

Despite a vet’s gloomy prognosis when he was just 11 weeks old, @NewttheCat celebrated his fifth birthday in style on Sunday, with a pawty at Newtopia. There was a delightful surprise in store for anyone who thought that sharing his special low-protein diet in celebration of his fifth  birthday might be less than a joyful pawty experience—the noms proved to be delicious and convincing evidence that livershunt cats really can enjoy a healthy and a happy lifestyle. For some pals #Newt5 was their first chance to see Newt’s magnificent Texan-style dance hall, which is believed to have one of the best sprung floors in the country as well as a top-of-the-range sound system and excellent acoustics, and which provided an excellent excuse for pals to dance the Texas Two-Step.

Dance-hall at Newtopia: #Newt5

In addition to the entertainment on the premises, Newt had thoughtfully provided all guests with a special #Newt5 MultiPass, entitling the bearer to free admittance and pre-paid fare for all Washington, D.C. area attractions and transportation, including metro fare, taxi, bus, Segway, trolley and/or limo service, plus admittance into any attractions and events within a three-hour radius, including: museums, monuments, art galleries, festivals, casinos, racetracks, ski slopes, sporting events, beaches, spa resorts, music, arts and cultural venues, historical sites and more! Not surprisingly, there was a long line of pals checking with the #Newt5 concierge to plan their outings, and it’s rumored that a number of attractions had to bring in extra staff to cope with the unexpected influx of eager, excited visitors. After the expeditions pals returned to make sure that no leftover noms were wasted, and toasted @NewttheCat as an excellent ambassador for livershunt cats everywhere and for the hope that they can have as great a life as he has.

Upcoming Events

Remember to see the #Pawties and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, #FBjam, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, monthly #HopePawty and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, roaring, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make (or, if you’re a bunny, you might like to hop), to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#WLFsockhop

At the hop: #wlfsockhop

On Friday, 22 March 2013 the #WLF will be holding a Sock Hop from 3-10 p.m. EDT (7 p.m.-2 a.m. UK) at Rydell High School Gym, with pawesome noms and lots of dancing! Travel back to the 1950s; the time of Teddy Boys, Bobby Socks, Poodle Skirts, Rock and Roll and Elvis “The Pelvis” Presley. We welcome you to Rydell High School where you can hop ’til you drop and Twist the night away. There will be prizes and a dance competition. RSVP here.

To boldly go…: @BorisKitty heads for #SCIFIPawty

#SCIFIPawty

From 11 a.m.-10 p.m. EDT on Saturday, 23 Mar 2013 (stardate 11303.23) you’re warmly invited to @BorisKitty’s Fourth Annual ScifiPawty—this is always a fun event, so come in costume and be an alien, a space explorer or whatever other sci-fi character you’d like to be! There’ll be prizes, trivia and lots more for you to enjoy. The event is held in honor of foster monsters Tippy & Drizzle, and donations will go to One To One Cat Rescue.

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

Little pup McKorkle

Every year around Valentine’s Day the Kid and I watch the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. We love seeing all of the different types of sweet and cute doggies. I especially love watching the dogs that are clearly having fun, wagging their tails and jumping up and down as if saying to their handler, “Can we do that again? Can we, can we?”

We of course watch for the Border Collie and the Aussie Shepherd–our Lucy’s two breeds. We’ll jokingly say, “Hey Lucy, here come your cousins!” However, I must be careful of just how much I gush over any one dog–Miss Lucy has a bit of a jealous streak. She has given me quite the doggie scolding for being… ahem,”unfaithful” to her and it’s always the beagles that get me busted.

One year, we were gathered together to watch the competition, with Lucy sitting down in front. After watching many dogs pass by our television screen, I acted like an excited kid when I saw the two beagles enter the arena. The small 13” comes first, then the 15” follows. Well, I guess I said “adorable!” and “so cute!” one too many times for Lucy and she started barking at me and did not stop until I said “sweet”, “smart” and “beautiful” to her about one-hundred times each!

The following year Uno, the most adorable beagle ever, won “Best in Show” and you guessed it–busted! Lucy let me have it! My ears rang for days from the barking I got.

As much as I love floppy-ear pooches I have only been the “parent” of two sweet pups. When I was finally able to adopt my first cat as a child, I felt very lucky just to have her, I wasn’t about to mention the word dog.

Years later after I had started working at a veterinarian’s office, the animal shelter next door rescued a little pup that required medical care. One of the shelter’s volunteers walked over with a tiny, filthy, horribly muddy, scratched-up dog. He was a mess. The little thing was barely bigger than a big man’s hand, only weighed a few pounds, had dog scratches across his face and body and worst of all, one of his eyes had been badly scratched and he was at risk of losing his eye. Yet, while in his muddy, beaten, painful state, he was wagging his tail and had a happy face like he wanted to play. I couldn’t help but love him at first sight. We all did. Through his pain and injuries he was still the happiest little puppy I had ever met! That was the day I found my first doggie baby.

Not really expecting any sight to return to the injured eye, the veterinarian sewed the pup’s eyelids shut to allow the eye laceration to heal. The other injuries were very minor, only a few stitches were required on his face. After cleaning, stitching, patching and a bit of playing right in the surgery room we determined the three pound tan pooch was a pug/chihuahua mix. Two very thorough baths later, we uncovered a beautifully colored golden tan coat.

The pup and I were inseparable while he was recovering in our hospital, I held him in my arms every day for hours and let him sleep on my lap while I performed my desk work. About a week or so later I was warned by the shelter volunteer that with the pup’s sad story, he would more than likely get adopted on the first day he would be available for adoption. That was all I needed to hear, no one was getting MY baby! I officially adopted him that very day.

Did I mention there was a teeny snag? I wouldn’t be moving into my own house for four more months, I was living with my mother at the time. Hmmm… “Hey mom! I would like you to meet your grand-puppy, McKorkle!”

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Skeleton Sekurity at #NipClub: @brutusthedane

Thursday’s #NipClub was dedicated to the memory of Sekurity Captain @brutusthedane, with everyone still reeling from the shock of his recent unexpected journey to the Rainbow Bridge. It was far from being a somber occasion, though, as even through tears there were plenty of happy and hilarious memories to share. There were giggles as pals recalled Brutus dressed for Halloween in a glow-in-the-dark skeleton costume which would have terrified a zombie, and the sight of him dressed in a magician’s robe as he briefly joined the teaching staff at Dogwarts. Pictures were produced to prove to newcomers who hadn’t seen it for themselves that the enormous Great Dane really did dress up as the 3″-high @GeorgeTheDuck, and pals watched in delight as a video replay was shown of Bru’s celebrated appearance on hit TV show Who Let The Dogs Out?

On parade: #NipClub Sekurity salutes @brutusthedane

For fans of the Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC), though, Brutus will always be remembered as the rock band’s bass-man, whose driving riffs and dry humor gave him a towering stage presence to match his giant stature, and lots of stories were recounted of the band’s exploits and Bru’s banter with the audience, which always had fans screaming with delight. The club fell uncharacteristically silent and tears fell again as an Honor Guard of Brutus’s Sekurity Officers assembled to salute their Captain, then there was a storm of cheering as it was announced that in tribute to Brutus #NipClub has chosen his special charity, Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue (@RMGDRI), to feature during April. Bru’s Mom had asked that friends should raise a glass to Brutus, and pals were delighted to do so, toasting the announcement, and Brutus himself, in the most suitable way possible—with considerable quantities of Hank’s Bacon Beer.

#NipClub Ancient Egypt

King of #NipClub: Tuttikhamen, aka @kingtuttifruiti

#NipClub’s weekend trip to Ancient Egypt began on Saturday and started well, with pals eagerly sampling Pharaoh Cake washed down with Egyptian lager as they adjusted to their unaccustomed robes and exchanged useful tips on how to protect their clothes from camel spit. Under the expert guidance of @RealFakeGator, many joined the expedition to search for King Tut’s Tomb. Touring the inside of a pyramid was a very educational experience, especially the encounters with the chamber full of pal-eating scarab beetles, the walking mummy and the large pile of Ancient Egyptian skulls. In spite of all the dangers, however, King Tut’s Tomb was eventually located, and as pals looked on in wonder the huge sarcophagus began to creak and slowly opened… to reveal @kingtuttifruiti, who had decided this was the perfect place to open an ancient Egyptian branch of #NipClub!

Caught on camera: attempted heist at #NipClub

Sunday, however, was engulfed in scandal when the Pharaoh Guitar competition to see who could play the greatest air guitar in ancient Egypt got completely out of paw. Inspired by Elvis singing Little Egypt, @JessieJaney stripped down to a button and a bow as worn by the dancer in the song, and played to a delighted audience. With the Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC) judging the competition from their yacht via a video link there was little doubt of who would win, even in the face of strong competition from @Whatdoingdugal and @kittehboi. Worse was to follow when Sekurity Officer @OllyTed had to foil an attempted heist on the priceless treasures hidden in the pyramid—gold, jewels and the weekend’s nip supply. Suspicion fell first on @HenrytheCat2002 and then on @NewttheCat, but in the absence of any evidence (the empty nip packet found at the scene had been wiped clean of pawprints), they were released without charge. At this point your reporter was unfortunately unable to investigate further, being seized by the Pyramid Guards and (despite biting, scratching and yowling loudly about freedom of the press and the First Amendment) unceremoniously carted off to Twitmo.

Upcoming Events

Remember to see the #Pawties and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, #FBjam, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciousCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, roaring, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make (or, if you’re a bunny, you might like to hop), to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#HopePawty

@Newtthecat plays accordian: #HopePawty

At 7-9 p.m. Eastern time on 19 March @NewttheCat is holding a Dance Pawty in the Newtopia Basement, where hope for liver shunt cats sparkles like crown jewels! Dress in your jewels for #TiaraTuesday, dance to the music of top DJs, and enjoy Newt’s special buffet of lower-protein noms suitable for liver shunt cats. He might even be persuaded to play his accordian for you, too…

#WLFsockhop

Resting up for #WLFsockhop: @CatizenSmith

On Friday, 22 March the #WLF will be holding a Sock Hop, with pawesome noms and lots of dancing! At the time of writing twtvite.com, which has more details, is offline, but there’ll be much more information on this fun event next week.

#SCIFIPawty

To boldly go…: @BorisKitty heads for #SCIFIPawty

From 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, 23 March you’re warmly invited to @BorisKitty’s fourth annual ScifiPawty. This is always a fun event, so come in costume and be an alien, a space explorer or whatever other sci-fi character you’d like to be! There’ll be prizes, trivia and lots more for you to enjoy. The event is held in honor of foster monsters Tippy & Drizzle, and donations will go to One To One Cat Rescue.

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

“Nip – STAT!!”: @Bea_Bells at #NipClub

Casual visitors could have been forgiven for imagining they’d wandered into a giant TV studio this week as characters from every kind of TV cast from M*A*S*H to music show presenters turned up on Thursday night at #NipClub. Space adventure shows were very well-represented, with @Quadpawd arriving though the Stargate,  @BorisKitty flying for the Federation and @Dylcat1 Hunt rekindling the light of civilization as the Captain of Andromeda, while @Pumpkinpuddy took up a new barktender’s job on Deep Space 9 (and rumor has it Quark is seriously impressed with Pumpkin’s lobes for business!). One of the big successes of the evening was Nurse Hotlips Bells-ihan, played by @Bea_Bells, who won much praise for  coping heroically with @kingtuttifruiti’s imperious demands for “Nip—STAT!!” without yielding to the urge to stick the demanding surgeon with a shot of sedative. The incorrigible @Eddiebabycat was in trouble again, this time for tagging along with his long-suffering human to a lecture and hijacking her phone in the middle of it to make a trip to #NipClub, and two anipals turned up at once when @TiggyBean rode in on a fine chestnut horse direct from Gunsmoke.

Riding the slipstream: @Dylcat1 at #NipClub

What began as a playful argument about which which show or genre was the most popular quickly turned more serious, with a number of pals insisting that their favorite deserved a theme night of its own. Peace was temporarily restored by an executive decision that any show could be chosen as a theme night, though the vote to decide which one should have the honor first did not work quite as planned. There is no clear proof that the victory won by medical dramas had anything to do with the allegations of voting irregularities which began to circulate soon after the decision was announced, but the disappearance of a large quantity of nip from the club storeroom and the blissed-out state of some of the electorate did little to allay suspicions that inducements had been used. It is understood that the winning theme night, Playing Doctors, will now be held over until 4 April to allow enough time for the Election Commissioners to complete their investigations into the incident.

Upcoming Events

Remember to see the #Pawties and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, #FBjam, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, roaring, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make (or, if you’re a bunny, you might like to hop), to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#NipClub Monthly – Ancient Egypt

Egyptian Pharaoh: @Biskythecat at #NipClub

This month’s #NipClub weekend trip is very special—it’s going to take you on an exploration of the pyramids, where it’s believed to contain a lot of buried treasure, introduce you to some famous kings and queens and pharaohs, and see if anyone can get the Sphynx to talk (hint: she has a strong resemblance to a certain Chatty Catty, so it may not be too difficult!). Just turn up at #NipClub any time between 2 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, 9 March and 2 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, 10 March, and you’ll be transported there.

#HopePawty

@NewttheCat plays accordian: #HopePawty

At 7-9 p.m. Eastern Time on 19 March @NewttheCat is holding a Dance Pawty in the Newtopia Basement, where hope for liver shunt cats sparkles like crown jewels! Dress in your jewels for #TiaraTuesday, dance to the music of top DJs, and enjoy Newt’s special buffet of lower-protein noms suitable for liver shunt cats. He might even be persuaded to play his accordian for you, too…

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

Brutus and Snotface at Blogpaws

I’m Heather, @Brutusthedane’s mom.

