Candid Carrie's Cat Corner, Introduction

Hello! First, I would like to thank the canines from this blog for that lukewarm reception. Second, hugs and kisses to Pauline for letting me participate as a guest blogger.

Here is a little bit of my background. I am a real human and have my very own blog, Candid Carrie. I have six human children, one out on his own, one at college, and four at home. I also have seven felines, all rescued.

I am not, however, all about cats! In the past, I bred and showed Shih Tzus and Yorkshire Terrorists (yes, I meant to spell it that way) for about ten years. Gave up the small dogs for big dogs and had four Great Danes, all of them adopted through a variety of reputable rescue organization. I've also helped a friend by fostering retired Greyhounds until they found their forever home.

At this point in my life, cats are the better route for our family. So here I am, saving the world one cat at a time.

My intentions are to pop in periodically, blog about a product I've used, and chat about the experience.

If anyone would like to ask cat related questions, you can reach me at carriestuckmann@gmail.com and I will feature your question (along with a link to your blog) in an upcoming post.

P.S. I know those are the footprints of a dog featured below, but it is just better to let sleeping dogs lie, you know what I mean?

ruff ruff...and meow

Finnigan says: Greetings peasants and pooches. It is I, Finnigan the Great Master and Commander of the Entire Universe and Beyond.
It has been many moons since my last post (that sounded pretty sweet, didn't it?) and I have a majorly barkin' announcement to make.
Dog Mom is a traitor.
Yes, I said it. If I didn't rely on her for food, shelter, and belly rubs, I'd turn her in to the puppy council right now for treason.
Her crime? She has broken our cardinal rule barring felines from Ruff Ruff Ruff! Can you believe it?
Apparently, we will now be having a guest blogger coming in with some Candid Carrie's Cat Corner, or some ruff like that.
As a dog, I am totally against it. But Dog Mom says she won't transcribe for me anymore unless I agree to it. So here I am, announcing to the world (because I have no thumbs)that cats are now welcome on Ruff Ruff.
There goes the blogosphere...

Kisses and a T-shirt

Finnigan says: Greetings doglings and loyal human subjects. It has been a few weeks since our last post, and to celebrate our triumphant return and our kickin' redesign, we are hosting a new contest for a free T-shirt from the pawesomely exclusive Boodie Kiss online boutique.
Cat says: Hi puppies and doggies! Aren't you excited? Just bark us a comment to the post, or blog about it at your own blog and leave us the link here so we know to give you an entry.
Oh-and how is this for extra credit? Do both and get two entries! Hurry up, dogs! Get your people to enter the contest by May 24 at midnight.
Good luck and ruff ruff!

Scratch my butt! (or who wants a chance at a free massage???)

Dog Mom says: Remember our good friend Jen from Gentle Paws Pet Massage?
Cat and Finnigan recently got reacquainted with her at Pet Ritz Lakeshore in Roseville, where Jen recently began seeing clients.
To celebrate her new partnership with Pet Ritz, Jen is offering one lucky Ruff Ruff reader a chance at a free dog massage. To enter, just leave Cat and Finnigan a comment to this blog telling us why your pooch deserves some serious pampering! Or if you blog, write a post about our contest and leave us a comment with the link. And if you just can't wait, make sure to mention Ruff Ruff sent ya, and you'll be treated to a $5 discount on your first massage (for new customers only.)
Contest ends May 10 at midnight.
Remember the rules! Leave us a way to get in touch you or your entry does not count!
Good luck and happy massages!

Famouser and famouser

Finnigan says: Greetings my loyal readers! Dog Mom just told me and Cat that our blog has been listed on the Dogs with Blogs site. We are listed here under "Other Blogs!"
Totally pawesome!
Who wants a paw-tograph? Maybe I should practice my signature.
I may also have to hire a body guard...wait. Never mind. My little sister is a rottweiler.
She wouldn't hurt a fly, but not everyone knows that!

Tag! You're it! (and a contest, too!)

