Sunday Selfie

Brulee had to be tempted with a delicious treat in order to pose for her Sunday Selfie today.  Can you guess which treat she was waiting for?

Blog Hop

Be sure to visit The Cat on My Head to see more Sunday Selfies.

Caturday Art

We've read about the new app for Windows called Super Photo and we had to try it.  We liked this photo of Brulee but it was a little fuzzy because of the bad light, so we cropped it and use the "stained glass" effect and loved how it turned out!  Mom Paula says if she was creative and knew how to do stained glass that she would make this!

Blog Hop

You can see more Caturday Art posts at Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty.

An InLinkz Link-up

Those Were The Days

We went back in the archives to January 2012, when we were kittens, to find this adorable photo. Truffle and Brulee really haven't had any major problems with each other, except for the first day Brulee came to live with us.  Brulee has never shown any fear of Truffle and would give back as much as Truffle gave her.  They were also adorable because they used to cuddle up together.  They don't do it anymore, but photos like this are just too cute to forget.

Brulee taking a nap while Truffle puts a protective paw over her and gives her a bath.

Truffle still tends to groom Brulee, even as adults.  The grooming session usually ends with a little smack down, but it's adorable while they are doing it.

Meet Our New Cousin - Fred

We have a new kitty cousin and we'd like to introduce him to you today!  Fred came to live with Mom Paula's nephew, Russell, and his beautiful family during the holidays.  Russell is Mom Paula's nephew who suffered a stroke in December that so many of you purred and purrayed for.  He's doing wonderful and the doctors expect a full recovery.  When he got out of the hospital and the rehab center, Fred came to live with them.

Meet Fred

Fred is about 16 weeks old and was adopted from the local PetSmart in Anderson, SC.  Fred was rescued from a dumpster, where someone left him, as a wee little kitten.  He was bottle-fed by his rescuers.

Fred's wonderful markings on his back

Mom Paula's little great niece, Zoey, who is 3 years old, named Fred.  Fred is very loving and has extremely high energy.  Mom Paula asked for photos of Fred with Zoey, but he said neither of them sit still long enough.  Russell said that Fred likes to caress your face and groom you.

Fred sat still long enough for this photo

Mom Paula took a kitty-care package to Russell for Fred during the holidays.  There were lots of toys and a water fountain.  We didn't have any kitten food, so we couldn't send any of our new samples we've received for review.  Russell says that Fred loves his toys.  He said Fred also drooled when he was happy!  The interesting thing about Fred is that he enjoys jumping in the bath with them.  We know Russell will be a great human dad to Fred and teach Zoey how to treat kitties.  Mom Paula has this special photo of Russell with Sweet Praline when she was a kitten back in 1995.

Russell and Sweet Praline - 1995

Mom Paula can't wait to meet Fred!  She'll be sure to take her camera and get more photos.  Welcome to our family, Fred!  Mom Paula got sneaky and swiped this photo off of Facebook that shows Russell, Zoey, and Fred resting peacefully at home.

Wordless Wednesday

Blog Hop

We've Got Lamb!

As part of the Chewy Blogger Outreach Network, we were allowed to try the ZiwiPeak canned cat food this month.  We'd never heard of this food, but were very anxious to try it because there were a lot of varieties of protein we weren't used to eating.

Truffle enjoying the ZiwiPeak Daily Cat Cuisine Lamb canned food

We received the ZiwiPeak Daily Cat Cuisine Lamb Canned Cat Food to review.  ZiwiPeak Cat food is made with fresh, natural, raw meat and organs.  There are no artificial additives, preservatives, fillers, or grains.  All of the food comes from the cleanest, greenest New Zealand pastures and oceans.  ZiwiPeak says that there food is as close as you can come to feeding a raw, natural, wild-prey diet for cats without freezing and thawing.   We haven't had any products with lamb before, so Mom Paula was anxious to see if we'd eat it.  As you know, Truffle will eat almost anything and Brulee is the picky eater.  All Mom Paula had to do was to put the food on our plates and both of us immediately began eating.  Mom Paula was very impressed because Brulee doesn't usually like "chunky" canned food.

Both Brulee and Truffle loved the lamb formula

All ZiwiPeak pet food (lamb, venison, beef, and rabbit products) are sourced from New Zealand animals and approved, traceable farms in New Zealand.  The farms are committed to freely pastured grass-feeding and they use no antibiotics, hormones, or growth promotants. ZiwiPeak only uses real raw meat and organs.  There are a lot more details about how ZiwiPeak cat food is processed and how they guarantee it's safe for us kitties.  You can read about it on their website.

