Do you remember Colin’s Custom Kitty Catsle? Well, Sari from Helsinki, Finland was so inspired by Colin’s creation that she made one of her own for her Egyptian Mau named Mauno. Sari used the same structure but painted hers and added some fun grass stickers. Great work, Sari and thanks to Colin for the inspiration!

If you read Finnish, you can get more details here.

The first book of its kind that I am aware of, Luxury for Cats is an exquisite collection of feline finery. This large coffee table book is filled with beautiful photos of everything you could possibly want for your cat. From toys to tiaras, you’ll find only the finest examples in this book.

Written in five languages — English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian — Luxury for Cats includes chapters on fashion & accessories, architecture & interiors, design, beauty & wellness, travel, and lifestyle. You’ll find the fanciest carriers, beds, scratchers, dishes, and more. There are even photos of ultra-posh kitty spas, info on customized cat portraits, and recipes for gourmet treats. Not everything has a modern style — several things are quite over the top — but there is something for everyone in this book.

A must-have for the coffee table of any moderncat owner. Available at Amazon.

A holiday twist on West Paw Design’s classic and popular Hairball cat toy, Ho-Ho Hairball is stuffed with organic catnip just like his all-season counterpart, but this little guy sports a santa cap to put kitty in a festive mood.

Not only are these cat placemats from ORE Pet stylish, but they are made from recycled rubber materials. Kitty will feel good about dining on a placemat that helped to reduce the impact on the landfill.

I know this is the antithesis of all things Moderncat, but what a great stocking stuffer for any multi-cat household! It’s the Crazy Cat Lady Action Figure Set. She has a wild look in her eyes and comes with six individual cat figures and a few more hiding in her robe. You can even take the quiz on the back of the package to see if you qualify to be a crazy cat lady. Questions include:

• Do you think cats are smarter than people?
• Do you bring new boyfriends home so the cats can meet them?
• Do you later break up with them because the cats weren’t impressed?
• Can you tell your cats apart by the roughness of their tongues?
• Do you buy more than one kind of cat food because a few of your cats are picky eaters?
• Is the sheet of instructions for watching your cats while you’re on vacation longer than a page?
• Do you spend more on Christmas presents for your cat than for your family?

And she’s under ten bucks at Amazon.

Moderncats Stuart and Ben have been up to no good and their mom Brieanne caught them on video!

Now’s your chance to get that Hepper Home cat bed you’ve been eyeing! Hepper is offering Moderncat readers 20% off your total purchase, plus Hepper will donate $5 for every sale to their local shelter, The Humane Society of Chittenden County. Just enter discount code moderncat20 at checkout to receive your discount and you’ll automatically be adding to the cause. The discount code will be good through December 31, 2008.

Ever wondered what kitty sees as she goes about her day? The Pet’s Eye View Camera captures life from her point of view, then you can download the pix and see for yourself. You never know, you just might have the makings of an award-winning film!

Wilson over at Gizmodo just reviewed this gadget with his cat Wade who is indoor-only and produced some rather mundane footage. Not really award-winning, but the review shows that the device does what it promises. Apparently you can set it to take photos every 1, 5 or 15 minutes and it will store up to 40 high-resolution photos. It has a rechargeable battery and comes with a USB cable for downloading, but you must provide the collar.

Wade and some of his best work.

Seattle filmmakers Michael and Deirdre Cross didn’t use the Pet’s Eye View Camera, instead they used Mr. Lee’s CatCam. Cooper leads a much more adventurous life than Wade, and for one day a week over the course of a year, he brought home some very nice images. Taking a photo every 2 minutes, Cooper captured 200 to 400 images a day. His adventures even landed him a spot on the new Animal Planet series, Cats 101. Read more about Cooper’s project here, and see more of his photos on Flickr.

Cooper and a glimpse of his adventures.

I’d love to see the view from the new cat shelves that I installed near the ceiling on the catio! I think I’ll have to get one of these and see who is willing to wear it. (I also think it would be fun to wear one of these around the office.)

Thanks to Moderncat readers Jason and Autumn for the tips. The Pet’s Eye View Camera is available at Amazon and you can still get it in time for Christmas!

Nice, of course! And here’s the perfect reminder, Big Sky Stockings from West Paw Design. Measuring 16 inches, these faux suede stockings are embroidered with “Nice Kitty” and make the perfect place to stash kitty’s holiday goodies. Choose from fern or espresso. As with everything from West Paw, they are made in the USA.

Although not really modern in its design, this just may be your cat’s new favorite thing. I first saw the Fling-ama-String Cat Toy last year at a pet product expo, but I had forgotten about it until I just saw it again on the new People Pets website. I was literally stopped in my tracks when I saw this thing in action at the expo because I’d never seen another cat toy like it. The device hangs on a door knob and a battery-operated motor whips a string around and around, disappearing and reappearing in the flash of an eye. We’re talking about hours of entertainment! See for yourself:

The tagline is my favorite: “If cats had money, they’d buy one!” Available for holiday gift giving at Amazon.

