Carnival of the Cats #292

Rocky: Welcome to Carnival of the Cats #292 and it's good to be back with all my friends to host the greatest cat show on Earth!

As you'll read in my Carnival submission, our human artist has been very ill and is facing surgery, so we've been spending most of our time taking care of her and getting her as healthy as possible before they start taking things out of her. I hope you'll send your very best purrs & purrayers to my mom for an easy and successful surgery!

And now, on with the show ....


On Furbaby Friday, Prince Henry illustrates how NOT to fold laundry and does a fine demonstration of the purpose of human laps at Texas Oasis.

Beautiful Catscha is thinking about the speed of light ... and, of course, birds ... at Elms in the Yard.

Bookaholic Kitty Munchkin beautifully demonstrates the importance of books at This, That & the Other Thing ...

What Am I? is the meaty subject presented at Blog d'Ellison. Is Hakuna chopped liver or a meatloaf?

Another decision must be made - is it Nosey or Edison? Well, duh! There's a World of Difference between the kitties at anniemiz.

Luna brings to the table the fine art of ... well, bringing oneself gorgeously to the table at CatSynth.

EEK! Arthur and Rosie are getting into the spirit of the season as they debate the presence of The Ghost at My Cats and Funny Stories.

Because her gray matter is on vacation, Maddie's Astute Commentary is very concise at StrangeRanger.

Gemini had a very Thankful Thursday, thanks to some primo nip from Mom Robyn along with some other goodies for her staff at The Cat Post Intelligencer.

Switch2Life brings us a series of animals having fun ... as they're meant to do! But wait - where are the kitties in the first series? There's a wild spotty kitty in the second series. And, aha! Just look at those kitties in the third series!

Don't miss Carnival of the Cats #293 next Sunday at
When Cats Attack

Carnival of the Cats

Rocky: Welcome to Carnival of the Cats #286. And please accept my apology for the day's delay in presenting the Carnival to you ... all I can say is sometimes Artsy Catsy goes all Artsy Batsy!
Lots of videos in this week's Carnival ... and the first two up are which are more annoying, cats or dogs? (What? Cats annoying??) at Greg Laden's Blog.

Beauty abounds! This year’s Pere Lachaise cat, sunbathing on a gravestone in the world’s most-visited cemetery in Paris, France, is brought to you by The Poor Mouth.

Sunshine on our shoulders makes us happy! Pica is also working on her tan at LabKat.

Time to crunch some numbers: How much does a dog or cat really cost? Find out at The Digerati Life.

After that number crunching, you may need a lift. Don’t miss 23 pictures to help you through the day, brought to you buy Colors Magazine. And that they'll do, as you can see from just this one:

Silly Charlie offers a pictorial lesson about how to squeeze into a tiny cat tree house over at No Deep Thoughts.

And here's a video lesson: In Luna and Mouse, Luna teaches you exactly what to do with yes, a mouse, at CatSynth.

In The Bee, the Battle of the Bay Window and the Sill, Cosette gives an update on the multiple dramas unfolding at Hemi’sPhere.

In Still Life with Feather, Maddie proves at StrangeRanger that kitty pics and videos are not always on-demand!

Hop on board the Wienermobile! The Hams of the Werld Tour 2009 is in full swing at Life From a Cat’s Perspective. If these touring kitties eat another ham, they could start looking like pigs!

Now here's a soundtrack that may surprise you. Rush Limbaugh recorded a public service announcement for the Humane Society, talking about how he treasures his cat, Punkin ... brought to you by Vegetarian Star.

It’s that time of year again (itch, scratch) and you'll find some advice on avoiding counterfeit flea treatment products over at Flea Control Secrets .

And here's a list of quick & easy tips for removing pet hair from our homes, from Home Life Weekly. (Now why would we want to do that?)

One last video: I hope you'll all join Artsy Catsy in supporting human vet care reform and help make the world a better place. This original music video by one of my human artists will inspire you!

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Don't miss next week's Carnival of the Cats

hosted by Kashim, Othello & Salome

Carnival of the Cats #283

Ah, my friends, what a pleasure it is to get out of my Dr. Rocky scrubs for a day, to get my staff out of their decontamination suits and finally slip back into our much more fun Carnival attire ...

Before we begin, all of us at Artsy Catsy want to thank all of you for your huge outpouring of support for my mom during her long illness. You've kept our hearts uplifted and we love you all!

And we want to dedicate this week's Carnival to our dear Auntie Deb, who has been struggling with illness even longer than our mom. Please get well soon, Auntie Deb!

