Channel Todd Late Night News Edition

State of Emergency: Empty
My food bowl is almost empty, my food bowl is almost empty!!!!!

May I serve you?

Top Story in Business: Fine Dining
At the Longcroft Luxury Cat Motel in England, they have a fine dining restaurant for us finicky felines. They serve Salmon, Fresh Cod Steak, and Simply King Prawns, just to name a few of their menu items. They also have a Sunday Brunch that includes ham, free-range chicken and shrimp. While I must travel to Britain just to stay at this wondrous hotel, fine dining for cats isn’t left to just vacation time anymore. There’s a new trend out there to buy and feed cats (and dogs) gourmet meals. People all over the country are seeking out better foods for their pets, such as organic, all-natural, made in the US, and human-grade foods (and what do you mean you haven’t been feeding us human-grade foods this whole time). Humans will pay big bucks for these types of foods, as well, even while those same humans will resort to eating take-out, fast food, or pizza … again!

Add to that, that even us finicky cats – and yes, we are very finicky eaters, so keep on buying us that expensive food – even have our own restaurants that cater just to us (out with those human-only restaurants, in with the cat-only restaurants). One of the cat-only restaurants is called Duncan’s Fine Dining where they serve items such as Toona Tortellini, Fresh Nip Salad, and Pouncie Bread Man. You can even top it off with a fine wine such as the ’95 Chateau Domainecoon Majeur.

Furthermore, there are even celebrity chefs cooking for cats now, such as the famous Simon Rimmer. He’s a wonderful guy, working with top-notch veterinarians to cook up some fancy food that’s not only super tasty, but good for our sensitive digestive systems. As a bonus, I’ve included the video below where you can watch the wonderful Mr. Simon Rimmer cook up a tasty, gourmet dinner for  cats. So please watch, enjoy, and cook on, humans. Cook on! 

Top Story in Style: Cat-Fashionable Humans

We love this shirt. Sleek, colorful and fashionably fitted, it can look good on a number of different body types or in any type of laundry basket (our favorite place for shirts are those laundry baskets that have just been loaded up from a nice, warm dryer). This top is called the Festival Cats Top and can be found on the Animal Rescue site for the low price of $28.95. Us cats will enjoy seeing you humans in this shirt as much as you’ll enjoy wearing it.

Top Story in Health: How Cats can Benefit Humans
Check this out! Cats can help heal humans. While that comes as no surprise to us kitties, you humans may not know all of this. So, as the flu season winds down, remember to keep us kitties nearby to help keep you healthy and happy!

Now for your commercial break
 

Top Story in Entertainment: Comic Break
It’s snowy out there … at least in some parts of the country (ok, maybe all parts of the country except California). So let this comic warm you up.

Top Story in Sports: Kitten Bowl vs. Puppy Bowl
We’re excited for February 2^nd. It’s going to be a big game out there. We’re pulling for our favorite team to win – The Great and Mighty Kittens!!!! Yay. Who’s going to help me root them on?? Everyone??? Ok!!! Game night, big party at my house. Don’t forget to bring your own catnip, milk and tuna. If you bring extra for me and the boys, we’ll give you a front row seat during game time!

Top Story in Opinion: I used to be a Fire Hazard
I used to live in a studio apartment in Alameda, Ca. It was on the top floor of a secure, 3-story building that had been built in the 1920s. It was a fabulous apartment, mostly because I knew how to get the door open as long as it wasn’t locked. Eventually, I even figured out how to undo the lock, so mom started using the chain when she was home, always worrying that I’d still be able to get the door open enough to squeak out. So, she started placing piles of stuff in front of the door, thinking I’d never be able to get the door open. And it worked.

But when she was gone, at work, I’d still work at getting that door open. One day, mom came home to find the door ajar, thinking that somehow, someone had gotten into the building and broken into the apartment. When I came running up the stairs after her to welcome her home, she frowned at me, but was whole-heartedly relieved to know we hadn’t actually been robbed. And then told me that under no circumstance was I supposed to open the door for strangers. So when she locked herself out of the building a month later, I refused to let her in, telling her there was no way I could have known it was her. Payback’s an empty food bowl, mom!

Thank you for reading! Have a good night!

Give Me the Remote!!!

I have to see this show!!! Somebody tell me they know when it’s air date is!!!

Dance, Dance, Dance

I think I’m a decent dancer and my sister’s a fashionista, so if you put the two of us together, you might see a video like this one.

I’m a Dapper Dan Man

My mom loves me in this tuxedo. If I do say so myself, I think I look rather dashing in it. There’s a blue one, too, that mom thinks I’d look good in, but I don’t think the blue one would go nearly as well with my green hot-rod stroller! This picture was done by the fabulous J.S. I think she should go pro with that photo-taking ability of hers!

The Giving Season

Lots of people tend to give more during the holidays than at any other time of year. But both people and pets need your help year round. So this January, when giving tends to be at its lowest, think of donating items you no longer use. If you got lots of clothes during the holidays, clear out a few of your older clothes and donate those. If you got new sheets and bedspread, think of donating the older ones. If you got new pet toys and pet beds, donating those are a great idea. There are so many things we can give to others who need it at a time when a lot of people don’t think of doing so.

