Katris Kickstarter & GIVEAWAY

*to the tune of the Alphabet Song... A, B, C, D, E, F, G...*

 WAFFLES:  L, Z, O and I and T ... ♫♩ ... tell me what you think of me ♫♩

KATIE:  Waffles, what on earth are you singing?

WAFFLES:  The Alphabet Song.

KATIE:  Doesn't that start out with, well... you know... A, B, C???

WAFFLES:  Not when I'm singing the KATRIS alphabet. You know, those cool scratchers that come in lots of shapes and stuff.    ... L, Z, O and I and T    ♫♩

KATIE:  Waffles, I'm not sure the Katris people will appreciate your song. Neither will all the kindergarten teachers out there. 

Katris Climbers & Scratchers

Chances are you've already seen the Katris modular cardboard cat climber and scratcher around the web. If you haven't... you've been missing out on something special! Katris is an innovative modular scratching & climbinsystem that allows you to play designer. With 5 shapes to choose from, you can mix and match to create endless configurations based on your cat's scratching & climbing preferences and what your home can accommodate from a space perspective.

We love the clean and modern lines. The simplicity of Katris makes it a great choice for virtually any style of home, any decor. Now if we can just keep Glogirly (a closet Tetris gamer) from thinking these are for HER... Just kidding. The functionality and design of Katris is as much for humans as it is for cats.

COMING SOON! Katris Covers For Any Decor

Soon there will be a new way to customize Katris. Their design team has come up with cool covers that fit on the front of the plain cardboard units. With three design collections and an assortment of colors and patterns to choose from, you can create a customized climber and scratcher configuration to compliment your decor... and kitty.

Katris is launching a KICKSTARTER campaign on August 17 to create these fabulous new covers.

The City Collection

This colorful collection will be printed with non-toxic soybean inks on heavy duty recycled paperboard. The patterns give a nod to the Katris headuarters in San Francisco!

The Mono Collection
A simple, clean collection of black and white made of heavy duty 100% recyclable paperboard.

The Wood Collection
Two wood tones made from high quality real wood veneer.

It's a Katris Giveaway!

One lucky GLOGIRLY reader will win two Katris units of their choice and a choice of their favorite cover for each. By entering this giveaway, you'll be automatically signed up to receive an alert when the Katris Kickstarter launches so you'll have an opportunity to take advantage of early bird specials and discounts on both the Katris units and the covers. 

In the event that Katris does not reach their Kickstarter goal (which we can’t imagine will happen), the winner will will still receive 2 Katris units of their choice.

How To Enter

Just enter via Rafflecopter below. As you fill out the entry form, you'll need to tell us which shapes and covers you'd like to win. (Shapes: Z, T, O, I, L  Cover Collections: City, Mono, Wood) Value of the prize is approximately $188.00. Prize will ship in September. Giveaway is open to US/Canada residents only, though readers worldwide are invited to enter and gift their prize to a US/Canada friend or shelter should they win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post is sponsored by Katris. We are being compensated for helping spread the word about the Kickstarter Cover Campaign, but GLOGIRLY only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Katris is not responsible for the content of this article.

Waffles the Invisible Cat #ThrowbackThursday

WAFFLES:  Do-do-do-do! ♫♩I am WAFFLES! Invisible Superhero Cat! 

WAFFLES:  All I have to do is crawl inside my super magic bag and TA DA! I'm Waffles the Invisible Superhero Cat. 

KATIE:  Waffles, I can totally see you. 

WAFFLES:  But Boss... I'm Waffles the Invisible Superhero Cat. No one can see me.

KATIE:  Yeah, about that whole invisible thing...

About Today's Photos

Today's photos are from way back in May of 2013. Waffles was about 8 months old and obsessed with hiding in bags. Ok, so he's still obsessed with hiding in bags. And boxes. And bathrooms.

So often when he's hiding out, Glogirly swears he thinks he's invisible. But with a 15" striped tail, he's never very hard to find. 

