How to Piss Off Your Cat and Spend $150

Today's topic - Hairballs.

We have a huge kitty named Vinnie. Technically, he's a feral cat (my husband rescued him and seven other kittens from under an air conditioning unit at his job). Thank God he gave away six of them before he got home with the last two - Vinnie and Marie.

Although Vinnie is probably not supposed to be a purebred, breeders always assume he is a Maine Coon. He is a huge cat (weighs in at 19-22 pounds, depending on season) and that's not fat. He's got this enormously thick set of fur and huge green eyes and he's absolutely gorgeous. This first picture is one of Vinnie before the $150 left my wallet.

The problem - the heat in Dallas this year.

Now Vinnie is eight years old and I have to say that until this year, I haven't had that much of a problem keeping knots out of his fur. Realize, of course, that a cat will only tolerate a brushing for so long before they've had enough. And when a cat has had enough of anything, that's when you stop. Completely.

So Vinnie's hair kept knotting worse and worse and I couldn't get it out, so we got him a haircut - a Lion Cut to be exact.

So check out the next picture and see how you can piss off your cat and spend $150 at the same time. Isn't he cute????? I wish he would have stood for the picture and you could have seen the furry little back feet. It's too much!

Contest #2

I know, I know - Contest #1 hasn't ended yet.

Yeah, but technically, contest #1 is a shorty. The Contest #2 winner will be drawn on September 30th. So here it is - A Gator Gift Basket!

The gift basket contains a stuffed alligator (representing my alter-ego - The Insta-Gator), some items made in Louisiana, an alligator bottle opener necklace, a recipe book featuring cajun recipes from my family and a signed copy of Rumble on the Bayou!

Entry is the same for all the contest - just sign up for my newsletter. To sign up click here!

If you've signed up before, you are automatically re-entered in all contests, so don't worry.

Good luck!

In Memory

Just logged onto the internet and read the news that Steve Irwin, better known as The Crocodile Hunter, died from a stingray strike while filming a special in Australia. Read the story here.

While I am not shocked by the manner of his death, I am deeply saddened. I loved watching Steve Irwin, and his dedication to animals was foremost in his life. Since I am a huge animal person myself, I could appreciate the work he did and the thrill he derived from doing it. The only caveat is that he died doing what he loved to do while alive.

It's a huge loss for Australia and the many animal organization and zoos he worked with.

My condolences to his wife and children.

Let the Contests Begin

It's officially September and I am barely one month out from the release of Rumble on the Bayou! Whoohoo! It seems like forever in coming, but at the same time, I need a couple more months to finish everything up.

I said I would start contests in September and although I have not yet updated my website, I thought I'd give my blog readers the head's up - to enter all contests, all you have to do is sign up for my newsletter. Once signed up, you'll be entered in everything I do over the next three months. It's that simple.

And please, don't worry about me spamming your in-box with a newsletter every day. I simply don't have the time even if I were rude enough to have the desire.

The first contest prize - a signed ARC of Rumble on the Bayou.

There's only one available and I'll draw for a winner on Setpember 9th to celebrate my birthday.

Here's the link. And keep a watch out for more contests coming soon, including the big Dooney & Bourke giveaway!

Have a great weekend and a safe holiday!