So I Went to BlogPaws and the Cat Writers’ Association Conference and I…

Meet Armani, one of the rescue kittens brought to the conference by my friend Jeanne from Random Felines.

This is his sister, Dior.

And oh my purrs and whiskers did I almost bring Gucci home with me!

No BlogPaws is complete without spending some time with my favorite CH kitty Sophie, who is The Sweetest Cat Ever. And yes, I like to hang out with her humans, Emily and Bobby from Kitty Cat Chronicles. But still. Sophie. <3

I met Vivee (and her human, Sandy) for the first time. She requested for belly rubs and I obliged, since she asked so nicely.

I met Lynn of Thompson Writing & Editing at an author’s panel last year, and Anne Maria and her dog Cute Sophia Loren (who, sadly, is not pictured) at previous conferences.

Typical scene at BlogPaws. My blogger and photographer friend Julie (Sometimes Cats Herd You) and Dexter from Playful Kitty. His human is nearby, but as is typical of CWA and BlogPaws, we’re all about the pets.

Quite possibly the smallest and the biggest non-human attendees at BlogPaws: Snowe the hamster, whose human is Emmy the Petsitter and Leroy whose human won the Nose-to-Nose Award for best humor blog, My Brown Newfies .

Hung out with Kate Benjamin (seen snuggling Armani) of Hauspanther in her cat-abulous Cat Style Lounge, where I fell in love with way too many awesome cat products.

Mints at check in? Nope. Poop bags and dog treats.

Seen on many doors in the hotel.

Yes. Nine Lives Twine will make things from your cat’s fur. A little weird, but kind of a neat memorial. I like this.

For a mere $25,000, you can clone your cat. $50,000 for a dog. The future is here through Viagen Pets.

My Life with Dogs and Cats travel representative Rover poses next to a Camper Van from Monster Factory/a>. I would probably just keep this around as a hangout. Because it’s just so darn cute.

I lusted after these adorable works of art by Jamie Shelman at The Dancing Cat and I was happy to say I won one: the cat making litterbox art! Which technically makes this post an ad because I was compensated for it by winning the piece. Which I probably would have bought anyway. Because. Cats and art.

My post Ketsishe Rose was a Nose-to-Nose award finalist for best written blog post; here I am on the red carpet with all the other finalists! I didn’t win (Some Pets did with a marvelous article “Blogging Adversity and the Journey from Helplessness to Hope.”) Photo by Carl Kerridge Photography.

Armani made himself right at home, as well as especially photogenic in a moccasin bed by Napping Jo Jo previously seen at the Cat Style Lounge, and available on the Hauspanther website. (along with a sneaker bed I think I need.)

Gucci calling for room service.

Gucci poses purr-fectly on the Chairman Meow t-shirt I also won from the Cat Style Lounge, making this an ad as well, for Squirrel Den Studio . Apparently the words underneath the image on the shirt say “Chairman Mao gives us a happy life.”

My session on “Telling Tales: How to create content that attracts, engages, and keeps your audience coming back for more” was well attended, and folks were even kind enough to ask questions.  Photo by Carl Kerridge Photography.

At the Cat Writers’ Association award banquet I was honored to receive the CATalyst Council Connection award for my story about Penny, the cat I adopted for my mom. Dr. Ken Lambrecht of cat friendly West Town Veterinary Center and his lovely cat Bug presented it to me.

I ended the night with more honors than I could imagine. In addition to the CATalyst Council award, I also received the Kari Winters Rescue and Rehabilitation Award sponsored by The International Cat Association and a CWA Muse Medallion for the story about Penny. I also was thrilled to be honored with a Muse for one of my (well, Elsa Clair’s) Haiku by Cat: Attraction and another one for my video Elsa Clair’s Gold Medal Purr-formance.

“I will claim this Alley Cat Rescue bag as my own.”

“And next time, you’re taking me with you. Unless I have to travel in a crate. Or there are people I don’t know.”