Jewel's Journeys

This is a new feature where we will share with you memories of our precious Jewel.  We hope you all enjoy hearing about her and helping us remember her.

When Jewel first started living with me (shortly after she was diagnosed with CRF), she enjoyed spending time with me on the couch when I watched television or wrote a letter to one of my snail mail penpals.


Jewel wasn't the kind of kitty who loved hugs like Milita does.  Rather, she showed her love by sticking close by her favorite people.

I was so touched when she started spending a lot of time near me.


Please help us win some awesome toys for Cat Care Society by voting for/admiring Jewel's photo in this contest!


There's still time to enter our giveaway!  You can enter it HERE.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

I've been trying to figure out ways we can honor our sweet Jewel.  Originally, I wanted to have a commentathon to make a monetary donation to Cat Care Society, as they helped us so incredibly much help Jewel through her journey with CRF.  But we haven't had any green papers to spare in a long long time.  So when I saw the contest to win $100 worth of Jackson Galaxy products, I thought it would be fantastic if we could win some things for Cat Care.

You can vote/admire Jewel's photo HERE to help us get into the top 10 where our photo will be judged for a chance to win!  We appreciate votes and shares very much!

Don't forget you can enter our NuVet Plus Giveaway HERE! 

Mancat Monday

This picture is from the old house.  

Carmine: I was just having a nap on it.  I wasn't reading it, I swear....


By the way, our friend Cyclops is entered in the World Spay Day contest!  Isn't he cute?  We would appreciate it if you could vote for him.  If he wins, his mommy gets to choose an organization that spays to receive $1,000.  Cyclops will also have his photo put on the Spay Day website, be featured as the Pet of the Week at the HSUS, and his mommy will receive a couple of books. :)  You can vote once a day, everyday until March 15, 2013.

Here's a picture of the cutie!

Please vote for Cyclops here!  

Pets Add Life Children's Poetry Contest

The 5th annual Pets Add Life kids poetry contest is open for submissions.  Children in grades three through eight may enter the contest.  The contest deadline is February 22, 2013 at 5pm EST.

Children may write an original poem about any pet topic.  Examples include how a pet has changed their lives, a relationship with a relative's or friend's pet, why they have a pet, what they love about their pet, the joy a pet brings them, etc.  Poems are to be no more than 100 words in length.

A panel of judges will select one winner from each grade level.  Winners will receive a $250 gift certificate for pet products.  They will also have their poems published in a national publication.  Additionally, each winner's classroom will receive $1,000 to spend on pet education, such as a field trip to a local animal shelter or zoo, a class pet, or books.

Kids can submit their poems online at the Pets Add Life website or by mail.  If you choose to submit a poem by mail, print and fill out the submission form here, and send the form as well as your poem to: Pets Add Life, 661 Sierra Rose Dr., Reno, NV 89511.

You can see the contest's official rules, submit an entry, or print a submission form from the Pets Add Life website.

Good luck to all who decide to enter!

Source:

Pets Add Life: 5th Annual Pets Add Life Children's Poetry Contest

Winners Announced!

Thank you to everyone who submitted names and/or voted in our "Name Our New Blog" contest!  We got some really creative names!

Mom loves two of the names, so this is what we is going to do.  We are going to combine the first and second place winning names and BOTH submitters will get a prize!!

Our new bloggie will be: Carmine's Orange Pages: Cats from A 2 Z

We think the names fit nicely together!!  What do you think?

Congratulations to Cathy Keisha and Dave for the winning names!!

We will be contacting you both to see where to send your prizes.  We hope everyone had fun with this contest!  We appreciate all who participated :)

Name Our Blog Contest

Our mom wants to create a new bloggie.  Hers is going to make a bloggie full of kitty resources - no-kill shelters, low-cost vet care, the best feline health websites, and so on.  But our mom is not very creative, so she thought we should make a little fun contest to help hers name hers new bloggie!

HOW TO ENTER

If you want to enter the contest, leave a comment on this post:

1. With a name for our new bloggie.
2. With a way for us to contact you if you win the contest, such as an e-mail address.
3. What your favorite flavor of Greenies treats are. If you cannot eat (or do not like Greenies), please tell us what other kinds of treats you like.

RULES

You may submit a blog name suggestion from Monday January 14 through Monday January 21, 2013.

After all the names have been submitted, we will compile a list of the names in another blog post.  You will then be able to cast your vote for your favorite blog name from Tuesday January 22 through Tuesday January 29, 2013.

