Pan

Pandemonium (but affectionately called Pan) came from Merlin’s Hope Ragdoll Rescue in Ennis, TX. I had gone to go look at another cat I was interested in, but as soon as I walked in the door, Pan had run up to me meowing like he knew it was his turn to be adopted. How can you resist an innocent looking flamepoint kitten? Hint, hint…his name IS Pandemonium for a reason!  He is a spunky young cat who still acts like a naughty kitten!

I have had Pan for a few months now, probably about half a year. He was rescued from a kill shelter and was lovingly cared for when he was a young kitten and has blossomed into such a personality now!

Pan

He absolutely loves playing with any catnip toys, he will run around with them in his mouth and fling them into the air. He runs in and out of his kitty tunnel and uses his big cat tree as a jungle gym! He is fascinated with chasing the laser pointer and any kind of feather wands. He plays with the dogs and sometimes even will act like a dog himself!  He is also very intrigued by the bath tub when it is filled with water and bubble bath. When he has finally quieted down, he usually is sleeping either on someone’s lap, in a dog bed, or on his window perch. He usually is waiting for me to get home and I can see his little face peeking out the window. When he wants to be spoiled he will lay on a heating pad/massager and I will turn it on for him for a while.

Pan

He loves racing around the house with his back arched and tail trailing behind him. He sounds like a MUCH bigger cat when he really gets going!

He also is a chow hound, he will try to eat anything! He loves getting treats and will try to steal your food if you are not careful!

I have always wanted a Ragdoll ever since I have heard of them, and I have always loved flamepoint cats, what a win-win! Pan

Pan

is definitely a very floppy cat, as soon as you pick him up he is as limp as he possibly can be. That makes it easier to kiss him on top of his head constantly (which he adores.) He also rolls over for belly rubs and loves those just as much too. He likes his whole entire head to be petted, he will actually put his head under your hand to ask for pets. When he sleeps with you he will try kneading your face and neck and will lay right next to you. He loves to be cuddly when he is being quiet. I usually have a blanket right next to me and he will jump up on it and start kneading it and will just purr away.

Most importantly, Pan has been such a joy to me. He makes me smile and he comforts me when I need comforting. He’s entertaining and brightens up the entire house. My life has been so much fuller and richer just being able to enjoy him every day.

Pan with his Tickle Pickle catnip toy

Pan recommends TipsyNip Organic Catnip Products (he loves his tickle pickle!), Solid Gold Indigo Moon dry cat food, Kong Kickeroos, Whisker City Curl Floor Scratchers, and Yeowww! Catnip Toys. Thank you and hope you all can share a bit of the joy that my Pan brings me!

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Post tags: Ragdoll of the Week

Yeowww! Catnip has generously stepped up to the plate to offer a fun Valentine’s Day giveaway!

Yeowww! Catnip has generously donated the following 3 catnip Hearrrt Attack cat toys:

1. “YEOWWW!”
2. “Happy Kitty”
3. “Lick Me. Bite Me. Bunnykick Me.”

This giveaway is limited to addresses in the USA and Canada.

If you’d like to enter for a chance to win a Yeowww! Catnip Hearrrt Attack cat toy:

1. subscribe to our e-mail updates (if you’re already subscribed to our e-mail updates and are an active subscriber, then you don’t need to re-subscribe – you’re already entered!).
2. leave a comment on this post telling us why you’d like a Yeowww! Catnip Hearrrt Attack cat toy, for an additional entry!

A random winner will be chosen in a drawing on February 14, 2012.

Please consider liking Yeowww! on Facebook as a thank you for sponsoring this giveaway!

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I live on the northern coast of California in the quaint little community of Carmel. I work from my home studio, with a view of oaks and pine forest. Kitty cats from my neighbors’ homes, along with squirrels and blue jays, often come to visit outside my window! I am happiest when I’m sitting at my art table. I love to hand-letter, draw, and color with pens and ink, creating greeting cards, note cards, and art prints, inspired by quotes and all the things I love. You’ll notice how kitty-cats seem to just “show up” in some of my work…I can’t resist adding them!

How did you get interested in cats? How old were you when you had your first kitty?

