As you read yesterday, Skeezix, Jeff (Mr Tasty Face) and I attended Guido the Italian Kitty’s Meow Mix Pawty to watch Guido on Meow Mix’s “Think Like a Cat” show on the Game Show Network. Despite the fact that Guido didn’t win (he was robbed!), a good time was had by all, and Catster and Dogster were well represented by Anders Porter (who writes the Snuzzy blog), Ted Rheingold (Catster’s Top Cat) and Mark Rogers (who hosts the weekly caption contest on Dogster’s “For the Love of Dog” blog).

Big kudos go to hostess Judi, who opened her home and her heart to us. For more on Guido, you can subscribe to the Guido Gazette (”Start your day the Guido way!”), or check out his Catster profile.

The crowd gathers around the TV to watch the show.

Judi and Guido

Judi and Guido

Celebrity Pet Photographer, Mark Rogers. (Mark took this iconic photo of Guido, and he is FABulous with pets. He hosts a photo caption contest on the Dogster blog each week – check it out!)



The Meow Mix Centerpiece



Ted Rheingold (Catster’s Top Cat) adjusts Guido’s tie



Baci–who slept through the entire event–woke up to check out Skeezix



Ted Rheingold, Mr Tasty Face (Skeezix’s dad), Skeezix and Anders/Snuzzy



Ted Rheingold, Skeezix, Anders “Snuzzy” Porter, Guido, Judi, and Mr Tasty Face



Karen with Guido and Skeezix

• Live from Guido’s: the Meow Mix Pawty!
• The Cat’s Meow to Blog Live Tonight at Guido’s
• Will Catster Guido the Italian Kitty Win $1 Million???
• Meet Guido the Italian Kitty
• Catsters are Meeting Up Across the Country!

The holidays are stressful enough without having to make a trip to the emergency vet. With Thanksgiving approaching, the ASPCA has published info on what holiday foods you should avoid feeding your cat. Sure, a little well-cooked, boneless turkey is okay as a treat, but other common foods are poisonous to your pet. Here’s the list:

Turkey
If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don’t offer her raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria.

Sage
Sage can make your Thanksgiving stuffing taste delish, but it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression to pets if eaten in large quantities. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of certain essential oils.

Bread Dough
Don’t spoil your pet’s holiday by giving him raw bread dough. According to ASPCA experts, when raw bread dough is ingested, an animal’s body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach. As it expands, the pet may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring surgery.

Cake Batter
If you’re baking up Thanksgiving cakes, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.

Other forbidden foods:

Macadamia nuts (can cause weakness and tremors)

Raisins and grapes (can cause kidney failure)

Onions and garlic (can cause anemia)

Chocolate (contains caffeine and theobromine, two different types of stimulants that affect the central nervous system and the heart muscle, as well as increasing the frequency of urination)

Of course, the safest route is to avoid feeding Fluffy table scraps entirely. For the ASPCA’s safe Thanksgiving guidelines, go to ASPCA.org.

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