Tag Archive: bedding

Weekend Link Love

Written on August 6, 2011 by

Here’s my weekly round-up of (generally cat-related) interesting things I ran across.

This may very well be the most amazingly amazing pet bed I’ve ever seen. Just pretend it isn’t a d-o-g in the picture. Isn’t that aligator sleeping bag just fun??

Click on the pic to visit Rikarika’s etsy shop. She even has a bear rug version in her shop. So cute!

Litterbox Troubleshooting
Did you know that the number one reason cats are surrendered to shelters is inappropriate elimination? Here are some great websites for solving the problem.

Cat Attract Litter: This has been a lot of help for remedial litterbox training for Mr. Oswald Underfoot.

Catinfo.org This is the most comprehensive litter box guide I have ever seen, and it’s been written by a vet. It’s helped tremendously with Jayne, who suffers from elevator butt. Or rather, we suffer. We reference this website at least every other month. There’s always something to learn.

Fun Resources Local to the Treasure Valley: If you’re in the area and you haven’t visited these places, you should!

Bark’n'Purr
A fabulous pet supply shop in North-East Boise. The owner, Heather, is knowledgeable and passionate about helping people pick healthy products for their pets.

H3 Pet Foods
What a fun shop! It’s overflowing with great food and fun toys. The three ladies who run it are fantastic to talk with, too. If you live in Meridian, I highly recommend dropping by this shop.

Northwest Pets
A fun, all-around pet store in the Valley. Good prices, fun people to talk to, and well worth the visit.

Catnap Quarters
A great place to board your kitty.

If you would like to adopt a cat, please please please make Simply Cats your first stop. By adopting there, you give a deserving cat a home, and your money doesn’t go to support euthanasia.

The Cat Doctor
This clinic is the only one that specializes in cats, in the valley. Your cat will never be medicated or diagnosed as if it is a small dog. They’re not small dogs. They’re cats. These doctors are great, and we frequent their clinic.

Gem Vet
I can say, without reservation, that Dr. Howlett is phenomenal. People in Emmett are very lucky!

Know of some fun or informative links you’d like to share? Post it in the comments! Thanks, and have a great weekend.

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Nothing Sleeps Like A Cat

Written on July 16, 2011 by

Nothing, and I mean nothing, sleeps like a cat.

Jayne’s sleeping habits are ridiculous even for a cat. Please ignore my freckled elbow. I couldn’t find a way to crop the photo that still included Jayne, but didn’t flash my elbow to the world.

The quilt he’s on was made by my mom. She threw together several crazy colors that she liked. When she asked everyone what they thought of the quilt, she always got an “It’s interesting” response. When I saw it, I instantly fell in love with it. I mean, what’s not to love? It can burn out retinas at 10 paces.

Perfect.

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Success! A Shivery Bob Bed

Written on July 26, 2010 by

Took me long enough, I know, but here it is.  The grand reveal of Shivers’ new heart bed:

What do you think? It’s the first time I’ve sewn something like this.

I will admit, I was worried that Shivers would stop sleeping in the bed after I sewed it and took the pins out. Cats are like that, sometimes. I’m happy to report that she still sleeps in it even though it’s actually comfortable now. For an idea of what she was sleeping on before, click here. I’m not joking about the pins.

Normally I’d go out of my way to keep the kiddos away from pins, but Shivers is adamant about getting into that closet. Travis even added industrial velcro to the pocket door to keep it shut. She’s persistant. This is definitely a case of “do as I say, not as I do.” If Jayne were to get into this closet, I would have a heart attack. That’s why the door to the room this closet is in, is always closed. Only Shivers has regular access to that room. It’s where she eats her special meals that look after her kidneys, served just so. Then she naps on her special heart bed. Spoiled thing.

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I *heart* Cat Beds

Written on June 25, 2010 by

There seems to be a “heart” theme to this week’s posts. I’m just going to go with it.

Last summer, I found this fantastic heart-shaped basket at a yard sale. Being loyal to my feline overlords, my first thought was what a great cat bed it would make. Recently I took it down from the top of the closet and cut the fleece to fit. Shivers sensed the presence of an impending bed, and started sleeping in it. In the closet. Unstuffed. I haven’t even made it yet, and she’s claimed it.  Queen of all she surveys – that’s our Shivers.

So the plan is to get it finished up for the kiddo. This photo doesn’t show all the white cat hair on the fleece, but the lucky thing is that, after I sew it and turn it right-side-out to be stuffed, the cat hair won’t show. Maybe that’s all part of Shiver’s plan to seal the deal so that it’s her bed?

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DIY – Cat Mat From Pillow Case

Written on February 9, 2010 by

 

 

 

 

 

Our kitties are not spoiled. We simply keep them in the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. That said, our eldest cat, Shivers, may be a bit spoiled.

We keep a pillow or towel over the heating vent in our livingroom, for two reasons. One, we live in a townhouse in which, when the livingroom is comfortably tepid, the bedroom is icy. Covering the vent helps keep the bedroom warmer. The second (and real) reason, though, is that it makes a nice heated bed for Shivers.

Unfortunately, having a rumpled towel or pillow on the floor in the bedroom (getting furrier with every catnap) makes the room look dirty. So when my mom recently came to visit and showed me a new, simpler way to turn quilts, I immediately took the method one step lazier. I adapted it to make a “cat mat” to put over the vent. New heated catbed, here we come.

You will need a pillowcase, some batting or a blanket or towel you don’t mind cutting up, and some thread. A sewing machine makes the project easier, but you can do it by hand if you like.

First, turn the pillowcase inside out and iron it flat. Cut off the hem at the open side of the pillowcase to help it lay flat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lay the pillowcase on some batting or an old blanket, and cut the batting (or blanket) to fit. You want it to fit end to end – don’t worry about making it smaller than the pillowcase. This project works better if it fits right up to the edge. Pin the batting to the pillowcase. Sew everything together along the edges with a generous 1/2″ seam. Don’t sew the open side of the pillowcase (where you’d normally slip a pillow inside). This won’t work, otherwise. I run it through my sewing machine with the batting side down. It doesn’t tend to get caught against the presser foot, that way. It’s counter intuitive, but seems to work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here comes the magic. Now reach through the open side, and turn the mat right-side out. I couldn’t believe how much easier this was than my usual method of pinning everything several times and sewing several times. I love it. (Thanks, mom!) Now just sew the open side shut, and you’re done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to dress it up, you could topsew around the mat again, to reinforce the seams. I also sewed a few stripes down it, just to make it pretty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These mats are also great for putting in carriers, crates, and cat beds for a little extra softness. If you follow this tutorial, please email us pictures of the end result. We’d love to see!

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