We begin this week's Carnival with support to Spaz and his family during the trials and tribulations of his hyperthyroid treatment. Watch for an update soon at Who Moved My Bone?

Hemi and Cosette at Hemi'sPhere are also having trials and tribulations, where their new human baby, Ari, is cramping their style.

We could all use some smiles after all this illness! In Funny Animals Part 3 over at switch2life, you'll smile at kitties & puppies & lions & tigers & bears & - oh my, what on earth is that?!

More smiles await at StrangeRanger, where Maggie gives Cats in Bags a whole new level of cuteness!

And nothing like a woofie joke to bring a smile to a feline face. Get a good giggle from My Trip to Costco at So You Want to be a Banquet Manager.

Beauty abounds in the Cat Blogosphere. For instance, just witness the magnificence of Boris at The Poor Mouth.

And be sure to feast your eyes on the lovely calico gracing the grounds at Elms in the Yard.

Definitely do not miss the photos of Luna's natural beauty at CatSynth.

Beauty can sometimes be a bittersweet pleasure. Lovely Matata went to the Rainbow Bridge nearly a year and a half ago, and she is missed terribly by all. Blog d'Elisson shares a beautiful Video Memory: Scritching Matata.

Derby the Sassy Cat shares such a heartwarming story, From Bagdad with Love, about a special kitty who found a new home and new friends and, all the way from Iraq to the US, brought people together in caring and love.

Next, however, the Cat Blogosphere is more than smiles and beauty - it's a place for important information on bettering the lives of cats, and their humans, too. For instance, at Catymology, Aloysius reveals that clueless humans hire trainers to teach them how to relax ... when a cat could teach them for free!

Pet Prattle and Products outlines some very important Cat Owner Responsibilities. After all, we need more than food and an occasional cuddle!

And our ever-wise Meowza imparts a week of important lessons at both iMeowza and Mind of Mog ... On Mancat Monday, Meowza exhibits that a kitty must drink when thirsty. On Wordless Wednesday, he shows it is important to scritch when it itches. And finally, on Easy Like Sunday Evening, Meowza illustrates the importance of being silly!

Thank you all for joining us for Carnival of the Cats
and we'll see you at the Aug. 23 Carnival at Mind of Mog!

Dr. Rocky, Back on Call

Dr. Rocky: Hello again, my long lost friends! It's been four months since I've been able to blog, four of the most cat-astrophic months of my life! My mom has been very, very sick and I've been taking care of her ...

She got sick in April and just kept getting worse and worse with terrible pain and spending all her time in the human litter box and couldn't eat or do anything and none of her human vets could figure out what was wrong. All that time, we couldn't even sit on her lap because it hurt her too much.

Finally the doofus human vets found out she has a serious infection called Clostridium Difficile, or "C-diff". They said it can be fatal and they put her in the hospital right away, in isolation because it can be contagious. While she was there, my other human artists had to disinfect everything at Artsy Catsy with a special kind of bleach and - horrors! - now my staff and I have to be washed every day for two weeks because we can carry the C-diff spores :-( I like water, but this is definitely too much! Fortunately, we're now down to just being washed with cat wipes rather than a full dunking.

Then I had to hiss and scratch mom's health insurance because they didn't want to pay for the only drug that will treat her, and it costs over $1200 for a two-week supply!

But thankfully now the worst of it is over and I can get back to blogging and visiting with all of you - and I'm even going to host Carnival of the Cats this weekend, so don't forget to submit your posts to me!

I've missed you all so much, and it's so good to be back!

Carnival of the Cats #259

Rocky: It's March 1, and what a perfect day for Carnival of the Cats - the first day of the month that brings us the end of winter and the beginning of Spring! It reminds me of an old song, The Circle Game ...

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time

As we leave winter behind and look forward to the warmth and renewal of Spring, here's what's been going round and round in the cat blogosphere this week ....

Yes, all eyes are watching for Spring, but it's a rare stare that could compete with the powerful eyes of Hakuna at Blog d'Elisson!

Oh, but if your eyes are itchy, better learn how to Use Organic Methods to Help Heal your Pet's Allergies at Organic Family Circle.

Please send your purrs & purrayers to Mind of Mog, who this Friday had to help their their sweet Klarissa to the Rainbow Bridge ...

And Freya’s family could use your support in remembrance of their sadly missed Scampie, who went to the Bridge a year ago this week ...