My most trusted and beloved companion—Brutus the Great Dane—died early Sunday morning, 3 March 2013, at 2:26 am. I do not know how or why. All that I know is that my heart is broken. I am devastated by his death.

What happened is mostly a mystery. My husband awoke to hear Bru whining. Thinking he needed to go outside, he got up to let him out. He found him just outside our bedroom and within moments Bru passed away right before his eyes. I was awakened to this terrible news.

At six years old, Brutus was a senior by Great Dane standards but had been in relatively good health with the exception of an ACL tear discovered in December when he ripped out a toenail and in recent days with what appeared to be an upset stomach. I will never know if I could have done anything to prevent what, to me, was his untimely demise. Pet owners often question if there was more they could have done. I don’t know. Does anyone really?

Bru loved the snow!

What I want to remember about Brutus was his silly, infectious representation of all the qualities that lead Great Danes to be called gentle giants. His goofy demeanor, his love of toys, his 156 lbs. of adorableness will never be forgotten by me, our family and friends and the hundreds of people he met as he represented the Great Dane breed so majestically in person or the tens of thousands via social media.

We adopted Brutus from Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue (@RMGDRI) when he was just a year and a half old. His grand stature and strong lean, his love of nearly anything and anyone only added to his charm from the moment he came to live at our house. I fell in love with the rescue who had brought me this beautiful brindle boy so I began to volunteer—at the booth at the Wasatch Front Farmers Market, at fundraising events. Bru eventually came along too and proved to be the most agile in new and sometimes chaotic situations. He stood at the door of our wine tasting fundraisers at Kiler Grove Winegrowers and greeted each and every guest. Children and adults would fawn over him every weekend at the farmers markets. He was a sight to behold—156 pounds of pure love and happiness in a gorgeous tiger-striped package.

Brutus the Dane

They say that with greatness comes great responsibility and Brutus rose to the challenge. He represented his breed, @RMGDRI and @AnipalTimes on numerous occasions. He raised money for countless animal-related non-profit organizations by his involvement in social media-based endeavors as a bass player for Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC), the founder of #Dudefest, the captain of sekurity forces on Twitter and his general support of those large and small, fuzzy and feathered, loved or lost.

Of course I will never forget Brutus no matter how many others come and go in my lifetime. The joy he brought me every one of the 1,581 days I was proud to call him “mine” was immense. I only wish I could have at least another 1,581 days to enjoy with him. He left giant paw prints on my heart and I am better for knowing him. The gifts he gave me were countless and I hope that his life was the best it could have been.

Brutus on Who Let The Dogs Out TV show

To the hundreds of people, anipals, friends and strangers who have shared memories, well-wishes and sorrow, I thank you. Brutus deserves every bit of the love bestowed upon him. It is because of him that I have become a better person and met so many wonderful furiends along the way.

As Brutus would say, rock on and keep tootin’! Please raise a glass to Brutus the Dane.

Love & leans,

Bru’s mom

Bowls come in all sizes and forms, in every color and in almost every material–from plastic to ceramic. There are so many choices and it’s so easy to pick based simply on how cute it looks. This post is to help you with your search for the right bowl.

The Wrong Bowls

My first plastic bowl. It was not convenient for the cats.

Many cats have an allergy to plastic bowls. The allergy can result in feline acne. Not only can plastic cause an allergic reaction but it scratches easily, and those scratches and dents are a great place for bacteria to breed in. Cats are hygienic animals and plastic is everything but that!

A bowl needs to be big enough to have a big meal-sized portion of cat food in it. Bowls that aren’t sturdy and tip over easily aren’t ideal either. Cats also don’t like bowls that are really deep or have high edges or are very small. They don’t like their whiskers to touch the sides of the bowl and cats like to keep an eye out on their surroundings while they are eating.

The Right Bowls

A stone bowl I use for dry food.

Bowls that are made from glass, ceramic or stainless steel are perfect for our kitties! Stainless steel is dishwasher safe and the heavier ones that are made from glass or stone will not tip over.

More bowls that your cat will appreciate are the bigger and wider so their whiskers won’t touch the sides. You can use ceramic plates when you’re giving them wet food and bowls from the same or other material if you give your cats dry food. Plates aren’t practical if you’re giving your cat dry food because the food will easily slide off the plate.

Hygiene

Just like us humans, cats don’t like to eat from a dirty plate or bowl. It’s a good idea to clean them daily, perhaps with the rest of your dishes. Keep in mind that if you feed your cat several times a day, you need to have more than one bowl.

If your cat is a messy eater, and you like to keep the floor clean, you can use mats. They are easy to clean and they might help keep the bowl in place.

Tips

• Do you have a cat that eats too fast?
  If you have a big bowl, you can put a (not too big) rock in it. This way your cat has to eat around the rock and will slow down.
• If your cat has arthritis or it’s painful for him/her to lean down to eat, you can place the bowl or plate on a thick book.
• Don’t place the food or the water bowl next to the litterbox.
• Some cats don’t like their water bowl next to their food bowl.
• Is your cat lazy and a little bit overweight? If you live in a house with several floors, place the water and food bowls on different levels of the house. This way your cat has to walk to eat or drink.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#GeorgePawty

Dressed in style: @GeorgeTheDuck arrives at #GeorgePawty

With three sick kitties to take care of, @GeorgeTheDuck’s Typist had simply not had time to take care of advertising her jewelry business, so pals grateful for George’s long-term involvement in fundraising, and especially all the hard work that he put into setting up and managing #NipClub Monthly pawties, decided it was time for a little help from George’s many friends. Any fears by the organizers that there hadn’t been sufficient time to get the word out quickly disappeared, with so many pals eager to show their love for the three-inch catnip duck with a massive pawsonality that they started tweeting about it several hours before the pawty was officially due to start, and by the time the guest of honor arrived expecting to kick things off, it was already trending#1!

Drink of the day: Emerald Niptinis at #GeorgePawty

It didn’t take long before George disappeared, consigned to Twitmo. Despite a determined campaign from @sanjeethecat and @GreeTheCat, who pointedly played Lynyrd Skynard’s Free Bird in his honor, George remained firmly incarcerated, so it was left to pals to enjoy his pawty on his behalf. This they did, with so much gusto that a number quickly found themselves in Twitmo cells adjoining his. There was a rare moment of quiet as pals sent purrayers and good wishes to @CatizenSmith, who had just undergone major surgery, then pawtying broke out again, with Bachman Turner Overdrive singing You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet as @IamRustyCat taught @DylCat1 how to bounce. There was no question that the night was a terrific success with pals delighted by the opportunity to honor George, and Gree and Sanjee eventually wishing efurryone goodnight on behalf of Twitter’s best-loved jail-duck.

#NipClub

Lady in Red: @MeisRoxyThePug celebrates her birthday at #NipClub

It looked like a scene from Cool Runnings as pals celebrating February birthdays and Gotcha Days flocked around the bar discussing how to make a sled go faster, but it turned out just to be a case of discussing strategy and tactics ahead of Saturday’s #GWSR. #NipClub, it appears, has become the racers’ bar of choice. Expert barktender @MeisRoxyThePug wore a beautiful off-the-shoulder red evening gown in celebration of her birthday, looking, pals admiringly observed, like a movie star at a pre-Oscars pawty. The occasion was a particularly special one for #NipClub boss @kingtuttifruiti’s family, as his Doxie fursibs @SnoopDoggDoxie and GG were respectively celebrating their birthday and Gotcha Day.

Too-whoo good to eat: Owl Cake at #NipClub

That didn’t stop sibling rivalry from coming to the fore, as GG made clear her disapproval of the fact that Snoop has a Twitter account and she so far does not by grabbing the log-in details and tweeting from it herself. This caused Snoop some embarrassment, as he clearly felt it was not an appropriate way for a Sekurity Officer to be treated, but in honor of the occasion he proved himself a true gentlecat by refraining from thwocking his assertive sister. #NipClub kitchen staff, led by expert chef @TinyPearlCat, produced an especially pawesome range of cakes for the occasion, and a number of pals were seen Googling the important question of whether there are calories in #NipClub food. Google obligingly turned up a tweet which answered the question in the way that they were hoping for—there aren’t, and relieved pals immediately set about doing their best to ensure that by the time the bar closed there was not one cake-crumb left behind.

#GWSR

Abominable Snowpal: Yeti arrives at #GWSR

The Great Winter Sled Race (#GWSR) organized by @SkeeterTheTabby was, as expected, a tremendous success, with even the Abominable Snowman turning up to join the fun. Sadly, sportspalship was not of the highest quality, with quantities of nip being thrown around the track to distract drivers, and treats and stink bugs being tossed at rivals by @3phibotticelli. Complaints were received from some competitors that flame-throwers had been used to melt snowmen, causing lots of slush to land right on their racing line, and @LilyLuWhoT, who’d kindly volunteered to clear any avalanches that looked like making a nuisance of themselves, was kept hard at work all day. At the time of writing it’s not clear whether it was the flame-throwers or the half-smoked nip cigar disposed by @WinstonTabby in the remains of a bottle of Jack Daniels that caused a fire to break out on the track, needing the services of a firetruck to put it out.

Snowcat: @LilyLuWhoT clears avalanche at #GWSR

Reports, fortunately exaggerated, that Rudolph the Reindeer Guide had been shot led to the arrest by @kingtuttifruiti of chief suspect @Eddiebabycat, also wanted for attempting to dope a snow leopard and mooning @WinstonTabby and other anipals, and he was duly tossed into Twitmo. He was quickly joined by a shamefully large group of anipals, inevitably including @LilyLuWhoT and @3phibotticelli. @Skye613′s sled reputedly reached a speed of Mach 3, but unfortunately there was no one from the Guinness Book of Records on paw to confirm that. So many sleds hurtled across the finish line at the same moment that judges had to resort to technology to determine the winner. As pals placed side-bets on the outcome of the judges’ decision, the verdict was finally announced, with @sanjeethecat in third place, @BadTruman in second, and the trophy going to @IamRustyCat. The fact that a special expedition had to be made to Twitmo to present the second prize did nothing to dampen pals’ enthusiasm and enjoyment, and as they left a number were heard enquiring when the next race would be.

 Upcoming Pawties and Events

Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, #FBjam, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, roaring, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make (or, if you’re a bunny, you might like to hop), to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and e-mail shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or tweet to @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#MollyMiloWed

Arch of love: bridal group at #MollyMiloWed

It was only to be expected that a wedding on St. Valentine’s Day was going to be something special, and the wedding of @Doggymolly and her devoted Milo of @PunkPugs lived up to expectations. As pals gathered ahead of the ceremony in the magnificent Ice Palace purposely built by #NipClub in honor of the occasion, it was clear that tissue-sellers had been making large profits from the occasion as pals produced boxes, some of them in Molly’s favorite shade of pink, ready to pass around. There were gasps of admiration as the bride arrived in a reindeer-drawn sled before @TweetingTruman led her up the aisle ahead of her Maid of Honor @Katiepops_L and her five beautiful bridesmaids to stand with her bridegroom before the celebrant, @TommyPug.

Ring-bearer: @PalTheRottie at #MollyMiloWed

With vows and rings exchanged, @Katiepops_L and @3phibotticelli delighted pals with their singing while the newlyweds signed the register, then everyone headed for the reception. Most pals previously had never tried dancing on a floor of ice, but Molly and Milo handled it with grace and style. Sadly, the same could not be said of a few dancers with more enthusiasm than balance—and who had taken the opportunity while the wedding pictures were being taken to down a couple of bacon beers before the bar was officially open—who duly wound up in an undignified heap on the floor and had to be disentangled by Sekurity. In view of the number of the couple’s friends who wanted to wish them well in their new life together it surprised no one that by the time the bride appeared the wedding was already trending, or that it remained at #1 for some hours after the bride and groom had left. To the delight of all the guests, the sled waiting to take Milo and Molly from the reception didn’t take them far—it made a ceremonial trip around the area for the newlyweds to enjoy a romantic journey in the starlight, then took them on to the Valentine’s Day celebrations which by then were in full swing at #NipClub.

#NipClub

To love!: #NipClub Valentine’s Day toast

Love was in the air as #NipClub celebrated St.Valentine’s Day in style. Working in an Ice Palace was a new experience for a number of the staff, but as always they loyally met the challenge, some dealing with the cold by wearing extra sweaters while others relied on a glass (or three) of champagne or bacon beer to take their mind off chattering teeth and freezing fur, though all agreed that pawtying the night away amidst the majestic pillars and magnificent bar and dance floor was an experience not to be missed. Female pawty-goers resolutely refused to allow a minor consideration like sub-zero temperatures to keep them from wearing their specially designed low-cut sleeveless evening gowns, and one staff member, presented with a beautiful ruby necklace by her husband, was overheard to purr that she had her love to keep her warm.

Reunited: @toughteddybear and @LilyLuWhoT at #NipClub

Then came a surprise that had #NipClub patrons searching for a tissue to deal with leaky eyes as @LilyLuWhoT had her most special Valentine’s dream come true when her beloved @toughteddybear made his first trip from across the Rainbow Bridge to be with her on St. Valentine’s Day. Delighted pals flocked around the couple to welcome Teddy back, and there was no question that his arrival made the night a very special one for all who’ve so much missed him. Their delight was so great, in fact, that after the initial excitement they showed an unprecedented degree of tact in allowing the reunited couple to spend sometime together undisturbed. For a few moments club management believed Sekurity might actually have a quiet night—but needless to say, romance made no impact whatsoever on the overall level of mischief, which caused #NipClub‘s position as top trending topic to continue for some hours after @TinyPearlCat had considerately spread warm blankies over the last remaining hypothermic pawty-goers.