One blog name submission and one vote per household, please.

PRIZE

The submitter of the winning blog name will receive a bag of Greenies treats.  If your pet cannot eat or does not like Greenies, we will send a different kind of treat to you.

We hope this little contest is fun for everyone!  We is looking forward to all the creative suggestions!

Purrs,
Carmine, Milita, and Jewel

A Competition for the Most Pet-Friendly Workplace

Nestlé Purina PetCare is currently accepting nominations for the Purina Pets at Work contest.  The company wants to reward the nation's most pet-friendly company.  Nominations are being accepted until January 15, 2013.

Purina will reward the most pet-friendly company in the United States with $5,000 in pet-related materials.  It will also donate $10,000 to a local pet charity.  John O'Hurley will present the winning company with the award.

According to CatChannel, in a study published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management in March 2012, it was discovered that employees who brought their dogs to work with them experienced more job satisfaction and less stress than those who didn't.  I'd like to add that I've brought my cat to work with me in the past, and I was much more content than on days I didn't bring her to work (I only had Milita at the time).

To nominate your company as the most pet-friendly, you must write an essay describing how pets make a positive difference in the workplace and why your day is better for you when you have your pet at work.  You must also provide three to five photos showing that your workplace is pet-friendly, and describe your company's Pets at Work program.

The winner will be announced sometime in Spring.

You can learn more about the contest by visiting Purina's website.

Sources:

CatChannel: Dog- and Cat-Friendly Companies Competition

Purina: Pets at Work


Disclaimer: I did not receive any compensation for posting about this contest.  Nor did Purina ask me to post about their contest.  

Help Homeless Cats and Dogs Find New Forever Homes: ASPCA $100K Challenge

Fifty great dog and cat shelters have just started competing for more than $500,000 in grants from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) through this year's ASPCA Rachel Ray $100K Challenge.

The goal of the contest is for the competing shelters to get at least 300 more cats and dogs adopted this August, September, and October than were adopted in the same time-frame in 2011.  The grand prize of $100,000 will go to the shelter who is able to increase their adoption numbers the most from last year to this year.

In addition, the shelter who does the best job engaging the people in its community and the second place shelter will also receive $25,000 each from the ASPCA.  CatChannel also reports that shelters who do the best in each category will be eligible to receive grants worth $5.000 to $40,000.

Bert Troughton, vice president of community outreach for the ASPCA stated, "In this competition, everybody wins - especially the animals!"

Many of the participating organizations are holding events during the competition.  A few of the events taking place include:

• City of Bloomington Animal Shelter: ASPCA $100K Kickoff Adopt-A-Thon. This event will take place from August 1-5 at the City of Bloomington Animal Shelter located at 3410 S. Walnut, Bloomington, IN 47401.  The shelter will be open extended hours and reducing adoption fees during this time.  The shelter will be open from noon to 7pm from Wednesday to Saturday and from 1 to 4pm on Sunday.  All dog adoption fees will be reduced to $40 per dog and all cat adoption fees will be waived!
• Rainy Days at PHS: Located at 4022 Seaboard Court, Portsmouth, Virginia 23701, PHS will offer FREE adoptions from August 1 through October 31 on ANY DAY IT RAINS!!  As long as rain is falling when you begin your adoption process, you will have your cat or dog adoption fee waived. 
• Name Your Own Adoption Fee: Located at 171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato, California 94949, the Marin Humane Society wants to adopt out 1,200 cats and dogs during the months of August, September, and October.  During the entire month of August, the Marin Humane Society is allowing pet adopters to name their own adoption fees for cats and dogs! 
• "Priceless" Cat Adoption Special: HALO Animal Rescue, a no-kill shelter, is offering waived adoption fees for all adult cats from August 1 through October 31, 2012.  Any cat one year old or older is eligible for waived adoption fees during this time.  HALO Animal Rescue is located at 5231 N 35th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85017.  You can also take advantage of the waived adoption fees on HALO Animal Rescue adult cats in Petco and PetSmart stores in the area.
• Halloween Spooktacular: Halloween Spooktacular will be held by the Bay Area Humane Society, located at 1830 Radisson St., Green Bay, Wisconsin 54302.  From October 24 through October 31, 2012, the adoption fee on any cat or dog containing orange and/or black fur will be reduced by half.  This reduction will apply to any cat or dog of any age at the main shelter and to any cat or dog of any age at the PetSmart adoption center located on Pilgrim Way.  