Don’t miss the video, Jerusalem’s Coolest Kitties at Elms in the Yard, a tribute to all the cats who make their home on the grounds of St. Stephen's Priory (The Ecole Biblique) in Jerusalem.

Look at these innocent bystanders doing absolutely nothing wrong at Elms in the Yard.

Don’t miss the fresh air, sunshine, wet paws and a perfectly “happy ending" :-) at Perfectly Parker!

Beautiful Sanjee stakes her claim to some peace and quiet at House of the (Mostly) Black Cats.

Tristan gets down to a serious therapy session with a Really BAD Dog at Tabbylicious.

Maggie is dealing with a dilemma at Mélange … Where did all the birdies go?

But check out at Mr. Jones at AllanThinks – there’s not a single dilemma in his world!

Speaking of dilemmas, the economic downturn is on all our minds ... but at Catymology, Aloysius explains why cats can right the falling economy.

Get ready to give out some welcomes to new friends ... There’s a new “cousin” – sort of – at Momma Grace and Company.

And there's a new woofie brother, Maverick, at Life from a Cat’s Perspective.

Easy Like Sunday Afternoon brings out some handsome mancatness at iMeowza.

And at iInfidel, there's some spring cleaning going on.

The cat’s out of the bag! It’s Victor’s 4th purrthday today! (And someone else in his house has a birthday Wednesday) ...

Speaking of growing older, Loup-Garou at House of Chaos has some geezer mojo goin’ on.

Awww! Desi and Pushy display their overwhelming cuteness in days gone by at KeesKennis.

Maddie and Ivy share their cures for cold and dreary days at StrangeRanger. Never fear, warmth is on its say and Spring will soon be sprung!

And here at Artsy Catsy, we offer up a bit of Kitty Bipartanship with a heart-warming video, The Animal Odd Couple.

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Don't miss next Sunday's Carnival of the Cats,

to be hosted at Mind of Mog!

Water, Water Everywhere!

Rocky: Water, water everywhere and lots of drops to drink! We won KC's raffle for the Drinkwell Fountain, and it arrived yesterday. I love, love, LOVE it!! The first thing I did was dip my head and feets into it and then proceed to drink so much I got waterlogged and had to spend the whole afternoon in the litter pan.

You can see in my video where the paint peeled off our cabinet from me playing in my old water bowl ... now I can peel the paint off the whole kitchen!!

Thank you SO much, KC, for this wonderful Fountain - my own personal shower!!

My human artist's daughter Tiffany, who lives in Rome, Italy, is getting waterlogged, too, but not in a fun way. Yesterday a state of emergency was declared in Rome due to flooding of the Tiber River. You can see pictures here that were taken only a few blocks from Tiffany's house. I sent an urgent message to Fred and Holly, my staff members in Rome, that they'd better learn to swim like me!

Okay, now I have to go take another shower and drink another gallon, then get busy because it's my weekend to host Carnival of the Cats - don't forget to submit your post here!

Raffle for Moki!

Rocky: Phew! Lots of stuff is going on here. First, Callie seems better this morning, so we think your purrs & purrayers are working! The main problem she's having now is with her claws filed down, she keeps falling down when she tries to jump on the furniture. She has to stay separated from the rest of us for a few days, so she's staying in my mom's bedroom. My mom has moved her computer in there and has put chairs beside the desk, the bed, and all the other furniture so Callie can jump up safely. I'll sure be glad when I can go back in there and sleep with my mom, too!

Next, our good friend Moki is still having serious health problems and his vet bills are already more than $700, with more to come. Right now 20% of every purchase you make from Artsy Catsy's Gallery goes to Moki and Criz Cats, but we want to do more to help Moki, so we're raffling one of my mom's hand-beaded Crazy Cat Lady necklaces and earrings. We haven't put these up for sale yet, so if you win this one, you'll be the proud owner of the original Artsy Catsy Crazy Cat Lady!

You can purchase your Crazy Cat Lady raffle tickets at Artsy Catsy Gallery, and 100% of the proceeds will given to Moki.

Next, I'm getting ready to host Carnival of the Cats this Sunday ... ... but I'd like to ask a favor. My human artists are going out of town Sunday to their father's (my Grandpa Bob) 79th. birthday party, and we want to get the Carnival ready Saturday night, so if you could get your Carnival posts to me as early as possible, that would be great! You can submit your posts here.

I want to thank you so much for all your purrs & purrayers for Grandpa Bob since August. He has finished his radiation therapy for prostate cancer and came through it with no difficulties. At the end of this month he has followup tests, but he says he's positive the radiation worked and his tests results will be good, because he feels fine! YAY!