There are five different flavors of the ZiwiPeak canned food:  beef, lamb, venison, rabbit & lamb, and venison & fish.  We loved the lamb flavor, so we know the others must be delicious.  You can currently purchase a 12-pack of the lamb canned food for $32.99 (list price is $53.19) from Chewy.com.   This food may take a little longer to ship, but in our humble opinion, the taste and benefits are well worth it.  As always, shipping is free if the order is $49+.

FTC Disclosure: As part of the Chewy.com Blogger Outreach Program, we received some ZiwiPeak Daily-Cat Cuisine Lamb Canned Cat Food for a fair and honest review. Receiving the food did not influence our opinion in any way.  All opinions expressed on Sweet Purrfections are our own.

You can see more reviews from the Chewy Blogger Outreach Program through the monthly blog hop, hosted by Golden Woofs and Oz the Terrier. 

Refreshing Drink

We've had pet fountains since the day we were born, so Mom Paula has made sure to have a variety of fountains at our house. One is in the bedroom, one is in the dining room beside a tall window, and one is on a table in front of the window.  We drink from all of them, but Truffle thinks there is something special about her garnet-colored Thirsty Cat Water Fountain.  This isn't a sponsored post, but we do love this fountain.

Truffle drinking from her Thirsty Cat Water Fountain

Purrs for Marg

We're purring for Ms Marg of Marg’s Animals.  She is having the first of two cataract eye surgeries today. Send a little extra love her way please, and a prayer that all goes well (as we’re sure it will)! 

Giveaway

Today is the last day to enter for a chance to win a Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat.  Complete entries on the Rafflecopter widget located here.  Four of our lucky readers will win a litter mat in the color of their choice.

Sunday Selfie

Truffle is participating in The Cat on My Head'http://thecatonmyhead.com/s Sunday Selfie today by showing her beautiful profile and huge green eyes.

Truffle

Blog Hop

To see more Sunday Selfies, visit here.

Caturday Art

For today's Caturday Art photo, we went to PicMonkey and posterized Brulee.  We then added a gritty texture to the poster and got a little fancy with the border.

Brulee "posterized"

Giveaway

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win a Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat by completing the Rafflecopter widget here.

Blog Hop

To see more Caturday Art Creations, visit Athena Cat Goddess

An InLinkz Link-up

New Kitty

We got your attention, didn't we?  We don't have a live new kitty in our house, but a friend of Mom Paula's gave her a white cat decanter full of Riesling wine.  Mom Paula doesn't drink, but loves the decanter.  Brulee hopes this kitty isn't here to replace her.

Brulee can't figure out this new white kitty

Sweet Heroes #MyPetIsMyHero

Sweet Heroes

We know many of you read our blog and see us as those southern sweet and sassy Persians and you are probably thinking, "Boy, are they pampered" and you would be correct with that thought because we deserve it.  Did you also know that we are heroes?  Mom Paula is one of those Type-A personalities and she has a very stressful job.  She works 10-12 hours a day at the office (or longer when she's on the road) and comes home and spends another few hours helping us blog and visit others on social media. Recently, Mom Paula became very ill and ran a fever for 6 straight days.  We didn't leave her side during that time and always knew when to snuggle up next to her.  Something about our warm and soft bodies and the enduring purrs helped to comfort her when no one else was around.  Truffle likes to sleep right next to Mom Paula's left side and when Mom Paula would wake up, Truffle would give the soft chirp or the silent meow and Mom Paula would close her eyes and rest a little more peacefully.  Mom Paula says we're heroes to her because we're good for her soul.

Truffle kisses

Truffle has that "sixth sense" about knowing when she's needed.  Many of you know that Truffle had a little brother named Beignet who was supposed to come live with Mom Paula. One week before the scheduled arrival date, Beignet developed a sarcoma from his vaccination and died on the operating table while the vet was trying to remove all of the cancer cells.  Truffle's first mom, Terri, was devastated because she was the vet tech who was doing the anesthesia.  Terri told Mom Paula that while all of the other kittens were playing with each other and doing kitten things that Truffle followed Terri all over the house.  Every time Terri would sit down and begin crying, Truffle would climb up next to her and snuggle in.  She said Truffle wouldn't leave her side.  Terri told Mom Paula that she was getting a very special fur child.  Not only is Truffle a hero for Mom Paula, she was also a sweet little hero for Terri.

Chicken Soup for the Soul for Pets

Mom Paula loves reading the Chicken Soup for the Soul® books.  She says the books about animals are so touching and she usually has tears in her eyes when she reads how each pet has touched the lives of their humans.  Did you know there was Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food?  Mom Paula says she likes to return our love by providing us with pet food that is good for us and tasty.  Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food is an all natural pet food made in the USA.  We received some sample bags of the Indoor with Hairball Care dry food to try.  As soon as Mom Paula put the food in the bowl, Truffle immediately began eating it.  The food is made with real meat as the first ingredient and includes fruits, vegetables and herbs.  There are other dry and canned food formulas available. We'll share more about these in a future post.  In the meantime, you can locate your local pet store who carries Chicken Soup for the Soul Pet Food by visiting the Retail Store Locator.

