Wow! We received some awesome entries in the Doodle a Caboodle contest. Great job everyone! Here are the ten finalists, and you get to help decide who wins the grand prize, a $100 shopping spree at Puutty Power!

We’re trying out a new voting system. Take a look at the ten finalists below then at the bottom of this post you will see an area where you can cast your vote. Simply select your favorite design and click “Vote”. You’ll only be allowed to vote once. Voting will end at midnight EST on November 11. May the best doodle win!

Thanks to the folks at Caboodle and Puutty Power for sponsoring this awesome contest!

#1 Ginseng’s Black & White Boudoir submitted by Khristian

#2 Modern Swirls submitted by Erinn

#3 Zippy, Sadie & Speedy’s Club House submitted by Donna

#4 Paper Mosaic Masterpiece submitted by Brooke

#5 Regency Style in Black & White submitted by Hollis

#6 Kitty Treehouse submitted by Amy

#7 Mouse House submitted by Jennifer

#8 Summer Leaves submitted by Cathy

#9 Rainbow Castle submitted by Becky

#10 Tutti Frutti submitted by Courtney

If you can’t see the voting form below in your email, please click here to visit the site and cast your vote!

Only two more days left to vote for the finalists in the Best Blurb Books Contest! Voting ends at midnight PDT on November 9. Here are some of my favorite cat books from the pet category:

Faces of Felines Inc. by Ingrid from 9 Lives Photography
This beautiful book features photos of cats from Felines Inc., a no-kill cageless cat shelter in Chicago. Stay tuned for another pet photography Q&A with Ingrid later this week!

Popular by Jen Petit
More beautiful photos of shelter cats.

The Soul of Me by Cully Miller
Featuring some very handsome black cats!

Sylvester by Wet Nose Fotos
Spectacular photos of a gorgeous tuxedo-man.

Monsieur Bruce by Mayuko Wong
Monsieur Bruce is an adorable orange Scottish Fold who is, without question, a true Moderncat!

Bob Meowzer’s Stray Tales by Bob “MicBob” Meowzer
Tales of how Bob went from life as a stray to living the good life.

She’s Mine Now by Lydia B. Fiedler
This one’s a tear-jerker!

Nine Cats by A.M. Rousseau
Vintage photographs and drawings of nine cats.

Because You Love Me by Chelle
Chelle was one of the winners of the free bookmaking code in the giveaway here on Moderncat!

Holiday Cats by Alex Baranda
Wonderful photos of cats dressed-up in holiday attire. Includes photos for the major holidays plus National Aviation Day, Mardi Gras, the summer solstice and autumnal equinox, graduation, and Cinco do Mayo. Hilarious!

As you may have read in my recent interview with The Conscious Cat, I’ve been working on another little project. I’ve opened Moderncat Studio in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. I’ve always been a crafter, and you may have noticed that I have a bit of an obsession with Etsy (I’m wearing my favorite necklace from Etsy seller Adorn Natural in the photo above — thanks to Giulio Sciorio for taking that photo). Moderncat Studio is a place where I can experiment with my own cat-related handcrafts, plus I’m working with other designers to develop some new cat products, all of which will be handmade and in keeping with the Moderncat style. I also feature the work of other artists and craftspeople whose work I appreciate.

The studio is open to the public for special events, like the First Friday Artwalk in downtown Phoenix every month. The official website for the studio is not yet finished, but if you’d like to follow along with the development, please become a fan of the Moderncat Studio page on Facebook.

The plan is to have the studio products for sale on Etsy soon. I’ll be sure to notify you when they are available. In the meantime, if you live in Phoenix, please stop by the actual studio for some serious Moderncat-style holiday shopping for all the cats and cat lovers in your life. We are fully stocked and ready to go! Some of the things you will find at the studio are shown below. Having the studio is also my way to give back. I plan to donate a portion of the profits to local cat rescues and shelters.

Each month, I feature a different guest artist in the studio. This month, the artist is photographer Joe Mehl. We are running a special fundraiser this month – come to the studio and purchase one of Joe’s beautiful cat prints and 50% of the sale will be donated to a local cat charity. We also have Joe’s signature kitty head kaleidoscope on a custom vinyl record wall hanging and also on 8 inch stickers.

