Get Out of My Tree

There isn't much cuter than a kitten in a Christmas tree. There also isn't anything much more frustrating to me than a kitten in my Christmas tree. Thank you, foster kitten, who has no name. 

So, whats a gal to do when her kitten is wrecking the place?

Give her something appropriate to wreck instead. I made her some cat nip infused pumpkins, but I wanted something different and more fun. 

{Insert catnip infused, needle-felted gingerbread man}

He's SO easy. 

I know you still have cookie cutters all over your kitchen, and now you'll have an excuse for not putting them away. 

Here's what you'll need:

• Wool Roving (etsy has ADORABLE ethically sourced wool fiber. Your local craft store carries wool as well, just ask.

• Needle felting needle

• Foam

• Cookie Cutter

• Cat Nip

Take your cookie cutter and lay it on your foam block. 

Choose a color, pull it apart a bit and place inside the cookie cutter. 

The needle has a tiny barb on it that helps tangle the bitty fibers, so get all of your frustrations out and poke the little dude a million times. 

Its sort of like magic. It goes from loose fiber to a solid man. 

Once you get a layer flip the cookie cutter over, sprinkle with cat nip and put in a tad more wool. Repeat the poking. 

Keep flipping, sprinkling, adding wool, and poking until you have a solid little form. 

You can even add designs. What ever you put down and poke will stay, so I added buttons.

There are fiber artists who create beautiful works of art.

I make cat toys.

Cat toys that encourage natural feline behaviors like using olfaction to locate prey and ripping on their prize. The fibers are also great for preventing plaque, just watch that they aren't eating the toy. 

And it keeps kittens out of my Christmas tree. 

{E} is even more than anyone that you adore

Ellie is sort of my heart song. 

This little chicken takes up a stupid amount of my day. And I love it. 

Enrichment for her (like everyone) is a necessity. She's obviously naked and to prevent her from being even more naked...we switch out/add new/alter/move around things in her cage daily. Or randomly throughout the day. All day. I am changing her environment all day...trying to emulate what she experienced in the wild. 

Because she was literally flying free as a wild bird in the beginning of her own story. 

Anyways. 

Sometimes Im awesome and I concoct really intricate works of art. Other times though, I don't. This is one of those times.

Behold the paper mache symbol. 

This paper mache "E" was $6 at my local craft supply store. Ive made foraging toys for the bunnies before but today I'm going basic. She's just getting the "E" for some space saving shredding fun. You'll see a theme in her cage. Paper is her thing. Ellie has no time for wood in her life. 

{E}asy peasy. 

Get it? E-asy peasy? whatever.

#shredpapernotfeathers

 Im out. 

Kong Stuffers made with HEART

Organ meat. 

The thought of eating it makes me want to gag. Even after saying that, and I am pretty sure that I will get comments telling me that I should eat them. {I won't}

For the dogs (and cats!), though, these little organs can pack a punch, nutritionally. Their odor can too, when they're dehydrating. 

When I am in the dehydrating mood, I pull out a few things at a time. This week I dried Beef liver, chicken gizzards and hearts, sweet potato and green beans. 

Playing the stocking stuffer game is pretty simple if you're using your dehydrator. 

Here what you'll need:

• Beef Liver
• Chicken Gizzards & Hearts
• Green Beens
• Sweet potatoes
• Dehydrator
• Mason Jars
• A WWII gas mask to prevent you from vomiting when you smell organs drying in your house

Rinse all of your goods before preparing. Cut the liver and sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices. This makes the final width easy enough to break in Kong stuff-able sizes. Some blank the sweet potatoes first, I do not and maybe thats why mine are really dull in appearance. 

I dehydrated the meats together and the veggies together. 

Miss Addie was obviously in love. As the taste tester, you get the good and the bad. She got off easy today. 

These make great stocking stuffers for your dogs and cats, but they're a wonderful gesture for friends of the fury variety as well. 

A cute Ball Mason Jar with a touch of raffia makes a for a healthy homemade gift with heart. Get it? A gift with HEART?