Finnigan says: Greetings, doglings and loyal humans. I, King Finnigan and Master and Commander of the Universe, am hereby decreeing that all humans must get their dog a very cool hand-stamped I.D. tag from Alli's Originals.
I know, I know. It is so much easier just to go to the local pet store and have one pumped out by that soulless machine, right?
Maybe, but where's the fun in that when you can rather tell inquisitive minds that the oh-so-cool I.D. tag your pooch is wearing is an Alli Original? I might not usually care about who made what when it comes to humans, but I really like my grey, hand-stamped tag.

Cat says: Mine is pink! That is so grrrrly and I LOVE it! And all the puppies I know are soooo totally drooling over my I.D. tag. It's like, everybody gets theirs at the pet store, so mine is like, a designer, or something! Talk about cool points for me at the dog park.

Finnigan's Ruff Ruff Review: Four out of four paws. It's simple, elegant, and compliments my royal persona quite well.

Cat's Ruff Ruff Review: Duh! It's pink and grrrly! Like I wasn't going to give it four out of four paws????

Dog Mom says: Alli of Alli's Originals has graciously offered a Dog I.D. tag in your choice of pink or grey to one lucky dog! You the know rules: Visit Alli's site and then leave us a comment telling us what your favorite dog or people item is and why you'd like an I.D. tag! But remember, your entry will not be considered valid unless you leave us a way to contact you! So be sure to include your email.
Contest ends April 27 at midnight. Good luck!!

Barkin' it up at the Ritz

Dog Mom says: Finnigan has been dropping some major hints that he needed a serious haircut and the good folks at Pet Ritz Lakeshore Resort offered a grooming session and tour just the other day.
The facility is beyond clean with a rigorous sanitation regimen and a new batch of fresh air piped in every 20 minutes, thanks to a fresh air exchange. Indoor and outdoor play areas are available for the pups running and playing pleasure, and the staff is incredibly friendly. I've been in other dog boarding and daycare facilities that just left me feeling like my dogs were up next for a scientific experiment, but Pet Ritz feels warm and inviting, kinda like my dog's dream yard.
Maybe it's the constant human interaction or the fact that the facility is staffed round the clock, or it could be the 24-hour web access that lets you peek in to see how your pooch is doing. Whatever it is, I loved it.
Keep reading for Finn and Cat's dog-servations about their day! (And if you're local to the Metro Detroit area, you have the chance at a free weekend boarding opportunity!)

Finnigan says: This is Denise, the groomer. Note my wild-man look. Can you say "Baby comes first?" I find it highly coincidental that I have not had a proper grooming since she was born.


Check it out! TV's for the guests! And in case it is too blurry, it's "Madagascar." Cool flick. I've seen it once or twice with the family.


Wait, what's this? Prison? Dog Mom said they are "suites" but I'm not thinking anything sweet at all right now...Wait! Where is she going??? Well, at least it's roomy and I have a cellmate I am comfortable with.


Cat says: Kudos to the artist for their beauteous rendition of the owner's rotties. Maybe there is a chance of immortalizing me? I'm a natural model.



Dog Mom and Buttercup made a friend named Jersey. She is a cute puppy and I want to play with her, but then again, I want to play with every puppy all the time.



Wow-my bathtub at home is nowhere near this big!



Check out Finnigan getting a haircut! Boy, am I glad I don't have to get those.


Guess who we are looking clean and spiffy with? That's right, it's Jen from Gentle Paws Pet Massage! She's at Pet Ritz now and that's just pawsome. I may have to guilt-trip Mom into going to visit again.

Finnigan's Ruff Ruff Review: All in all, I think Groomer-lady Denise did a pawesome job on my coat. I am now back to the height of all things dapper and am sure to make the girls go wild when I am out on walks or playing at the dog park. I can't bark about the overnight stays or the playgroups, but from what Dog Mom is raving about, I'm gonna have to give Pet Ritz a four paw rating.

Cat says: Can we go back? It was fun. Everybody loved me (which is nice, because a lot of times people are afraid of me even before they get to know me). I loved my bath and Groomer-lady Denise is very nice. I'm with Finnigan on this one: Four paws!

