A valley of cat scratches?

It’s BlogPaws weekend! In the spirit of pet blogger unity, I thought it was the perfect time to share another meow mix link roundup, inspired by F. Scott Fitz-feral:

  1. First up, your punny pet names: Tobey Catguire, Baz Purrmann, and Hairy Mulligan. (Also, I totally made that DiCatrio pun ages ago… and with a little extra flair, to boot.)
  2. Don’t even try to pretend. You know you kind of want to buy this.
  3. If the Internet had been around back then, I bet that some of the characters in Gatsby would have inspired the inaugural first-world problems meme.
  4. I can hear the tiny violins now, can’t you?
  5. I mean, we all have rough days. You feel trapped. You don’t have an appetite. Maybe you’re feeling under the weather.
  6. Honestly, sometimes you’re the cat, and sometimes you feel like the box. You know what I’m talking about.
  7. If you’re experiencing your own first-world problems, maybe you should hit up the gym and sweat it out.
  8. In any event, I’m sorry if you’re feeling down. Hang in there, buddy. With a little hard work, you may find your goals within reach.

On another note, I demand a full-length version of this movie immediately:

So we eat on, rats against the purrent, borne back flea-lessly into the cats.

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May the Fourth be with ewe

I didn’t finish today’s No Frown Friday post yet… and now I have house guests. So, while I’m off enjoying their company, I figured I’d make it up to you by sharing tomorrow’s post today. (Yes, tomorrow’s post was done before today’s. I rarely manage to do things in a linear fashion.)

Anyway, here’s some money. Go see a Star War.

I feel like that ended way too soon. I demand a sequel.

In the meantime, here’s a fun fact: when you search YouTube for “star wars sheep” (as I’m sure everyone does from time to time), this video also comes up:

I mean, it’s not really about sheep, so we’ll just classify it as what Bob Ross would have called a “happy accident.”

May the Fourth be with ewe.

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Hello, is it a kitty you’re looking for?

Today, Petfinder is encouraging bloggers to talk about how awesome cats are. Now, don’t tell Bella and Tavish, but I happen to agree. My first pet was actually a pretty cool cat named Buttercup.

Fun fact: pom-poms can double as a cat bed

So, in honor of Buttercup and awesome cats (and cat lovers) everywhere, today’s links are feline-focused. Enjoy some kitty cuteness, and then get out there and adopt a cat! (Let me assure you – I would happily do so if Bella and Tavish were not champion cat chasers. Maybe they need to read this post.)

  1. What should you name your new cat? Here are some punny pet names to get you started: Meowie Long, Rachel Scratch, and Meoward Stern.
  2. There are many reasons to adopt a cat. For example, do you need of a skilled goalie in the house?
  3. Or perhaps you just want someone to help you reenact your favorite movies at home? (If you’re not interested in that, I’m going to need you to tell me what your damage is.)
  4. I mean, your cat could even play the role of Simba from The Lion King. Obviously, house cats like to emulate their majestic relatives. (Bonus squee!)
  5. If movies aren’t your style, you could always reenact some classic paintings.
  6. I also hear that cats make great wingmen. They’re total chick magnets. (Duck magnets too, I hear.)
  7. In any event, who wouldn’t want to spend some time having a nice intellectual exchange with their favorite feline?
  8. Cats do have a way with words, after all.

Seriously though, in spite of all of the silly reasons I listed above, there’s only one reason you really need to know. Cats are awesome.

Also, I give a huge thumbs up to any animal that gives me a reason to make a Lionel Richie reference.

Hello, is it an adorable kitty you’re looking for?

If so, head on over to Petfinder and search for an adoptable cat near you! Then take lots of photos and tell everyone else you know why adopting a cat is the best. The Internet is sorely lacking in cat pictures, after all.

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It’s a good thing my dogs like to watch TV…

Will wonders never cease? I’m actually delivering your Friday links on Friday!