My first kitty was a surprise present from a college boyfriend. She was black as the night, a total fluff-ball, and had astonishing blue eyes. I named her Amy.

Please describe your creative process.

I collect quotes, and this is a huge source of creative inspiration for me. I usually do thumbnail sketches, then a pencil draft on layout paper, and then I start inking. I add color last, and often wrestle with this quite a bit. I’m fussy about color!

How did you discover Etsy? Did you consider other ways to sell your products?

A girlfriend of mine told me about Etsy several years ago, and suggested I try to set up a shop. But it took QUITE awhile to actually make it happen!

Do you sell your products in a local store in your area?

I’ve sold my cards in several boutiques here on the Monterey Peninsula.

Have you been successful at selling your products on Etsy? Have you always been successful, or did you end up getting a lot more traffic after being featured on a specific blog?

Etsy has been very successful for me so far. Traffic to my shop is slowly increasing, although most of it is direct traffic from within Etsy. I haven’t done alot of promotion. I did have one of my Christmas cards featured on the Etsy front page, and I noticed a huge boost in traffic after that!

Do your customers ever give you new ideas for products?

I definitely get ideas for products from customers That’s always fun.

Have you thought of featuring a Ragdoll cat is some way? (Had to ask.)

No Ragdoll cats…yet!

Are you a one wo/man show?

Yes, I’m a one-woman show so far.

Do you have a blog?

I don’t have a blog YET… but stay tuned!

Do you do custom ordering? Can someone return it if they don’t care for it?

Things Taste

I accept custom orders. And if a customer is not happy with what they purchase, they can return it or exchange it. Customer satisfaction is very important to me!

Can you share a story with us behind any of your products that you especially enjoyed working on? Maybe because of the story behind the kitty?

I had so much fun drawing the kitty on my “Stay is a Charming Word” card. He’s helping serve the coffee, and he’s doing a very proper job of it!

The cat on my “Contented Kitty Thank You” card is based on a real-life kitty belonging to a friend of mine. He really loves to sit on the furniture looking prim.

Here’s links to other items in my shop which feature or include a kitty-cat:

• QUINTESSENTIAL KITTY – Funny Cat Card, Whimsical Cats, Blank Card
• Sweet Life – Kitchen Art, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Simple life quote
• Where We Love – Cottage Art, Family Home Quote, Yellow House
• Cottage Art – Home is An Invention, Home quote, Ann Douglas
• Things Taste Better – Cottage Kitchen Art, Small houses quote

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Post tags: etsy

Floppycats gets 40,000+/- visitors a month.  Ever wondered what pages get the most hits, here’s a quick run down:

1. Home Page – since Floppycats is set up as a blog, almost every dya there is a new blog post – and that is featured on the front page of the site – therefore, it makes sense why it is visited the most.
2. Seal Ragdolls – this website was founded because of my Seal Mitted Ragdoll, Rags, who passed on March 30, 2009.  It is no wonder why seal Ragdolls are covered a lot on the site.
3. Kidney Disease Cat Food – I created this page when Rags was in his final stage of life, dying from Chronic Renal Failure (CRF).
4. Anemia in Cats – this page was also created because of Rags’ CRF.
5. Blue Ragdolls - this page covers the different patterns and tones of blue that Ragdolls can come in.
6. Ragdoll Rescue – I have really worked on promoting this portion of the site.  Since there is not a Ragdoll Rescue that is International or one that is all encompassing in the USA, I wanted to create something online that would allow people to post information.
7. Ragdoll of the Week – I am not surprised this is popular – the Ragdoll of the Week submissions are so very fun to read!
8. Ragdoll Cat – this page covers what Ragdoll cats are like.
9. Cat Not Drinking Water – this page was also created because of Rags’ CRF.  I hope it is helping someone!
10. Ragdoll Names – I love hearing what you named your Ragdoll cat – share your names here or find ideas for names here.

What is your favorite page or blog post on Floppycats and why?  Please feel free to post a link in the comments section below and let me know!