What's particularly special about the day these photos were taken is that this was one of the first times Katie engaged with Waffles in a playful way. Those of you that have been with us for awhile probably remember that Katie's world was tipped upside down the day Waffles came to live at the Townhouse. It was a very slow road to peace and harmony. In fact we're still traveling that road. But for Glogirly, this day meant there was hope for her furry family and that someday, everyone would get along. 

Waffles: Mancat and Male Model #WafflesWednesday

WAFFLES:  I bet you didn't know I'm a male model, did you? Don't tell the Boss... you know how she gets. When we receive cat products to review and write about, I get to pose with them so they look more handsome. Because everyone knows that handsome sells. 

It takes a LOT of work to learn how to pose and stuff.

WAFFLES:  Sometimes it's hard to know what to do with your paws.

WAFFLES:  Sometimes you can't find what you're supposed to pose with.

WAFFLES:  But no matter what, there's usually chicken involved.

WAFFLES:  Wait a minute. Something's fishy about that chicken. It doesn't taste like chicken. Or fish.

About Today's Photos

Today's photos are some fun outtakes from a few product photo shoots we've done. Except for that first photo of Waffles with his 'come hither' male model expression. 

Waffles is always the first one to check out anything new that arrives at the Townhouse. More and more though, Katie is getting in on the action. Maybe it's curiosity. Maybe it's because she's the Boss. Or maybe it's the chicken. 

One trick that Glogirly uses to get photos of Katie & Waffles interacting with anything from a toy to a  lounger to even a new carrier, is to keep everything out of sight until she's ready to shoot. She'll take a quick photo ahead of time, just to make sure the lighting is good and the background doesn't have someone's underwear laying in the middle of it. You'd be surprised what you miss until you really look! Then when she's ready with her camera in one hand and treats in the other, she'll bring out the new stuff. Even when she forgets the treats (gasp!), the best photos almost always happen within the first 60 seconds. 

After that first minute, it takes much more work... and bribery.

Waffles and Katie in Silhouette with Petaggio Custom Cat Art

WAFFLES:  Hey Boss! Which one are you? Are you the big one?

KATIE:  Big one?

WAFFLES:  Yeah, the big one. The one on the right. See how wide your –

KATIE:  WAFFLES! You're the one who's been power eating lately. You passed me on the scale long ago.



WAFFLES:  I don't know, Boss. You look kind of... large.

KATIE:  Waffles, what have I told you about discussing a lady's weight?

WAFFLES:  Um, that uh... I forget. Can you repeat the question?

Introducing Petaggio

Petaggio is a beautiful and modern twist on the silhouette cameos Glogirly's mother had of her hanging on the living room wall in her childhood home. Remember those? Tom Davies of Davies Decor and the creator of Petaggio is a master at combining people's love for their pets with his love for woodworking. 

Remember the gorgeous Googie Cat Bed we introduced you to last year? And the sleek Oscar Cat Rest? These were some of our favorite pieces we've had the pleasure of featuring on our blog. 

Waffles and the Googie Cat Bed, left

Waffles and the Oscar Cat Rest, right

How it Works

Each Petaggio piece starts with a favorite photo from the pet parent that shows off their pet’s best side. Maybe it's a recognizable pose, that special thing they do, or maybe it's a photo that recalls a cherished memory. Tom uses that photo to create a silhouette on a square piece of birch wood. The wood is then stained either light or dark. Each Petaggio comes with a matching stand so it can be enjoyed on a desk or table top, and hanging hardware so it can be put on a wall. All it takes is a glance, and you've got your daily smile-fix.

Choosing the Perfect Picture

So how do you pick out the perfect photo from 1000s of shots? It was quite a dilemma for us! But then Glogirly remembered our to the BlogPaws conference in Nashville earlier this year. It was the first time Glogirly, Waffles AND Katie traveled together to attend this big event. One of her favorite photos from the conference had Katie and Waffles sitting side by side on the bed, looking up in unison in hopes of scoring some freeze dried chicken treats. Apparently the promise of treats made them forget that they were sitting only an inch apart. A rare sight indeed.