Truffle enjoys the delicious taste of Chicken Soup for the Soul Indoor cat food

Is Your Pet a Hero?

When you love your pet, every moment matters with them!  We know Mom Paula loves us because she provides us with a safe environment to live, good and wholesome cat food, and plenty of affection to go around.  Chicken Soup for the Soul is giving pet owners the opportunity to show how their pets are heroes and have a chance to appear on Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Hidden Heroes on the CBS Saturday morning lineup. Write your story or submit your video to the Pet Hero webpage .

Photo courtesy of Chicken Soup for the Soul

Social Media

You can discover more about Chicken Soup for the Soul by visiting them on the following social media links.

• Webpage
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Wordless Wednesday

Giveaway

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win a Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat by completing the Rafflecopter widget here.

Blog Hop

Kittycentric Littermat Review and Giveaway

If you have a cat, you are going to have litter tracked from the litter box around your house.  That is, unless you have a great litter mat to capture the litter as your cat exits the litter box.   We received the Kittycentric Cat Littermat with Scatter Control to review recently.

Truffle standing on top of the Kittycentric Litter Mat

This litter mat is huge! It's just shy of being 2 ft x 3 ft in dimension.  Mom Paula likes the fact that the mat is so large because it prevents us from jumping over it from the litter box.  Don't worry if the mat is a little rolled on the ends when you take it out of the packaging because it will flatten down.

Photo courtesy of Kittycentric

The Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat is made from a soft, non-toxic rubber material that is comfortable under our feet.  We've had litter mats in the past that were rough to the touch and we'd try to avoid stepping on it.  The comfort of this mat helps us to relax our paws as we get out of the litter box, which releases the litter upon the touch.

Truffle doesn't mind walking on the Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat as she enters the litter box

The woven mesh design of the litter mat grabs and retains dropped litter and there is a 1-inch outer channel around the outside edge that acts as an extra safeguard against any loose bits of litter running off onto floors.  The mat is very light-weight and is attractive with any decor.  Kittycentric is excited to announce the release of the cat litter mat in four different colors:  cinnamon brown, cornflower blue, creamy beige, and dark gray.  You can find the Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat on Amazon.

Photo courtesy of Kittycentric

We already had the dark gray litter mat and Mom Paula loves its easy cleanup.  For light cleaning days, you can use a hand-held vacuum attachment to suck of the debris.  The mat doesn't slide all over the place when your human is cleaning it because of the no-slip gripping nature of the underside of the mat.  When the mat needs a heavier cleaning, all your human has to do is to allow the mat to soak upside down in soapy water, rinse it, and then lay it on a flat surface with a towel under it to dry.

Truffle likes coming out of the litter box and stepping onto the comfortable Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat

Kittycentric offers a 60-day, no hassle, money-back guarantee on the Cat Litter Mat.  If for some reason, you aren't 100% satisfied with the mat, you can simply return it for a full refund. We don't think you'll ever need to do this because we (and Mom Paula) love the mat.  We now have two of them in our house.  The Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat is current on sale on Amazon for $19.87 (list price = $34.95) and you can have it within a couple of days if your human is a member of Amazon Prime.

Enter for a chance to win a Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat at https://t.co/ULAb8SM57Y. Four (4) winners! pic.twitter.com/x1r1rI48fA

— Sweet Purrfections (@Truffle_Brulee) January 19, 2016

Giveaway

Four (4) of our lucky readers will have the chance to win a Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat in a giveaway sponsored by Kittycentric and Sweet Purrfections.  All you need to do is fill out the Rafflecopter below.  No purchase necessary.  The giveaway is open to 18+ residents of the USA. Void where prohibited.  The giveaway will run from January 19 - January 26, 2016. Four winners will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter and notified via email   The winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLAIMER:  We were not compensated for this review. 

We received a Kittycentric Cat Litter Mat in exchange for our honest review.

Love of a Cat

Sunday Selfie

Mom Paula managed to capture this photo of Truffle looking out the window and with the natural light, you can see Truffle's big and beautiful green eyes.

Blog Hop

To see more Sunday Selfies, you can visit The Cat on My Head.

Caturday Art

We tried a new photo editing webpage, FotoJet, for today's Caturday Art Blog Hop.  This photo editing program is basically a template where you can set up numerous photos for various social media platforms.  It's free to use and very easy to edit and add photos.  We liked the Life magazine cover and use a photo of a daily concurrence in our house!