#VP2013

Hosts with the most: @whskr and @DashKitten at #VP2013

London Fashion Week paled into insignificance as @PuppyNumber7 revealed the latest designs from the much-sought-after House Of Thomas at #VP2013 on Saturday, 16 February. Pals exclaimed in delight at the sight of each other’s outfits and proudly showed off their own as guests began assembling for the showpiece Valentine’s Ball arranged by @whskr and @DashKitten to help @spookyshorty’s Mom with Spooky’s vet bills. For a lot of guests it was the first time they’d been inside the Magical Ballroom on New York’s famous 42nd Street, and they explored their palatial surroundings with delight.

Celebrity couple: @ZackRabbit and @hemmingwayscat at #VP2013

A professional photographer had set up a special tent ready to take portraits of those enjoying Valentine romance, and he was never short of work as couples lined up for their souvenir picture. Celebrity-watchers squealed in excitement as A-list TV chef @ZackRabbit arrived with DJ Angel (@hemmingwayscat), taking time out to enjoy the delicious noms prepared by the venue’s own exclusive chef, Monsieur Puppy Le Sept, while barktenders were kept busy mixing a variety of romantically named drinks. The event quickly trended #1, prompting a surge of screaming fans to try to force their way into the pawty. Sekurity was prepared for that, however, and quickly changed the entry code to #ValP2013, effectively shutting the gatecrashers out of the action. One or two pals voiced concern for the well-being of the inadequately dressed girls left outside on a cold New York night, but it was agreed that they needed to be taught a lesson, and the doors remained firmly locked against them. Prizes were presented to a number of lucky winners, and the pawty was such a success that no one wanted to go home, and thank-you notes to organizers were still being received several days after the event.

#KnMWed

Taking their vows: #KnMWedding

There couldn’t have been a more appropriate place to hold a wedding during Valentine’s week, and guests flocked eagerly to the Love Boat to watch Kye (@ChelleLouLou) and @MsMollyYoda tie the knot. @ChuckSiebert escorted the lovely bride to where her bridegroom and the Celebrant, @LovesDearJakey, were waiting. @ChuckSiebert gently placed Molly’s paw in Kye’s and the couple exchanged vows, promising to love, cherish and care for each other for eternity.

Kye and Molly!: toasts at #KnMWedding

The ceremony completed, the couple walked paw in paw along the rose-lined deck to the reception area where their guests quickly assembled to toast them. The magnificent wedding cake was cut, tasted and pronounced to be delicious—it was just as well it was a huge one, as everyone who tasted it came back for more! After the speeches came the dancing, with a number of pals performing so spectacularly that the DJ was impressed and played them Moves Like Jagger. #KnMWedding deservedly trended at #1, and when the bride and groom left for their honeymoon at an undisclosed location, a number of guests were happy to accept their invitation to stay on the Love Boat and pawty on, and Milo of @PunkPugs spoke for everyone when he wished the happy couple clear sailing on the Love Boat forever.

Upcoming Pawties and Events

Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, #FBjam, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, roaring, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#GeorgePawty

@GeorgeTheDuck’s human, Robyn, has been busy caring for two terminally ill kitties—Sanjee has mouth cancer and Mini has a heart condition. Now Gree has an ear infection and an infected tooth. Robyn has been spending some extra time with her kitties to keep them eating properly with their meds, running them to the vet, etc., so on Tuesday, 19 February from 6-9 p.m. Eastern Time there will be a pawty to help this wonderful lady that still makes time to help fundraise for shelter animals. Do please stop by if you can!

#GWSR – Great Winter Sled Race

From 12-3 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, 23 February, you can take part in (or just watch the fun, if you prefer!) @Skeeterthetabby’s Great Winter Sled Race. It’s time once again to race your tail off, so get out your snowmobile, Super Tube, dogsled, or even your catsled ( MOL ) and join @Skeeterthetabby and friends for a fun afternoon of racing! As always there will be noms & prizes along with plenty of laughs, so head on over and RSVP, then wrap up warmly, and enjoy!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and email shaynacat AT anipaltimes DOT com, or @ShaynaCat on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

I love Jack’s orange “smudge” on his mouth.

That “famous” cat carrier of ours always ends up on the top of the stack so the same one ends up getting used quite a lot. That busy, blue carrier has brought many new family members to our home, it has taken furry kids to the vet for “stay well” shots or the occasional “get better” shot. However, of all the duties our cat crate has been assigned, there is one I wish it did not have to perform: the heartbreaking chore of coming home empty.

If you’ve read my furry stories from their beginning you may remember that the crate gained it’s reputation at the time of Jack’s arrival to our family. We only had the one crate at the time and it was kept in the tiniest closet ever designed so when the crate was removed, a noticeably large hole was left in it’s place. Hubs forgot to create a cover story for it’s mysterious absence and when questioned his only response was, “Carrier? What cat carrier?” Well, since I had figured out the “big surprise” the second I saw the missing crate, I just sat back and patiently waited for my early Christmas gift to arrive.

Jack was close to six months old and already a very big cat by the time he came to his forever home so I guess he thought he had to really pile on the charm to get to stay. He walked out to where I was sitting and jumped right onto my lap, purring louder than a car engine and then curled up as if he had found the most comfy bed ever. I scratched his neck, and rubbed his fur while he turned to kitty mush. I put my face to his and gave him a gentle kiss between his orange ears and whispered, “I liked your show but you had me the second you showed your sweet face.”

One of my favorite pics of Jack

Jack didn’t “work” his way into my heart, he blasted in, with great force. With Jack, there was no getting-to-know-you period, he simply was what you saw — a kind, extremely loving but slightly forceful sweet boy. He didn’t hide anything. There was nothing to “figure out” about him. He wasn’t complicated; “feed me, cuddle me, love me” had to be his motto.

Jack became very serious and proper when the young kids came along about five years ago but when he was the young boy, he was the wild child. He would tear through the house chasing a sibling, or jump wildly while playing with a straw or a ball. He would play “Tarzan” and jump to the top of a door and then try to figure a way to climb even higher.

Jack was also affectionately called the “Mean Drunk” and his siblings quickly learned to keep away when fresh catnip was provided. After Jack’s initial enjoyment of his “nip” he would pick a fight with the sibling that didn’t get away in time.

Tiger & Tomas’ first Christmas was also the same time they learned of their big brofur’s little problem. Jack claimed his new catnip toy from the pile and like it was covered with the black plague, all of the other cats disappeared in a flash and left Jack to his private frenzy. All cats disappeared that is, except Tiger and Tomas. They were just a few feet away completely oblivious to their bizarre “initiation”.

Standing a safe distance from their brother Jack were Gunther and Ripley, both knowing exactly how the scene would play through. As I watched the comical image unfold I could almost hear Gunther and Ripley laughing and saying, “Look at those two dumb butts, Jack’s gonna smack the crap out of them! Ha, Ha, Ha!!!” Sure enough, a few minutes after Jack’s first whiff of his new toy — “wham!, whap!” Tiger & Tomas never knew what hit them.

Jack had amazingly good health during his life, only visiting our vet for routine immunizations. Then about two years ago I found a little tumor on Jack’s back. He had a rather minor surgery to have it removed. I remember he would NOT wear the “lampshade” afterwards, no way, no how. He somehow kept getting it off, so I just took it off and told him, “I’ll leave it off if you do not bother your sutures”. Jack never once touched them. (Oh yes, I checked.)

We elected not to have the bloodwork completed (after the surgery) to check for cancer. Jack was already at an age that his days ahead of him were rather few and if that test came back positive, we didn’t want those last days, however many or few, to be tainted with that dark cloud, painful treatments (if any were available) and the sadness that would be hanging over us every day. Without the knowledge, we could enjoy our time left with Jack and have just a bit less worry.

When Jack had his stitches removed our vet gave us a few things to watch for but the big sign would be if the tumor returns — there is cancer.

I found the tumor about a year later.

Jack fought hard for many months. When I thought it was “time” he would tell me, “no, not yet”. Every morning I think my heart stopped a few moments as I would walk down to the living room to see if he was in his new, usual spot on the couch. If he wasn’t there, I held my breath until I found him, worried he had passed through the night without me at his side.

A few days ago he finally gave me a sign that he was ready so, I prepared myself and planned to make that last trip to the vet. Unfortunately, before I could take him, Jack took a sudden change for the worse. Overnight a tumor in his abdomen swelled to the size of what looked like a fully inflated balloon, it was just horrible. Jack was in awful pain. I got him to the vet as quickly as I could.

I held Jack’s head in my hands during the entire process, I was afraid that holding him anywhere else would hurt him too much. I couldn’t even hold my Sweet Boy in my arms one last time.

My Sweet Boy

We had to take the carrier apart to get Jack out so as to not put him through excruciating pain. When everything was over the doctor and assistant started putting it back together for me but I told them, “I’ll pick it up some other time”. I wish I had told them to pitch it in the trash. I think it’s time to retire that stupid crate.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub Mardi Gras

Bead power: @NikePurrfectCat at #NipClub Mardi Gras

If Mardi Gras and #NipClub weren’t made for each other, they obviously should have been—the character of the celebration and the venue went together perfectly as floats began arriving at the club on Thursday. Bands played and beads flew through the air, with the title of Most Beaded Anipal deservedly going to the strikingly beautiful @NikePurrfectCat. Her massive, deeply jeweled collar and stunning head-dress caught all eyes and even temporarily caused a rare outbreak of good behavior, as anipals speculated on whether if they offended her she just might have the power to turn them into frogs.

Cajun Queen at #NipClub : Carma Poodale

The outbreak proved to be neither infectious nor long-lasting, though, and the arrival of @TillmanSkates soon put a stop to it. On hearing a discussion between Tillman and #NipClub boss @kingtuttifruiti about the possibility of an episode of Tillman’s TV show Who Let The Dogs Out? involving #NipClub, excited anipals started booking fur stylists and dress designers and calling home on Pawberries and iBones to announce to startled families that they were going on coast-to-coast TV. Order was restored only after they were pointedly reminded of the need to learn the rules of blackjack and roulette ahead of the impending trip to Monte Carlo.

#NipClub Monte Carlo

Arriving in style at #NipClub Monte Carlo: @petmonarchy

The sun was shining peacefully across the bay as #NipClub patrons jetted in to Monte Carlo—and that was the last moment of tranquility the Principality of Monaco would know for 24 hours until they jetted out again. Despite the suitably upscale outfits they were wearing, it quickly became clear that one or two were not quite used to the sophisticated surroundings when it had to be explained that in Monte Carlo chips are things you gamble with, not eat washed down with Coca-Cola. With that little misunderstanding cleared up, anipals checked into the magnificent hotel before heading for the casino and the gaming tables.

Monte Carlo jailbirds: #NipClub

All went well until the normal rules of blackjack and roulette proved insufficiently exciting for a bunch of pals caught acting suspiciously at a card table. @WinstonTabby, Winston of @PushUpsnPaws, @Henrythecat2002 and @Newtthecat protested their innocence, but pleas that their book on card-counting was a necessary part of an accountancy course that they were studying failed to convince Sekurity Captain @brutusthedane, who promptly consigned them to the slammer. Inevitably bail was set high, and it took much pleading by all four before the money was eventually raised and a reluctant Brutus, disgusted that, as he put it, “These hoodlums have friends,” was forced to let them go. It is not clear whether it was as a direct result of this incident that Sekurity Cadets @ClaptonTerrier and @OllyTed were subsequently promoted to the rank of Sekurity Officer. Croupiers @PepperPom, @kingtuttifruiti and @ShaynaCat reported excellent business at the roulette wheel and the blackjack table, and those anipals still awake on the flight home agreed that it had been the best #NipClub outing ever. The fact that #NipClub trended at #1 for well over 24 hours suggests that they may very well be right.

Upcoming Pawties and Events

Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, roaring, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#VP2013

Ready for the Ball: #VP2013

Romance is in the air! Glamour abounds, gowns and jewellery shimmer, black evening suits look pristine! The pawparazzi waits for the arrival of the anipals with the mostest as they enter The Magical Ballroom for the Grande Valentine’s Day Ball. Our six-hour pawty on Saturday, 16 February from 5 to 11 p.m. EST will be a celebration of romance, love, happiness and joy, to celebrate the love and life brought to us all by @spookyshorty and his Mom Lillian. Guests are invited to approach Thomas @PuppyNumber7 to be dressed from his extensive range of evening gowns and dinner suits.

#KnMWedding

On board the Love Boat: #KnMWedding

Please join us for a a fun-filled cruise on The Love Boat as @MsMollyYoda and @ChelleLouLou get married! Exciting news—Molly and Kye are getting married on The Love Boat! Everyone is invited to join them on Sunday, 17 February from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. EST for a wonderful celebration. Please come in your fur, fins, feathers or fancy dress/suit for a wedding to be remembered for decades to come!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and email mattiedog AT anipaltimes DOT com, or @MattieDog on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Once in a Blue Moon: new beer at #NipClub

After last week’s shenanigans over the announcement of Prohibition, Thursday was supposed to be a relatively quiet night at #NipClub, with pals simply having a peaceful drink in a bar where everybody knows your name. That lasted only as long as it took for someone to spot an announcement on the club’s website that the next monthly weekend pawty would be held in Monte Carlo’s world-renowned casino and realize that gambling would clearly be involved. In an unseemly rush to make their first million, some pals started practicing their card-dealing skills, while others quickly Googled the odds of winning at the roulette wheel, and a few speculated on their chances of meeting a super-rich anipal with a European royal title.

Blue bears: @OllyTed’s #NipClub macaroons

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, chefs were working hard to produce an all-blue menu in keeping with the evening’s “Once In A Blue Moon” theme. Blue cheese with blueberries were a natural choice, but it needed real creativity to come up with blue corn tacos, blue crab, blue ice cream and blue cupcakes. Blue puppy cake proved especially popular, as did @OllyTed’s delicious blue macaroons, and barktenders were running their paws off trying to keep pace with the demand for the unusual noms and drinks, with one harrassed staff member heard to meow, “A quiet night at #NipClub? That really would be Once In A Blue Moon!”