When choosing your own photo, select images that will translate well as a silhouette. Look for definition in the ears, the tail and the overall shape. Background doesn't matter because that will disappear. Imagine coloring inside the shape of your pet. 

With all four ears pointed up and Katie's tail curled off to one side, we just knew it would make the perfect silhouette and the perfect Petaggio.

Pricing, Sizes, Colors

Petaggio comes in two sizes. The small measures 4" square and is priced at $49. The large is 6" square at $59. You have a choice of either a light or dark stain. Ours is the 6" dark stain.

Special Offer

Glogirly friends and readers can get a 10% discount on their own Petaggio until August 15, 2015 by using the coupon code silhouette during checkout.

FTC Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Davies Decor for Petaggio, which means that we were paid to feature this content. We also received our own custom Petaggio at no cost. Regardless of payment received, you will never see products or services featured on GLOGIRLY that we do not approve of. All of our sponsored posts will always reflect our honest and unbiased opinions. 

Welcome to Our New Cat Photo Studio

WAFFLES:  Ok, Boss. I'm posing in the new picture room just like you told me to.

KATIE:  PHOTO STUDIO, Waffles. Photo studio. Not picture room. We're purr-fessionals professionals, you know.

WAFFLES:  Does the new dark floor make me look more handsome?

WAFFLES:  Well? Does it?

KATIE:  Waffles, I'm pretty sure that if anything is making you look handsome, it's my new lounger. ...MY new lounger.

WAFFLES:  Cool, where'd you get it?

KATIE:  I won it from the Hauspanther Cat Style Lounge at the BlogPaws conference. It's from a company called Vesper. 

KATIE:  Graceful and modern bent wood design, rich walnut veneer and a plush white faux fur pad. This has my name written all over it.

WAFFLES:  What about MY name? Doesn't it have my name on it too???

KATIE:  I'VE got your name, Waffles. 

KATIE:  I've got your name right here.

About Today's Photos
We were pretty excited to see how things looked on our new walnut floor. Katie thinks it's much more glamorous and provides a nice contrast to her classic black & white wardrobe. Waffles thinks it makes him more handsome. It's all about the ladies with Waffles.

The beautiful new lounger we're featuring is one of our recent fab finds. According to Glogirly, it was one of the coolest things in the Hauspanther Cat Style Lounge at the BlogPaws conference. And even MORE cool is that she won it in a drawing.

It's from Vesper, an innovative company focused on bringing together beautiful design, cat-friendly materials and meticulous workmanship. This isn't an 'official' product review, we just love their product and wanted to share it with you today.

You can see the full line of Vesper cat furniture HERE.

The same lounger we have is also available on Amazon. 

This post contains an Amazon Associate link. This means that if you decide to purchase through our link, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves.

Singing Our #SundaySelfies

♫♩

Our house is a very, very, very fine house.

With two cats on the blog, more fun than chili dogs

Now everything is cool because of you, and our ...

♫♩

♫♩

... la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la 

    la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la 

    la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la

♫♩

About Today's Photos

We chose today's photos are in celebration of the Townhouse repairs being almost DONE! All that remains are some tiny punch list items. Life as we know it is back to normal. Well, as normal as normal can be. Normal, like crazy, is all relative. And in our house normal and crazy go hand in hand.

Trivia!

So how many la-la's are there in Our House, by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young???

Last Day to Enter Our Bday Giveaway!

Lots of cool GLOGIRLY swag! ENTER HERE

#SundaySelfies

Today's blog post is part of the

Sunday Selfies Blog Hop hosted

by our dear friends at

The Cat On My Head.

This Old TownHouse #TVTripCaturday

KATIE:  Ok, Waffles. Let's whip this townhouse into shape. I'm tired of being locked up in the bedroom while hammers are hammering and paint brushes are painting.  

WAFFLES:  But Boss, my tool belt keeps falling off. 

KATIE:  Maybe you should pay more attention to your tools and less attention to that wig.

WAFFLES:  But Boss, I'm supposed to be the Bob Vila guy. You know, the one in charge with the puffy hair.

KATIE:  Waffles, I'M the Boss. You're just the handycat. Besides, you look more like that guy from Home Improvement.