  1. First up, your punny pet name for the week: Sansa Bark for a dog and Roger Starling for a bird. (Here’s some extra punnage for you. The second one on the list cracked me up.)
  2. It just so happens that Mad Men is back on Sunday night. Are you as excited as I am? Ah, the glory days of advertising
  3. Speaking of ads, here are a few funny animal ads for your enjoyment.
  4. In other news, Game of Thrones came back last Sunday, so I’m really in TV nerd heaven right now. If I ever make that Game of Bones parody, I will totally be relying on these casting suggestions. (Jon Snow and Ygritte are my favorite doggelgangers, I think.)
  5. You may have noticed I totally just made up a word. What do you think?A dog doppelgänger would totally be a doggelganger, right? (The word doppelgänger is ripe for wordplay. For example, if you happened to be watching an adult film – or even Game of Thrones - and saw someone who looked like you, then you would have just encountered your doppelbanger. See? It’s so versatile.)
  6. Um, anyway… moving on… I can’t quite decide which of these is my favorite. I mean, you can’t go wrong following the motto of House Swanson, but how can I say no to Professor Farnsworth?
  7. This dragon should be an inspiration to us all. (For good measure, here’s a bonus dragon and a bonus dog imitating a dragon!)
  8. On a completely unrelated note, I feel like this revelation is earth shattering (at least for my younger self, who desperately wanted to be on that show). Speaking of old shows, this post totally took me down memory lane (even though some of the shows were after my time.)

Finally, that brings us to today’s video. This Mad Dog intro is quite clever:

Sorry for all of the TV talk today. I promise that I don’t just sit around watching TV all the time. Ask my pups. (Although they don’t seem to mind being couch potatoes from time to time.)

Speaking of pups and not sitting around, you should head over to Peggy’s Pet Place and check out the great blogs participating in the first FitDog Friday Blog Hop. (I didn’t have a chance to get a post up for it today, but I hope to participate in the future. It sounds fun!) In addition, it’s almost time for K9 Kamp again – I can’t wait to enjoy the nice weather with the pups.

What are you up to this weekend?

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Does your dog sleep with a stuffed animal?

When I was a kid, my dog Scotti had two favorite teddy bears. She always carried one with her everywhere, and often slept with one of them.

Scotti

Bella’s never been one for stuffed animals. She just tends to sprawl out. Sometimes she’ll end up with her head on a toy, but not always.

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Tavish, on the other hand, likes to snuggle with his favorite toy. He has a blue stuffed dinosaur that he just adores. He puts it in his bed and snuggles up with it at night.

IMG_0407

So, do your dogs like to snuggle with their stuffed friends?

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Don’t be crusty – it’s Pi Day!

I couldn’t decide which of the two videos below to share with you in honor of Pi Day. (Do you celebrate?)

The first one is short, cute, and kind of about pie (the yummy kind). The second is longer, actually about pi (the non-yummy kind), and features Dog Hamlet (although you have to wait for his appearance).

Rather than choosing one, I’m just giving you both. It’s a little something for everyone, pleasing to every palate. Kind of like pie.

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Unleash your inner barkitect…

I fear that last week’s Seussian link collection may have used up my yearly supply of poetic inspiration. So, we’re back to the regular format today…

  1. First up, your punny pet name: Frank Lloyd Bite.
  2. Move over, Art Vandelay. Architecture just went to the dogs. That’s right… it’s barkitecture!
  3. This one might be my favorite. I love the idea behind it.
  4. Speaking of Barkitecture, it’s also the name of a pretty cool annual festival in Austin. Sadly, it doesn’t happen in July, which is when I went to Austin last year. Anyway, check out some of the photos.
  5. Looks like there’s something similar in Houston and in California (and some other places) too. There needs to be one near me!
  6. Does your dog have a long body, but short legs? Well, you might adore these creative structures.
  7. Talk about your pampered pooches… they’re living high on the dog!
  8. Honestly though, even if we had a dog mansion, I’m pretty sure my dogs would just nap in the grass or the dirt instead when they are hanging out in the yard. That’s just how they roll.
  9. Did you know that Frank Lloyd Wright designed a dog house at the request of a young boy? It turns out, however, that FLW was not in tune with his inner canine. The boy’s dog, Eddie, was not a big fan of the work.
  10. It seems that there was once a show called Barkitecture on the DIY Network. I am intrigued… is it still on? If not, what happened to it? And how did I miss it?