Oh, and here's what else is up: My mom is kittysitting with Mr. Milky the rest of this week while his new DadStan is out of town. She's going out to his new home twice a day to feed him and visit with him, so you'll be hearing lots from Mr. Milky the next few days! Maybe I can get him to help me with Carnival of the Cats!

Carnival of the Cats

Welcome to the 235th Edition of

Carnival of the Cats

Rocky: Since my humans are so busy with other things, I'm doing the Carnival all by myself ... so please forgive any typoCatical errors I might make!

I want to dedicate this week's Carnival to:

- Our good friend Daisy the Curly Cat and her family, whose beloved Pixie went to the Rainbow Bridge this morning after a long, brave struggle with advanced cardiomyopathy. Farewell, sweet Pixie.

- And to all our friends in Texas and Louisiana whose lives have been disrupted by Hurricane Ike. The entire Cat Blogosphere is purring that you're safe and that your lives will soon be back to normal.

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First up, at Om Shanti Handcrafts, Loiosh meets some orange, occasionally polydactyl kittens … then, wearing wings, takes a very interesting nap ...
Next, I think I agree with Lenny and Carl's dad over at MoneyGrubbingLawyer, who says, "Forget pet insurance; buy catnip and kibble instead!"

Whoa, hop on board! The Scratching Post's Maximum Leader is going tuna shopping!

At Nanashi, Inc., Denali and Isis are herding grasshoppers in their freshly mowed lawn.

Eric and Flynn are are also hunting in the green, green grass of their home in the UK.

At The Poor Mouth, Bebe is peering over a Robyn barricade.

What's this? Blog D'Elisson reports that Hakuna has been assimilated into the Borg Collective!

Perfectly Parker takes some new Breeze litter box systems for a trial run ... but runs into some woofie problems!

Don't miss the three faces of the beautiful Miss Abba Dabba (aka Abby) at Manx Mnews!

At Elms in the Yard, Missy exhibits the perfect technique for attracting belly rubs ...
Now, let's all go wish a Happy 17th Purrthday to Henry over at Texas Oasis!

Then rush over to My Cats and Funny Stories and watch the video of Arthur and Rosie taking over the bathtub.

You'll think you're seeing double at Sleeping Mommy -- but those look-alikes are Mo and Tommy.

At Catymology, handsome Aloysius celebrates his Gotcha Day.

Maus at Composite Drawlings wisely explains why there's no need for Chee-Tos when you have plenty of Mom-Toes!

Another great video! Watch Kismet show you just how to deal with a bug on the ceiling at Russ. Just Russ.

Oh no! Moi has a problem over at Bloggg! "Dey tuk mi feets!"

Yum! Babe and Tiny are sampling the Spring Chicken Delight at sisu.

At iInfidel, Cece the cow kitty perfects the art of wall lounging ...

... while some serious yard skulking is going on at iMeowza ...

... then it's back up on the wall again at Mind of Mog.

Jiminy Cricket! Victor Tabbycat and Nina the Torbie have a new toy - a Jug O'Bug!!

China Cat checks out some bunnies on the lawn from her cozy ham-mick ... well, that is, when Willow isn't in it!

The CatSynth kitties are exhausted and catching up on some rest … and some pats, too.

Ahh, yes. Psychic Cottage celebrates the joy of caring for grandkitties - especially when they're Bengals.

Hot(M)BC's Boni Maroni discovers that cardboard boxes don't taste like chick-hen - but they're perfect for packing up purrs to send to all our friends in Texas and Louisiana that they've stayed safe from Ike.

Finally, check out what we cats do on a hot day at Idyllic Dreams.

Don't miss next week's Carnival of the Cats
hosted by those gorgeous kitties at
Friends Furever!

Rocky: Round and round it goes ... where it stops is ... right here! We're all on board to bring you the greatest traveling cat show on the face of the Earth ... ("D-i-z-z-y ... We're so dizzy our heads are spinnin' ... like a whirlpool it never ends .....")

... Carnival of the Cats #227!

* First up, some major attractions! It’s the 2nd Anniversary of Cat Synth and Weekend Cat Blogging – don’t miss the great photo of Luna from the day it all began!

* But wait! There’s more! Today is also Eric and Flynn’s 2nd Blogiversary! Go wish them a happy one … and maybe wake them up ...

* But they're not the only ones taking it easy. Over at The Scratching Post, KT Cat is showing you how to conserve energy at mealtime.