WAFFLES:  Ok, Boss. I'm on the ladder. Now what?

KATIE:  Just stay there, Waffles. 

WAFFLES:  For how long?

KATIE:  I'll let you know. 

WAFFLES:  But what about lunch? 

KATIE:  What about lunch?

WAFFLES:  Boss, my lunch box is way down there and I'm way up here.

SKIPPER (left): Did someone say lunch???

CHAPPY (right):  I definitely heard lunch.

SKIPPER (left):  Definitely.

CHAPPY (right):  Lunch.

Today's Cameo Cats
Brothers Chappy and Skipper are a hunka, hunka mancat love. Chappy, described as “XL” on his information card, is having no problem adjusting to life at PAWS. Especially in the kitchen.

Likewise, his slightly smaller brother Skipper is taking their change in circumstance in stride. Chappy and Skipper are very sweet eight year old gentlemen.

Chappy’s only complaint is with the low calorie cuisine he and the rest of the kitchen cats receive. These boys have become shelter favorites because of their friendly welcoming personalities.

Skipper and Chappy are waiting for a new home at PAWS, but they’ll only be available together… that’s probably 40 or 50 pounds of love!

TV Trip Saturdays with the Shelter Cats!

Every Saturday we feature adoptable cats from PAWS Pet Animal Welfare Society in Norwalk, CT. in our #TVTripCaturday blog series. Through the magic of Photoshop, they join Waffles and Katie for some time-travel adventures to some of our favorite, classic shows.

We'll also introduce you to the 'Cameo Cats' and share a little bit about them. Maybe, just maybe... our crazy antics will help our shelter friends find forever homes.

Special thanks to Maggie Swanson, the talented photographer behind our cameo cats and a devoted volunteer at PAWS.

Maggie is the author of the blog, Sundays at the Shelter, where she features adoptable cats from PAWS each and every week. Her beautiful photos have helped countless cats find loving homes.

Chappy & Skipper's shelter photos: Maggie Swanson

Patience VS. Panic: Waiting for the Great Escape

WAFFLES:  GLOGIRLY!!! The Boss is playing with the boingy thing again!

KATIE:  I'm not playing with the boingy thing, Waffles. I'm just willing the door to open.

WAFFLES:  So how's that working out for you, Boss?

KATIE:  It's only a matter of time, Waffles. Surely we're not going to be locked in here all day.

KATIE:  Ok, so how long has it been? 

WAFFLES:  Five minutes, Boss.

KATIE:  FIVE MINUTES??? We're going to starve.

WAFFLES:  Yeah, whatever... wake me up when it's over, Boss.

About Today's Photos

We were holed up in Glogirly's bedroom for most of the day today while the new floor went in. Again. Lots of pounding and sawing and pounding and pounding. 

Katie & Waffles are just SO different. Yesterday, when all the furniture was being squished together and covered in plastic, Katie just kept on with her normal routine. Even napping on her favorite ottoman under the plastic sheeting. Waffles was all about exploring. He inspected every piece of furniture that moved, all the while trying to figure out if the plastic, often billowing in the air, was alive.

That was yesterday.

While locked up in the bedroom today, Katie sat vigil by the closed door. She didn't sleep for a minute as she waited and waited for an opportunity to escape. Waffles wasted no time curling up on the fluffy bed. Groom, yawn, sleep, repeat. 

When the bedroom door jail cell finally opened, Katie sprinted down the steps to check things out. She was the first to explore every piece of furniture that had moved, practically running from chair to chair, table to table.

Townhouse Twilight Zone

Nothing made sense. The dining room furniture was in the kitchen, the living room was in the dining room, the bathroom was... OUTSIDE on the deck. It was a Townhouse Twilight Zone. 

When Waffles eventually woke up and meandered downstairs, he followed in Katie's footsteps, exploring and investigating. Wherever she went, he went.

Tomorrow all the furniture moves back into place, the powder room will come inside and once again be in working order. Good thing, because the neighbors are probably a little tired of looking at our the sink and toilet from their dining room window.