You know, when I was a kid, one of our dogs used to sleep on the roof of his dog house, like Snoopy. That roof was flat, however. Snoopy’s house seems kind of pointy on top. That can’t be good for his back.

Anyway, here’s how some toy manufacturers got around that problem:

Let us never speak of that terrifyingly large Woodstock again.

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Pup culture debate: Who is the best TV dog?

Okay, friends… it’s time for a little friendly debate. Of all the dogs that have appeared on television, who is the top dog?

Before we get started, the ground rules:

  • We’re talking fictional dogs here. A real-life hero dog or otherwise famous dog (think Uggie) who has appeared on a television news program or in a commercial doesn’t count. (Although maybe we need a sub-category of dogs in commercials. I do love Chopper, after all.)
  • Animated dogs totally count. Dogs that have appeared in holiday or other specials shown on television are also fair game.
  • Miniseries and made-for-TV movies are also in the mix. However, movies originally released in a theater and later shown on TV don’t count – that’s the subject of a future pup culture debate.

Ready? To get you started, here are a few lists of TV dogs.

I’ll even kick off the discussion with a few of my favorites:

  • Snoopy – Perhaps the most famous Beagle of all time? In any event, this World War I Flying Ace flew into my heart years ago and never left. (Anyone else obsessed with the Snoopy musical?)
  • Odie – I’m not just obsessed with Garfield. I love his canine pal too. He’s not the brightest, but he sure does have a big heart.
  • Seymour – Unlike the other dogs on this list, Seymour appeared in one memorable episode, the supremely moving and beautiful “Jurassic Bark” episode of Futurama. Have you seen this one? If not, you owe it to yourself as a dog lover and a human being with a soul. I got teary just typing those sentences. Um, quick… let’s watch a happy moment from that episode.

  • Wishbone – It’s not all animated dogs here. My mom gave me a Wishbone stuffed animal one year and it was seriously the best gift ever. I mean, it’s an adorable dog and some great books. What’s the story, Wishbone?
  • Eddie – Given my love affair with Terriers, I guess it’s no surprise that I adored Eddie from Frasier. Moose, you were the best.

I could probably go on for a while… in particular, there are quite a few animated dogs I might add to that list. However, I’ll stop with five for now.

So… who is your favorite? Share your nominees in the comments and tell us why! (If there’s enough interest, perhaps I’ll take the top mentions and put it to a vote soon.)

Let the pup culture debate begin!

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A canine dream come true…

I’ve got some good stuff for you today. Happy weekend, pals!

  1. First up, your punny pet name: Dingo Starr. (Bonus pun!)
  2. All news coverage would be improved by the inclusion of canine camera operators. I’m just saying.
  3. Cool adoption posters… or the coolest adoption posters?
  4. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like when Tavish gives kisses, these photos are a pretty good approximation.
  5. Simply put… I’m charmed.
  6. Remember Bella’s intelligence test? Maybe I should try that one out on Tavish. In any event, apparently there’s now a whole website devoted to helping you find out if your dog is smarter than your average Bella.
  7. I need an excuse to throw this party.
  8. This collection of Daria quotes makes me want to ignore my to do list and just have a Daria marathon all weekend. Is that allowed?
  9. These mascots put aside their rivalry to focus on their similarities. Human beings, take note. Why can’t we all just get along?

Finally, I give you this week’s video:

That, my friends, is the kind of weekend I wish for you.

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