One World One Heart Giveaway

Warm greetings to new friends
and old pals from around the world!
Welcome to the wonderful world of Cat Ladies (and Lads too)

365 Cat Ladies and Friends is delighted to be participating in the 2010 One World One Heart Giveaway...an international event involving hundreds of bloggers from around the world, each offering a special giveaway that ends on February 15.

The prize for my giveaway will be this limited edition print entitled "Begonia Max" ($60.00 value). It is a giclee reproduction of my watercolor painting of my beloved kitty Max sunning himself in the flower garden.


This is a limited edition giclee print ready for framing. It is personally signed and numbered and this print is limited to an edition of 500. It is printed on Epson 100 percent cotton rag acid-free art paper with archival quality inks using a "giclee" (ink-jet) process. The image itself measures 9-1/2" x 12-1/2" and is matted in a 16" x 20" ivory-tone matting; ready to frame in a standard 16" x 20" frame.

Blog writers and blog readers alike may enter my giveaway. To enter, please leave a short comment at the end of this post (one entry per person, please). Giveaway ends on Monday, February 15 at 7:00 P.M. Pacific Standard Time. Each entrant will be assigned a number, and the winning number will be selected using a random number generator.

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you if you are the winner, such as a link to your blog or e-mail address included in the comment. Winner will also be announced in a blog post for that day.

Also, if you encounter trouble with the Comments feature, please contact me by e-mail at art@undertheoaks.net with the word "giveaway" in the subject line.

ABOUT ONE WORLD ONE HEART: Artist Lisa Swifka is the organizer of the event and her vision is "to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. ..It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way." To find out more about this event and other participants, visit One World One Heart (but be sure to leave your comment/entry at the end of this post first, before you are whisked away on the magic carpet!).


Thanks for participating!

A Cat Lady with a Heart of Gold

Meet Cat Lady Kimberlynn, who has a special place in her heart for good friends, fabulous felines, and canine cuties too. But then, she has a very special heart, as Cat Lady Rose can attest to:

"My friend Kimberlynn loves animals, she has 8 cats and 3 dogs! All rescued. We have been friends since we were 15, and we will turn 50 this year...Kim is beautiful and glamorous all of the time, and is the funniest person I have ever met. She is kind and intelligent and stronger than anyone I know.

"Thirteen years ago she had a heart transplant."

You can read her story here: Kim's Story. Rose adds: "Following her transplant, Kimberlynn designed her own product called “Goodnight Lines” which is an overnight facial moisturizer and she donates $1 from every bottle sold to Angelcat Haven Feline Rescue."

Feline friends Sly, Jennie, Sweetie, Chloe, Ashley, Bridgette, Paris, and Nikki approve wholeheartedly!

Thanks for visiting!

Crazy Cat Lady Club Guidelines

Not a member yet? Certain guidelines apply. In order to qualify for an Official Cat Lady I.D. card, one or more of the of the following criteria must apply:

• Your cat wears hats on holidays and/or has a flashier wardrobe than you do.
• Your cat is the author of his or her own blog and has subscribers.
• You spend more on gourmet cat treats and litter than on your own groceries.
• Your cat has his or her own Facebook profile and more friends than you do.
• You consider loose fur to be the ultimate fashion accessory & wear it proudly.
• Your cat has nicer furniture and playthings than you do.
• You share your home with cats in spite of your severe allergy to pet dander.
• You have a "My Tabby is Smarter Than Your Honor Student" bumper sticker.
• You and your cat communicate through telepathic messages.
• Your cat has his or her own television, plus video tape and/or dvd collection.
• The veterinarian sends thank-you notes for financing their child's college tuition.
• You NEVER leave home without the proper CCCCL I.D. card in your wallet

If you are unable to meet the criteria listed above, do not despair. The following will apply:

When using the abbreviation C.C.C.C.L. (Card-Carrying Crazy Cat Lady), it shall be permissible to substitute any one or more of the following words for the term "Crazy":

• Caring
• Creative
• Comical
• Cute
• Courageous
• Capable
• Corporate
• Clever
• Cuddly
• Compassionate
• Clairvoyant
• Collegiate
• Courteous
• Curious
• Classy
• Caffeinated
  

Congratulations!! You have qualified! Membership Kits are available here: CCCCLC Kit and include a personalized I.D. card, a members-only pinback button, and full color copies of the Guidelines and the Crazy Cat Lady Creed. Enjoy!

Cat Ladies In The News

Vote for Billy! Cat Lady Rose (aka Cat Lady No.338 ) has entered a handsome photo of Terrific Tabby Billy in The Humane Society's Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest. Billy says: "I need your vote to help me win some cool prizes -- and raise critical funds for spaying and neutering to control pet overpopulation. Go here to vote for me by making a small donation to my sponsored charity!"

[Editor's note: As a non-partisan pet lover, I offer equal time for any other candidates. Enter your photo in the Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest today, then drop me a line!]