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Post tags: anemia in cats, Blue Ragdolls, cat not drinking water, kidney disease cat food, Ragdoll Cat, ragdoll names, Ragdoll of the Week, Ragdoll Rescue, seal ragdolls

Thank you to Litter Lifter for sponsoring such a cool giveaway.

There are 6 WINNERS.

Litter Lifter has generously donated the following 3-scoop prize pack:

1. One Original Litter Lifter
2. One Beamer Litter Lifter
3. One Travel Litter Lifter

There are 6 Winners.

Each winner will receive items 1-3 above.

This giveaway is limited to addresses in the USA and Canada.

If you’d like to enter for a chance to win this Litter Lifter 3-scoop prize pack:

1. subscribe to our e-mail updates (if you’re already subscribed to our e-mail updates and are an active subscriber, then you don’t need to re-subscribe – you’re already entered!).
2. leave a comment on this post telling us why you’d like this Litter Lifter Prize Pack, for an additional entry!

A random winner will be chosen in a drawing on March 1, 2012.

Please consider liking Litter Lifter on Facebook as a thank you for sponsoring this giveaway!

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Post tags: litter lifter

Trigg with the Solvit Products HomeAway™ Travel Organizer Kit

The HomeAway™ Travel Organizer Kit by Solvit Products is a great pet travel bag.  Whether you are going to cat shows, across the country or just leaving your cat while you go out of town, you can fit everything you need in this cat travel bag.

The kit comes with:

• Organizer Bag
• 1-liter Water Bottle
• 10-cup Food Storage Bag
• two collapsible 8-cup Travel Bowls

Organizer Bag dims = 16 x 12 x 7 inches
Food Bag dims = 4.5 x 4.5 x 12 inches
Water Bottle dims = 3.25 x 3.25 x 9 inches
Travel Bowl dims = 7.5 x 7.5 x 4.5 inches
Total kit weighs 2.5 lbs.

Solvit Products HomeAway™ Travel Organizer Kit

The organizer bag is really neat, like I am discovering with all Solvit Products, it is very well thought out.  It has three compartments that you can change into one – or make into two, so that you can fit anything that you need to bring that your kitty or pup requires.

The Water Bottle is made from unbreakable crystal polycarbonate.

You can buy the HomeAway™ Travel Organizer Kit for $51.49 on Amazon.com.  If you find it for less some place else, please be sure to list the details of where you found it in the comments section below.

Here is a video I filmmed to show you the ins and outs of this pet travel kit:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Travel Kit includes a one-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

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Meet Huxley!

Huxley

Huxley is our beautiful Blue Bicolor boy who celebrated his first birthday on January 2, 2012! My husband and I adopted him in November from LuvleeDolls, a small (and amazing!) Ragdoll cattery on Long Island. Huxley is our second Ragdoll from LuvleeDolls and we highly recommend them. They truly love the breed (and every single one of their cats) and they are committed to producing beautiful, healthy cats with the perfect Ragdoll temperament.

The Sweet Gentleman

Our Huxley is a perfect example of their wonderful breeding. He is the sweetest most loyal friend you could ask for. We call him our “Sweet Gentleman.” He is also a wonderful big brother. He is very patient and protective of his little half-brother, Gatsby.

Brothers Playing in a Box

Huxley is a great companion. He follows me all over the house. He is curled up right next me as I write this. He loves being rubbed, but also enjoys just being near his brother and human “parents.” He is also a music lover and likes to listen to me sing around the house. Sometimes he even joins in! Huxley is practically perfect in every way and leaves all the hijinx and misbehaving to his baby brother.

Napping After 1st Thanksgiving Feast

Huxley's Cabin

Huxley’s all time favorite things are:

• Prime Taste Freeze Dried Chicken Treats
• Napping
• His ‘Great Balls of Fur’ Toy
• Cardboard Boxes
• The Love Glove Grooming Mitt
• Belly Rubs
• His Loyal Luxe Canadian Cabin For Fluffy Critters
• 

  Stretching

  Playing With his Brother

• Cat Dancer Interactive Cat Toy
• Smart Cat Ultimate Scratching Post
• Giving his little brother a bath

Huxley Dislikes:

• Getting his nails clipped
• Having his teeth brushed
• Loud Noises

Huxley’s Trademark Moves:

Huxley has two specialties when it comes to interacting with his human parents. He is a spectacular alarm clock. About 5-10 min before your actual alarm clock is set to go off he will climb onto your chest and start kneading you awake with his paws. It’s adorable and a much better way to wake up than a blaring alarm. Huxley’s other talent is giving hugs! If you are laying down he will walk up to you and wrap both his front paws around you and join you for a snuggle. He is truly precious.