#MooHenPawty

In the pink: a Monte Carlo dolphin visits #MooHenPawty

It’s always a sign of a good pawty when the guest of honor lands in Twitmo, but when their jail account lands up in the cell next door, the pawty has to be something extra special—which is exactly what @Doggymolly’s #MooHenPawty was. It was held on a luxurious pink yacht in the opulent harbor of Monte Carlo, and guests were invited to wear pink in honor of the occasion. Squeals ringing out across the harbor announced the arrival of the Chippencats, whose dance routine, as always, didn’t disappoint. Fireworks, carefully chosen to tie in with the theme of pink, lit up the night sky, and pawty-goers ate pink salad as they toasted Molly with (you’ve guessed it!) pink champagne.

Tomcat Prowl: Chippencats at #MooHenPawty

Unfortunately it was at this point that the Twitmo fun police descended on the yacht and started hauling pals off to the slammer. Jail accounts followed main accounts to the cells, with at one point @Doggymolly only able to communicate by borrowing her brother’s account. As the arrests mounted it became quicker simply to list those still free, but pals showed considerable ingenuity in smuggling out DM messages for others to tweet for them, and the fun police eventually had to admit defeat, managing to retain only a few of the pawty-goers in the cells overnight. @Doggymolly was unfortunately one of them, and eventually had to be bailed out and taken home next day by @littletapas. As @Petmonarchy pointed out, though, the amount of jail time was a clear indication of how much Molly’s pals love her, which was confirmed by the length of time the pawty trended at #1. Exhausted pawty-goers eventually left for home, saying that if this was just the hen pawty, they couldn’t wait for Molly’s wedding.

#DoxiePosse

Da Dogfather: @Fritziethedoxie

It was an offer no one could refuse—the chance to be a guest at the 20th Barkday Pawty of @Fritziethedoxie, the handsome long-haired leader of the #DoxiePosse and Dogfather of the #DoxieMafia. Fritzie effortlessly commands the love and loyalty as well as the undisputed respect of the members of his Doxie family, and there was great excitement in the community ahead of the event as pals prepared their gifts to offer to da Dogfather on his big day. The pawty was held on Cheese Island, an exclusive location offering the privacy as well as the sun-drenched beaches and luxurious accommodations appropriate to the occasion. Guests were carefully screened as they arrived, and those suspected of being members of rival Mafia families, or even carefully disguised Feds, were quickly removed by a block/report hit squad.

Exclusive pawty venue: Cheese Island

No expense was spared in providing the most sumptuous noms and drinks available, with wieners in a blanket and bacon-wrapped shrimp proving particularly popular, along with the cheese for which the island is so famous, Doxie-shaped vegetarian treats and an enormous barkday cake. Drinks included the much-ordered barkolada, and everyone was keen to sample the Dogfather Imperial Stout, specially brewed for the occasion and agreed by everyone to be strong, delicious and well worthy of its illustrious name. Waiter service was provided by @SnoopDoggDoxie, who kindly agreed to have a cheese tray strapped to his back for guests to help themselves as he walked around. Barks of delight filled the air when it was announced that so much respect was being accorded to the Dogfather that the event was trending #1 worldwide—a fitting outcome to an unforgettable celebration.

#SpyPawty

“Of all the nip joints in all the world…”: @TattleCat at #SpyPawty

Keftka (savory meatballs served with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans) and Moroccan Nip Tea were among the unfamiliar but delicious fare on offer at Herman’s Café Américain in Catsablanca on Saturday when anipals went back in time to the 1940s to celebrate the birthday of @TattleCat. The trip was arranged by @TweetingTruman, and pals were encouraged on arrival to stop by to greet Buddy, one of Herman’s brothers, who celebrates his 22nd birthday this month. In keeping with a certain famous movie also based on the adventures of a nightclub owner in the area, pals dressed up in black and white, and an atmosphere of elegance and sophistication was at the very least the equal of the original.

Midnight Intrigue: perfect drink at #SpyPawty

Harry James, Count Basie, Artie Shaw and Glenn Miller were among the bandleaders who brought their orchestras to play in the Café and Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra were two of the most popular vocalists, while piano virtuoso Albert Ammons, making his first appearance at the venue, wowed the crowd with his high-energy rendition of the Boogie Woogie Stomp. There was high drama when @3phibotticelli caught sight of a lurking spy, who had reason to regret his presence there when @Samthewatcher locked him in a port-a-potty which a number of pals helped her to up-end and send rolling down the hill outside the Café. A lengthy wailing followed by a crashing sound suggested he would not be making a return visit for some time. Long before it was time to declare that “this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” pals were congratulating @TattleCat and @TweetingTruman on a great event and drinking purple Midnight Intrigues to celebrate #SpyPawty trending at #1.

Upcoming Pawties and Events

Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#NipClub Monte Carlo Casino Weekend

Place your bets: #NipClub Monte Carlo Casino

#NipClub has hired the ultra-fashionable casino in Monte Carlo for the weekend—come pawty with us! Whether your game’s blackjack or backgammon, poker or the ever-popular roulette wheel, you’ll have all the gambling action you can handle on the #NipClub weekend trip to Monte Carlo’s world-famous casino from 2 p.m. EST on Saturday 9 February until 2 p.m. on Saturday 10 February. The casino has been featured in a number of books and movies, and everyone who’s anyone has hung out there, from James Bond to members of most of the royal houses of Europe, so come along and join us for an unforgettable experience!

#KnMWedding

On board the Love Boat: #KnMWedding

Please join us for a a fun-filled cruise on The Love Boat as @MsMollyYoda and @ChelleLouLou get married! Exciting news—Molly and Kye are getting married on The Love Boat! Everyone is invited to join them for a wonderful celebration. Please come in your fur, fins, feathers or fancy dress/suit for a wedding to be remembered for decades to come!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and email mattiedog AT anipaltimes DOT com, or @MattieDog on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

Why breed when there are already so many homeless animals in the shelters? In every country, in every state, there are homeless animals. A large part of those homeless animals end up in animals shelters, where a part gets adopted and the other part are euthanized. Every pet owner can help prevent this by spaying and neutering our pets. Here are some more reasons why it is so important!

The Reasons

Why do so many animals die in shelters? The animal is sick, too old, doesn’t get adopted, isn’t adoptable or not the desired color people want. The shelter is full of those and needs to make room for more cats, dogs and other animals. The amount of animals that gets euthanized each year in shelters is incredibly high. Those are not only the offspring of homeless animals but some of those are the offspring of cherished family pets.

By neutering and spaying your pets, you will help stop the overpopulation of cats and dogs and other animals as well.

Homeless

A homeless kitten.

Even your own cat or dog could become homeless. Not many people realize it, but it’s possible. There are dogs and/or cats who will try to find every opportunity to get out and escape. It won’t be the first time they come home pregnant.

That’s why it is so important to spay and neuter your pets! So they don’t come home with a ‘big’ surprise and you have a litter of kittens to deal with. There are millions and millions of cats and dogs euthanized in shelters. Spay and neutering your pet is the only effective birth control for dogs, cats and other animals!

Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Programs

These days, having no money is no excuse for not to spaying or neutering your cat or dog. There are many easily accessible surgeries for owners who don’t have enough money. Contact your vet about these programs.

Healthier Lives

Many pets that are neutered and spayed live a happier and healthier life, while unspayed and unneutered pets are often anxious or frustrated. Male cats will mark their territory by spraying and female cats in heat will drive you crazy. It causes a lot of stress for the animals, and for their humans.

A fixed cat or dog will cost less in vet bills. Sure, kittens are a lot of fun, puppies and other baby animals are just really cute. But what if things go wrong? Problems with the delivery could lead to a caesarian section. You can lose kittens or puppies, or even lose the mother. What if one of the baby animals doesn’t want to drink from their mother? It means that you have to feed them, just as often as they usually feed from their mother.

We got Suki spayed as soon as she was old enough.

Spaying an animal will also rule out uterine infection and reduces the risk of mammary cancer. Neutering prevents testicular and prostate cancer. If your dog or cat is fixed, they are less likely to face the dangers of being in fights, run over or exposed to diseases while in heat or in search of a mate. Neutered males won’t try to escape your house in search of a female and is more likely to stay home with you. Unneutered cats will spray your house, which is unhygienic.

Not only will they live healthier lives, they will also be better behaved. Dogs and cats that are fixed will stop marking the place and become less aggressive towards you and/or the other animals in the house.

Myths & Excuses

There simply is no excuse anymore for not spaying or neutering your pet. They do not need to have one litter before they need to be spayed, it’s not dangerous and even if your cat is a male, you should still do it. While female cats can have around three litters a year, a male cat could get that done in one day — a male cat can sense a female in heat from miles away, and he will find her!

It’s not sad to get your pet neutered or spayed. Animals produce litters purely because of their instinct. They won’t feel sad or empty once they are fixed. What they will feel when they unneutered is extreme frustration when they are in heat.

Millions of pet are euthanized each year. By spaying and neutering your pet, you can be an important of the solution. Contact your veterinarian today and be sure to let your family and friends and everyone else know that they should do the same.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

On the march: #NipClub patrons protest Prohibition

The forces of law and order must have thought they’d finally won the day when they succeeded in introducing Prohibition—but they’d clearly reckoned without #NipClub. Even as supporters of Eliot Ness smashed whiskey bottles and set about demolishing beers kegs with axes, the club’s resourceful managers were quietly arranging new supplies. With the trucks already on their way from Copperhead Road, @TheNascarKitty and his helpers dusted off the homemade still (whose existence, though long-rumored among #NipClub-goers, has always been officially denied by management) to ensure that no thirst went unsatisfied.

Chorus line: #NipClub dancers do the Charleston

It was not to be expected that upholders of the new law would ignore suspicions of a speakeasy operating on the #NipClub premises, but the inevitable police raid found only a group of  soberly dressed anipals seated demurely at club tables drinking tea as they quietly discussed the weather. Surprised and delighted that the law was being suitably respected, the cops withdrew (though it was noted that one, who’d accepted the invitation to enjoy a cup of #NipClub’s specially brewed tea, appeared a shade light-headed as he left). With the all-clear signal given, tea-tables were swiftly cleared away and coats thrown off to reveal some daring 1920s costumes. As the liquor flowed, Scott Joplin played ragtime on piano and a troupe of #NipClub dancers entertained the audience with the Charleston, the Lindy-Hop and the Black Bottom. Almost from the moment the speakeasy opened #NipClub trended #1, and it was still holding that spot hours after the pawty had officially ended. This spoke volumes for the unpopularity of the new law, and at around 1 a.m. Eastern Standard Time it was announced that the authorities had given up the fight and Prohibition was repealed. By then, though, few #NipClub pawty-goers were sober enough to take much notice.

#Macy’s Puppy Shower

On Saturday, a very special event took place when #NipClub hosted a live link-up with an offline puppy shower in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, for Macy, the little Doxie rescued by The Rescued Rescuers: Dachshunds and Friends of the Emerald Coast (@WeRescueDogsOrg) shortly before she was due to give birth. #NipClub patrons have taken Macy and her adorable puppies to their hearts, and even before the doors opened there was a line of anipals waiting to watch the event. Macy and her family are not the only Doxies cared for by the Rescued Rescuers, of course, and the event was also intended to find new foster homes for all the Dachshunds in their care.

Adopt Me: Molly waits for a new home

There were squeals of delight as the event went live, and pals were entranced by the sight of adoptable Doxies and potential foster parents seeing each other for the first time. It was great fun trying to spot those anipals actually able to be present at Fort Walton Beach, and cries of “Squeeee!” filled #NipClub and echoed over the Atlantic as @Skye613 persuaded her human to greet her pals, and members of The Rescued Rescuers team held up some of their little charges to the camera. No one wanted the event to end, and there were so many pleas from anipals eager to make Adopt-A-Thons a regular part of #NipClub’s program that Management had no alternative but promise to see what could be arranged for the future.

#Jesters

Laughter guaranteed: #Jesters

With just hours to go before the eagerly-awaited second pawty at #Jesters Comedy Club, disaster seemed to have struck, with founder @Eddiebabycat’s human in an emergency room being treated for a broken wrist. @Eddiebabycat is far too professional to let that stop the occasion from going ahead, though, and he managed to persuade her to tweet as best she could, regardless of her painful fingers and her badly swollen hand. Given the circumstances, the occasion was a great success (as it deserved to be), with pals determined to show Eddie and his human how much they appreciated and admired their decision to make sure that the occasion went ahead.

New king of comedy: @kingtuttifruiti at #Jesters

Eddie’s fellow club-owner @kingtuttifruiti clearly understood his predicament and stepped up to the plate, revealing a previously unsuspected talent for stand-up comedy, and the #Jesters audience rocked with laughter as he and @WinstonTabby exchanged unscripted banter. @GizmoGeodog also provided a hilarious comedy routine, and @HenrytheCat2002 demonstrated an original version of the conga that would have been a sure-fire winner on Dancing With The Stars. On winning a prize of a beautiful handmade scarf from @pasikas, @kingtuttifruiti gallantly donated it to his wife, DJ @ShaynaCat, who is known to be a big fan of @pasikas’ lovely work. The highly entertaining evening ended with @Eddiebabycat thanking all who’d helped to make the occasion such a great success, and taking the opportunity to re-book the staff for the next evening of comedy, on 27 April at #Jesters.