Dog Mom says: I'm back to give you the inside bark on a very cool and generous contest. Interested in a free weekend boarding opportunity for your pooch? If you live in the Metro Detroit Area, the people at Pet Ritz are waiting for me to announce a contest winner! So check out their site and then leave us a comment telling us what you liked about what you saw. Remember that while Finnigan may be King of all Dogdom, none of us is psychic, so leave your email address in your comment if you want your entry to count.
To give everyone a chance at entering, the contest will end at midnight on May 8. We'll even post reminders! Good luck!

What's up? (Besides that thermometer?)

Finnigan says: Greetings, my human and canine friends! You know the drill already: I say I am King, you all bow down and worship my furfullness, and then la-ti-da-ti-da and all that.
And now that we are past all the formalities, I'd like to tell you all about our very busy day.

It's tough being famous and Royal, and a dog needs to stay on top of his health. So we let Dog Mom take us to the Vet of Doom, othewise known as North Gratiot Veterinarian(where they do sometimes unspeakable things! Seriously! Thermometers go into people's mouths, right? Why's it gotta be this way for us?)
I keep telling Dog Mom that we need to try a new place, maybe one that frowns on the thermometer-up-the-butt-thing...but she always pets me (how condecending...) and tells me that this is the best vet there is.
*Sigh*

Uncle Pepper didn't know it yet, but he's the only lucky one out of the bunch of me, Cat, and Francis.

You really have no idea how many times Dog Mom had to press that button to finally get this picture. I really am not sure what "film" is or why it would roll, but she kept muttering how she would have wasted all of it for this one picture.
(Don't tell her that except for Tia Sonya, we aren't even facing the cameral. It might just break her heart.)

This is one of those unpseakable things I was talking about. Dog
Mom and the doctor had to combine their strength to hold me down for the blood draw. Yes.
I am that strong.
Dog Mom swears they do this to her at the people doctor, but after the peanut butter and the pill incident, I am hesitant to take her at her word. You understand.

Finally, we were all done and I had my manly band-aid holding my guts in from my war wound. (And no, I don't want a biology lesson right now. I am perfectly happy with my story.)
So how was your day?

You say Bone-Bone, I say Bon-Bon

Finnigan says: It is I, the Great and Powerful Finnigans! Dog Mom went to Great Lakes Crossing with The Furless One and our Tia (that's Spanish for "aunt". Never met a tri-lingual dog before, huh?)and brought back a treat (guilt-induced, I am sure for leaving us at home), from a store called Moochie & Co.
She calls them Bone-Bones, and although a bit frilly, I do have to admit they were pretty tasty.
But Dog Dad had to break it up for me before I would even get near it. I don't know why I don't have a royal taster, as I have heard is common for human royalty, but a dog King never can be too careful about what might be hidden inside what humans want you to think is a treat!
(I'm on to Dog Mom...and she has officially ruined peanut butter for me.)
Finnigan's Ruff Ruff Review: Three out of four paws. Tasty with definite substance, but a little on the frilly side.


Cat says: I love it when Dog Mom goes out and brings us back stuff! Well, okay, I actually HATE it when she leaves the house, but I love it when she comes back and has stuff-especially the kind that we can eat!!!
This time, she brought us these Bon-Bon thingies from Moochie & Co, and she saved the pretty colored ones for me with all the rainbow swirls on top. Yum. Yum. Yum.
My favorite part was that it was a nice big gourmet treat and I actually got to chew it!
Cat's Ruff Ruff Review: Four out of Four paws. How can a Bon Bon made especially for me NOT get four paws??? Exactly!

Finnigan says: Wait, wait a second here...Bon Bon's? You must be mistaken, Cat. Dog Mom said they are called Bone-Bones...

Cat says: Yep-but that was only so you'd eat it. Worked, huh??? hee hee!

Finnigan says: Oh My DOG! You mean I ate a Grrrrl treat? No fair!

We love dog blogs and Casper rocks!

Finnigan says: Hello and welcome, my followers. We are checking in tonight to share one of our coolest dog blog finds in the past few days. (And mental note to make Dog Mom post more pics of us...seriously, you'd think The Furless One aka Buttercup was the most imprtant thing in Dog Mom's life right now....
As if!