Snuggles

What’s in a Name

Lounging

My husband and I felt that our Ragdolls should have a distinguished gentlemanly name to match their regal look. We named our first cat Gatsby because he’s a spunky little kitten with a naughty side. We chose the name Huxley because it sounded just as gentlemanly and also because it fit the same literary time period and I liked the idea of having ‘Art Deco’ cats.

Gatsby & Huxley’s Facebook Page

Huxley’s Portrait by Vera Gaskari

Portrait of Huxley by Vera Gaskari

Baby Huxley

Baby Huxley in Cat Tree

We adopted Huxley when he was 10 months old, so he spent most of his first year at LuvleeDolls Cattery where he was loved and socialized beautifully. The wonderful Lisa Sullo of LuvleeDolls was kind enough to send me some of Huxley’s baby photos. He is so cute!

We simply adore our Sweet Gentleman, Huxley. He completes our little family perfectly.

Christine & Andrew
Astoria, New York

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Post tags: Ragdoll of the Week

I am a big fan of Shark Tank because I am a serial entrepreneur.  Last night, I Want to Draw a Cat For You was featured and website creator, Steve, approached the Sharks and asked for an investment.  You can see the full episode here.

Here’s a video from his homepage that explains what he does.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Basically, for $9.95, Steve will draw a cat for you based on what you want it doing and then he posts the drawing on his site – so even if you are not interested in buying a drawing, you might be interested in scrolling through them and checking them out.

Billionaire, Mark Cuban, decided to invest with Steve and his site, I Want to Draw a Cat For You.

I am excited for Steve – not only to see his idea flourish but also because it’s supporting cats!  Best of luck to you, Steve!

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Post tags: I Want to Draw a Cat For You

Sarah Menzies

Sarah Menzies is the author of The Purr Diaries and the creative force behind Etsy store SarahLovesCats. Sarah produces cat themed artworks and accessories with the sole intention of helping cats in shelters and is currently studying Feline Behaviour. She also has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Teaching and she lives in Sydney, Australia with her 2 cats Bosco and Oliver, and her boyfriend Dan.

Etsy Shop: SarahLovesCats

Sarah has offered the following discount coupon for FLOPPYCATS readers for 15% off in my Etsy sore: SARAHLOVESCATS15

How did you get interested in cats? How old were you when you had your first kitty?

My mum says I was born loving cats! She says they used to just attract to me. And it’s the same to this day, wherever I go, a cat always seems to fine me. Before I ever owned a cat all I used to do was talk about cats and want to draw cats and have cat toys and so on. Then I got my first kitty, Misty, when I was about 3 or 4 years old. She was a completely psychotic gray Persian but I loved her!

Please describe your creative process.

I usually struggle with ideas. Actually no, I come up with a lot of ideas but usually scrap them before I finish them! I’ve always struggled to appreciate my own work, and therefore a lot go in the can before anyone ever sees them. When I create something I like however, I stick with it for quite a while and do a whole series on it. That’s what I’ve done with my Contempo Kitties and Kitty Trees. My Contempo Kitties are hand drawn on paper, then scanned, and edited in Photoshop. I’ve also started transferring them to other products such as Pocket Mirrors, journals and cards. Hopefully mugs, totes and tea towels to come! My Kitty Trees are completely hand drawn/hand made.

How did you discover Etsy? Did you consider other ways to sell your products?

Bosco

I discovered Etsy when I was looking at buying some cat art for myself last year. I’ve also sold on eBay and I had a website for a while where I was selling lino cut prints for wildlife charities. I’m also currently in the process of building a new website, to tie all my cat projects together because I have a few different things going on (including studying cat behaviour!) and I’ll probably sell there too. At the moment I’m just linking to my Etsy store but the site is a work in progress. Also, I’ll be selling on Hey Kitty Kitty within the month which is exciting!