Upcoming Pawties and Events

Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#MooHenPawty

In the Pink: #MooHenPawty Molly & Milo

From 4-7 p.m EST (9 p.m. to midnight in UK) on Friday, 1 February, all fur, fins, feathers, boys and girls, are invited by @Doggymolly and Milo of @PunkPugs to a pawty on the Hen Pawty Yacht moored at Monte Carlo, Monaco, ahead of their upcoming wedding. Wear something pink… girls a tiara, boys a bowtie perhaps?

#SpyPawty

“Of all the nip joints in all the world…”: #SpyPawty

From 2-6 p.m. EST on Saturday, 2 February, @TweetingTruman is throwing a birthday pawty for Herman @TattleCat. The pawty is at Catsablanca in the 1940s, and will be all in black and white as in the classic movie Casablanca. If you need some help to dress, you can check out the pawty blog here before you head for Herman’s Café in the heart of Catsablanca!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and email mattiedog AT anipaltimes DOT com, or @MattieDog on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion.

Wild koala climbs to his day-bed tree.

Koalas are one of the cutest animals on the planet with their big round eyes and giant sultana nose, but they are not a bear. Native to Australia, koalas are marsupials who carry their young in a pouch (pocket) under their belly and as the baby grows bigger it rides piggy-back on mum’s back.

This week mum (who lives in an area of Queensland, Australia with prolific wildlife and she’s the go-to person for injured wildlife–working on a daily basis with kangaroos, koalas, wild birds, etc.) was privileged to spend time with a wild koala in his natural habitat (which happens to be in my backyard), who’d stayed out pawtying longer than usual, meaning it was now broad daylight and he was still wandering back home across the golf course to his “day-bed tree”, high up in the tops of the gum trees.

Wild koala making his way home to his favorite tree.

Being nocturnal, he could easily become confused in the daylight so mum escorted him to make sure he made it home safely. Koalas are very docile, sweet-natured and inoffensive but unless you have a special permit it is illegal to keep them in captivity.

A Delicate Balance

Koalas only eat a few species of the thousands of different types of eucalyptus leaf strains available. Australian specialists are fighting desperately to save them from chlamydia which causes blindness and infertility in females, leaving them classified as “vulnerable.”  (It is not the same as the human strain of chlamydia.)

Wild koala makes it to his tree safely.

All Australian marsupials have a very delicate flora system which can be severely affected by stress, resulting in myopathy (which is when their muscles freeze and they become like an ice sculpture that can’t unthaw). Specialists have found a small window of less than one hour to inject a vitamin that helps recovery from myopathy, but of course in the wild this is not possible within an hour.

Myopathy affects all Australian marsupials, including koalas and kangaroos, so it’s vitally important to report any injured wildlife so they can be rescued and helped in the fastest way possible. Thankfully, our koala was last seen relaxing in his tree bed.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Gotcha! @CathyKeisha celebrates adopting humans

After last week’s brawl, it was a great relief to see that #NipClub-goers were singing in unison, and even in occasional harmony, on Thursday as they greeted those celebrating their Birthdays or Gotcha Days this month. Heartwarming tales were recounted of how anipals had adopted sad and lonely humans—and even allowed them to believe that the adoption was the humans’ own idea. #NipClub DJ @CathyKeisha proudly announced that it’s now seven years since she chose the humans that she wanted to share her life, while barktender @PixelDoggy was happy to help herself to some spectacularly nommy birthday cake.

#NipClub birthday boy: @stanley_dog

An extra cause for celebration was that #NipClub not only went to #1 in the Top Trending Topics but also very firmly stayed there, beating off determined challenges from Lance Armstrong and Oprah Winfrey. Even while the celebratory champagne was being poured, however, #NipClub was invaded by the usual uninvited guests—but led by a strong and determined Sekurity team, the pawty-goers called on the fighting abilities that were so ably demonstrated last week and used them to eject the trespassers with great force and grim determination, and the invasion didn’t last for long. The celebrations went on until the early hours, with pawty guests turning up asleep behind the bar or under tables the next morning—when, to everyone’s delight, #NipClub was still trending.

#BlogPawty

Community celebration: #BlogPawty

Saturday saw a great deal of excitement ahead of the 2nd Annual Community #BlogPawty; so much so, in fact, that the hashtag became the #1 Trending Topic within a few minutes of the opening of the pawty! Unfortunately this resulted in a level of gate-crashing believed to be unprecedented at anipal pawties, with @IAmDaisyDoo, @DuchessCrabtree, Winston of @PushUpsnPaws, pawleece captain @BrutustheDane and other members of the Pawleece staff stretched to the limit in trying to run offenders out of town, and some inexperienced pawty-goers grew visibly distressed by the language and behavior of the gate-crashers. Not surprisingly, there was general agreement that Twitter needs to do much more to safeguard visitors from online pests.

At the podium: @Twiglet2 at #BlogPawty

On a more positive note, awards were given to a number of #BlogPaws volunteers, including @MaggieTKat, @ParkerSKat and @CatChatCaren, for outstanding service to the #BlogPaws Community, and @TillmanSkates announced that his new TV series of Who Let The Dogs Out? will start on 1 February on the Hallmark Channel and features an episode completely filmed at last year’s #BlogPaws Conference. Speculation about which conference visitors may soon be appearing on TV grew so intense that Twitmo cells filled rapidly, with @TinyPearlCat serving two concurrent sentences as both her regular and jail accounts found themselves behind bars. Everyone agreed that this was clearly a sign of the occasion’s spectacular success, and there was great delight when @whskr accidentally revived the pawty by arriving after it had officially ended, giving pals an excellent excuse to go on pawtying until dawn.

Upcoming Pawties and Events

Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#NipClub – Macy’s Puppy Shower

Cute babies: #NipClub Macy’s PuppyShower

On 26 January from 1-3 p.m. EST, you’re invited to join in Macy’s Puppy Shower—this is a real life puppy shower being held in Ft. Walton Beach for the beautiful puppies born to Macy at this month’s #NipClub charity The Rescued Rescuers!

#Jesters

Laughter guaranteed: #Jesters

From 3-8 p.m. EST on Saturday, 26 January, you’re invited to join @Eddiebabycat and pals for a fun time at #Jesters Comedy Club—the holidays continue into January this year! Laughs, jokes, prizes, drinks and noms. It will be a great time. and we hope you can join us! Details of the pawty schedule are on the blog.

#MooHenPawty

In the Pink: #MooHenPawty Molly & Milo

From 4-7 p.m EST (9 p.m. to midnight in UK) on Friday, 1 February, all fur, fins, feathers, boys and girls, are invited by @Doggymolly and Milo of @PunkPugs to a pawty on the Hen Pawty Yacht moored at Monte Carlo, Monaco, ahead of their upcoming wedding. Wear something pink… girls a tiara, boys a bow-tie perhaps?

#SpyPawty

“Of all the nip joints in all the world…”: #SpyPawty

From 2-6 p.m. EST on Saturday, 2 February, @TweetingTruman is throwing a birthday pawty for Herman @TattleCat. The pawty is at Catsablanca in the 1940s, and will be all in black and white as in the classic movie Casablanca. If you need some help to dress, you can check out the pawty blog here before you head for Herman’s Cafe in the heart of Catsablanca!

If you know of any #pawties or events that you’d like included in an upcoming #Pawties and Events article, please try to give two weeks notice and email mattiedog AT anipaltimes DOT com, or @MattieDog on Twitter. Include the name and date of the #pawty, and any invitation and/or blog links.

Until next week, #pawty on, anipals! The Anipal Times does not endorse or support any particular #Pawty and Events fundraising event. Attendees are encouraged to fully investigate the validity of any fundraising activity. Donations should be made at your discretion. 

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

#NipClub Two-Step: @Doggymolly and Milo of @PunkPugs

It was intended as a quiet (well, by #NipClub standards, anyway) opportunity to relax before the upcoming excitement of the Alice In Wonderland weekend, but with hindsight maybe that isn’t something that should have been expected from an evening at a honky-tonk. Cowboys and dance-hall girls flocked in from miles around to enjoy a little of the frontier atmosphere, and it wasn’t long before the pawtying was in full swing. Country music filled the air as pals line-danced and two-stepped, and all was going well… until an argument began.

No-one gets left out: the #NipClub brawl

No one seems quite sure who started it, or even what it was about — some pals thought it was to do with a refusal to serve niptini to a pawty-goer who’d clearly had enough already, while others thought it started with two rival cowpokes trying to impress a dance-hall girl. However it began, though, there was no question how it ended — with chairs and bottles flying through the air. A spokescat for #NipClub has assured The Anipal Times that the involvement of club manager @TheNascarKitty in the fighting was solely in a heroic attempt to restore order by taking on all of the combatants at once, and also that all damage to club fixtures and fittings will be repaired, and all liquor that mysteriously disappeared during the brawl replaced, in time for next week’s pawty.

#NipClub Alice In Wonderland Weekend

In safe paws: CardGuard @brutusthedane

For once the White Rabbit was on time, arriving at #NipClub apparently on schedule as pals gathered to follow him down the rabbit-hole to Wonderland, and only after following the instructions on a couple of bottles that said “Drink Me!” did a member of #NipClub management confess to having told the Rabbit that the starting time was actually two hours earlier. The ruse enabled fans to arrive in time to witness the (hopefully temporary) farewell gig by the Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC), who after their historic induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame have decided to take a well-earned break from the music business. Scores of panties were thrown, and as the tour bus pulled away from the venue sobbing fans begged them to come back soon.

Just following instructions: “Drink Me” at #NipClub

Pals sampling the stunning noms and drinks provided by Head Chef @WinstonTabby began to notice strange effects, at one moment shrinking to a height where they found themselves gazing upwards at the 3″ high @GeorgeTheDuck, then a few minutes later discovering that they were 10 feet tall. Inevitably much psychedelic music started coming from the DJ booth, with Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit and Cream’s Strange Brew not surprisingly proving very popular. From almost the beginning of the pawty until well over 24 hours later #NipClub trended, much of the time at #1. This resulted in some unwelcome gate-crashers, who misguidedly picked the first-ever #NipClub Aussie Hour to make their appearance… and were swiftly and unceremoniously removed. Aussie Hour proved a great hit with pawty-goers from both hemispheres, and negotiations are under way to make it a regular part of the event. All too soon the Red Queen was overheard calling for pals’ heads, and it was deemed wiser to return through the rabbit-hole to compare notes (and hopefully return to normal size) at #NipClub.

Upcoming #Pawtes and Events

Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#BlogPawty

Pawty village:#BlogPawty

From 5-9 p.m. EST on Saturday, 19 January @BlogPaws will be holding a #BlogPawty. There’ll be DJs, barktenders and lots of prizes to be won, so come along and enjoy some pawesome pawtying!

#Jesters

The holidays continue: #Jesters

From 3-8 p.m. EST on Saturday, 26 January you’re invited to join @Eddiebabycat and pals for a fun time at Jesters Comedy Club — the holidays continue into January this year! Laughs, jokes, prizes, drinks and noms. It will be a great time and we hope you can join us! Details of the pawty schedule are on the blog.

#MooHenPawty

In the pink: #MooHenPawty

From 4-7 p.m EST (9 p.m. to midnight in UK) on Friday, 1 February, all fur, fins, feathers, boys and girls, are invited by @Doggymolly and Milo of @PunkPugs to a pawty on the Hen Pawty Yacht moored at Monte Carlo, Monaco, ahead of their upcoming wedding. Wear something pink… girls a tiara, boys a bowtie perhaps?

#SpyPawty

“Of all the nip joints in all the world…”: SpyPawty

From 2-6 p.m. EST on Saturday, 2 February, @TweetingTruman is throwing a birthday pawty for Herman @TattleCat. The pawty is at Catsablanca in the 1940s, and will be all in black and white as in the classic movie Casablanca. If you need some help to dress, you can check out the pawty blog here before you head for Herman’s Cafe in the heart of Catsablanca!

Entering the Hall of Fame: Shibbering Cheetos

Anipals have mixed feeling this week about the two big announcements by the management of top anipals rock band the Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC). On one paw, proud and delighted to see them deservedly inducted into the anipal Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, but also very sad to hear that after their upcoming appearance at #NipClub‘s Alice In Wonderland Weekend the band will not in the immediate future play again. Ahead of what’s bound to be a very emotional occasion, the band’s lead singer @mattiedog spoke to Anipal Times reporter @ShaynaCat.

Shayna: How did the band start, Mattie?

Mattie: We all met while we was at an animal shelter before da various rescue gwoups came to help us out. Mostly we was hangin out just hoping dat we would get rescued. But, while we was waiting we realized we had musical talents. I found some wood and carved out a guitar body and put some strings on it *pluck pluck pluck* and was able to make some great sounds, and Bru did da same wif some really thick strings (cuz he’s bigger, ya know) and a bass player was in da making; and @TrailerParkDogs (Goose and Coco) supplied some great banging on da bars and tinkling sounds by tap tap taping on various bowls and things. We knew we’d always want to play music together — and so after we was rescued and adopted, we stayed in touch through social media.

Shayna: How did the band get its name?

Mattie: One day da boys saw my video where I was all shibbering in da cold in my orange outfit, and da name of our band was formed — Da Shibbering Cheetos (cuz I looked rike a shibbering cheeto)!

Shayna: What have been the biggest highlights of the band’s career?

Mattie: Oh man, we’ve had some seriously great times! We played some of the original #PawPawty events wif @FrugalDougal, that was great and everyone was all learning how things worked, so it was creative and exciting! We hosted a couple of live in-person tweet-ups, one was in Atlanta with @BarkWorldExpo and another was with @FrugalDougal, he flew in to meet us in Seattle for a big pawty. Oh, and we’ve helped Linda Blair and Studio C Pictures wif a great online pawty where we raised over $2K in two hours to help animals. Finally, we’ve had the honor to open each and every #NipClub monthly pawty — we’re we’ve helped some great people and anipals raise funds and awareness for fabulous animal-related causes — very near and dear to our hearts!

