Waffles Wednesday: Therapy Cat In-Training Visit

Hi everybuddy, Waffles here.

Yesterday was my very first visit as a Therapy Cat In-Training! That's me right before Glogirly and I left to meet the nice people at Catholic Eldercare, a nursing home just a mile from our house. I was making sure the Waffle Wagon was ready to roll. 

We met up with my friend Dee, Spaghetti Bob the therapy cat's human. She's been helping me with my training and showing me and Glogirly the ropes. 

We didn't take any pictures because it was a really important training session and Glogirly needed to be right by my side. Everyone said I did really well for my first visit. I was a little scared, but I was curious too. It's fun to ride in my Waffle Wagon, poking my head up and looking around. Don't tell the Boss, but everyone said I was super cute. And someone even thought I was a GIRL.

The first part of my training is to just practice visiting and getting comfortable with short visits. 

Catholic Eldercare has a number of therapy pets that make regular visits so they were very understanding about me not having a lot of experience. I let some people talk to me and pet me. I even saw a POODLE. I didn't let him pet me though.

They said I could come back for another visit so Glogirly is checking my social calendar.

Waffles Wednesday: PetSmart Field Trip III and Giveaway Winners!

Um hi everybuddy. Waffles here.

Yesterday I got to go on a field trip! Me and Glogirly met up with Spaghetti Bob's human at PetSmart. This is my third field trip and Glogirly said I did really good.

I'm trying out a new kind of harness to see how I like it. It's lighter than my other one and lets more of my furs show so people can admire and pet them. But it looks like a GIRLY harness. I think I need something way more manly, don't you?

Here I am in my cool Sleepypod carrier. Glogirly puts it inside the shopping cart and opens it way up so I can get up and look around whenever I want.

Or I can hunker down when one of those dog things comes by. I'm not so sure about the dog things yet. I mean they have four legs and all, lots of fur. But they look pretty strange.

Mr. Rat from my last field trip must be living in his new forever home. But I met his cousin, Mr. Mouse.  I think he was a little bit scared of me. I was hoping he'd invite me in for lunch.

I don't really know if this is a Mr. Mouse or a Mr. Rat, but he's running like mad. Do you think he knows he's not going anywhere?

I got out of my shopping cart a couple of times, but it's still a little scary. I climbed around on the shelf with the cat toys though. And played hide and seek behind the wand toys and feathers.

Oh, and I was super brave in the car too. I chattered the whole way there while Glogirly sang songs to me. And then I laid down and rested the whole way home. Shopping is hard work!

love,
Waffles

We've Got Sleepypod Giveaway Winners! 

Big congrats to Melissa from Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries & More! You've won the uber-cool Sleepypod Atom Pet Carrier.

Big congrats to Toni from RCTees!

You've scored the pawsome Yummy Travel Bowl!

Thank you to the nice people at Sleepypod for providing our prizes.

And thank you to everyone who entered. If you didn't win, don't worry...there's lots more in store!

Katie & Maggie are excited to announce the winners of the GLOGIRLY & Tiniest Tiger Giveaway!

Congratulations to Sue B of *katsrus* and Maggie from *shelter-cats.com*! Yay!!!

You'll be receiving your Stress-Stopper prize packages very soon!  Thank you SO much for entering and supporting us and our Tiniest Tiger friends!

Waffles Wednesday: A Grand Day Out - Waffles' First Shopping Adventure

Um, hi everybuddy. Waffles here.

You'll NEVER guess what I got to do yesterday! Ok, the headline is sort of a clue.

I went shopping! Glogirly brought me to the local PetSmart. In fact, Katie...I mean the Boss, was looking around the Townhouse ALL morning long for a receipt. I think she wanted Glogirly to try and return me. Or at least exchange me for some freeze dried salmon treats.

But this wasn't that kind of shopping trip. It was like going to school. I was learning to not be afraid in strange, new places and to be friendly to people I don't know.

