Three Guaranteed Smiles

There are three videos on my bookmarks bar that are there for those days when I'm feeling like I need a lift. No matter how many times I've seen them, they always, ALWAYS, give me a smile.

I know you may have watched them before, but let's all watch them again and have a little smile this morning!

First, we have kitten pranksters Bart and Fielding Mittenfloss.



And this Wylla classic that is never not funny.



And teeny-tiny Hazel making itty-bitty biscuits.




Are you smiling?   Good.

: )

No Kittens, But an Awesome Update!

No kittens just yet, but hopefully some good candidates came in over the weekend, and our kitten department will be restocked today.  If and when I know more, I'll give you'll a update!

I got a really awesome update from Wendy and Patrick, who adopted our dear Hazel and Effie. It's always nice to hear those what those kittens are up to. They'll always be so special to us -- they were the first batch took in after sitting out a year because of Filbert's Panleukopenia. Also, the first litter that Wylla met.

First, lets take a look back at tiny Effie and Hazel.



Here they are today!



















And here's what their parents had to say:


Hello Laurie –

 Really long time. Sorry about that. Of course you are in our thoughts every day, because every day we are so thankful that Effie Pru and Hazel Ezzie found their way into our life!

We are all doing extremely well! We now live in Southern Oregon. The girls did just great during two moves. I’m sure Wylla let them know that travelling was really cool, so that was super helpful! (I over-worried for nothing; thank goodness!) As part of the move we upgraded to a king sized bed – and oddly enough, we still don’t have any more room: these two are experts at sprawling out to take up maximum bed area. The nerve!

They seem to be really enjoying their new home. We now have stairs, which they love to run up and down at the speed of light!!! They sound like a herd of horses, and yet, it’s just the two of them; stay out of their way! And Hazel Ezzie has become the best spider hunter in the area. Yay, little E! Oh the bugs in warm Southern Oregon…yuck!

They still so love each other. Oddly enough, Hazel Ezzie, little runt of the litter, is the calming influence when Effie Pru is in need - which is daily! But the sweet grooming head licks always seem to morph into neck biting and a bit of a scuffle…sisters…

Effie Pru’s colors are still changing. Lots more brown and taupe over the last year, and more recently quite a bit of peachiness. Hazel Ezzie remains the same as when a kitten with her cute little white spots and peachy paws, and those all-knowing, please-love-us-we-need-you eyes. Not to be fooled by her super sweetness. She definitely has a wild and sassy side. When she gets a wild hair, even Pru looks at her like she is crazy and gets out of the way, as she does laps around the house at full speed batting at everything in sight. She has a blast pulling her cat blanket around the house with her little baby teeth. What a nut. 

We still aren’t the best photographers (sadly; because these girls should have the best), but have, nonetheless, attached some recent photos.

Your baby girls have grown into the most beautiful and lovely cats, whom we love beyond love!

Do hope all is well with you, Craig, Bean and Wylla, and all those lucky itty bitty kitties!

Warmest purrs,

Patrick & Wendy & Effie Pru & Hazel Ezzie

Thank you so much fora sharing with us today, Patrick and Wendy.  What stunning creatures Effie and Hazel are! I can hardly believe how dark Effie has become.

We're happy to know they are loved so deeply and that they make your lives so happy. Please give them some pets from all of us and let them know we think of them often.  

And don't sell yourself short in the photography department! Your pictures are awesome!

Feel-Good, Funny, and Forgotten

I have to say, the past couple of weeks haven't been the best. When I'm feeling like I need my spirits lifted a bit, I often turn to the IBKC archives and do a little digging. Cute kittens make everything better, don't they?

I've been writing this blog for almost nine years and have posted over 3,000 posts (3,222 to be exact!).  There are kittens and moments that stand out, but when I start poking around in the past, I always begin to realize how much I've forgotten.

I churned up a few IBKC moments that I wanted to share with you today because maybe you need a little uplifting yourself. Or, maybe you know someone who does, and you can share it with them.

Well, here you go! Here are a few funny and feel-good moments I rediscovered.

1. Adorable stretching, napping, purring Dearborns.



2. Oh, Eddie. What a tiny heartbreaker you were!



3. Baby Audrey giving baby Wylla a bath!!  This one just KILLS me.



4. That itty-bitty tongue on Daphne!!



5. Young Bean "signaling the mothership". She used to do this all the time and we never knew why. Still don't.  Still funny.



6.  Wiggly little Wiggins!



7. Teeny-tiny Hazel making baby biscuits!!!! Melts me like butter.



8. Pardon the hyaena laughing in the background -- that would be me.  And those are the Gibsons. Normally I can keep myself in check while taking a video, but this was just toooo funny.



9.  Remember that one time when the tables were turned and Bean got a bath from a kitten? Not me, it totally slipped my mind! What a treat to rediscover this one!




10.  Well, I know I'll never forget this one, but it always makes me laugh, no matter how many times I play it.   It's never not funny, and that's why I put it on the list.




