The Hear & Meow: Notes from Catster HQ

Now introducing: a tool a colorize the top buttons on your cat or group home pages.

Today's update is very special because it marks the first time a feature has gone live on the site that was made by a member. The one and only Alice Billman, pawrent of (Callie Jean and PJ) who has helped hundreds if not thousands of members decorate their pet and group pages thanks to her amazing javascript and design abilities she shares on Pawsome Pages has started making features that we can embed directly into our site.

It hit us, why should we try and replicate what she has already perfected and it's been a great getting to work together.

Our first joint effort is a new version of a tool she made so you can pick what color you want your cat's or group page buttons to be. We streamlined the process to only require you copy and paste and tiny snippet of code, and we tried to do it in such a way that when we have to change the buttons to modernize the site, hopefully we can handle keeping your button colors without you having to do anything.

At the moment the best way to get to the new button tool is to click this link, but feel free to repost in your forums or groups, bookmark or whatever!

We're going to be rolling this out slowly, but it's open for anyone to use now. If you use, please feel free to give a comment and let us know how it goes.

Finally, a note to anyone already using custom button color code on their pages that it would be best to either delete your current button HTML/CSS from your pet bio/ group HTML field, or simple make sure that the new code you generate is the last HTML in the last field.

Screenshot:

ALSO - PLEASE MAKE SURE that your style sheets are CSS3 compatible!!

****************************************************************************

We are very happy to announce that we upgraded our top navigation bar today! As you can see, the far left button now allows you to go straight to our new photo galleries, the pet profiles and the option to add a pet. We think that you'll really like this new improvement.

BUT, we know that some of you use custom color buttons, and the new upgraded code enhancement was not backwards compatible, so that means that the code that you were using to customize the colors no longer works and may be causing your page to load improperly.

SO, super star member allybill will be updating her button custom color page shortly, so you can just remove the code from your style sheet and replace it with the new codes when they are up. I will update this blog post when that happens.

If you can't wait and want to get going on making those changes now, you can...

• copy and past the code below into your style sheet
• replace all instances of "darks/rust" with the "category/color" that you want (see allybill's site for those)
• save your style sheet
• if you view your pet page afterward and the change has not taken place, please give your pet a treat and the cache will clear, so the change should be noticeable

Otherwise, just remove that section of code from your style sheet and the default tool bar will reappear. And then just check back here to find out when allybill's site is updateed, and then just swing by her site and get the new codes!

Thanks for your patience!

Meows!
#navigation LI { BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z100/catsterpals/buttonbar/pastels/skyblue_middle.gif); COLOR: rgb(255, 255, 255)! important; } #navigation LI.spacer { BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z100/catsterpals/buttonbar/pastels/skyblue_divider.gif); } #navigation LI.first { BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z100/catsterpals/buttonbar/pastels/skyblue_left.gif); } #navigation LI.last { BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z100/catsterpals/buttonbar/pastels/skyblue_right.gif); } #navigation LI A:hover { BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z100/catsterpals/buttonbar/pastels/skyblue_middle_over.gif); } #navigation LI.first a:hover { BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z100/catsterpals/buttonbar/pastels/skyblue_left_over.gif); } #navigation LI.last a:hover { BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z100/catsterpals/buttonbar/pastels/skyblue_right_over.gif); }

Do you use Digg? Stumble Upon? Do you want to?

If you're a Digg user and would like to join our Catster Digg Crew, send an email to us at diggers[AT]dogster.com with your Digg username and a link to your Digg profile page. We'll visit your page and befriend you - that way we can see the items that you find interesting and Digg them as well. And, we'll also email you hot Catster posts that we'd like for you to Digg, so that you can help us get all of our best posts out there for the world to see. Want to check out our Digg profile page and friend us up right away? It's right here.

And if you use Stumble Upon, and would like to join our Stumbling crew, send an email to stumblers[AT]dogster.com with your Stumble Upon username and a link to your Stumble Upon profile page. That way we can be friends and share/promote stories together with Stumble Upon as well! Want to go straight to our Stumble Upon page and be friends right now? It's right here.