* Not into conserving energy? Then you'll love the video “Simon’s Cat – The Sequel”, now playing at StrangeRanger.

* YAY! At House of the (Mostly) Black Cats, the Hotties’ mommy is home from her road trip! She visited Finny & Buddy & Jasmine while she was gone, and stopped to drool over some Irish Bachelors. Sanjee says, "Maybe we need to take Mommy to get her ray-bees shot in case dat's what's makin her drool."

* Can't humans ever get it right? "FACE!!! Not FEETS!!!" says Blueberry over at Texas Oasis.

* The humans have it right at Mind of Mog ... Meowza is getting some copious spoiling!

* There's some serious scratching post envy going on at the House of Chaos. Zorro has claimed the new scratching post as his and his alone. HISSS! ...

* So you think you can dance? Amber and Phillip are having a hula competition at Cat Yarns. Can you guess the winner … the kitty or the woofie?

* Stop the presses! After hiding in bed for weeks after flying to Britain, Balu at Cosmos actually got up during daylight hours … and even went outside to meet a squirrel!

* More open doors! Arthur, Rosie and Kim are outside hunting mice at My Cats and Funny Stories.

* At Sisu, Tiny and Babe are outside contemplating nature, while their humans contemplate paternalism, maternalism and politics.

* Oh, bother! At Catymology, Aloysius can’t go outside because a strange human is putting up ladders and stomping all over the roof of the house ... is he tearing it down?

* More bother! Since Kismet can’t go outside, he’s declared himself the official TacJammer bug hunter.

* China Cat, also stuck indoors, is enjoying Easy Like Sunday Morning with Robby Rabbit.

* Gemini at Chey's Place finds the outside and live bugs and expending energy totally unneccesary as she lies in the sun contemplating invisible dead bugs.

* At Anniemiz, Miles is sunning, too ... creating a veritable black hole of cuteness that will suck you right in!

* Ruse at Momma Grace & Company is practicing being cute. Hmm ... looks like he’s had LOTS of practice and has cuteness down to perfection!

* Check out Boo the shoe freak at Manx Mnews. This girlcat’s really got ‘sole’!

* And check this out! Tour guide Not the Mama takes Chica & Pumuckl on another tour of Egypt, this time to the Kom-Ombo Temple. But watch out for the crocodile mummies ...

* Uh-oh. The gang at This, That & The Other Thing is on strike. Cubby, Sox & Mouse have made it clear that they don't want to provide blog fodder at their expense so they've come up with some great excuses.

* Don't miss China Cat and Willow taking it easy at Sammawow ... in the same spot, then and now!

* Ho Ho Ho! It's Christmas in July at Willow's Cat Blog!

* Oh, yay, BAGS! Sebastian at Furry Paws shows you just how much he loves bags!

* Fish food! -- It's not just for fish anymore, as Tigger shows you at Pet's Garden Blog ...

* And finally, don't miss the Doodle Pets at Life from a Cat's Perspective!

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Okay, pack up the tents and lick the cotton candy off your paws ...
the Carnival is moving on ...

Don't miss next week's Carnival of the Cats
hosted by
Amar and Luna at CatSynth!

Strikebreaker

Annoying Human Voice: Rocky!! Fracas!! And all the rest of you ... WAKE UP! Your strike is over!!

Rocky: Huh? Wha? mumble mumble grumble ...

VERY Annoying Human Voice:

I SAID, WAKE UP and get back to work! You're hosting

Carnival of the Cats tomorrow, so get with it!!

{{shakes the CEO and squishes his face}}

Rocky: Oh all right already. Sheesh. I'm getting on board, so quiet down!

Rocky: Please submit your posts for Carnival of the Cats #227 (a real strikebreaker) so my crazy human will shut up and leave me alone!

Carnival of the Cats #218

Carnival Barker Rocky: Ladiezzzzz and gentlemen ... step right up to see the greatest traveling cat show on earth! For the modest price of internet access, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll shriek in amazement at the magic and acrobatics and sheer wonder of cats across the world! .........

The Carnival's first attractions are real treats: It's a whirlwind of flying Temptations, towels, toys & toilet paper over at Missy & KC's, where the Texas Tornado (aka Faith Boo) strikes again!

And at This, That & The Other Thing, Cubby picks up where Sox left off in whapping out the Temptations hiding place. (On a serious note, their humans are having a difficult time, but Mouse is helping them take their minds off their troubles.)

Free treats! Devin kitty tests Greenies Dental Treats on Woman Tribune -- and tells you how to get a free sample!