You may be familiar with Bauer vintage American pottery, created in Los Angeles in the early to mid-twentieth century and best know for its vibrant colors. Although the original company ceased making pottery, many of the original Bauer designs are now being reintroduced by ceramics studio Bauer Pottery Company of Los Angeles, located just minutes from the original Bauer plant. One of the designs back in production is the classic Bauer Cat Dish. Available in a wide variety of exquisite colors, this is a timeless design that any moderncat can appreciate.

Perre DiCarlo, author of Kick Litter: Nine-step Program for Recovering Litter Addicts, along with Chen Design Associates just released this fabulous video called The Powerful Kitten In You the first in the series Daily Affirmations for Cats. The video features moderncats Moxie and Cooper, the stars of Kick Litter. That groovy slow-tempo song is called Nago by Argentinian film score composer Luis Enríquez Bacalov.

If you haven’t yet purchased your copy of Kick Litter, get one today at Amazon.

In my last natural cat litter comparison I mentioned Close to Naturenow soybean cat litter from The Organic Farm Store. I recently had a chance to try it out myself and I found that it is a good alternative cat litter with some big advantages. The texture is similar to the Arm & Hammer Essentials (formerly High Performance) and Nature’s Miracle — light and fluffy and soft on kitty’s feet. It is made from organic soybeans with granulated potato starch added for odor control. Close to Naturenow offers similar clumping, odor control, and dust control as these other natural litters, but the biggest benefit is that it is made out of 100% natural organic ingredients. Yes, organic! Which is almost impossible to find in a kitty litter. I have to admit that I felt so good about using an organic product, that performance became secondary. If using products that are organic, natural, and completely renewable is important to you, then you should definitely check out this litter.

Close to Naturenow is available in a resealable 10 lb bag, a convenient 18 lb pail, and a hefty 33 lb resealable bag. You can order directly from The Organic Farm Store website or find a retailer near you, which is usually a more economical way to get your hands on the larger sizes.

[Note: If you live in the Phoenix area, I just found a great independent pet supply store, Sunflower Pet Supply over in Tempe, and they carry all three sizes of Close to Naturenow litter.]

The Moderncat household has been diagnosed with its first case of feline diabetes. Sophie is a senior kitty — somewhere around 15 — who came to live with me about three years ago. When I first got her, tests showed that she was in what looked like the early stages of kidney failure. I started her on prescription food and her kidney levels went back to normal. Recently her drinking and urination had become excessive, so I took her in for a check-up and some blood work. The vet called today with the news that her blood glucose levels are dangerously high, so I am starting her on insulin right away, as well as beginning the task of learning as much as I can about this disease.

So far, I’ve found one excellent resource, www.felinediabetes.com. They have a page of information if your pet has just been diagnosed, as well as an introduction to diabetes in cats for beginners. The site is very well written and incredibly reassuring. Feline diabetes is apparently a disease that can be treated and conrolled with the proper attention and care. They even have a forum where other cat owners offer advice and support.

I’ll keep you updated on our progress. Sophie is a tough old girl with a great spirit, so I have confidence that she will be able to handle whatever comes our way.

With clean contemporary lines and some very well thought-out features, this cat litter box hider from The Refined Feline is an excellent option for a modern home. The Refined Cat Litter Box has hinged front doors and a slide out tray for easy litter cleaning and removal plus a top storage drawer for storing litter supplies. The side panel with the opening for kitty can be placed on either side.

The Refined Litter Box fits standard litter boxes and The Refined Litter Box Electric is a larger version that accommodates an electric litter box. Both are available in a variety of finishes.

Say hello to some of the hippest moderncats on Etsy. This is the work of artist Kerry Beary, whose paintings and illustrations feature iconic retro-mod imagery and quite often a feline or two. Kerry’s colorful prints and original paintings are available from her Etsy shop at extremely reasonable prices. These would make a perfect holiday gift for any moderncat lover!

BONUS GIVEAWAY!

Kerry is offering a set of her Cosmic Cat Coasters to one lucky Moderncat reader! Please leave a comment on this post to enter to win. A random winner will be chosen on Wednesday, December 10.

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Congratulations to Colleen M. from Somerville, MA, winner of the Cosmic Cat Coasters!

This month we are thrilled to be giving away the brand new Cat Clouds Cat Shelf from The Refined Feline. These sleek contemporary shelves attach securely to the wall, freeing up floor space and giving kitty a special resting spot where she can pretend she’s floating on air. Each platform measures 20″ x 10″ and has a soft pillow on top. The shelf supports up to 70 lb. The winner will get to choose white, off-white, or titanium.

Make sure you’re signed-up today so you’re entered to win!

Seattle-based These Creatures Inc. is taking a sustainable approach to creating beautiful and functional products for modern pets. The company — created as an offshoot of a metal fabrication/design business — makes each product to order and everything is handmade all under one roof. The first product line includes these durable powder-coated steel wall-mounted feeders. Easy to adjust to the right height for ergonomic feeding, plus they come in terrific modern colors.

Via Design Milk. Thanks to Jason for the tip.