Shayna: What’s been your own most gratifying music moment?

Chilling on their boat, Lub2Rock: Shibbering Cheetos

Mattie: This is a tough one — as you can see, we’ve had some great music moments….but when we look back over our illustrious career, we’d have to say that the most gratifying music moment was when we had that spark, and we just went for it and became the first band (animal or human) to solely use social media to advance a cause. We were recognized by FidoFriendly as one of the best 50 dogs in the US for our great idea — we had a brilliant idea and we all focused, working real hard, to bring it to life!

Shayna: What’s been your funniest moment as a Shibbering Cheeto?

Mattie: Other than our Red Hot Chili Pepper sock thing? BOL!!! Well, it was hilarious — we, all of us (@MattieDog, @BrutustheDane, @TrailerParkDogs, @PushUpsNPaws, @BlindMaximus) all went to Colorado to participate in a race wif a llama! BAAHAAA!! For realz, we did. Oh, and we can’t forget during our Colorado trip, to blow off some steam, we shot an undeewear bideo staring Winston, our Chief of Sekurity (@PushUpsNPaws)! OMD, we were laughin so hard!!

Shayna: How does it feel to be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame?

Mattie: Just amazing! We are humbled beyond belief — we been working so hard and to be recognized at dis level by so many music lovers is just so amazing. We are thankful because it will help spread da word about animal rescues, shelters, volunteers, fostering, online pawties for animal causes… all of it, all that it takes to help save animals!

Shayna: Who would you most like to be there to see you honored?

Mattie: Well, we’d really love some of our biggest fans there who have now passed — animals have a shorter life span but man, we pack a lot of livin’ in our little lives! Bless their souls — we miss them all. We’d really lub to have our families der, dey really put up wif a lot while we were out becoming rock stars — oh, and all of our fans and groupies *blows widdle kisses all over da place*!

Shayna: Who are your own biggest music heroes?

Mattie: Oh dawg, when you talk about who has helped shape our music we can’t help but fink of all da greats — Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits… all da biggies! We also really get inspired by new music, rike Mackelmore, Gotye, and Mumford and Sons. All music touches our soul — we can howl along wif just about anything we hear!

Shayna: How much do you reckon the Cheetos have raised for good causes?

Mattie: Oh heabens, it’s hard to know really. We first started saving dem figures, but den our ability to count dat high was challenged…. but if we had to guess it would definitely be in da tens of thousands dat we’ve helped ourselves and others raise for some great animal-related causes!

Shayna: What are your own and the band’s plans for the future?

Mattie: Well, for now, we are gonna rest up on our cool new yacht (dats a spiffy word for ‘big boat,’ I just learned dat da oder day! BOL!!). We’ve been playin non-stop for years, and we wanna take some time and relax, hang out, spend some time in our swim suits, paddlin about a lagoon in a beautiful spot in da South Pacific. We gonna sip coconuts and ponder some future endeavors — we been offered a book deal, a potential movie is in da works, oh and a cool reality show where we trabel around in an old beat-up truck just talkin to people. But, like I said, we are gonna sit back and chill!

You can read lots more about @mattiedog and his adventures with the Shibbering Cheetos on his blog.

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub New Year’s Eve Pawty

@mariodacat celebrates Memorial Day at #NipClub

Laughter could be heard several blocks from the #NipClub pawty bar on New Year’s Eve as members relived some of their favorite events of 2012. The trip to the International Space Station got a lot of votes for the best #NipClub trip so far, while other pals argued for the night that @WinstonTabby, with no-one at his ship’s helm and its nipped-out Captain fast asleep in his cabin, claimed the trophy for the Tall Ships Race because his ship, the aptly-named Three Sheets To The Wind, was actually the only one to cross the finish line.

Three Sheets To The Wind: but @WinstonTabby takes the #NipClub Tall Ships Trophy

Sounds of cheering and the clinking of niptini glasses rang out every hour as 2013 arrived in more and more countries around the world. From Australia and New Zealand and across Europe, the UK and Ireland, #NipClub gallantly made sure that no matter how many of the inhabitants of any country might have gone to bed by midnight, in no region would the year arrive unwelcomed and untoasted. Indeed, it was remarked that if years could join in their own toasts, this one would have been unconscious by the time it reached Times Square. A lavish display of fireworks also accompanied the start of 2013 in each region, and in the absence of a Sekurity patrol the #NipClub fire truck was kept on standby to deal with any misdirected rockets, or some sparklers getting out of paw. In spite of several narrow escapes, though, the only damage recorded was to some bacon, which got slightly charred while one of the chefs was watching the fireworks and which several doggies kindly offered to look after. The full extent of the damage couldn’t be assessed, though, as the bacon hasn’t been seen since.

#WinterWonderlandPups

Cutting the cake: #WinterWonderlandPups

A very special wedding took place on Wednesday, when Sir Jakey Humphries (@LovesDearJakey) married his lovely bride @YorkieTails, known to her friends as Scrappy. Sir Jakey is an Oscar winner and an animal activist, whose goal is to win the Nobel Peace Prize someday, and Scrappy was born in Ireland and lived on a farm in Minnesota before moving to her present home in Montana. The setting for their wedding was sumptuous, with amazing ice sculptures to delight the eye and a reception venue fit for royalty. The bride arrived in an ice carriage, her off-the-shoulder dress with its delicate lacy sleeves and brocade skirt causing gasps of admiration as she walked up the aisle to join her waiting bridegroom.

Just Married: #WinterWonderlandPups

The reception was spectacular, with the skating-rink provided for ice-dancing proving tremendously popular. @NancyCakeFace and her husband Bode @4catsstrapski demonstrated the new dance craze the Kitty Stomp, and @MaxwellBowWow proved an expert at the Moonwalk. There was great excitement as the bride tossed her bouquet, which landed in the paws of @LittleCakees, while guests gathered round to congratulate @chucksiebert on his catching of the garter. As the newlyweds prepared to leave and their pals began to throw confetti, @MsMollyYoda noticed #WinterWonderlandPups was trending — the perfect end to a delightful wedding.

#NipClub

Heading Back To The Future: @RealFakeGator taking off from #NipClub

Aliens mingled with futuristic robots and a number of guests arrived in gull-winged De Lorean cars as #NipClub went Back To The Future on Thursday. Encouraged by @TheNascarKitty, some brought their highly individual inventions and designs for clothes, while others celebrated the 1950s with gusto, wearing the outfits of the time and dancing to Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. One tall, thin gentlecat dressed in black and wearing a stove-pipe hat was heard to mutter, “Gadgets you can hold in your hand that let you see and talk to people in another country? Impossible!”

Prospecting for the newest sounds for #NipClub: DJ @CathyKeisha

Others showed more faith in the future, with DJ @CathyKeisha taking to the Cosmos in her quest to find only the very best of the latest music, and @TheNascarKitty trying out the latest in Ford Thunderbird Air Cars, with @DCKitty at his side. There were shocks in store for some pals, as @TinyPearlCat came face to face with her future self, who turned out to be an alien, and @MeisRoxythePug made the acquaintance of a robo-barktender who assured her that’s the form that she’ll morph into some day! Inevitably there came a point where the futuristic ideas seemed to be inspired more by nip than science, though as one kitty pointed out with dignity, that’s pretty much how Thomas Edison’s ideas on inventing the light bulb, recording music and pumping electricity into every home must once have seemed, too! Finally exhaustion started to kick in, and it was a relief to pals that it was the feline @TinyPearlCat and not her alien alter ego who came around to cover them with blankies.

Upcoming #Pawties and Events

Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#NipClub Monthly

For 24 hours from 2 p.m. EST on 12 January 2013 #NipClub will be hosting a pawty on the theme of Alice In Wonderland. If you’ve forgotten the story or just never read the book there are free copies available online or in the iTunes store, so as well as seeing anipal rock band the Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC) inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, come along and join the White Queen, the Red Queen, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the Duchess, the Dormouse and of course Alice herself as we venture down the rabbit-hole to a world that only becomes visible to #NipClub patrons after a niptini or two – or three…

#BlogPawty

Preparing for a #BlogPawty: @BlogPaws Village Square

From 5-9 p.m. EST on Saturday, 19 January @BlogPaws will be holding a #BlogPawty. There’ll be DJs, barktenders and lots of prizes to be won, so come along and enjoy some pawesome pawtying!

#Jesters

Scaling heights of comedy: #Jesters

From 3-8 p.m. EST on Saturday, 26 January you’re invited to join @Eddiebabycat and pals for a fun time at Jesters Comedy Club — the holidays continue into January this year! Laughs, jokes, prizes, drinks and noms. It will be a great time and we hope you can join us! Details of the pawty schedule are on the blog.

I stare at the faeces on the carpet that has been on the carpet for at least an hour or more. I just woke up and as I kneel down I stare at my cat Suki who looks the guiltiest. I can’t help but to laugh as we both stare at the droppings. I look back at the litter box. Looks like she has every right to do her business on the carpet, the litter box is a mess and needs to be cleaned. While I  have just a half hour left before I leave for work, I get busy cleaning up the mess while I wonder why my cat did it on the carpet, and not in the living room where I have a wooden floor, where the stain is easier to clean up. At that moment I learned that I need to clean the litter box more frequently if I don’t want my cat doing her business all over the house. And that maybe I’ve neglected my cat a bit…

How It All Started

Suki on my boyfriends lap. They are big buddies.

It all started when my boyfriend came up with the idea to take a cat. He grew up with a cat, and I assume he missed it when we both moved out to live together. I didn’t mind but if he didn’t come up with the idea we probably wouldn’t have cats.

It started with Suki who we got in the winter of 2009. I remember when we had trouble (snow) to get to the place to watch the kitten we saw on the Internet. She was up for sale and the only one left from the litter. When we finally arrived there, we were lead to a separate room where she held the kitten and her uncle. She was small and scared while her uncle was a huge Maine Coon! We asked the woman for more information. She explained to us that this litter was an accident between her shorthaired calico and one of her full-breed Maine Coons. Her father passed away and her mother was already outside. They lived on the farm, and beside the full-breed cats, all the cats were outdoor animals.

I couldn’t resist that cute face, and the next week we picked her up to go home with us. We called her Suki. Suki decided that she didn’t liked to be left alone and that she didn’t like the wallpaper in our bedroom. She torn it off and she started meowing. We tried playing with her, but she wasn’t interested. I had no idea what she wanted and it was frustrating for both her and me. A year later we got her a buddy, Hiro, who we took from the local animal shelter. We hoped Suki would stop feeling lonely when we were gone at work and that she would stop meowing and scratching the walls. She did, and we learned that Suki had just been lonely and even though it took months for Hiro to finally be accepted by Suki, she stopped the scratching and the meowing.

What They Taught Me

What I learned from my cats is that it’s not that difficult to communicate with your cat as long as you have a good bond. Your cat can be loyal, your cat will love you back when he trusts you. They taught me to be more patient — with myself and with them. When I am stressed, my cats will feel it too and behave differently. But I also need to be patient with them. I couldn’t get mad at Suki when she felt lonely and scratched the wallpaper off, or when they do their business next to the litter box. I know it’s not their fault. It can be difficult when your cat is doing things you don’t want him to do, it’s frustrating for both parties because you don’t speak cat language and your cat is trying his very best to make something clear. But the stronger the bond between you and your cat is, the more you understand each other. We have learned to respect each other.

Sometimes it feels like Suki and Hiro are my teachers at the cat-language-and-behaviour-university. They keep teaching me things, and it’s like I’m never done. I have to experiment sometimes, wondering why Suki got black pecks on her chin. According to the vet it was an allergy. So we experimented with different kind of bowls, different kinds of food. In the end we found out that Suki gets feline acne from cheap cat food and plastic bowls.

Hiro often makes me laugh or cheer up.

They taught me to accept things the way they are. I love how they sit in front of the window and stare at the things outside. People or birds passing by, it’s like they are watching the world go by, relaxed and not caring about the bad things in the world. They taught me that it’s a big thing when they show their belly to me. They teach me not to stay so down for a long time. When I am down, my cats will feel it too. But they will always try to make me laugh. They taught me to stop being a messy person. Hiro will sneeze when I don’t clean my apartment. I have to keep my apartment clean and tidy. If I leave papers on the table, I know Hiro will chew on them and they will be all over the floor the next morning. They taught me to be more responsible. They are my responsibility.

Cats are mysterious, the way they look at you can sometimes be so intimidating. They make me want to learn more about them, and it’s like I’m never done learning. It will take time to gain love and trust from a cat. This doesn’t instantly happen when you keep their food bowl filled. You have to show your respect to your cat, play with them, show that they can trust you. Each cat is different, so you have to find your way to make them love you back. But if you don’t pay attention to your cat, don’t expect your cat to pay attention to you.

I can’t imagine living life without my cats. Because what’s a greater gift than being loved by a cat?

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#CatmasEve

@GeorgeTheDuck welcomes Santa Paws on #CatmasEve

The sound of Christmas carols filled the air as @TerenceTerrier set off on patrol to ensure that all the pawty-goers at the annual #CatmasEve pawty hosted by @GeorgeTheDuck and @sanjeethecat were safe from spammers and assorted other predators. George, Sanjee and the rest of the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats started the tradition seven years ago to celebrate the holidays with a Twitter pawty, so no anipal would have to sit at home alone on Chrissymouse Eve. The pawties have always been so successful that many pals have much more fun with George and Sanjee than humans find at offline pawties. This year was no exception. There were pawesome noms and drinks, and the inevitable sprinkling of nip which meant that @TerenceTerrier and his colleagues in Sekurity felt it necessary to check the Christmas tree from time to time to make sure it wasn’t hosting climbing kitties eager to purloin presents or nom the decorations.