When we were getting ready to leave the Townhouse, Glogirly put my harness on and *helped* me into my carrier. I wasn't too happy about the carrier, but she kept saying we were going someplace fun and someday I might actually like getting into the carrier. Then she put me in the car and strapped my carrier down with the seat belt. She drove way slower and calmer than she usually does and she was talking to me and singing the whole way there. She sang "You Are My Sunshine" and changed the words to "You Are My Waffles." I think the people in the other cars thought she was singing to them. But they probably weren't named Waffles.




Glogirly brought me into the store inside my carrier in a shopping cart. She opened up the top of the carrier and attached my leash to my harness, then let me get comfortable with the surroundings. I got to ride around the aisles looking through the shopping cart. There was SO much to see and smell. I was a little scared, but I didn't freak out at all.

Lots of people came up to say hi. Glogirly says I was very well-behaved and let them pet me and talk to me. It was still a little scary, but Glogirly protected me.




We met our friend Dee at the store. She's Spaghetti Bob's human. Bob's the therapy cat we featured on our Labor Day blog post HERE. Dee is super smart when it comes to training cats and helping them become comfortable in new environments. She told Glogirly to look for subtle signs of stress, like dilated eyes and lip licking, and to not push me to do anything I didn't want to do.

When I was ready, I even let Dee hold me in the toy aisle. I've never seen more feathers and catnip mice in my LIFE!



One of the highlights was meeting my new friend, Rat. You can tell by the look on his face that he was pretty surprised to see me. He even tried to run away on his wheel. I really wanted to bring him home for the Boss, but Glogirly said we better stick to the salmon treats.

That was my adventure! Glogirly says we'll go back again soon after I practice a little more with my leash and harness. Next time I think I'll say hi to the birds and fish.

Smucci Too Pet Bed Giveaway!

Don't forget to enter our COOL giveaway! One lucky GLOGIRLY reader will win their choice of a small or medium Smucci Too Bed Set valued at $159. There's LOTS of hip designs and beautfiul colors to choose from. Enter by Sunday, September 8 @ 11:59pm EST. 

And if you just can't wait...

Save 20% thru the end of September with coupon code: Glogirly. 

ENTER HERE

The Hardest Working Therapy Cat In Minnesota

Hi everyone, Katie here.

It's Labor Day today. A holiday devoted to honoring the working people in the US and Canada. We think this holiday should be extended to our furry working friends too – from animals that serve in our military and help keep us safe to therapy animals who bring joy, compassion and smiles to people who really need them.

It's our honor to introduce you to a very special friend of ours – Spaghetti Bob. Some of you regulars here may know him as my *boyfriend.* But Bob is much, much more. He's a Registered Therapy Cat. We originally met on Facebook and learned that we were neighbors. The friendship (and the romance) blossomed.

We thought it would be fun to interview Bob today so that you could get to know him too.

KATIE:  Hi Bob. *blushes* Thank you for letting me introduce you to my friends today. I bet everyone would love to know what kinds of things you do as a therapy cat.

SPAGHETTI BOB:  Thank mew, my lub. I'm very happy to be here. When I'm on a therapy visit, I walk around nursing homes and let people pet me. Sometimes I let them hold me too.

Sometimes it can be a bit stressful, but the people are so happy to see me and even those who report not liking cats smile when they see me.




KATIE:  Smiles are good, Bob. We specialize in smiles here.

SPAGHETTI BOB: *looks coy and shuffles paw back and forth*




KATIE:  Awwww, Bob. I bet it's very rewarding, being a therapy cat. What do you love the most?

SPAGHETTI BOB:  The best part is all the positive energy I feel and getting to go out of the house to see all sorts of new and wonderful things and people. Flirting with nurses is great too! Er, I mean, um... I like making the staff's day brighter too!

KATIE:  Phew! Well just as long as you're not flirting with any other ladycats!

SPAGHETTI BOB:  I only have eyes for mew, my lub.



KATIE:  So Bob, I know that you are a *registered* therapy cat. What kind of license or documentation do you have? And did you have to take any tests?