Cat Lady Karen (aka Cat Lady No.256)has 10 Tips for Emergency Pet Preparedness on her Cat's Meow blog. Being prepared for an emergency has been on all of our minds lately, and she has some great tips for keeping pets safe during a flood, fire, or earthquake, plus ideas on making it easier to re-unite with your pet if you become separated. Thanks, Karen!

Do you have Animal Magnetism? You definitely will if you are the lucky winner in Cat Lady Ingrid's book giveaway at her blog The Conscious Cat. The deadline is Sunday, January 24.

Attention Cat Ladies and Lads! Do you have news to share? Send it to art@undertheoaks.net with "365 Cat Lady News" in the subject line.

Meet Cat Lady Marie...Crazy For Calicoes

Meet Cat Lady Marie who just happens to be the baby sister of Crazy Cat Lady Carm (aka Cat Lady No. 217), who tells her story:

"Marie has a love for calico girls! There's just something about a calico kitty's "tortitude" that really makes her smile. So whenn Marie's children Danielle and Brian wanted a pet that was more than a hamster they thought about a kitten...

"Her friend Betsy's barncat had a litter in the spring of 1998. They all fell in love with and adopted the tiny tortoiseshell calico girl they called Cali. The next spring of 1999 Momma Barncat had yet another litter which produced a dilute calico girl with white who joined the family and was named Dusty Rose."

In the mean time, sister Carm had fallen in love with the Maine Coon breed and in the fall of 2001 she took Marie along for the ride on one of her visits to Chadwickoon Maine Coon Cats. Marie saw a brown-patched-with-white mackerel tabby girl and it was love at first sight! She suggested that Eileen (the breeder) should name the kitten Marie. "On the ride home she knew she had to have her little namesake... So she adopted Chadwickoon Sweet Marie a couple months later."

Carm continues the story: "Marie still longed for a true calico Maine Coon girl and asked me to find one that was predominately white with the black and red markings. By then I had LOTS of Maine Coon PURRson friends and one of them told me about a cattery in Eastern Pennsylvania who had such a girl. Emails and telephone calls were exchanged and one weekend in October of 2003 we made our way from Buffalo (driven by Marie's feline fella Bill), NY to Boothwyn, PA, to pick up McKimmey Emily- 7 hours to get there...and 7 hours home!"

"Cali is now 11 years old. Sadly, Dusty Rose lived to be only 6 when she went to the rainbow bridge. Marie is 8 and Emily is 6. Marie and Emily are enormous (not overweight--just BIG) Maine Coon girls each tipping the scales at approximately 20 pounds. Their veterinarian and their groomer both say they have never seen such big calicoes!"

Are you Crazy about Calicoes? [I looked it up--the spelling "calicos" is also acceptable!] Tell us about your tri-color kitties in the Comments section of this post. Thanks for visiting!

Crazy Cat Lady Club Creed

Welcome new members!

The Card-Carrying Crazy Cat Lady Creed

...I promise to love, cherish and honor my feline friends through sickness and health, for richer or poorer, whether purebred or stray, domestic or feral, exotic or just darned cute as the dickens.

...I will come to the aid and assistance of fellow crazy cat ladies in times of need including but not limited to: kibble shortages, catnip-mice-under-the-fridge events, and the classic cat-stuck-in-a-treetop emergency.

...I fully understand the intoxicating lure of catnip, and the associated dangers that its consumption poses to houseplants and ankles, and will administer said substance responsibly and with close supervision.

...I will always spay or neuter responsibly and do everything within my power to reduce pet overpopulation and needless euthanasia.

...I will not hoard, collect, or otherwise take in more cats or kittens than I can provide a clean, loving, and healthy environment for.

...If choosing a purebred cat of a specific breed, I will first consider adopting a homeless purebred cat from a shelter or rescue organization.

...If able to, I will always give generously to animal shelters and rescue organizations either by volunteering and/or through financial gifts.


Each new member of the CCCCLC will receive a full color copy of the club's Official Creed, suitable for framing! Click here for more information: CCCCLC Kit

How Do You Say "Cat Lady" in Polish?

Cat Lady Marta's website "Chabrowa Legenda" (in Polish) is all about the beautiful and rare cat breed the Chartreux.

The Chartreux are similar to the British Blue Shorthair (like our friends Wendell and William). The name of Marta's website "Chabrowa Legenda" means "Cornflower Legend" and refers to the beautiful blue color of the lush fur of these cats.

According to the Cat Fancier's Association, "There exists a lovely old legend that the Chartreux lived with, and were named for, the Carthusian monks of France, and perhaps even shared a tipple or two of their famous Chartreuse liqueur! Recent research, however, indicates that because of the woolly character of their fur, they were given the same name as a well known Spanish wool of the early 18th century. Since this method of naming is common in animal husbandry, it is very likely the truth."

Oh, by the way, Marta tells us that "cat lady" in Polish is "kicia mama"!

Thanks for visiting!