So, where do you take the items you’d like to donate? If you have canned food, maybe that fruit cake no one wants, you can take those items directly to your local food bank. They are always in need of unexpired items. Donating cash to local food banks is always helpful, as well, as is donating items such as toiletries and can openers. And there are lots of people who couldn’t live without the help of food banks who have pets, so donating pet food and supplies can be tremendously helpful (please don’t judge … we don’t know the history of how people ended up needing help, and pets are often invaluable mates to those in need – these pets are also well cared for, and the first to eat, even if that means the human goes without food).

How about clothes, coats and bedding? You can take all of these to local human shelters, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. You also can find clothes donation bins in some parking lots. These bins usually aren’t associated with thrift stores (there are some exceptions). If the name of the donation bin is not a familiar one to you or if it’s not associated with a thrift shop, then they are often not associated with any type of charity.

And, of course, if you have used pet toys, collars, leashes, beds, pet clothing, etc., you can take these directly to your local animal shelter or rescue. A few notes on a couple of items: please don’t donate used litter boxes (or at least call the rescue first). Litter boxes carry germs. Sometimes kitties can carry germs, like with a cold, and not actually come down with it. Those germs get in the litter box and taken to the shelter. If that litter box gets used in a shelter, even after it’s cleaned, another kitty could loosen debris and germs stuck in the scratches on the bottom of the litter box. And kitties in shelters tend to be stressed out and more susceptible to illness. So voila, kitty in shelter gets a cold and now has a hard time finding a home because people are less likely to adopt a sick kitty. Also, with any items, call your local animal shelter to make sure they can actually use the items. If not, you can try donating these items to thrift stores, at local human shelters, and at a local food bank.

Also, with any donation, if it’s something you wouldn’t use, maybe its not worth donating. By that, I don’t mean that if you got a really ugly blanket for Christmas that you shouldn’t donate it; by all means do. What I mean by that is if that really ugly blanket you got for Christmas was supposed to replace the blanket that’s so worn out, falling apart, that you can’t use it anymore, then maybe it’s time to head to the trash or recycle bin with it instead of to the donation bin.

Anyway, maybe you could try to donate one thing this January, whether it’s leftover Denny’s you hand to the homeless kid you often see on the street corner asking for money, or a can of beans you take to the local food bank, or a brand new cat bed you take to the local animal shelter. Remember that it’s often the little things that count, that mean the most to those in need. You don’t have to give a dog bed to every dog in the shelter, but if you give one to the dog that’s been there a while or to the senior doggy, they will be truly grateful; you will have made a direct difference in someone else’s life.

 

Merry Christmas

I want to be a reindeer

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!!!

Look What I’ve found

I just ran across an artist named Shelagh Duffett from Nova Scotia who does artwork, and a lot of it is cat-themed. I love her work; it’s beautiful. Maybe, if you like the samples you see here, you might want to wander over to her etsy shop at Alice In Paris. She has her artwork for sale at a really reasonable rate. I’m not sure how much she sells the originals for, but I do love what she has on her site. I hope you like her artwork as much as I do.

Owl and the Pussycat Print

Muriel and her Cat Print

Colourful Sweater Cats Folkart Print

Seaside Picnic Print

Full Moon Cats whimsical print

Cat Kitties in Bed with Quilt print

Orange Tabby Cat Looking at Starry Night Sky , All Is Well, print

6 Cat Saturday Print

Last Minute Gift Idea

There’s a fabulous new book out called Downton Tabby! It sells for just $10, but I’ve seen it on sale for only $8. How can you beat that price? If anyone’s looking for a fabulous gift, for your friends, family – or ME! – this could be it! Check it out now! I just wish I could have been in it!

Kitty Artwork

There’s a lady my mom got to work with; her name’s Stefanie and Stefanie used to volunteer for Berkeley Humane Society (she might still volunteer there, I’m not sure). Stefanie recently got to go visit some really big kitties at Big Cat Rescue in Florida. Every now and then, mom goes to Stefanie’s etsy page (which you can visit here). She found the pictured choker that mom thinks is just fabulous. So I got to thinking that maybe, if you’re still Christmas shopping, I should post a few good ideas for gifts for those cat lovers in your home. So, of course, the first one is the choker by Stefanie. Click on the links under the pictures and you’ll go directly to the website mom found the item on. Just keep in mind that mom’s looking at small businesses that may only produce one of each item, so if it’s been sold already, keep looking and maybe you’ll find something else worthwhile.

Stefanie Kraus on Etsy

AuthFasion

Sisunyak

Grumpy Cat Gifts

2009’s Worse Inventions

Please, please, please, if you’re going to invent a snuggy for cats, make sure it looks like clean laundry (or dirty laundry, it doesn’t matter really) or a freshly made bed (or not, that doesn’t really matter either) or your pillow. Because those are the only types of snuggies dignified kitties will “wear”.