Not sure what we're meowing about? Both Digg and Stumble Upon are social bookmarking services that allow online friends the chance to share, promote and read articles and blog posts that are of interest to them. It's like a customizable news feed, since you decide what you want to read and how you want to read it. If you like pets, for example (and we sorta think you do), you can go to specific areas of both Digg and Stumble Upon to get your pet news/photo fix.

We've been using both Digg and Stumble Upon and we love it! We've been enjoying the feedback that we get from Digg and Stumble Upon users, and really love sharing pet-related images, videos and articles with other like-minded surfers. It's really proven to be a great way to get a VIP pass to the hottest dog and cat stuff on the Internet. We're big fans of these cool social bookmarking sites and are curious to find out if you are, too.

To read more about Digg, go here; to read more about Stumble Upon, go here. And then come back here and join the Catster Click Corps!

Meows!

Hi everyfur! Just wanted to let you know that this week's tips are coming to us thanks to our good friends over at Woof Report! Turns out those pooches know a lot about dogs AND cats, so they'll be dishing out the tips this week on The Daily Cat Tip, the Catster blog that serves up a juicy tidbit of feline information every weekday.

Woof Report is a free weekday email newsletter with pup-perfect dog care tips, news, products & more! If you've got a canine servant or two around the house, you might want to allow them to sign up for the Newsletter at www.woofreport.com or let them become a Facebook Fan. They might just learn a thing or two... Woof Report will be contributing a few tips here and there going forward, on both Catster and Dogster. Their first tip of the week is live already and can be seen here.

More about Woof Report, in their own words:

We’re pet people. We love our pets. We can’t get enough of them.

Like you, we want only the best for our fur family – tips on caring for and pampering our pups, the handy products, the latest doggie news. We’re always looking for new ways to improve the lives of our best friends and our time together, and we’re on the lookout for cool new things that celebrate the dog lover in us, too.

But, we found that dog magazines were published too infrequently, email newsletters were always trying to sell us something and there were just too many websites and blogs to scour for the stuff we we’re after.

So, Woof Report was born. And with it came a litter of pup-perfect ideas, dog care tips, products, and more -- the best of the best. Think of it as your daily dose of doggie delight.

And since dogs bring so much to our lives, we’re committed to returning the favor. That’s why Woof Report works to promote awareness of animal welfare causes, pet adoption initiatives and charities.

We hope you enjoy Woof Report as much as we enjoy creating it.

The best way to get The Daily Cat Tip is via email, and if you sign up now, you won't miss a single tip from our grrreat pet experts. Or to add the RSS feed to your reader, click here. Want it all? You can also get them via Twitter when you follow @catster.

Hi everyfur! Just wanted to let you know that pet journalist and author Maryann Mott is dishing out the tips on The Daily Cat Tip, the Catster blog that serves up a juicy tidbit of feline information every weekday.

Maryann's books and articles can be found at Petwriter.com and you can follow her on Twitter here. She will be joining us every now and then as a guest tipster on both Catster and Dogster. Her first tip of the week is live already and can be seen here.

More about Maryann:

For more than 15 years Maryann has written exclusively about pets. Her thorough and accurate reporting has led to assignments with a variety of publications including: The New York Times, Family Circle, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor as well as National Geographic online. Articles written for syndicates has landed her work in the online editions of Newsweek, Yahoo!, MSNBC, USA Today and U.S. News and World Report.

As a contributing editor to Dog Fancy magazine (the oldest and largest pet publication in the country) she pens the popular Newshound and Lifestyle sections each month.

Over the years she's worked as a staff newspaper reporter as well as veterinary assistant. In 1996 Maryann was editor and publisher of Desert Pet News in Palm Springs, California. The newspaper featured shelter animals for adoption and educated owners on how to properly care for their pets. Later, while living in Lake Arrowhead, she started the Altitude Agility Club and served as president of the Mountain Humane Society.

Maryann now resides in Arizona. In 2005, Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (a.k.a the pound) named her Volunteer of the Year. Currently she volunteers delivering meals to senior citizens here in my hometown.