Speaking of treats, Cece the cow kitty is waiting impatiently at iInfidel.

Now this is definitely a treat! Kashim and Othello's momma built them a great new scratching post for their balcony at The Catboys Realm.

At Life from a Cats Perspective, sometimes you have to recover from too many treats. Samantha and Mr. Tigger are recovering from Mr. T's surprise birthday/gotcha day party at M-Cats Club.

Oh, this is simply magic: A stunning photo of the actual Rainbow Bridge at Blog d’Elisson ... Oh, look! ... Who's that we see?

At Mind of Mog, the Friday Ark is NOT spam ... and Meowza drinks to that!

Now, feast your eyes upon this cuteness: Poppy, a little feral mom and her newborn baby kittens over at Cat Care, Breeds and Resources.

But This is Cyprus proves that a kitty's mom doesn't have to be a cat. Don't miss The Tale of Tessie and the Turtle.

Oh, poor Parker! She's lonely and in need of some serious scritches at Perfectly Parker.

There are kitties of all kinds in the Carnival ... and some are very busy ... At Chica & Pumuckl in Egypt, Pumuckl has assumed all entertaining and stalking duties while Chica is in quarantine ...

Estate manager Babe is busy snoopervising groundman Tuck over at sisu.

Edison has been very busy having whapping matches with Clara at anniemiz... and is sporting the scars to prove it.

Aloysius is completely occupied with trying to figure out why the humans at Catymology moved all his furniture.

Abby, Jinx & Gracie are busy waiting for the mysterious door to the forbidden room to open at Manx Mnews.

"Oh hai. In teh beginnin" ... The kitties at Meeyauw are busy presenting LOL Cat Bible: Lectionary Readings for the First Sunday after Pentecost and Ceiling Cat has the really hard job of creating the universe! ...

At Chey's Place, presidential candidate Chey is busy getting lost on the campaign trail. See if you know where she is!

That "uncooperative little cuss" Kismet is ... well, not too busy squeaking out a very quick video hello at TacJammer.

Meowza is busy rolling in the dirt over at iMeowza.

Their old friend Matilda is visiting the Ranger kitties while they're recuperating from the Snot-bonic Plague at Strange Ranger.

Mischief and Hi are involved in their exhibition of how two kitties can get along in the same condo at Your Moosey Fate.

They've been very busy at Cats with a wonderfully educational post about the African Lion.

Mr. Sebastian is preoccupied with using the laundry to demonstrate his skills as a hair relocation stylist at Furry Paws.

But not all kitties are busy. Things start to calm down a bit at Composite Drawlings where TiGrr and Peanut have called a truce and are doing an imitation of two attached meat loaves.

Luna stretches out to beat the heat -- as always, with style -- over at CatSynth.

It's all easy -- and very beautiful, too -- with Snow and Forest.

Pretty Willow is taking it gorgeously easy on her favorite chair and blanket at Willow's Cat blog.

China Cat was taking it somewhat easy ... until she was rudely interrupted by the flashy thing at China Cat's Blog ...

Jax, a rescued furbaby, is easily living the good life at Texas Oasis.

All the way over in Jerusalem, Missy enjoys peacefully gazing out the window over at Elms in the Yard.

Beautiful Bebe is a picture of purrfect contentment at The Poor Mouth.

Lovely Munchkin is luxuriating on video with some lavish mom attention at Cathouse Chat.

And finally, what would a Carnival be without goodies and games of chance? Don't miss your chance to win some wonderful signs that were donated by The Wren's Nest over at Cat Friends Helping Friends ... but you should go now because the raffle ends tomorrow, May 19! All raffle proceeds will help build up funds to help kitties in need.

Also, Auntie Deb & ML’s Auctions end in just a few hours -- tonight at midnight ET. 100% of the money goes directly to Mokie, Orange Boy & Sissy, who has kidney/liver failure.

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Don't miss the next Carnival of the Cats

Sunday, May 25

at the M-Cats Club!

Rocky's To Do List

Rocky: Ah, the power of the purr! Thanks to all of your purrs, I stopped sneezing yesterday and didn't have to go to the v.e.t. after all! (My mom says she thinks I just snorfled a chunk of Lucy furs up my nose.) Today I'm feeling great and I'm back in action, tackling my To Do List for the weekend:First, I want to let you all know that Lucky got lucky!! We found a wonderful home for that great little woofie, and he now has a kitty brother to play with!