Blog Hop

An InLinkz Link-up

Sunnier Days Ahead

This has been my spot the past few days watching over Mom Paula, when she's not in the bed.  Her fever finally broke and the coughing isn't as bad, but she's fighting nausea now.  We think we're the best medicine she can have and can guarantee there are sunnier days ahead (even if it's raining outside like it is today).

Truffle nursing Mom Paula

Throw Back Thursday

This post appeared on Mom Paula's Facebook page this time last year.  Can you believe she was sick the exact same week again?  Since our computer email and internet connect is also messing up, we thought it was appropriate and safe to share this adorable photo of Nurse Truffle again.

Nurse Truffle

Wordless Wednesday

Just Hanging Around

Usually we like it when Mom Paula is home a few extra days, but she's been so sick that she can barely move her head from the pillow.  We're just hanging around on the cat tree and in the bed with her.

Brulee hanging around on her cat tree

6th Annual Pet Blogger Challenge

Today, we're joining many of our favorite pet bloggers, and participating in the 6th Annual Pet Blogger Challenge. The aim is to celebrate our successes from 2015, share what we’ve learned and set our visions for the coming year. This is our first time participating even though Mom Paula has been blogging over seven years.

1. How long have you been blogging? And, for anyone who is visiting for the first time, please give a quick description of the subject of your blog.

One of Sweet Praline's Headers designed by Ann from Zoolatry

Mom Paula began blogging with Sweet Praline in June 2008.  When Sweet Praline went to the Bridge in 2011, Mom Paula took a short break from blogging for a month and then began a new blog, Sweet Purrfections, for us once she knew we were coming to live with her. Our blog chronicles our daily lives and shows our Southern Sweet and Sassy personalities.

2. What is the one thing that you accomplished during 2015, either on your blog or because of it, that made you most proud?

Mom Paula and some fellow cat bloggers at BlogPaws 2015

Mom Paula was able to attend BlogPaws 2015 and BarkWorld 2015, where she was able to learn information to improve our blog.  She was able to network with pet product companies and other pet bloggers.  We were very proud to participate in our first paid sponsored post through BlogPaws this year.

3. Which of your blog posts was your favorite this year and why? (Please include a link.)

We've had so many posts we've liked that it's hard to pick a favorite.  We decided to share our Father's Day post because both of us have the same Daddy Cat and Mom Paula could also share the photo of her dad.  

4. A common theme from last year’s challenge was that many of us wanted to increase the size of our audiences. Whether or not we intend to monetize our blogs, it seems we’d all like to reach more people. It feels good to know that we’re connecting with others, sharing a laugh or supporting a cause, and it’s motivating to see those numbers grow! What is one thing you’ve done in the past year that has brought more traffic to your blog?

We've gotten more involved in social media.  We haven't limited our communication to just cat bloggers.  We participate in BlogPaws Twitter parties on a regular basis. We've also applied for more sponsored post through BlogPaws and have worked on larger, clearer photos and being more creative.

5. Which of your blog posts got the most traffic this year? Why do you think it was so popular? (Please include a link.)

Our most popular post based on page views appears to be the Sunday Selfie post from July 5, 2015, which featured Brulee with her wild fur horns and unique green eyes.

6. What is one blog that you read religiously – other than your own – and what makes you such a devoted reader? (Please include a link.)

We haven't been able to visit and read blogs as much this past year as we've done in the past.  We always try to visit the cat bloggers we've followed since 2008.  We love all of them, but the one blog we visit everyday is the Cat Blogosphere because we can keep up with what is happening with our furriends.

7. What resources do you rely on to enhance your technical, writing, photography, social media, or other skills that improve your blog?

BlogPaws, going to conferences, talking through email and on the phone to other bloggers, and watching "how to" videos on YouTube.  We also visit a lot of pet bloggers to see what they are doing.

8. What is the best piece of advice you can offer other bloggers?

Find your own "voice" and theme for your blog.  Stay true to it, even if you are doing a sponsored post.  Our blog is meant to chronicle our daily lives and to bring a smile to everyone's face who visits.  We like to be humorous, but we are also Southern Divas. It's also important to visit other blogs if you want to increase your traffic.  

9. What is your vision for your blog in 2016? Do you have specific goals?

Our goals are to help Mom Paula develop better photography skills.  We do not have a lot of natural light in our house and with our silvery white fur, it's difficult to get good clear photographs of us.  We'd also like to set up a schedule so we can visit each of our blogging furriends at least once a week.

10. You have the attention of the pet blogging community – is there one blogging challenge you’d like help with, or one aspect of your blog that you’d like input on?

We'd just like to thank the pet blogging community for its support with our blog and with our personal challenges this year.  We're always open to recommendations on how we can improve our blog.