Anywhere a cat can go.

Douglas, my adorable four-year-old kitten, is as adventurous now as he was when I first brought him home. Here are some places you may find him around our house...

Hiding in a fort I made from the futon mattress. 

Ready to go in the shopping bag!

Enjoying an evening fire. 

Doing Yoga on the stairs. I call it the "Downstairs Facing Doug". 

Helping draft a memo. 

Decorating with a dog crate.

One of the largest furniture items in our living room is a travel crate for a mid-sized dog. We do not have a dog, and yet this is an item that we could not live without.

Since my cat Douglas was a kitten, he has been terrified of the car. The tiny carrier that we put him in only made him more claustrophobic and freaked out. I came to discover that, when he is placed in a larger carrier along with some water and toys (and that is covered so that he cannot see out), he is perfectly fine! The long trips to my parents went by without a meow from the backseat. We also place Douglas in the crate during dinner time so that we can eat our tuna melts in peace, and yet he can still be in the room with us. It's a bit quirky, but it works for us.

What isn't working for us is how unattractive our already blah crate looks now that one side is busted. We need a new crate, and one that we can travel with, but I want something that will work better with the design of our house as well. I haven't made a purchase yet, but started searching the internet for ideas. Here are some that I have found. Which one is your favorite?

The wooden route: Buy a more expensive wooden crate and paint it to match the room. 

The cover route: Buy a typical crate but cover it with prettier fabric. From wayfair.com. 

The wicker route: much more expensive, but it is pretty darn cute. From doggoneglamorous.com. 

The tried & true: Buy a new version of our current crate but maybe in a more subtle color , then hide it  in the corner. From overstock.com 

How to throw a cat birthday party!

I love decorating for parties, holidays, or family gatherings, but unfortunately I live pretty far from basically everyone, so I don't get to do much hosting. In an effort to change all this, I decided to plan a birthday party for my cat, Douglas, who just turned three. Now, I realize that pet birthday parties might seem odd, but if you think this then you've clearly never met Douglas. He is the most social cat I know, and happens to love attention. A party was in order!

Step 1: I designed adorable e-invites, using punchbowl.com. They look like real cards that you "open" from cute matching envelopes! And they are free!

Step 2: Menu planning. I decided on bowls of goldfish, mini tuna fish sandwiches, a devils chocolate cake, a crowd-pleasing punch (recipe from my Aunt Ness), and other finger food snacks.

Kitty Cake & Mini Tuna Fish Sandwiches

Step 3: kitty games, including a "Famous Felines" quiz.

Cheese & Crackers. Mini wire basket held a "Famous  Feline" quiz with pencils , for guests to test their cat knowledge. 

Step 4: Watch Dougie sleep off the excitement of a great party!

Spoiled kitten.