Do you sell your products in a local store in your area?

Not currently but I’m looking to sell my greeting cards at my local cat shelter, Cat Protection Society, in the near future. 20% – 30% of the sale price of all of my items is donated to the Cat Protection Society – they do an amazing job and the priority with my art is to help shelter cats!

Kitty Tree - Framed Original Ink and Collage, 23cm x 23cm - Cat Modern Art

Have you been successful at selling your products on Etsy? Have you always been successful, or did you end up getting a lot more traffic after being featured on a specific blog?

My Etsy store is very new so I’ve only sold a couple of things at this point. Hopefully after this interview things will pick up! ;o)

I’m doing a giveaway on my own blog, The Purr Diaries, soon, and moderncat has just featured me with a giveaway so hopefully that will dive traffic to my store a little more as well. I’ll also be featured on the Catsparella blog next week, so look out for her giveaway as well!

Bosco and Dollie

Do your customers ever give you new ideas for products?

I haven’t had any suggestions from customers and admirers, only positive feedback which is so awesome! I welcome ideas and suggestions though, I love to hear from people!

Have you thought of featuring a Ragdoll cat is some way? (Had to ask.)

I love Ragdolls! However my artworks don’t really represent any breed in particular… My cats are domestic cats so whenever I think of drawing cats I think of domestics but my art is quite simplistic, so therefore just represents cats in general…
But, there is my Contemp Kitties Cat Breeds poster, which of course features a Ragdoll )

Contempo Kitty Cat Breed Poster

oliver

Are you a one wo/man show?

Sure am! It’s just me. Well apart from my cats Bosco and Oliver of course!

Do you have a blog?

I’ve had my blog, The Purr Diaries, for almost a year now and it’s become quite popular. I’ve been lucky enough to also be featured in popular and award winning blogs like Catsparella, I HAVE CAT and modcatlove. I write about anything from my own cats, to cat pop culture and fashion, to cats around the world, to cats in shelters and anything else cat related in between. I also have a Facebook page to accompany that blog, and am headed towards 1000 fans. Come on over and hit LIKE! ;o)

Do you do custom ordering? Can someone return it if they don’t care for it?

I do customs. With my Kitty Trees people can suggest colours, patterns and the amount of cats they’d like in the tree. Or trees. And with the Contempo Kitties I can draw your cat/s from a photo and you can ask for any colour or pattern you like! And I’m also happy to accept returns.

Can you share a story with us behind any of your products that you especially enjoyed working on? Maybe because of the story behind the kitty?

I volunteer at my local shelter with cats and there is one cat there currently who has been quite inspiring. Daisy the tiny Burmese was rescued from a Kitten Mill, where she lived in a dark garage, in a cage, with the sole purpose of breeding for pet shops 

She was pregnant and very scared of people when she first came to the shelter, she displayed a lot of aggressive behaviours, but I persisted with her. She has since given birth to 3 lovely kittens and they’re now in foster homes but Daisy is still only progressing slowly. I refuse to give up on her though, and every time I see her I employ some of the skills I’ve learnt in studying feline behaviour, and it’s gotten to the point where within a couple of minutes of me sitting with her, she’ll come and pet me (ie. rub herself on me)! The last time I was there she even sat on my lap. I love her and hope she finds a great home where someone will be patient and understanding with her, because she really is a sweet girl. I’m currently working on an artwork inspired by her – stay tuned!

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Post tags: etsy

I NEED READER HELP!! I am often asked for recommendations of Ragdoll breeders.  I only have experience with 2 breeders on a personal level (because my family has been to their homes and has their cats).

If you love the breeder that you adopted your Ragdoll cat from, then please post your favorite breeder in the comments section and be sure to include:

1. Cattery Name
2. City, State
3. Country
4. Website
5. When you adopted your kitty
6. Adoption Story

#5 and #6 are important to show validity of the comment/knowledge.  Otherwise, I think anyone could post the rest.  Thank you!

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Post tags: Ragdoll Breeders