You can see a full list of the events shelters are using during the ASPCA Rachel Ray $100K Challenge by going here.  You can help homeless cats and dogs find good and loving forever homes by helping promote your local shelter's events. :)

Sources:

CatChannel: Shelters Vie for $500,000 in Dog and Cat Adoption Contest

ASPCA $100K Challenge: Events

Help Your Local Cat or Dog Shelter Win a $10,000 Grant

Purina ONE beyOnd and GOOD magazine want to award a dog or cat shelter a $10,000 grant to continue its good work, and there's still time to nominate your best local cat or dog shelter for this great prize.

This is the last week to submit a story about how your local cat or dog shelter makes the world a better place and why the organization should win the grant to continue their good work.  You can submit your entry for the Shine a Light on a Shelter Challenge until 12 (noon) Pacific time on July 30.  A panel of judges will select the best 40 submissions for public voting.  The public will be able to vote on the nominations from August 6 to August 20.  The winner will be announced after August 21, 2012.

This contest is open to residents in the 48 continental United States and District of Columbia.  All entrants must be at least 18 years of age (or 19 years old in Alabama and Nebraska).  It is recommended that you include a picture or video along with your entry that represents the shelter you are nominating for the grant.

The winning shelter will receive a $10,000 grant to continue its work.  The submitter of the winning nomination will receive a one year subscription to GOOD magazine and a one year supply of Purina ONE beyOnd pet food.

For all of the contest rules or to submit a nomination, you can go here.

Good luck!

Source:

GOOD Maker: Shine a Light on a Shelter

Pets Add Life Children's Poetry Contest

This looks like a great way to encourage kids' creativity, so I thought I'd pass it along! Please pass this information along to anyone who has kids. Thanks! :)

The 4th Annual Pets Add Life Children's Poetry Contest is now accepting entries from children in grades three through eight. Children are encouraged to write a poem on any pet-related theme or topic. Some examples of things children can write about include: pets as best friends, their love of pets, the joy a pet brings to their life, the relationship they have with a friend or relative's pet, how a pet has changed their life, etc.

Poems should not exceed 100 words in length. The deadline for poem submission is January 31, 2012 with winners being notified by March 11, 2012. Six poems will be selected as winners - one from each grade level. Each winner will receive a $250 gift certificate for pet products, the poem will be published in a national magazine, and each winner will be given a "by-line" in the magazine as well. Additionally, six poems - one from each grade level - will be chosen nationally and that student's class will receive $1,000 (each) to spend on pet education.

You can submit a pet poem on-line or through the mail. You can submit your poem on-line here. If you would rather mail your poem, you can do so by printing out a submission form here and mailing the form along with your poem to:

Pets Add Life (PAL)

661 Sierra Rose Dr.

Reno, NV 89511

You can get more information about the contest by visiting this website.

Good luck to all the kids who decide to enter!

Source:

Pets Add Life: 4th Annual Pets Add Life Children's Poetry Contest

1-800-PetMeds Searches for America's Next Pet TV Star

I thought I'd pass this along to all the proud pet parents. :)

The company, 1-800-PetMeds, is hosting, "America's Next Pet TV Star," contest with the grand prize being an opportunity for one feline or dog to star in 1-800-PetMeds' next television commercial. The grand prize winner will also receive a 4 day, 3 night all-expenses paid trip to Fort Lauderdale, FL where 1-800-PetMeds' headquarters is located, and $1,000 spending cash. The trip includes economy airfare for the winner and one guest as well as round trip transportation on Pet Airways for the winning pet.

The second place winner will be given a lifetime supply of flea and tick medication for one pet. Third prize constitutes the owner's choice of pet gear.

You can enter a photo of your pet until 11:59pm PDT on July 31. You can enter your cat or dog's photo into the contest by visiting the PetMeds Facebook page. Ask your friends and family to vote on your pet's photo from August 1 through August 14 at 12AM. Contest winners will be announced on August 22.

The contest is open to all legal residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older. You can read all of the official contest rules here.

Good luck to anyone who decides to enter!

Biggest Losers Contest Winners

A while back I posted about the Biggest Losers Contest (in Purrfect Pets) where owners of obese cats were encouraged to help them lose weight on a veterinary approved diet. The results and winners of the contest were recently published in the May edition of CAT FANCY magazine.