High ambition: will @WinstonTabby climb the #CatmasEve tree?

Pals waiting impatiently for Santa made last-minute plans to provide him with suitable refreshments, and wondered whether he’d like carrots. After considerable discussion and research on Google and Wikipedia the question remained unresolved, but it was agreed that he would probably like carrot cake, and some was hopefully left out for him. Pals kept a watchful eye on the NORAD Tracks Santa app to make sure they were updated on his progress and could calculate his ETA at the pawty. There was much speculation about what would be on his sleigh: 14 carat dog bowls and diamond kitty collars were high on certain wishlists. Sadly, it was at this point that peace and goodwill disappeared as a number of doggies and kitties tried to nom the treats left out for Santa, while others lamented that although Santa had already visited their homes, they were not allowed to start opening their presents until the humans got up in the morning. Despite an exhausting 12-hour shift, @GeorgeTheDuck was having too much fun to leave, and was eventually removed from the pawty by @sanjeethecat and put to bed. @TerenceTerrier made a final Sekurity check to ensure that no kitties remained hidden in the branches of the Christmas tree, and everyone agreed that the seventh #CatmasEve pawty had been the best yet.

#NipClub

Cool on the ski slope: @Pumpkinpuddy at #NipClub

Thursday’s pawty took place at the #NipClub Ski Lodge, where some pals did their best to prove it isn’t necessary to be human to be a little over-ambitious on the ski slopes. Some were obviously there for sporting ambition and others for the fashion, but it was quickly clear that after a few niptinis the atmosphere of upscale gentility wasn’t going to last. While it did, there were some excellent performances on skis and snowboards, with new pal @Indianna_Belle turning in an unbeatable time in the slalom race. Then a snowball fight broke out, and the event descended into mayhem. @TinyPearlCat proved herself to be a deadly shot, and pals fled from the barrage of snowballs she flung at them. It would, of course, be totally unfair to reveal the identities of the two kitties and a doggy who ran head-first into a snowdrift in their frantic attempts to get away.

Slalom champion: @Indianna_Belle at #NipClub

There was another slight hiccup when a couple intent on a romantic sleigh-ride found themselves unwitting extras to the making of a retrospective video for the Ronettes’ classic Sleigh-Ride song, and had to resort to suggesting a replacement film of Frosty The Snowman to persuade the three singers to vacate their sleigh, speeding off into the gently falling snow before the director had the chance to change his mind. News reports of unstoppable giant snowballs rolling down the mountainside had to be explained (with some embarrassment) as over-enthusiastic pals who thought it would be fun to roll a few feet in the snow but found themselves overtaken by the law of gravity and the multiplying effect of snowflakes and ice crystals tangled in their fur. Not surprisingly with all the chaos going on, #NipClub quickly trended at #1 and was still there 24 hours after the pawty ended.

#WCLWP

Sleigh ride together: pals at #WCLWP

It’s always a big occasion when the green bus hits the road collecting anipals for a weekend at @Petiethecat’s world-famous lake, and the weekend’s Winter Carnival at the Lake with Petie (#WCLWP) was particularly special as a great many pals are known to be missing the much-loved summer weekend pawties at the venue. Hosted by @Pumpkinpuddy, the planned attractions included ice boats, skidoos, skis, skates and snowmobiles, and pals piled on to the bus with way more baggage than most vehicles could safely hold. One of the biggest attractions, inevitably, was the sleigh ride, with pals flocking aboard to enjoy the experience of being pulled across the ice by a team of horses (and hopefully finding one or two stray presents that Santa Paws had dropped).

@TinyPearlCat warms the blankies at #WCLWP

The cold weather and the (for some pals, unaccustomed) exercise had sharpened appetites, and @FreshOtis dispatched expert waiter Pierre to ensure all pals had plenty to nom and drink, while colleague @MickeyShortTail gallantly took his turn at cleaning the kitchen. @TinyPearlCat’s contribution was especially appreciated, as she made sure there was a roaring fire throughout the festivities, and very thoughtfully heated blankies to make sure that everyone stayed warm and cozy. Inevitably no one wanted to leave, and it took a considerable amount of time to collect even a few pals ready for the return journey. Eventually @Pumpkinpuddy bowed to the inevitable and put the green bus on standby so that passengers could travel when they were finally ready to make a move. Only after they’d made sure of noting the date of the first #LWP weekend of 2013 in their phones, computers or diary pages were they at last persuaded to leave for home, still raising glasses in a toast to @Pumpkinpuddy and the fun they’d had at #WCLWP.

Upcoming #Pawties and Events Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat, and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#NipClub New Year’s Eve Pawty

Your table is ready: #NipClub New Year’s Eve Pawty

From 6 p.m. EST on New Year’s Eve till 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day, #NipClub is hosting a special New Year’s Eve pawty. There’ll be DJs, barktenders, quizzes and door prizes; the kitchen staff is working on new noms and drinks in honor of the occasion. Come along and pawty with your furiends and start off the New Year in style!

#WinterWonderlandPups: @LovesDearJakey and @YorkieTails Scrappy

#WinterWonderlandPups

What better way to start the New Year than with a wedding? Everyone’s invited to the Winter Wonderland Wedding of @LovesDearJakey and @YorkieTails Scrappy on 2 January from 4-7 p.m. EST. Please come in your own fur, fins, feathers, or in your finest winter wedding outfits, and be prepared for a beautifully romantic start to 2013!

#NipClub Monthly

Down the rabbit-hole: Alice in Wonderland at #NipClub

For 24 hours from 2 p.m. EST on 12 January 2013 #NipClub will be hosting a pawty on the theme of Alice In Wonderland. If you’ve forgotten the story or just never read the book there are free copies available online or in the iTunes store, so come along and join the White Queen, the Red Queen, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the Duchess, the Dormouse and of course Alice herself as we venture down the rabbit-hole to a world that only becomes visible to #NipClub patrons after a niptini…or three…

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Not the end of the world: Festivus at #NipClub

It was such an unusual experience for pawty-goers this week when #NipClub held its first-ever celebration of Festivus that club manager @TheNascarKitty thought it advisable to hold a crash-course to show those members unfamiliar with the relevant episode of Seinfeld, how they should take part. #NipClub patrons are famed for their ability to learn at high speed any form of pawtying new to them—and in particular, how to invent new forms of mischief to get up to. The temporary replacement of the #NipClub Christmas tree with the bare aluminum Festivus pole resulted, inevitably, in a number of requests to see some pole-dancing, which one or two of the more daring lady anipals, after quite a few niptinis and much giggling, eventually agreed to try. Sadly, for a few married, engaged or otherwise committed male anipals, this led to another Festivus tradition, the Airing of Grievances, when their wives or girlfriends made it very clear to them exactly what they thought of that.

Pinned: @TheNascarKitty at #NipClub

If #NipClub management had hoped the Trial of Strength might be overlooked on this occasion they were doomed to disappointment as pals lined up for the privilege of attempting to pin @TheNascarKitty, with Sekurity, in accordance with Festivus tradition, powerless to intervene. Anipals were, of course, well aware that many believed the world was due to end next day, but seemed to be largely unconcerned, with suggestions that pals should “pawty like there’s no tomorrow” being met with the obvious response,”We always do!” Nevertheless, reports that midnight had struck in Germany, and then in the UK, with no obvious signs of catastrophe were greeted with cheers, excitement and, predictably, niptini.

#WWProm

Christmas elegance: @DaCupCakeKitty at #WWProm

On Sunday, anipals gathered for another unusual event—a prom held in the depths of winter! Organizer @DaCupCakeKitty had promised it would be very special, and indeed, it may well have been the first prom ever to have made such extensive use of mistletoe. Romance was the keynote from the start, with boys’ bow ties setting a tone of elegance and girls in breathtaking dresses arriving in stretch limos. It would be unfair to risk damaging any potential new relationships by naming names, but quite a few boys were seen shyly presenting corsages to girls they’d been admiring from afar, and in a number of cases their friends were overheard whispering about what a lovely couple they made.

Much in demand: mistletoe at #WWProm

There was great excitement when the nominations were announced for #WWProm King and Queen, and after a very close competition @TweetingTruman won the Prom King title, beating @4catsstrapski by one vote, with @NancyCakeFace as Prom Queen. Sadly the newly-crowned Prom Queen’s celebrations were cut short as she was quickly carted off to Twitmo, where she found herself in the next cell to @3phibotticelli, though their untimely sentences were made easier to bear when barktender @NewttheCat smuggled in a snow crab and sushi platter. There was still more excitement to come when @PumpkinKitteh asked @NikitaTheCat1 to marry him. Inevitably it was at this very moment Twitter froze, and as pals anxiously awaited Nikita’s reply the resourceful Newt prepared champagne in the hope she would say yes. Finally Twitter relented and allowed the world to see Nikita had accepted, and that the beautiful heart-shaped ring Pumpkin had bought her was a perfect fit. Pumpkin promptly fainted with relief, but quickly recovered and spun his intended bride around and around in excitement. As Nikita showed off her ring and began planning the wedding, all agreed that #WWProm had been a great and unforgettable success.

Upcoming #Pawties and Events Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for the weekly #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits, fortnightly #BlogPawsChat and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#CatmasEvePawty

Your invitation: #CatmasEvePawty

From 3 p.m. EST on 24 December to 3 a.m. on 25 December, @GeorgeTheDuck, @sanjeethecat and the rest of the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats invite you to join them to celebrate the holidays with a Twitter pawty. They held their first #CatmasEvePawty seven years ago so friends wouldn’t have to sit at home alone on Chrissymouse Eve. Some do not celebrate Chrissymouse—others are far away from family and friends, and some will be prevented by work commitments or bad weather from getting home. So, if you have a little spare time on Catmas Eve, do please come and join the pawty. All anipals and furrends are welcome—and, as always, it will be a lot of fun!

#WCLWP

@Petiethecat’s cabin: #WCLWP

From 6 p.m. EST on 28 December to 1 p.m. on 30 December, @Pumpkinpuddy is hosting a Winter Carnival at @Petiethecat’s cabin at Eight Foot Falls in Manitoba. There will be a welcome dinner Friday night followed by an open bar and a roaring fireplace that will be going all weekend. Please be sure to pack your warmest clothes because there are a lot of fun activities planned for Saturday mid-morning. Pack your dressiest best, too, because Saturday night there’ll be a banquet followed by dancing, before the weekend finishes with Sunday brunch.

#NipClub New Year’s Eve Pawty

Your table is ready: #NipClub New Year’s Eve

From 6 p.m. EST on New Year’s Eve till 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day, #NipClub will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve pawty. There’ll be DJs, barktenders, quizzes and door prizes—kitchen staff are working on new noms and drinks in honor of the occasion. Come along and pawty with your furiends and start off the New Year in style!

#WinterWonderlandPups

#WinterWonderlandPups: @LovesDearJakeyand @YorkieTails Scrappy

What better way to start the New Year than with a wedding? Everyone’s invited to the Winter Wonderland Wedding of @LovesDearJakey and @YorkieTails Scrappy on 2 January from 4-7 p.m. EST. Please come in your own fur, fins, feathers, or in your finest winter wedding outfits, and be prepared for a beautifully romantic start to 2013!

Trying to blend in.

While most people are excited to decorate the family Christmas tree each year, my feelings are more like, “oh crap”. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas and I love the decorations but I also love my decorations in one piece. I have several rather old decorations given to me by my grandparents and since Trouble, I mean, Tiger and Tomas came along, I’ve had to keep them safely packed away from those two walking disasters in cat suits. I was way less worried about the decorations when The Kid was a toddler!

When we adopted Tiger and Tomas in August 2010 I knew then that our Christmases would never be quite the same. That Christmas proved me right and unfortunately, I’m still being proven right. Ugh.

Let’s see, so far this year Tiger and Tomas have climbed the tree… well, I stopped counting at about their sixth or seventh trip, that was about a week ago so, you can do the calculations.

The boys don’t go straight up the tree and then back down, oh no, that would be too boring. They have two different styles of “attacking” the tree: one, they will run from across the room and slam into the bottom of the tree (which of course causes the tree to “scoot” across the floor a foot or so) and then climb up through the inside limbs. The second way, which has gained more popularity this season, is to “jump in!” the middle of the tree from the bay window. Then they will usually climb around the limbs making a big circle, all while pulling and/or chewing on the ornaments, then jump out where they went in and the next cat takes a turn. “Cat-abunga Dudes!”

Christmas tree “Peek-a-Boo”!

I have walked up to the tree and found so many ornaments on the floor it looked like the tree just spit them off. Yeah, we know who to blame! We place our tree in the living room on the second floor of our house but, I have found ornaments on the first floor, on the stairs going down and going up, upstairs in the hallway, in the bedrooms AND in a third floor bathtub!

I’ve also walked into the house and have found the Christmas lights pulled so far off the tree, they could almost decorate another room. Not an evening goes by that Hubs is not replacing light strands AND limbs on the tree. The boys also like to chase each other through the tree so one will inevitably have a strand of lights hooked to a tail, foot or neck and RUN! I’m sure whatever you’re picturing is exactly what has happened on several wild occasions, including taking the tree with them a few feet.

Now, this one I never quite figured out; the tree topper, which sits down over four inches of top branch was once completely pulled up and off and laying face down on the front of the tree. The rest of the tree didn’t look at all disturbed (for once) not a single kitty could be found, not a single shred of evidence. Hmmm… one to go into the Kitty Mystery books.

Earning his spot on Santa Paws’ “Naughty List”

Every year before Christmas Hubs says the same thing, “they don’t bother the tree that much and they certainly don’t break anything”. Then like clockwork, every year within two days of the tree going up, Hubs is calling the cats very unmentionable names as he’s replacing/repairing ornaments as I’m sitting in my chair very relieved that I left my ornaments in the boxes.