Tell me please, do you have a favorite IBKC feel-good video or post you like to visit when you're feeling down?  I was thinking it might be nice to have a page devoted to some of our best spirit-lifters for such times.  Let me know what you would like to see on your list.

A Puzzle from the Past

A couple years ago, when we were hosting Hazel Swift and Effie Brisker, an old client of mine from my days as a florist asked to borrow a couple of kittens for a project. She was working for a local company that manufactured jigsaw puzzles, and they were in need of a kitten or two for a photo that could possibly be used on one of their puzzles.

We had the brief photo shoot with Effie and Hazel one afternoon, and that was that. I never followed up to see if an image was used for a puzzle, and the whole thing just slipped my mind.

Well, earlier this week, I was hunting online for a new jigsaw puzzle project for Craig and myself, and I ran across a familiar face!!!

LOOK! It's Effie Brisker right there in the middle of that picture puzzle!!!

How cute is that??!!

If you want to pick up a copy, the puzzle comes in 750 or 1000 pieces and is available at Puzzle Warehouse, Barnes and Noble , Simple Pastimes, and Amazon.


I think I'll order one for us. We normally prefer to tackle puzzles with more pieces, but for this cutie I will make an exception!

It was fun to be reminded of this sweet little pair of kittens. They were the first set Wylla got to help foster, so they will always be special to us!   Here are a few photos of the dear things from their time in our care.

















If you want to see the lovely cats these two became, here's an update their parents shared with us last year.

Calling All Gray Kitty Fans!

I know we've got a lot of gray kitty fans in the crowd (like Dan N, for example) so we put together a little gray kitty pack of postcards and they're now listed in the IBKC Shop!

Featured in this set are a floofy Langston Von Tussle, wide-eyed Lucille Plunkett, itty-bitty Hazel Swift,  a very plush Thelma Lyttelton, Fielding Mittenfloss with his corduroy cheeks, and very velvety Forrest and Pearl Mae Petrie!

If gray kitties make you weak, this set is for you!

The postcards are a nicely weighted stock with rounded corners and a lovely satin matte finish. On the back of the card there's a tiny photo of the featured kitten and their name too, so you know who is who. They're sold in a set of six cards (one of each design) and you can purchase them with or without envelopes.

We always offer a little bonus whenever we launch new design, so while supplies last, we'll be giving away a "Kisses the Kitten" postcard with each pack cards that your purchase.

 

We've also added more Sparkle Balls in the shop! We've restocked our usual color packs, added some Jumbo Packs of Sparkle Balls, and just in time for Saint Patrick's Day, we've listed some green and gold Charlene O'Butterbean Sparkle Balls for Lucky Cats and Kittens. We've got a very limited supply of the St Patty's day packs,  so please act fast if you want to pick some up for your cats!




To check out all of these new IBKC products and the many other new sets we launched last month, please visit our online store HERE.  Thanks!

Cutest Easter Ever

We had the pleasure of spending last Easter with Hazel, Effie, their brothers, and couple of dear friends. It was a sweet time, and I think worth revisiting again, so I'm sharing it with you again today.  

Please enjoy!   And have a lovely Easter weekend.




We had some special guests stop by this weekend! Sue and sister Jean came by with Effie and Hazel's brothers for a play date

It's been over two weeks since the girls saw Mack, Jack, and Zack last.  I don't know that they recognized each other, but they did merge and mingle quickly.

 



Wylla met the boys, but we didn't want to overwhelm her with five tiny explorers circling the living room, so we tucked her away upstairs after a few minutes.  She's doing really great with Effie and Hazel and I'll share more on that subject in tomorrow's post.



The boys are nearly identical, so it's tricky to tell them apart.  I think this bunny is Jack, but there's a pretty good chance I'm wrong.





Of course you know who this little bunny is.





Effie enjoyed spending time in Jean's gentle hands.



Then she climbed into her hood, and eventually out Jean's sleeve,  and back into her hand.



From left to right: Mack, Jack and Zack. Zack's worried eyes make him easiest to identify.  The boys are healthy and growing and developing at the same pace the girls.  They're sweet and social too, just like their sisters.




Here's the whole tiny gang.







I don't know who this is, but he sure is adorable.



The boys wear ribbon collars so Sue can tell them apart.  Jack is blue, Mack is red, and Zack is yellow.  I think.







After many wrestling matches in the basket, the boys crashed.





The girls got sleepy too, and joined them.



We watched the basket of nappers for quite some time,  but it was time for the boys to return home, so we tried to wake them to take a quick family portrait before they left.

The girls were soon alert.



But the boys were still out cold.



Eventually they sat up, but kept dozing off.

And by the time the boys were alert, the girls moved on were chasing each other under the sofa.  

It was a great visit, and the perfect way to spend Easter Sunday.  I prefer my Easter basket filled kittens instead of candy - just as sweet, but much, much cuter.