SPAGHETTI BOB:  I'm registered through Pet Partners, formerly Delta Society. They are a national organization that registers many species, such as rabbits, cats, dogs and guinea pigs. I needed to be checked for parasites, viruses, etc and be current on all my vaccines. Cat's don't need to take a class or anything but must pass an evaluation. You and your human partner are tested by being presented some challenges you may see on a typical visit, such as: rough handling, noises, toys and dogs. The human's main job is keeping you safe! Trust me... that's important, as it really is a partnership.

KATIE:  Does is matter how old or young you are?

SPAGHETTI BOB:  You must be at least 1 year-old to register and it's probably easier to work with younger cats, but you can register as an older cat too!



KATIE:  Bob-dear, where can people go to learn more?

SPAGHETTI BOB:  Well certainly the best unofficial resource would be the Therapy Cats Facebook Page I just started!

There are several organizations throughout the US, but Pet Partners is probably the largest and they only have 179 registered cat therapy teams! I would recommend looking at their FAQ section here: Pet Partners FAQ.

KATIE:  Thank you SO much for mewing with us today, Bob. And thank you for all the love you spread. Is there anything else you'd like to share with us, Bob?

SPAGHETTI BOB:  Harness, leash and clicker training are things that everycat can work on with their human! There are so many adventures our humans can take us on!

Be sure to visit Spaghetti Bob on Facebook and show him some *lub.*

All photos courtesy of Spaghetti Bob - Registered Therapy Kitten.

Waffles Wednesday: My First Day Of Clicker School

Um, hi everybuddy. Waffles here.

I started school today! And I didn't even have to ride the short bus like Katie said I would.

Katie's boyfriend, Spaghetti Bob, is registered therapy cat. So you KNOW he's gotta be really smart. He's a professional clicker cat. So today his human came over to the Townhouse to teach Glogirly and me how to use my new clicker.

Did you know that every time it clicks I get a treat? I think I'm going to LIKE this clicker stuff.


Glogirly says she likes the telescopey stick. But I tried to look at the moon through it and it didn't work. She also says she likes that it doesn't require any batteries to click.

My first lesson was pretty simple. Every time I touch my nose to the little green ball at the end of the clicker, Glogirly clicks it and immediately gives me a treat. No questions asked.

I don't get a treat though if I try to attack the green ball. I tried biting it. No treat. I tried hugging it. No treat. Just the nose touch gets me my treat.

So that's my first day at clicker school! Glogirly says I'm gonna be a really good student. Do you think she's going to assign me homework?

Pee S: This isn't a review or anything. We bought my clicker with our own green papers. The clicker people probably don't even know who I am. YET.

Vote for GLOGIRLY & Support Minnesota's Feline Rescue, Inc.

We need your daily votes to help win $1000 for the very special kitties of our small hometown rescue shelter, Feline Rescue, Inc of St. Paul, Minnesota. With just a click, you can help make a difference for this amazing all-volunteer, no-kill shelter organization. 

Let's help one of the little guys making a BIG difference in the lives of homeless cats.

Please vote GLOGIRLY for Funniest Blog. And while you're at it, we've got a number of friends and fellow bloggers that are finalists in other categories. Each of them has selected an equally deserving shelter for their donations, should they win. 

Vote once daily through July 31. ♥ 

CLICK TO VOTE

The AmazeCats Cards Are Here!

Um, hi everybuddy. Waffles here.

The AmazeCats Cards are here! The AmazeCats Cards are here! I'm SOMEBODY! I'm SOMEBO–

KATIE:  Ah, excuse me, Waffles. To be clear... MY pictures are on the cards, NOT yours. Therefore, I'M somebody.  I'M somebody.

KATIE:  In fact, I'm the 3 of Clubs & the Queen of Spades! 

KATIE:  What's REALLY cool is that a bunch of my friends are also featured on the cards. There's Allie and Cody and Daisy and Odin and Spaghetti Bob and Sparkle...just to name a few! 