Maryann shares her life with two dogs - K.C., a rescued Chow mix, and Sasha, an energetic 9-year-old Belgian Sheepdog cross.

The best way to get The Daily Cat Tip is via email, and if you sign up now, you won't miss a single tip from our grrreat pet experts. Or to add the RSS feed to your reader, click here. Want it all? You can also get them via Twitter when you follow @catster.

Hi again everybody - just wanted to pop in and let you know that travelers and bloggers Helen Fazio and her dog Raja are dishing out the tips on The Daily Cat Tip, the Catster blog that serves up a juicy tidbit of feline information every weekday.

WHAT? A dog? Calm down, calm down - Helen and Raja have lots of great insight on dealing with cats, from a dog-person's point of view. The pair have loads of great pet travel information and will be joining us every now and then as a guest tipster on both Catster and Dogster. Their first two tips are live already and can be seen here and here.

More about Helen and her dog Raja:

Helen feels most comfortable in places where she doesn't speak the language; she likes to do almost everything, except hunt and watch TV sports. Raja is a Shih Tzu. Directly descended from the Mongolian wolf, Raja is hardy and loves to roam with his pack. Tamed in the monasteries of Tibet, he takes the long view. Finished in the palaces of 16th century China, he is elegant. Rescued from China by the artistocrats of Europe, he is a ham. Make sure you check out their blog, which is here, and follow them on Twitter.

The best way to get The Daily Cat Tip is via email, and if you sign up now, you won't miss a single tip from our grrreat pet experts. Or to add the RSS feed to your reader, click here. Want it all? You can also get them via Twitter when you follow @catster.

We've gone through all of the entries and (though it was a tough call to make) have decided that the following entries have what it takes to be featured in the Catster Gift Shop! And the winners are:

Made by Catster Blade, this crown shall furever grace the heads of the Kings and Queens who run every pet-loving house: the dogs and cats! Nice work, Blade!

Made by Dogster Murphy, this scrumptious-looking ice cream cone will keep your pals cool, even on the hottest of summer days... Way to go, Murphy!

This hero's ribbon was made by Dogster Milo and Catster Sawyer and is for all the caring and strong fur friends in your life! Nice teamwork, Milo and Sawyer!

This pup tent can sleep dozens and was made by Dogster Diamond and Catster Pearl. Summer days don't last furever, so invite your favorite pals on a camping trip today! Thanks, Diamond and Pearl!

HUGE THANKS to all of the Dogster and Catster members who submitted virtual gifts to the contest! We love your creativity and are very proud to have you as part of the family!

So... what are you waiting for? Get on over to the Gift Shop and show your support for your fellow Dogster and Catster members by spreading around their cool gifts!

Woofs and meows,

HQ

Hey everyfur, pet writer Kelly Modzelewski is joining us again this week to dish out tips on The Daily Cat Tip, the Catster blog that serves up a juicy tidbit of feline information every weekday. Kelly, is the self-proclaimed "Guardian of Three Devious Pit Bulls and One Neurotic Cat" and she joins us every now and then as a guest tipster on both Catster and Dogster. This week's first tip on litter box organization and maitenance is live already and can be seen here.

More about Kelly: Kelly Modzelewski has been a dog and cat writer for a good fifteen years. She started when her dog Kingfish pointed out that canines needed more coverage in news and entertainment. She has published in People, Hoflin Dog Publications, Boston-area newspapers, Fetch, DogBoston, Modern Dog and more. She writes about anything dog, from health issues to history to humor. Her experience with dogs has been enlightening. Her experience with cats has been a reminder of where humans fit on the feline totem pole - the bottom.

Update 1 We updated the below submission specifications to resolve any confusion about what image formats we can accept and convert into store gifts

Update 2 We created the Digital Gift Makers Workshop Group for anypaw and everypaw that wants to make gifts that share, learn and help each other. HQ will be hanging out there too.