The first place winner is Pumpkin, a 13-year-old cat who weighed 30 pounds before he began his weight-loss journey. At 30 pounds, Pumpkin's owners, Kathryn Maxwell and Elizabeth Bible, said he didn't move anymore than he had to. They did not force him to exercise, but began to feed him a recommended amount of weight management cat food every morning and evening. He began his weight loss journey in July 2007, and by January 2009, he weighed 14 pounds. His owners say he now plays and runs with the other cats, is much happier, and can groom his entire body.

The second place winner in the Biggest Losers Contest is Serendipity, a nine-year-old cat, who weighed 23 pounds when he began his weight-loss journey. His owner, Marian Kaplan, gives him a little less than 1/8 cup of diabetes food every morning. She tosses it piece by piece down the hall to give Serendipity some exercise and to keep him from snarfing his food, then stealing the other cats' food. In mid-morning, Serendipity receives four dental treats, tossed as well. Ten pieces of diabetic food are then tossed to him mid-day. In late afternoon, he is served 1/4 of a small can of wet cat food in a bowl with three posts, which makes him work for his food. Finally, before bed, he gets 10 more pieces of diabetic food tossed to him.

Serendipity now weighs 11 pounds.

The third place winner in this contest is Baron, an eight-year-old cat who weighed 22 pounds at the beginning of his weight-loss journey. Baron's owner, Nan Schaeffer said when Baron was rescued he was malnourished and gained weight too quickly, which led to him becoming obese. Baron has been eating four controlled meals each day and must jump up to his table in order to eat them. Baron now weighs 13 pounds, and enjoys running and playing.

Homewood Suites Pet Contest

Homewood Suites is having a pet photo/video contest from April 15-July 18, 2008. The site is asking that pet owners upload photos or videos of themselves or their families with their pets, sharing a simple moment.

Each entry is eligible to win a trip to New York. The winners will also be shown on billboards in Times Square!

For more information, you can visit the Homewood Suites website.

How I Wish I Could Work Like my Cat Contest

I Love Cats magazine is having a "How I Wish I Could Work Like my Cat" contest.

Here are the rules:

"How I’d Like to Work Like a CAT" Photo and Essay Contests Sponsored by Willow Creek Press and Karen Wormald Deadline: April 15, 2007 I Love Cats magazine is pleased to announce that Willow Creek Press andauthor Karen Wormald have agreed to offer copies of her fun andinspirational book, How to Work Like A CAT, as prizes for the first, secondand third place winners in both our essay and photo contests. In addition,the first-place winners will receive $50 cash each from I Love Cats. Entries will be judged on originality and creativity by a panel of judges.The winning essays and photos will be announced and published in theJuly/August 2007 issue of I Love Cats. Essay Contest Tell us how you’d like to work like a cat, rather than a dog, in 300 wordsor less, typed and doubled-spaced. Entries must be received on or beforeApril 15, 2007. Photo Contest Send I Love Cats a photo that shows how your cat has inspired you to "work"like a cat, rather than like a dog. Photos must be postmarked by April 15,2007, and they will not be returned. Photos sent by e-mail must be in 300-DPI JPG format. How to Enter By mail: How to Work Like a Cat Essay Contest or How to Work Like a Cat Photo Contest I Love Cats c/o Lisa Allmendinger, Editor 16 Meadow Hill Lane Armonk, NY 10504 By e-mail: ilovecatseditor@ sbcglobal. net Use the subject line: How To Work Like a Cat Essay Contest or How to Work Like a Cat Photo Contest Please include your name, home address, and phone number with each entry soprizes can be sent to your home. Official Rules We cannot acknowledge receipt of entries, nor will they be returned. Entry into either contest constitutes that it is an original entry and hasnot been previously published. Entry into the contest constitutes permissionto use the work by I Love Cats Publishing or Willow Creek Press and itsaffiliates. These contests are open to all residents of the United States and Canada,except families and employees of I Love Cats Publishing, Inc., Willow CreekPress, its affiliates, and advertising agencies. These contests are void where prohibited by law and are subject to allfederal, state and local laws and regulations. Prizes are non-transferableand no substitution is permitted. Tax liabilities on prizes are the soleresponsibility of the winners. For the names of the winners, send an SASE to: How to Work Like a CATContest Winners, I Love Cats, c/o Lisa Allmendinger, Editor, 16 Meadow HillLane, Armonk, NY 10504, or e-mail your request to ilovecatseditor@ sbcglobalnet.