In addition to offering products that we make at the studio, I’ve hand-selected products from some of my favorite companies. Right now we have catnip fortune cookies and retro boomerangs from Jake & Micah, as well as catnip eyeballs and kickin’ sticks from HannaPt.

We’re also featuring handcrafted sterling silver jewelry from Phoenix-based jewelry designer Gloria Marsiglia and I created a line of handmade cut-paper greeting cards and gift tags using silhouettes of my own cats (these will be on Etsy soon!)

And here are the first two Moderncat Studio exclusive products! Kitties & Fishies cat toys made from re-purposed vintage neckwear with organic catnip, designed and made by yours truly, and EcoToys designed by Collin Smith, made with EcoFi felt from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic water bottles and stuffed with organic catnip.

So please keep an eye out for more news about the studio and if you’re in Phoenix, please check out the Facebook page for a list of when we’ll be open in the coming months.

Congratulation to Jen (comment #135), your kitties will get to enjoy a trio of delicious treats from Jake & Micah! Try not to eat them all at once!

When California-based architect and woodworker Franz Goebel was commissioned by a client to design a cat tree that worked well with modern furniture, he obviously had some inspiration. That inspiration came from his own four Bengals. Goebel’s new ZcaT modern cat tree is the result and it’s a perfect fit for the Moderncat aesthetic. This sturdy structure is handmade from hardwood with a durable non-toxic finish. It includes two patches of artificial grass and a replaceable corrugated cardboard scratch-and-climb panel.

ZcaT is available in White Oak for $439 or American Walnut for $494. I can’t wait to see what else they have in the works!

And who’s the lucky Moderncat that will be receiving a tasty pumpkin treat from Oh Boy Cat Toy? It’s Susie and her mom Jennifer Lobo (comment #22)! This catnip filled delicacy will have Suzie playing straight through the holiday season!

And the winner of the new book from Kitty Wigs is Frank (comment #240). Thanks to Chronicle Books for sponsoring this giveaway. For your reading pleasure and, no doubt, endless entertainment, you can still pick-up a copy of Glamourpuss at Amazon.

Congratulations to Pam from Decatur, GA. Pam is the winner of the Slant pet stairs from Urban Pet Haus! Now Pam’s kitties will have no problem getting on and off the bed. Thanks Urban Pet Haus!

Thanks to Ingrid King from The Conscious Cat for the nice interview she did with me about Moderncat. You can read the interview here, and if you’re interested, make sure to sign-up for Ingrid’s newsletter News for You and Your Pet, which is full of all sorts of holistic and health-conscious tips.

The Moderncat crowd is used to seeing some pretty pricey feline finery, and here we have a new player, The Company of Pets. Their new line of interior design-inspired pieces are both functional and decorative, because the company founders believe that “pets should have decor, not just stuff.” Included in the line are the following items for cats:

• A classic 19th century silhouette cat scratcher made of cord bound graphite sisal. Can be used on the floor or mounted to the wall. $300
• A post-war French modernist cat-scratcher, which is a mini modernist chair covered in sisal and manila rope. Available in five variations for $575 each.
• And finally, the neo-pop canine cat scratcher, a sisal-covered sculpture of a bull-terrier that kitty can dig her claws into for a mere $1200.

They are all quite elegant and inspirational. I especially like the cat silhouette scratcher. Keep in mind that each piece is custom made to order. So what do you think?

Thanks to both Cheryl and Ruth for the tips.

There’s still time to enter the Doodle a Caboodle contest! The deadline has been extended to November 7. So get out your magic markers and start decorating! Anyone who owns a Caboodle can decorate it up and enter for a chance to win the $100 shopping spree to Puutty Power!

Just submit photos of your decorated Caboodle to contest@caboodlecats.com by midnight on Saturday, November 7. The top designs will be posted here on Moderncat and everyone will get to vote on the grand prize winner. Don’t miss out!

Check out these cute handmade felted cat toys from Etsy seller Cattitude Creations. Soft little creatures made of 100% wool and stuffed with organic catnip, perfect for hugging and bunny kicking.

These kitties sure seem to enjoy ‘em!

For the November giveaway, we have a brand new ultra-modern ModKat litter box for one lucky winner. This sleek and stylish covered litter box is packed full of innovative features including rooftop access, a reusable liner, and an ergonomic litter scoop with built-in brush. This is the perfect litter box for small living quarters.