Next, I want to remind everyone that you only have until midnight tomorrow to get your raffle tickets for the six terrific signs at Cat Friends Helping Friends. Don't miss out on this one!

Also, do you use Fresh Step Litter? If so, you can collect Paw Points from the boxes and donate them to Cat Friends Helping Friends to help pay vet bills for kitties in need. Grr, Midnight & Cocoa have posted full Paw Points instructions on their blog.

And don't forget all the blogosphere kitty action this weekend:

Weekend Cat Blogging May 17-18 at Chey's Place

Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos May 18 at Bad Kitty Cats Journal

The Carnival of the Cats May 18 right here at Artsy Catsy

Finally, please be sure to check in at the Cat Blogosphere to hear all the latest cat news and to send healing purrs to our kitty friends who aren't feeling well!

Finally Friday - but Sicky Rocky

Phew, busy week! Now I'm resting up on my Rocky rocker for an even busier weekend ...Actually, I'm not feeling so good. I've been sneezing and moping around and my mom is threatening to take me to the v.e.t. if I don't perk up. So I'm hoping all my friends will purr for me so I don't even have to think about ::shudder:: riding in the car and being poked by the v.e.t.!

Good thing I've already had my carnival barker suit fitting and have all my plans in place for this Sunday's Carnival of the Cats ....

Don't forget to submit your Carnival post here!

Also, Miss Lenda Paw and I would like to remind you that you only have this weekend to buy your tickets for the six wonderful signs being raffled at Cat Friends Helping Friends. For as little as $5 you can decorate your house with them, or save them to give as really unique gifts! And you'll be helping to raise funds for kitties' vet bills ...

... ::Atchooo! Sniffle sniffle:: ... I'd better go now and rest or I might be one of those kitties in need :-(

Carnival of the Cats #208

Welcome to the 208th Edition of
Carnival of the Cats!

(Graphic of Carnival Barker Rocky by Zoolatry)

My friends, before we begin, I would like to dedicate Carnival of the Cats # 208 to our beloved friends who recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge ...

Matata of Blog d’Elisson

"Blessed be the true judge."

A lovely tribute to Matata is posted on Erica's Blog

The Devine Miss Marilyn Monrex of Leslie's Omnibus
Please send purrs of peace, comfort and healing to the families and fur siblings of Matata and Miss Marilyn.
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Rocky: It's my first time to host Carnival of the Cats and, now that I've finally squeezed onto my carousel, I'm ready to ride! Step right up, folks, the show is about to begin ....

- Up first ... animal communicators? Big deal, I say. Henry at Texas Oasis is a human communicator ... expressing himself via messages in his food. This is cat-oglyphics at its best!

- Houdini? Again, big deal. Sox puts the famous escapologist to shame with his door-opening, teleporting, shelf-walking tricks at This That & the Other Thing ... while Cosmo, Amber & Cubby show you how to deal with sleep deprivation and switching to Daylight Savings Time.

- Oh that Jimmy Joe! Neither wind nor rain nor sleet nor snow can keep him from his appointed rounds ... or from the resulting paws for maintenance. (Is this why his blog is named Jimmy Joe's PAD?) :
- Weather, weather everywhere! Rosie asks What is that white stuff? all over My Cats and Funny Stories.

- But there are breaks in the bad weather: Momma Grace is a formerly feral who has become a ray of sunshine in her furever home at Momma Grace & Company.

- Ye gods, it's horrible! Ted confronts a huge telly dog over at The Poor Mouth!

- Feast your eyes upon Gracie, a beautiful tiny girl with a big heart - and even bigger feet! - at Manx Mnews.

- Just look at these beauties! Leslie's Omnibus shares photos from the 2008 Lincoln State Cat Club Show.

- Ahh, the blessings of simple pleasures. Through all the recent ups and downs at Sleeping Mommy, Charles has discovered the joy of being a cat in a sink.

- Financial matters are simply too stressful for felines, especially when they're running for President! Cheysuli laments this terrible truth after suffering currency exchange problems at Chey's Place.

- Speaking of finances, Leela's human tells you how to make a litter box in 10 minutes for $5 at Nathan Bowers. Might come in handy, since the acceptable standard is one litter box per cat, plus one extra.

- Here's some more practical advice from KC at Missy Blue Eyes, who shares with everycat an easy way to back up your blog ... while Faith Boomerang waits for their "green around the gills" mommy to assemble their raffle prize - a Kitty Ham-Mick!

