Happy New Year Letter

From the desk of Rachel Shubin

www.sandpipercat.blogspot.com

Rachel.shubin@gmail.com

December 2012

Dear Blogging Friends & Family,

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

What a year 2012 has been! It has certainly been a year packed full with many wonderful memories, good friends and fantastic events.

The beginning of January 2012 was such an exciting time – getting to interview Jackson Galaxy before his premiere of My Cat from Hell Season 2 was such a privilege for me, only a high school senior! And in May, I was able to review a copy of Jackson’s book – Cat Daddy- before it was available to the public. Needless to say, my high school journalism dreams felt like they had hit the big time.

On March 13, 2012, Piper and I celebrated our one year blogging anniversary! It was hard to believe the pregnant teen mom Sandpiper had gone from losing her five kittens, to being a robust, healthy and happy member of our family. 

Robust and healthy!

Another great month for us was June– I graduated from high school and jetted off to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the BlogPaws blogging conference! There, I got to visit my blog friends, meet new ones, and introduce everyone to my mom, Julie. Perhaps my favorite part of the trip (and no, it was definitely not the plane rides) was getting to meet Moki the Wobbly Cat and his mom Crystal! I got to learn all about Moki’s condition and pass on the word about how Moki is changing the word disabled, to differently abled.

Holding Moki at BlogPaws

 In August, I wrote a tribute to our cat May, who we lost to kidney failure. The whole thing happened very quickly, and showed me that it was important to put aside time to spend with all of my cats; since the Shubin 7 was now the Shubin 6. August was also the month that I started at the local community college (with plans to transfer to local George Mason University in spring 2013 and focus on my communications career).

During September, I reviewed Moo Kitty Finds a Home by Valerie Lee Veltre.  Moo Kitty is a children’s book that I wish I had read as a child.  In October and November I was hard at work in school.

In November, Gwen Cooper featured me as the first inaugural Homer’s Hero on Gwen’s new website!  A Homer’s Hero is a favorite volunteer or rescue worker that Homer & Gwen select from nominations.

I am wrapping up 2012, as a far more accomplished blogger than I ever thought I would be. I have been very lucky that I am able to do book reviews, product reviews and giveaways. My blog has become a wondrous experience!

I love this little face.

Best wishes to all my friends and family for happy holidays and a healthy new year!

Rachel and Piper 

Book Review and Giveaway -Paws to Reflect: 365 Devotions for the Animal Lover's Soul

I love to snuggle up with Brooke, and read books!

Today's post is a review of Paws to Reflect: 365 Devotions For the Animal Lover's Soul by Devon O'Day and Kim McLean.

Paws to Reflect is a beautiful hard cover book, that is 370 pages of beautifully written essays. Each day begins with a title, a quote from the New Testament and a short essay.

My favorite essay was from December 30 (my birthday). The essay is about people cleaning up their decorations at the pet supply store, and how everything was left in disarray from the holidays. A man comes in and asks about the pets that haven't been adopted, and the clerk tells them that they are all the had left.

The point of this essay was that there are so many animal shelters that are in need of a good home, and that "God never leaves leftover angels hanging without hope."

If you win a copy of Paws to Reflect you will have a devotion to read for each day of the 2013 New Year! This book would make a great gift for one of your loved ones for Christmas.

I am giving away TWO copies of Paws to Reflect.

Please just leave a comment with your email to be entered! I will choose the winner on Sunday December 16 at 12 AM so I will have enough time to mail the book to you before Christmas!

US ONLY please!


I received a copy of this book from the book’s publicist. Receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

Nature's Variety Limited Ingredient Can Review/Giveaway

Giveaway is closed!

Hi everyone! I have another great giveaway for you today! It will go to the first five people to comment on this post!

I recently reviewed Nature's Variety Instinct Raw Boost Kibble, a few months ago (read that post here). Today I am reviewing and giving away Nature's Variety Limited Ingredient Cat Diet cans.

Limited Ingredient Cans are great for cats- especially with food sensitive or allergies.  They’re made with simple ingredients.  You can read online about the cat food here. Here’s the ingredients for them:

Turkey formula

Nature’s Variety® Instinct® Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey Formula for cats is formulated to meet the

nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages.

Ingredients:

Turkey, Turkey Broth, Turkey Liver, Peas, Pea Protein, Montmorillonite Clay, Flaxseed Oil, Potassium Chloride,

Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate,

Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodide), Salt, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, L‐Ascorbyl‐2‐Polyphosphate, Vitamin

E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, d‐Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride,

Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin

B12 Supplement, Folic Acid), Taurine.

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude protein (min): 10.5%

Crude fat (min): 7.5%

Crude fiber (max): 2.0%

Moisture (max): 75.0%

Calcium (min): 0.25%

The first five people to respond will get 5 cans each! Please make sure that you leave your email in the comments, so I have a way to contact you, if you win. If you don't leave your email, you will not be entered. Good luck! I will post when all the cans have been claimed. US ONLY please!

Below are pictures of my cat food testers (Feral cats Annie and Catnan) enjoying their feast of Nature's Variety Limited Ingredient cat cans as well as their dry food - the instinct raw boost kibble!

Catnan in the bushes

Annie chowing down

Annie loves her new snack!

the dry food kibble!

Catnan is a lady in waiting!

Catnan comes to check out the food

Catnan and Annie, eating!

Cattoo Tattoo Review & Giveaway!

I'm baaaack! Sorry I have been on a blogging hiatus. I was finishing up (well, still am) my first semester at community college. My life has been so busy, that blogging took a back seat. But with good reason! I'm trying to transfer to our local university, so I've poured every ounce of my being into my school work. The results are paying off!

My friend Kate, Benjamin, owner of Modern Cat  and Cattoo Design gave me an opportunity to review and giveaway her latest cattoos, designs by Sebastien Millon! I reviewed Kate's first Cattoos back in October 2011, which you can read here. He and Kate made a great duo - ask you can see from the cute designs.

"I know Sebastien from the Downtown Phoenix small business and arts community. He and I became friends and we knew we wanted to collaborate on a project. The tattoos are our first collaboration," said Kate.

You can purchase the Cattos by Sebastien here.

The cattoos are easy to apply. You press them against the skin, hold down for 30 seconds and voila!

*The winner of this giveaway will win the three of Sebastien's cattoos: Identity Crisis, Cat with fish and lion. They each have two tattoos to the pack. Please enter by  Thursday December 20, 2012 by 12 AM EST. Winner will be contacted by email - so please leave your email! I can't enter you, if you don't leave me your contact information! US ONLY please!

Good luck!

I chose Identity Crisis and Kitty With Fish.

Kitty with fish on my wrist.

I love this!

This one gets me every time, the cow entendre!