Cat says: Um, ya, Finn. But do you really want any pics posted right now? I mean, you haven't had a hair cut in like, forever! (talk about Grizzly Adams!)
Anyway, check out our new friend Casper's blog. It's fun!

Calling all Dogs!!!!

Finnigan says: Good day, my lowly and loyal readers. Dog Mom has informed me that there are a lot of you out there. But we don't know who you are!

Cat says: Who wants to be my friend! Come on! We want to know who's there and checking our blog. So please, please, paw-ty please leave us a comment with your name, breed, and your human's first name.

Dog Mom says: Fellow dog bloggers are also welcome to leave a comment with a link to their dog blog.

March for Babies (of the human variety)

Dog Mom says:
I am excited! I just signed up for the March for Babies walkathon for the March of Dimes. Please check out my personal page and consider supporting my fundraising goal.
Finnigan and Cat told me to ask!

Cat says: It's true!

Finnigan says: Yup. Major barks out to Dog Mom. I'm just trying to figure out how Buttercup is going to walk six miles...she's not very coordinated yet.

We have our winners!

Finnigan says: Good evening, my loyal minions of Puppydom. It is I, the Great and Fearless Finnigan here to bestow upon three very lucky humans and there even luckier furbabies the opportunity to eat like a King (That would be me, of course).
And here to assist me in announcing this evening's winners is the very talented and lovely Catherine the Great. Cat?

Cat says: (Wow, I have always wanted to be a lovely and talented assistant! This is pawsome!Wait until I tell all of the puppies I know!)
Thank you, Finnigan. We had lots of entries from some hungry pups and their people, but only three get the chance to try the Birkdale Pet Mix!
Our winners were randomly selected by Dog Mom and Buttercup (it just took us a while to post because the pieces of paper she picked out had to have time to dry...she likes to eat paper, you know.)
Our winners are:
CookieQ!
Cocoa and her human!
And Madison the Boxer!
Many wags of the tail to all of our contestants!

Dog Mom says: A big thank you to Birkdale Medicinals for allowing Ruff Ruff the opportunity to share their tasty and healthy product with our readers.

Dogster updates on alleged dog murderer trial

Dog Mom Says: Joy from the Dogster For the Love of Dog blog has emailed Finnigan, Cat, and me, requesting a cross-post about a gruesome alleged dog murder trial. The details are shocking, but boil down to a young pregnant woman living with her husband and a roommate. The pregnant woman, now a mother, decided to attempt poisoning her roommate with visine, and eventually provoked the roommate's two dogs into a dog fight. One dog died and the other was euthanized for killing the first.
The suspect's name is Kristine Anzalone, 24. Animal lovers are asked to show their support for the harshest possible punishment by either attending the court appearance date or contacting the judge, clerk, and ADA handling the case.
Info:
Suspect: Kristine Anzalone
Court Date: March 31, 2008
Location: Naussau County. New York Courthouse
Judge: Edward Maron (talk with his clerk, Denise)
516-507-4080, 516-571-2483
ADA: 516-572-3000 Please help bring attention to this case by cross-posting and emailing to your friends and fellow dog loving bloggers!!!

High Paws to DeD

Finnigan: Major Barks and Four High Paws to Brian Anderson of Dog eat Doug comic strip fame. He is obviously a Human Follower of King Finnigans, Ruler of the Universe, (smart guy!) and has kindly dedicated a post to our Birkdale Pet Mix contest on his blog.
As a show of gratitude, human readers of Ruff Ruff are now ordered to begin reading the DeD blog on a regular basis (like every day, and sometimes twice since we dogs can't tell time), to their furry canine pals. It would do us good to get some culture, and Dog Mom keeps going back to the DeD blog, so I am assuming it is more than worth your time.

Cat: Don't forget about the DeD book store where humans can pre-order the book!

Dog Mom says: You obviously have at least one dog if you are a Ruff Ruff reader, but if you have kids, too, then the DeD comic and blog will have you chuckling all day.

Dog Mom says...