- "Paging Dr. Parker ... STAT!" Dr. Parker wrote prescriptions for her humans' stress ... and now those those humans are heading out and leaving her with no head to sleep on at Perfectly Parker :
- Another kitty practices the healing arts: Nosey 's bedside manner is superb as she helps her mom recover from the flu at anniemiz.

- In a different profession, KT the Mechanic Cat helps out in The Scratching Post garage.

- Luna has become a LOLcat at CatSynth ... and now she wants a cheezburger!

- Downunder at Crazy Meezer, Anastasia takes a break from meezer craziness to show just how sweet and beautiful she really is.

- Humans aren't the only ones who can play poker: It's Vegas, Baby at White Picket Fences.

- Are cats ticklish? Well, Natalie's expression at Snowball Journals may answer this question once and for all.

- Another question: What's behind the curtain? asks Mini at the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats. Will she reveal all?

- After long consideration, Maus over at Composite Drawlings has decided whether or not she should kill Grammaw's carpet and furniture.

- Intruder Alert!! Denali and Isis at Nanashi-Inc have moved beyond carpet and furniture -- they're putting the bitey on a real live mouse intruder!

- With Samantha & Tigger on patrol, no mouse would dare to break into Life From A Cat's Perspective!

- No mouse left behind! In Two Erics and a Flynn, a grand outdoor adventure, Eric and Flynn drive their dad's tractor to Fat Eric's for a day of hunting mice - and rats!

- Meet Garfield, a beautiful bright orange ginger cat who has a loving new furever home at Last Conservative in Cleveland.

- There's more than one way to warm a cat in winter: Check out the happy tabbies worshiping the god of warmth at Logical Expressions.

- Meowza is on a roll at Mind of Mog ... but fussy Izzy refuses to stoop to such levels at iInfidel.

- While on a photo shoot, Diamond Emerald Eyes-O'Reilly, proprietor of the Black Cat Pub, issues an urgent warning: Digital scrapbooking may be addictive for humans! Diamond shares an inexpensive scrapbooking alternative to get your humans hooked on graphical fun:

- Did someone say birdies? JB has snapped to full small birdie alert at JB's Small World. And she'd like you to meet her big personal furriends Mr. Pony & Mr. Horse over at JB's Big World.

- I Scent You Not! It's all about smell at the House of Chaos ... and Frankette 'nose' all about it!

- Oh no! Here's another two scents worth! There are trials and tribulations at sisu ... Tiny got skunked! But, after dousings with a magic potion, Tiny is now in clover! Phew!

- Her Ladyship on a garden bench offers a respite from a world gone utterly mad at Elms in the Yard.

- Feline Friday finds comics and discovered hiding places for T.R.E.A.T.S. over at Dolphin's Dock.

- In true cat form, the little stinker Spectra the sneak is breaking the rules at Cascade Exposures ... but she gets caught on camera! Don't miss the full expose:
- Pretty Puddy at It's a Byootaful Life reveals the proper technique for getting pats & rubs, and giving headbumps in return, thank you very much.

- Forest is comfortably boxed in on Easy Like Sunday Morning over at Snow and Forest. While he snoozes, check out the three-day-old lion cubs on his mom's blog, Ailurophiles.

- Even though this post is about a German Shepherd, Allie's Answers would like to share with cat owners the concern that her dog's microchip may have given him cancer.

- Othello is taking Easy Like Sunday Morning wayyy too seriously at The Catboys Realm. Kashim needs your help in waking him so they can host Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos today!

- It's easy all over! Go gaze upon georgeous China Cat staying cozy in bed on China Cat's Blog.

- Happy Birthday, Aloysius! He's inviting everyone over to Catymology to help him celebrate ... and there's food!

- And now ... it's movie time! First, don't miss Let Me In, the long-awaited sequel to "The Wake Up Cat", now playing at Strange Ranger.

- Then dash over to enjoy Mycah Speaks, starring, of course, Mycah, now playing at TacJammer.

- Finally, all of us at Artsy Catsy would like to remind you that you still have a few hours left to help us raise funds for Lilly Lu's surgery, for Project H.A.M. and for the Cat Blogosphere's Cat Friends Helping Friends. Our Cat-Themed Jewelry Sale and Cat Greeting Card Sale to benefit these kitties in need will both end tonight at midnight Eastern Daylight Time.

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Thanks to everykitty for performing in Carnival of the Cats #208!
Don't miss next week's Carnival #209
when the blogosphere's cat acts will stage their show at
This That & The Other Thing

(Rocky: Now can I get off this merry-go-round? I'm dizzzy...)