You can get a deck of your own at the AmazeCats Store. They're just $12 and a portion of your purchase will benefit the Cocheco Valley Humane Society, an awesome organization chosen by Little Bear, the winner of AmazeCats Next Top Cat.

Just imagine the games you can play!

WAFFLES:  Um, like 62 Pick-Up & Gim Runny! 

KATIE:  52 Pick-Up, Waffles. 52. And I'm not touching the other one.

Google Reader R.I.P. In case you've been sleeping, on Monday we posted about some alternatives to Google Reader, may he R.I.P. If you don't want to miss a single day of Glogirly or any of your other favorite blogs, check it out: Introducing Mail Chimp & Bloglivin' For GLOGIRLY

Last Few Hours To Vote For AmazeCats Next Top Cat

Hi everyone, Katie here.

There's just a few short hours left to vote for AmazeCats Next Top Cat! So pretty-please help me and my kitty friends make it into the top 32! You don't even have to choose, because you can vote for ALL of us! It's really fast...just a couple clicks.

It's so easy, Waffles Too could do it!



Vote for Allie HERE
(she's my mani-pedi mentor)








Vote for Spaghetti Bob HERE
(he's my *boyfriend*)








Vote for Cody HERE
(he's been ROCKIN' the contest!)







Vote for Daisy HERE
(I want Daisy's closet)







Vote for Odin HERE
(He sees better with one eye than most of us see with two.)







Vote for Sparkle HERE
(she's a famouse author!)






Vote for Katie HERE
(that's ME!)

Be Mine ♥♥♥

Hi everyone, Katie here.

Waffles Too and I want to wish you a Happy Valentines Day!

Gloman & Glogirly don't really make a big deal out of February 14...they say that everyday is a special day and it's way more fun to show your love 365 days a year, instead of saving it all up for just one day.
 

And if this 365 day rule applies to treats, I'm all for THAT.

But in the blogosphere, Valentines Day means the Valentines Ball!  This year Mollie and Ranger are hosting the big event.

My date is the dashing Swedish mancat, Kjelle Bus a.k.a. Charlie Rascal. We're just going as *friends* though.  Charlie wants to make a grand entrance with nice arm candy catnip. My *boyfriend* Spaghetti Bob the Registered Therapy Kitten is chaperoning so we're all on our best behavior.

And in case you're wondering, YES I know how to drive a stick. Mancats think a girl with wheels is HOT.

Waffles Too is still WAY too young for Valentines Balls. He's got plenty of other balls. No, not THOSE balls.

Saturday Photohunt *PROMISE*

Hi everyone, Katie here.

In honor of today's Photohunt theme, Waffles Too and I are joining our paws in peace and making a *PROMISES* to each other.

Visit the Saturday Photohunt Blog to see what the upcoming themes are and play along.

KATIE:

I promise to let Waffles Too jump me from behind every other Wednesday during all months 

that have 30 days and begin with the letter J. Except for June. I'm busy this June.

WAFFLES TOO:

I promise to not tell anyone that Katie's boyfriend is Spaghetti Bob, Registered Therapy Kitten. 

Or that almost 1500 other cats already like him on Facebook.

PAWALLA BOX GIVEAWAY:

Don't forget to enter our Pawalla Box Giveaway! Pawalla will be giving away TWO boxes of JOY to our wonderful GLOGIRLY readers. You can enter now through February 12.

Pssst: You can even tweet once a day for an extra chance!

GLOGIRLY Pawalla Box Giveaway HERE

CONTEST UPDATE:

Voting closed at noon EST today in the 1-800-PetMeds Cat Naps & Dog Dreams Competition! Waffles Too had the most votes of ALL the entries!  4,578 to be exact.  Now it's up to the judges who will choose the winners based on photo creativity, originality, narrative & social votes. Thank you SO much for all your sharing and tweeting! We'll keep you posted on the outcome of the contest. It's supposed to be announced around Valentines Day. You can click HERE to see all the entries.