Happy Spring, Happy Cats Video, Catster Rebrand
Happy Spring from all of us at Cat Wisdom 101.
Welcome to the first Mondays With Merlin of the new season. First, allow me to do a short spring fling happy dance, again.
With Layla gone most of last week at Global Pet Expo in Florida, I was not happy and only spoke to her on the phone once! We do communicate mind-to-mind and frankly I was more worried about her than she was about me. She had the moldy hotel room from hell which made her sick, changed to a better room the next day and went non-stop with back-to-back appointments with pet brands, pr agency tours, media lunchs and parties. With miles of pet product booths in over a million square feet means a lot of walking and her red suede driving shoes worked their magic. Ditto a nightly soak in the Jacuzzi but she will be adding useful new tip to her Pet Expo or any convention for that matter SURVIVAL GUIDE She survived, I survived and it’s a brand new season.
Thank Cod, our cat daddy took care of us all but poor Nou Nou developed a nasty, hotspot on her leg. She’s difficult to handle, scratches like a banshee Vetericyn which works like a charm but won’t work if we can’t get it on her on a consistent basis. A vet visit is on the already overloaded schedule this week but we all know: happy cats = happy life. Cats come first.
This trip was a game changer in many ways. I’m not getting any younger and Layla is no spring chicken. Whenever we return from a trip, we see our home and loved ones with fresh eyes and ears. She was shocked to see me so thin. I was shocked to learn one of her favorite new pet products has to do with pet burials! Whoa, let’s not go there. I’m just happy to survive another winter and I have a few picnics planned on my agenda.
Spring is a time of renewal and Layla is ready for a really radical plan for the next couple years. It could be rebranding, a complete reboot or retiring. Whaaat? The lightbulb moment came at a VIP party and networking reception (co-hosted by Lisa Vanderpump of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and Vanderpump Pets and Shorty Rossi of Animal Planet’s “Pit Boss”) to celebrate the new Lumina Media brand from i-5 Publishing, the publishers of Catster, Dogster, Cat Channel etc.
New name, new logo and tagline “You’ll love this”. Just like that. We’ll have to wait and see who loves what. We did love seeing our friend Chris Poole with Cole and Marmalade featured in the Spring issue of Catster. Here’s a sneak peek. I’d say something purrfect is circulating in the wind.
Spring is such a happy time but nothing makes humans happier than some kitty therapy. Chris Poole was filming at the famous Cat House on the Kings California’s largest no-cage, no-kill lifetime cat sanctuary and adoption center. He spent the night there and had some feline pillow talk. Talk about kitty heaven!
See you next week,
Love,
Merlin
P.S. Remember it’s kitten season. Share the the spay/neuter message. Layla politely asked someone with a pregant Siamese on Instagram and lots of cute kitten pics if they were breeders. They weren’t and were clueless about spay/neuter saying the unborn kittens already had homes. They have several cats indoor/outdoor cats (not sure if it’s in the U.S.) Layla went back and forth as diplomatically as possible about making a difference but realized how easy it is to cross the line into judgement and the question today is:
What do you say to someone in this kind of situation?
26 Comments
The Swiss Cats
Happy Spring Merlin ! We’re glad your mom is back for you. Spay and neuter is such an important question : you can explain and convince some people that it can be done low-cost, that it’s useful, and that a girlcat won’t suffer if she cannot have a litter, but sadly a few people are deaf to all arguments because “everyone wants a cute kitten, right ?”. And you cannot whap them, Connie said it’s illegal… Purrs
Ellen
I think you actually prettty darn good. A tad thin, but hey, it happens.
Pet burials… well, just remember people take out burial plans YEARS in advance, so its no indication at all. Put it out of your head. No kidding my husbands uncle bought his tombstone when his Mom died. Like 20 years before he died, and had it engraved and everything. People tend to sometimes plan ahead, plus they are a bit more sentimental.
The Pet Expo looked fun, I bet you al have some fun stuff!
Oh, and as to the lady who’s cats was having kittens…. I cant believe they were completely clueless, as most people do know where babies ‘come from’ . I guess I would ask although they had ‘homes’ before being born, and if they weren’t breeders the horrors of not knowing who the kittens are going to. I would also mention the scary stuff like cancer of both males and females and Pyometra if the cat was over 5. I have little patience with people, it is tough to stay cool and not cross the line.
Its always nice seeing you in a picture Merlin, lets hope this nice weather is here to stay!
Layla Morgan Wilde
Thanks auntie Ellen 🙂
Cathy Keisha
I’d say “Fix your cats, bi-atch!” Of course TW wouldn’t. Happy Spring! Did you get snow last night? You’re thin Merlin but you’re still ticking!