To enter the monthly giveaway, make sure you’re signed-up to receive Moderncat updates via email. If you’re already getting the updates but you’d like an EXTRA chance to win this month, please leave a comment on this post. The drawing will take place on November 30. Complete details on the monthly giveaway here.

Our friends over at Jake & Micah have conjured up some very tasty treats just for Halloween. They have a special trio of Halloween-themed Catnip Fortune Cookies, each with its own special Halloween fortune. Or, for a little more variety, you could try the Kitty Trick or Treat Bag, which comes with one catnip fortune cookie, one catnip Swiss Roll, and one catnip candy bar. Yum!

And during the month of November, Jake & Micah is offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $9.95!

ENTER TO WIN JAKE & MICAH HALLOWEEN FORTUNE COOKIES!

One lucky winner is going to receive a set of three Halloween Catnip Fortune Cookies from Jake & Micah! Please leave a comment on this post to enter. One winner will be chosen in a random drawing on November 5 and notified via email. One entry per person. This giveaway is open to readers everywhere!

Okay, this is the first time I’ve ever purchased costumes for the cats, but I just couldn’t resist these two. I found the rooster hat at Target and the devil costume came from Petsmart. I think they have both been worn for a total of one and a half minutes, just for the taking of these photos. No one was upset by the photo session, although Ando’s face below is pretty threatening. I was surprised, he actually posed for the camera!

Here are a couple of others that I saw earlier in the season on the PETCO website. Such faces! Please forgive me.

If you’re still trying to figure out what to be for Halloween, here’s some inspiration! How about a sexy kitty costume with 1950s pin-up style. This outfit sold out on Etsy right away, but you still might be able to hit the vintage stores and put together something similar. I think the glasses make the outfit!

Here’s just the thing to keep you toasty warm as you venture out into the neighborhood on Halloween night. It’s a cozy hat with ears from Etsy seller KittyLove123. Available in both adult and children’s sizes. Pick from a variety of fun fuzzy textures and colors.

Make a glossy trio of black cats with these DIY instructions from Sunset Magazine. They can keep an eye on your front porch on Saturday night.

Thanks to Sarah for the tip!

Here are some cute handmade clutches to zip-up your Halloween treats in. There’s an orange wristlet with little black cats and a cute zippered pouch featuring two scardey cats trick-or-treating. Each one is under $10.

Congratulations to Kimberly (comment #539)! CZM is going to paint a custom portrait of Kimberly’s three moderncats. I wonder which style she will pick? I know I’d have a hard time choosing!

Since she can’t have chocolate, treat kitty to some of these cute Halloween catnip cat toys from Moderncat Etsy fave Oh Boy Cat Toy. I’m sure your favorite feline friend deserves some of these!

Enter to Win a Catnip Jack-o-lantern!

One lucky moderncat will get to sink her teeth into a catnip stuffed jack-o-lantern from Oh Boy Cat Toy! Please leave a comment on this post to enter. One winner will be chosen in a random drawing on November 4 and notified via email. One entry per person. This giveaway is open to readers everywhere!

I’ve been admiring the hilarious handmade neckware from Etsy seller Whisker Kisses for quite some time now, and since they have special Halloween styles, I figured it was time to share them with you. Their supermodel, Twiggy, obviously enjoys the dress-up and loves showing off the latest fashions.

Whisker Kisses offers a variety of kitty neckwear, including snazzy bow ties and adorable neckties, sized perfectly for a cat. The buttondown collars just kill me!

And don’t forget the ladies! They also carry feather boa collars and beaded collars for the feminine felines.

This quintessential Halloween kitty is handmade by Etsy seller Mamaroots. Made of poplar wood, finished with non-toxic watercolors, and sealed with beeswax, this little sculpture would make a perfect decoration for Halloween — or anytime!

In her artwork, Julianna Swaney of Oh My Cavalier is inspired by many things, including animals with sharp claws, antique ephemera and postcards, and anthropomorphism of all kinds. It definitely shows in these two Halloween illustrations. Both are available from her Etsy shop on hand printed greeting cards, maybe not in time for Halloween this year, but you could stock-up for next year.

I’ve shown you the fabulous dancing cats of Jamie Shelman before. Well, here they are in their Halloween finery doing the Spooky Dance. Love it!