Dog Mom: I am thrilled to see so many entries for the Birkdale Pet Mix contest, but wanted to give a friendly reminder to all who have entered (and those who are planning to enter) to leave your email address.
Remember-I'm not psychic (although I do play one on TV...) so I need an email address to contact our lucky winners!

Who wants free food?

Finnigan: Remember our Four Paw review of Birkdale Pet Mix? (I know I do.) Well, my lucky and loyal followers, Dog Mom has a totally barkin' announcement to make. I'll give you one hint: contest...

Cat: Jeez- Finn! Let Dog Mom tell them! She makes the rules, anyway.

Dog Mom says: Three lucky Ruff Ruff readers will win one bag each of the recently reviewed Birkdale Pet Mix. All you have to do is bark Finnigan and Cat a comment to this post telling them why you'd like to try the new food by March 21. Include your email address or your post will not be considered a contest entry.
Those who log on to the Birkdale Medicinals site and request a free sample will receive a bonus entry in our contest. Enter for the free year of dog food on the Birkdale site and receive two more bonus entries.
I'm not psychic, so email us at ruffruffreview@gmail.com if you went for the extra credit.
Three winners will be chosen and announced by March 24.
Here's the kicker---if I announce you as a winner and you don't reply within a week, I will have to select an alternate, so be on the lookout! Your dog(s) will thank you for paying attention!
Good luck!
And Ruff Ruff!

Fit for a King (and Cat)

Finnigan: Greetings, my loyal minions. I know you all have been just panting in anticipation for my next message from the Royal Land of Dogdom, and appreciate your patience as both Cat and I waited for Dog Mom to finally figure out how to balance her time between us, our blog, and the time-consuming hair-less puppy she calls "The Baby."
In either case, I am pleased to tell you about really good food called Birkdale Pet Mix.

And no, I am not talking about that dry kibble crap Dog Mom usually feeds us. This is some seriously paw-lickin' stuff! (Dog Dad couldn't even get our attention for a photo while we were eating, that is how good it was...)

It took a long time for Dog Mom to make for us, but it was worth it. All I now is that it is about time someone came up with something worthy of my consumption. After all, I AM King Finnigans, Master and Commander of all the World.
Finnigan's Ruff Ruff Review: Four out of Four paws. And as Dog King, I hereby decree this food to be fit for royalty.


Cat: So back to reality. Geesh, Finnigan.
Anyway, he is right about this food. It is DROOL-icious! Dog Mom went to the store and bought real hamburger to cook for us (she does love us!)and mixed it with the Pet Mix, and Oh My Dog!
It is SO GOOD!

Dog Mom says it is healthy, too, with real veggies and fruits and no bad things like chemicals or preservatives. This stuff is pawsome and you gotta try it. I'm already drooling just thinking about dinner tomorrow.

Oh-and ask your human to request a free sample or even better, enter for a chance at a free year of Birkdale Pet Mix on their site.
Good luck!
Cat's Ruff Ruff Review: Four out of four paws. I may never be able to eat kibble again. Unless that is all that Dog Mom puts into my food bowl.

A quick bark...

Finnigan says: Greetings, loyal followers. I have only a few moments to post tonight so I will merely direct you to my Dogster page.
You now have my permission to wait with baited (doggy)breath for my next post.
Farwell for now.

Cat says: Me too! Me too! I have a Dogster page, too! Check it out and tell me what you think! Maybe we can be pup pals?

Note from Dog Mom

Dog Mom says: Hello to my pupsters' adoring public. I'd like to apologize for the long delay since I last sat down and used my opposable thumbs for the benefit of blessing you all with The Finnigans presence and Cat's friendly nature.
My father passed away on November 27 and it has been a very difficult time. Blogging was not high on the priority list, but it is time to get back on the (chuck) wagon for the sake of my dogs.
Seriously, Finnigan is ranting about how dogs everywhere are lost without his guidance and Cat just sits and stares at the computer longingly. She misses her friends.

Soon, my little fur babies....very soon.


Oh-and for anyone with a dog-related business (or book or product or out there....send me something to review! As my fur babes would say: Throw us a bone, already!