Layla Morgan Wilde
Ha! Yes, it was a winter wonderland at 3 am and all gone and green in the pm.
Ellen Pilch
Happy Spring Merlin. I pray you get to enjoy many picnics. XO
Deziz World
Well Merlin, we cross dat line and judge when need be. Mommy’s not so diplomatic and reminds them dat even tho’ their kitties all have “good homes”, those good homes are likely just like them and what about all those kittens? However, it is kitten season but there’s not a kitten to be had round here. Mommy’s been searchin’ tirelessly and there just aren’t any new helpers fur me within a 3oo mile radius. Dat’s as far as we looked cuz there’s no way mommy kuld drive any further. Even so, we’s all ’bout da spay and neuter.
Luv ya’
Dezi
Kathryn
Loved the video of Chris and his kitties.
Merlin, you’re still a great looking gentleman, with emphasis on Great, Looking and Gentleman.
Yeah, what do you say in that sitch?
Love all the pawsitivity.
Layla Morgan Wilde
Why, thank mew for the GLG compliment.
The Island Cats
We bet you’re glad Layla is home now from Global Pet Expo. It sounds like it was pretty cool!
Layla Morgan Wilde
Yes, cool but exhausting and home is best.
Layla Morgan Wilde
Don’t worry, Merlin is NOT mentioning any pet memorials at his blog 🙂
It’s not just the $ re: spay/neuter. In this case, they are likely using cute kittens to build their Instagram following.
caren gittleman
Sounds like the Expo was just what the doctor ordered! 😉
Layla Morgan Wilde
In some ways and now I need a vacation! 🙂
Tamago
Happy spring, Merlin. Glad your mom is home. Now you can plan picnic together 🙂 Sounds like she had a very busy time at the Expo. Sorry about the moldy room, but I’m sure it was a great trip!
Layla Morgan Wilde
Yes, and one of our favorite things was Japanese!
da tabbies o trout towne
happee spring guys & hope it IZ spring at yur place… coz heer …. itz bak ta ole winter ♥♥♥
Sammy
Merlin I know how happy you were to have your reunion with Layla……when we’ve been away from each other for a few days we see things with “new/refreshed” eyes. You are very thin – Mom says I am too – but we at least still move around and enjoy what we can enjoy – especially Spring! I’m thinking both of us will get a bit more perky now that the super COLD is gone. It just saps all my strength keeping warm and cozy even in a warm house! Sounds like a very good time was had by all who attended the Expo but that can’t compare to the joy of having Mom home!
Love, Sammy
Layla Morgan Wilde
True, there is no place like home!
easy rider
I’m glad your mom is back and on your side Merlin… let’s enjoy the first sunny spring time and maybe we will catch some sun rays… by now I haven’t seen only one on my sky…
Skeeter and Izzy
Happy Spring Merlin! It looks like the Northeast is going to get a bit more of old man winter still.
We are glad Mom made it back in 1 piece from the expo. We hope that Nou Nou gets better fast!
The spay neuter thing can be soooooooooooooooo exasperating to discuss with some people. We just try to keep repaeting the message and sometimes we have had to resort to the “awful” reality of pictures and graphic stories to get thru. We don’t like to do that but sometimes that is the only thing that busts the fantasy bubble.
Luvs
Skeeter and Izzy & the Feral Gang + Twig & Peanut & Romeo & the Angels >^..^ ~>^..^<~
Sometimes Cats Herd You
The head peep enjoyed seeing you at Global Pet Expo, but nowhere near as much as Merlin must be enjoying having you home again. She says there were a lot more pet memorial companies exhibiting last year than this year, but she saw more of them at NAVC this year, so maybe the trend is to sell through veterinary channels instead. Either way, you’ve got more wisdom to share with us before bothering with that stuff, Merlin, so don’t worry about that just yet.
Layla Morgan Wilde
Yes, moms are best. That’s interesting about NAVAC.
Summer
It sounds like the Global Pet Expo was quite a whirlwind! My human didn’t go because she is focusing on a couple of publishing conferences this spring and not so much cat stuff, except for my shows and BlogPaws.
Layla Morgan Wilde
Summer you would have fit in nicely. There were a few cats.
Connie Marie
Merlins is thin, but looks happy. I was shocked about the Pet Memorials, whatever they are. I’m a firm believer in not going there till Merlin is actually gone, why bring sadness. Just my opinion.
You’ll never convince some people to spend the money to spay and neuter, I try. There is a mentality out there that needs to be knocked on its head!! But that’s illegal.lol