I hope your holiday is happy, safe and of course, furry!

Vanessa, Jack, Ripley, Gunther, Sadie, Seymour, Lilly, Tiger, Tomas & Gracie and (“Woof!”) Lucy

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Keeping order: @BadAndy_KityKat makes sure his human can’t get out of paw at #NipClub

Sounds of uninhibited pawtying could be heard from way outside the club as anipals celebrated their birthdays and Gotcha Days on Thursday — and to prove that there’s no speciesism at #NipClub, the human staff of @BadAndy_KityKat was allowed to join in, too! A touching tribute was paid to @marleyterrier, who had crossed #OTRB, and pals toasted a much-loved #WLF colleague and #NipClub Sekurity Officer and swapped stories of his exploits. There was a poignant moment of another kind when it was announced that three hard-working, creative and popular anipals were resigning from their posts at #NipClub Monthly.

Birthday girl: @JazzydaCat at #NipClub

@GeorgeTheDuck (Manager), @HollieCatRocks (Head Prizemistress) and @flicka47 (Head Chef) have all played a major part in the success of #NipClub Monthly, as well as being much-loved Thursday night regulars, and pals were immensely sorry to hear that due to their humans’ off-line commitments, they no longer have the time to devote to #NipClub that they’d like to. Their replacements (@WinstonTabby as Head Chef, @PepperPom as Head Prizemistress and @ShaynaCat as Monthly Manager) were warmly welcomed, and promised to do their utmost to build on their predecessors’ pawesome work, before pals returned to doing what #NipClub is best-known for — pawtying the night away.

#WLFXmas

Arriving at #WLFXmas: Santa Paws

Saturday saw the start of the #WLFXmas Pawty, hosted by @PatchyMeow and @claudiab53. The location was Lapland, and warmly-dressed pals set off eager to see the sights, especially the Northern Lights, and wondered if by any chance they might even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Santa. There was a great deal of festive fare to be nommed, and it has to be admitted that large quantities of drink were consumed, but this, pawty-goers have insisted, was due solely to the the need to keep warm in the icy Lapland weather. As the pawty got into full swing it quickly became a trending topic and zoomed to #1. Unfortunately this prompted an influx of scantily-clad ladies clearly unprepared for the conditions, and for their own sakes, pals concerned for their safety reported them to Twitter to ensure they were removed to somewhere warmer where they wouldn’t freeze.

Meow! #WLFXmas Award for @MrTibbsatAP

There were excellent prizes on offer, and the quizzes were very well-supported. Unfortunately a number of prizes, along with a special award for #WLF stalwart @MrTibbsatAP, had to be delivered to the winners’ cells in Twtmo, where a number of pawty-goers were by now languishing. As well as having a pawesome time, pals succeeded in raising over $1,000 to be shared between the four charities the event benefited, and the pawty was so successful that some pals missed their flight from Lapland and had to be teleported home some hours later. Despite this, SantaPaws announced that all anipals had been so good throughout the year that he would be visiting all their households on Christmas Eve, and your correspondent overheard a whisper from @Mr_Pie that @Elwood_Mews and his brofur @Jake_Mews are even getting extra gifts this year!

Upcoming #Pawties and Events Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#SJGotcha

On Saturday, 22 December from 1-7 p.m. EST (6 p.m. to midnight in the UK timezone), @ShivaandJaya will be celebrating their Gotcha Day. It was on or around 22 December 2007 that they first moved into 10 Downing Street with their Mom and began living together as a family. They’re holding a pawty to mark this very special anniversary, and they’d love for you to come along and celebrate with them!

Getting ready for #WWProm: @DaCupCakeKitty

#WWProm

On Sunday, 23 December from 7-11 p.m. EST, @DaCupCakeKitty will be hosting a very special Winter Prom. Zipper has been very busy devising special noms and drinks original enough to grace such a special event, and a prom at this time of year will be sure to have a very different ambience from others anyone’s attended. Don’t miss this pawesome experience — do keep the date and time free!

#CatmasEvePawty

Your invitation: #CatmasEvePawty

From 3 p.m. EST on 24 December to 3 a.m. on 25 December, @GeorgeTheDuck, @sanjeethecat and the rest of the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats invite you to join them to celebrate the holidays with a Twitter pawty. They held their first #CatmasEvePawty seven years ago so friends wouldn’t have to sit at home alone on Chrissymouse Eve. Some do not celebrate Chrissymouse — others are far away from family and friends, and some will be prevented by work commitments or bad weather from getting home. So, if you have a little spare time on Catmas Eve, do please come and join the pawty. All anipals and furrends are welcome — and, as always, it will be a lot of fun!

#WCLWP

@Petiethecat’s cabin: #WCLWP

From 6 p.m. EST on 28 December to 1 p.m. on 30 December, @Pumpkinpuddy is hosting a Winter Carnival at @Petiethecat’s cabin at Eight Foot Falls in Monitoba. There will be a welcome dinner Friday night followed by an open bar and a roaring fireplace that will be going all weekend. Please be sure to pack your warmest clothes because there’s a lot of fun activities planned for Saturday mid-morning. Pack your dressiest best, too, because Saturday night there’ll be a banquet followed by dancing, before the weekend finishes with Sunday brunch.

#NipClub New Year’s Eve Pawty

Your table is ready: #NipClub New Year’s Eve

From 6 p.m. EST on New Year’s Eve till 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day, #NipClub will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve pawty. There’ll be DJs, barktenders, quizzes and door-prizes — kitchen staff are working on new noms and drinks in honor of the occasion. Come along and pawty with your furiends and start off the New Year in style!

Younger sis Gracie

Of all the kitties that have been a part of my life, only four have truly lived on the “streets” for any amount of time. Lilly and Gracie are two of those cats. Jack was five months old when he was picked up from the streets but he never seemed to display negative effects from his experience. Our fourth kitty well, I’m going to tell you about him soon, he’ll be a tough story to tell. The rest of our kids were either born in foster care or found at extremely young ages –six weeks was the average age.

I know I seem to focus on “my girls” quite a bit but, their personalities fascinate me and also pull at my heart. I watch the two very closely to observe their reactions to their siblings, different sounds and changes in their environment, therefore I believe I can make more than a few accurate descriptions of their previous lives. It truly saddens me to think of what they probably lived through before coming to their forever home.

If you’ve read my previous stories you already know that Lilly was with me for two years before I adopted Gracie. Lilly had become quite accustomed to being “Mommy’s Princess” and DID NOT appreciate the INTRUDER. During Gracie’s surgery recovery she learned to enjoy sleeping on Mommy’s lap so, when she was ready to snuggle with Mommy in bed, post-recovery, Lilly was not so welcoming. Lilly denied Gracie’s admittance to the “Mommy Bed” with hisses and very nasty growls.

Not one to give up, Gracie would wait her turn and when Lilly would leave the Mommy bed for snack or potty, Gracie would simply watch until she was out of sight and then get her cuddle time with Mommy. After a few days of this and Lilly simply not budging I had a little talk with the new “big sis”. I reminded her that she too was once a scared kitty at our door asking for my help and love and I wholeheartedly welcomed her into our home and my heart and vowed to care for her forever. I told her that Gracie was now in that same place and needed our love and care and she needed to help Gracie too. Well, it still wasn’t easy but Lilly began allowing Gracie to sleep beside me with just a bit less fuss.

Older sis Lilly

They are typical sisters in most ways, they will play together (Lilly only plays with her sissy) although tomboy Gracie sometimes gets a bit rough with girly Lilly and Mommy has to break up the sibling spats. They also have “furiendly” competitions, such as; when we three head upstairs for me to work or for bed, the girls like to race up the stairs to the bedroom door — Lilly likes to be the winner. They will also chase each other around the bedroom, unfortunately for Mommy that usually happens right as I’m about to doze off for the night.

In the year that Gracie has been with her forever family, she and new sissy Lilly have actually grown quite close in such a short amount of time. I consider it a short amount of time because seriously, one of the “sisters” IS Lilly — A TORTI! I didn’t expect these kinds of results for at least a few years. They’re not snuggling when they sleep (that would just be a miracle in only 12 months!) they’re actually doing something more meaningful, they get along with each other and — they care about each other. That’s the one thing that shocked me when I realized what they were doing…

In previous stories I’ve said that brofur Tomas can be a bully. Unfortunately, he seems to focus on Lilly and Gracie the most (hence, their private suite). When I saw what was going on between the two girls, it brought tears to my eyes: when one sister is being bullied by Tomas, the other runs to her side to help and to see if her sissy is OK. They’ll look each other in the face with reassurance. Then after each girl has determined that her sister is safe, they will usually run off together to another room, the bond of sisterly love almost tangible between them.

This is close enough — for now…

Tiger and Tomas may be brothers by blood but Lilly and Gracie have formed a sisterly bond I believe to be much stronger, built from common backgrounds they know they share and only each can understand. Histories that will only continue to fortify their alliance and their love for each other.

I know someday, I will find them asleep — snuggled together. It’s only a matter of time…

#Pawties and Events are where anipals and humans get together for a Twitterin’ good time. In their tweets they use an introductory hashtag (#) so everyone who wants to join in the fun can easily find them by searching Twitter for #(fill in the blank) pawty or #(event name). #Pawties and Events is where you will find out about the #Pawties taking place on Twitter and where I will point you to the official Anipal Times #Pawty & Events Calendar. Remember to check out the calendar so that you can find the dates and times to mix and mingle with anipals. Now, let’s read about some of the #pawties and events that happened by the deadline for this article (oh, and if you don’t know how to #pawty, don’t worry, I got you covered—just read this).

#NipClub

Rocking #NipClub Winter Wonderland: @ShibberingC

Thursday was Classic Music Night at #NipClub, with DJ choices reflecting classic performances in a variety of genres. @TheNascarKitty’s encyclopedic knowledge of classic rock and top guitarists proved especially popular and had pals of all species taking to the dance floor. The talk was largely of the upcoming Winter Wonderland weekend, and the dress code quickly morphed into ornate winter sweaters as #NipClub-goers flocked to take advantage of the tailoring department’s stylish new designs. Winter Wonderland officially began on Saturday and #NipClub patrons quickly took to skating, skiing, sleigh-riding and tobogganing, as well as enjoying a spectacular performance by top anipal rock band Shibbering Cheetos (@ShibberingC).

Breaking the rules: @FreshOtis at #NipClub Winter Wonderland

As usual, things didn’t take too long to get way out of paw. A scheduled snowball fight between cats and dogs was pre-empted by around two hours when a minor argument mushroomed into full hostilities. Worse yet, the carefully worked out snowball-fighting rules were totally ignored, with @FreshOtis dropping snowballs without warning on @ShaynaCat’s head and @WinstonTabby firing frozen missiles with deadly accuracy at everything in sight. Who actually won is still the subject of fierce debate, but as one of the dogs was first to suggest abandoning the fight in favor of some very pawesome noms, the cats seem to have a convincing case for claiming victory. The scenes of wild rejoicing on Sunday when fundraising for @blackcatrescue reached the trigger-point for a $500 donation of toys from @HartzPets. Shortly afterwards this was surpassed and it was announced that the $1,000 donation target had not only been reached but convincingly exceeded. Not surprisingly, #NipClub trended for most of the weekend, much of the time at #1, and (with the exception of one or two pals in no condition to remember anything at all) everyone agreed that it had been an unforgettable weekend.

Upcoming #Pawties and Events Remember to see the #Pawty and Events calendar to get more info on some other wonderful events. Get ready for #PetChat, #KeepFits, #NipClub, #CookinWifRabbits and #Purrs4Peace, held on the first Sunday of every month by founder @ConfuciusCat and weekly by @LilyLuWhoT, @ChloeToby and @ShaynaCat, who invite you to join in purring,woofing, squeaking, tweeting or whatever other sound you make, to help to bring about a better world. Tune in to these entertaining and highly informative weekly shows where you can say “Hi!” to old friends and hopefully make new friends, too.

#BlogPawsChat

You are cordially invited to come to a holiday Twitter chat, bring all your pets, engage with friends and blogger buddies while also learning and networking and winning prizes. Come and celebrate during BlogPaws Holiday #BlogPawsChat on 11 December from 8 to 11 p.m. EST. We’ll be dressed for the festivities and can’t wait to see all the holiday outfits. We’ll talk about what kind of gifts we like to buy our pets and give away a few prizes from the BlogPaws Holiday Gift Guide, too!

#WLFXmas

For 24 hours beginning 8 a.m. EST on 15 December, @PatchyMeow and @claudiab53 will be hosting the #WLFXmas pawty. We will be traveling to Santa Claus Village in Lapland, Finland, where we will be rocking around the Christmas tree and rocking around the clock, all over the Twitter world. Come and join the fun and festivities; there will be quizzes where you can win prizes, fundraising for causes and charities, entertainment with singers and DJs playing your favorite Christmas songs and much more. Refreshments with festive drinks and delicious noms will be served. Dress code will be fancy dress or Christmas outfits. Come and join the fun!

#SJGotcha

Gotcha! @Shivaandjaya prepare for #SJGotcha

On Saturday, 22 December from 1-7 p.m. EST (6 p.m. to midnight in the UK timezone), @ShivaandJaya will be celebrating their Gotcha Day, and they’d love for you to come along and celebrate with them! Watch this space for more information next week.

#WWProm

Getting ready for #WWProm: @DaCupCakeKitty

On Sunday, 23 December from 7-11 p.m. EST, @DaCupCakeKitty will be hosting a very special Winter Prom. More details next week—in the meantime, you’ll want to make sure you keep the date and time free!