We are always amazed and impressed at how creative everyfur gets on Dogster and Catster with their spectacular pet pages and profile pictures. That's why we decided to have a special contest for all you creatives out there: We want YOU to make the next new digital gift for the gift store! We are outlining some guidelines below for creating the artwork for the gift, and the winner will receive a bowl-ful of Zealies, a badge to show off on their pet page and of course, props from HQ. When the gift is available in the gift store the creator will get credit so that all the Dogsters and Catsters out there will know who made it!

Entries

There are three different sizes of gifts you can create: Furever Rosettes, Stars & Small Gifts, and Large Gifts. You may submit as many entries as you'd like in each category.

Files should be zipped and sent to: gift_submit[AT]dogster.com

Entries must be submitted by July 1st, 2009 midnight PST.

Winners will be announced by July 15th.

Winners will be selected by Dogster HQ.

Prizes

Furever Rosettes - winner gets 100 zealies

Stars & Small Gifts (type 1) - winner gets 250 zealies

Large Gifts (type 2) - winner gets 500 zealies

Specifications

There are some guidelines that must be followed in creating the submissions. Please take the time to reads the guidelines closely to make sure your submissions can be considered. If an entry does not comply with submission guidelines we will have no choice but to not accept or review it.

1) We cannot accept or use artwork that is trademarked, registered, or displays any trademarked or copyrighted terms (such as brand names). Make sure you have the right to use any artwork your submit. Please do not submit any artwork that you are not the original creator of.

2) The gifts, stars and rosettes must be supplied and clearly viewable in multiple sizes since they are displayed on various pages, such as the virtual gift store, on pet pages, and on the homepage. While the image that appears in the Store and on Pet Pages is the most important, the other images sizes need to look good too. Usually we find that reducing a large image to a small image will not work. Usually the small image needs to be made separately or at least modified so it appears clear and neat.

3) All submissions should be the original/source layered artwork file. Photoshop, Illustrator, Gimp and many others allow for layered artwork. Common file types are, but are not limited to .PSD, .AI, .PDF .EPS. Entries should not be flattened single layer artwork, and it's very unlikely we will be able to accept GIF, PNG or JPG files.

4) Finally all submissions need to be on a transparent background (this includes animated gifts) but ultimately, once we reduce them to animated gifs, must not exceed 50kb. Therefore we strongly recommend animated gift submissions to not exceed 30 frames.

Furever Rosettes, Stars

One file must depict artwork at 100 pixels high x 100 pixels wide

One file must depict artwork at 15 pixels high x 15 pixels wide

Small Gifts

One file must depict artwork at 40 pixels high x 40 pixels wide

One file must depict artwork at 15 pixels high x 15 pixels wide

Large Gifts

One file must depict artwork at 80 pixels high x 80 pixels wide

One file must depict artwork at 15 pixels high x 15 pixels wide

Tip: Sometimes a small or large gift does not lend itself well to the required 15 x 15 size and thus it will be a sampling of the larger image. For example, we just used Scaredy Squirrel's head for the smaller image.

Help

We have created the Digital Gift Makers Workshop Group to ask questions, get answers, help, learn and share. We warmly invite all designers to join. We will use that for announcing updates if any are needed

Terms

By submitting any materials on or through the "Make Your Own Virtual Gift Contest", you automatically grant to us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, right to publicly display or re-display such Materials in other formats not simply limited to websites.

Winners

We will announce winners 2 weeks after the submission closing date. We are not going to put a cap on how many winners that will be. There will be at least one winner in each category, but we will pick the number of winners based upon how impressed we are. So please, IMPRESS US! =)

Good luck to all you creative geniuses! We can't wait to see what you invent!

Woofs and Meows,

Dogster/Catster HQ

You've got to try it out and let us know what you think! Feline unsure about what your dogs will think? They can go ahead and download the Dogster version for their yaptops... We don't want to start any inter-species squabbles, you know... ;-)

It's a Mozilla Firefox thing, people, so if you've been debating trying out Firefox, your reason to finally make that jump is here! This themed browser, along with the fact that all of our sites work best on Firefox, will help you get the most out of your Catster experience.

Read more about the Catster browser here, or install it immediately right here.

Enjoy!

--Anders