It's Bonfire Night Again ~ OH FLUFF!

Bonfire Night 

aka

Guy Fawkes Night

5th November 

Well pawesome furiends, it doesn't seem 2 minutes since it was Meowoleen!  It was just five days ago when we were all in Spooksville, and here we are with another celebration, only this time it's not furry pet furiendly or pet-alicious, as we would say.

On this night in 1605, yes we know that's a furry, furry, furry long time ago, even older than the P.A. but don't tell her we said that - she's looking remarkably spritely for four hundred and elebenty two!

So anyhoo back to the story; back in 1605 on a cold dark night there was a plot, and it was a ginormous plot of such magnitude that it would have blown the whiskers off most kitties at 5000 paces. The story goes like this:

House of Lords

A man called Guy Fawkes was arrested trying to blow up the House of Lords which is a furry famous building in London. He was part of the 'Gun Powder' Conspiracy who were trying to assassinate the King, James 1st.  Apparently, they didn't like him or his ruling much, so they decided to blow him to kingdom come with enough explosives to light up the sky for miles.

This conspiracy was howeffur thwarted, and Guy Fawkes was captured red-handed with his mittens all over said explosives. King James 1st who was furry, furry happy not to have been blown into a squillion pieces decided to make November 5th an annual celebration and over time this celebration is what we know today as;

'Bonfire Night'

Yes, we have bonfires and fireworks and the latter obviously is the not furry pet furiendly part. While I suppose that most hoomans find them furry purretty and exciting, for us kitties, K9's, other pets & anipals, and not furgetting the wildlife; it can be furry distressing and all those loud bangs, booms, screeches & flashing lights can be furry disorientating.  

That's why the P.A. bans us from going outside during that week, as mew neffur know who might be setting the fluffing things off. Plus some peeps have their bonfires on other nights, as it's not just limited to the 5th, so mew can neffur be sure when a firecracker might go off! EEEEK!

As we're in lockdown since 12:01 am this morning we're not sure what the protocol is for tonight, though we imagine that lots of peeps will be setting fireworks off in their gardens... OH MY COD!

Better be safe than sorry and stay inside. And if mew're really sensitive to the noise tell your peeps to put on an old cowboy movie and turn up the volume, the ones with the stampedes and all the whooping and hollering, or something similar to drown out the bangs, fizzes and pops.

Also, try a Feliway plug-in diffuser, or if mew're really, really noise-sensitive get your hooman to talk to your vet for suggestions.

Do mew know every year we see oodles petitions to stop the sale of fireworks to the general public in the U.K. and every year nothing happens? It truly is bizarre. 

Anyhoo Amber is here tomorrow with another specially paw-picked book just for mew, so do stop by the Mewton-Clawson Library if mew get chance and I did hear that she's got some rather delicious cookies to share tomorrow too! 

Wishing mew all a supurr purry day and stay safe

Wing Commander Basil & The B Team 

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The Pet Parade Blog Hop No: 168 ~ Hosted by Rascal & Rocco Co-Hosted by Basil & Love is Being Owned By A Husky & Barking from the Bayou

Pawesome greetings wunderpurr pals

Welcome to another fantastic Pet Parade - WOO HOO!

Well, we survived Halloween and a zombie attack and now we just have to get through Bonfire Fire Night, which sadly doesn't just last one night - it's usually a week long affair with stupid, inconsiderate peeps randomly letting off fireworks willy nilly, wheneffur they feel like it!

If mew'd like to find out more about the origins of Bonfire Night aka Guy Fawkes night, purrlease click here:

Bonfire Night 2013

So we won't be going out at all fur the next few days, which I have to say is really pants and huge, hideous hairy ones at that!  But better to stay safe indoors pals, rather than have the bejeezuz scared out of mew, which in turn could lead to an accident or wurse, we would heartily recommend that mew err of the side of caution and stay safe, snuggled up in your favourite spot with a paw full of treats and your hooman slave, sorry we meant to say caring peep-staff doting on your effury whim.

Basil's Bonfire Night Code:

STAY INDOORS! 

from Thursday to at least Tuesday next week.

OK safety lecture offur, let's talk about something else.... Oh it's the weekend! MOL

What are your plans fur this weekend?  Anything exciting happening where mew are, or are mew just going fur a lazy one?

In other news, just before we go... yesterday when the P.A. was headed out of Sweepy Ville, driving like Miss Daisy as she does [because the roads are only wide enough fur one car and there's a really nasty blind bend just aftur our house on the main street] anyhoo, she'd just pulled out of the drive and proceeded slowly around said bend when in the middle of the road was a kitty, an old kitty.   So she stopped and bipped the horn, just a short bip and waited fur the kitty to amble off - which is normal procedure.  Aftur a few moments she realised that this kitty wasn't going anywhere.  So she hopped out of the car and gently picked him up as she knew if she drove around him the next car that came through would probably wipe him up - as mew can't believe what stupid fast drivers we have in our tiny village, especially those of delivery vans - so kitty in arms, the P.A. got back in her car and drove up the main street and parked on a grass verge.  He neffur made a murmur all the time she was gently cradling him, he just seemed so content and such a good little kitty. 

Then she proceeded to a house which she thought the kitty might be from, luckily it was the right one and thank goodness because kitty had escaped and is completely blind and nearly deaf.  His name is Jasper and he's almost 18, and we remember that years ago he did sometimes come into our garden, but we haven't seen him in ages and ages.  So we give thanks to the powers that be that put the P.A. in the right place at the time. 

If mew missed anything this week, here's the latest links fur your purrusal!

Sunday Selfies with all of us ~ Feeling A Little Batty!

Hallaoween Special & Colouring with Cats #4

Wordy on Wednesday with Amber #17

Crosswurds with Basil #9 Brain Training with Cats

We'll be back with our usual Selfie Selection on Sunday, so hope mew can join us then.

In the meantime we wish mew all a truly pawesome weekend

Bestest purrs & hugs

Basil & Co xox

To see this weeks

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Gifs and Glitter Graphics

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Where's My Dinner, Higher Nature Pet Calm, and CatFest London 2018 on The Pet Parade Blog Hop Halloween Edition #219 with Rascal & Rocco Co-Hosted by Basil & Barking from the Bayou

Supurr spooky greetings pawesome pals

Welcome to another fabulous Friday on the blog, and in this weeks round-up I wanted to know...

The P.A. was sat at the kitchen island off with fairies again while she was taking care of all my social media on her phone.  I sat and waited fur her to notice me fur a whole minute.  Yes, a whole minute I sat and used my most penetrating stare to get her attention, but nothing and I was starving, so I got right up in her grill and asked, "Where's my dinner?"

She replied. "Basil I fed you half an hour ago, you seriously can't be hungry again and if you are there's some crunchies in the laundry!"

Can mew believe that? Seriously what shoddy service this establishment has, so what if I was fed 30 minutes ago, obviously it wasn't enough, and do mew really think dry food is going to cut the mustard!!???   

NOOOOOOOOOO way missus, crunchies are NOT going to cut the mustard at all!!!


If Parsley's Pet Peeves was happening tomorrow I'd be on it and seriously PEEVING! MOL

*    *    *

Moving on...

The other day we were asked if we'd share some info regarding a pet calming product in the run up to Halloween and Bonfire Night, so of course we said yes.  We are also getting a sample to try, although at this point it's not arrived, so in essence this a slightly but not quite yet sponsored post.  

As mew know Smoochie is a rather sensitive little soul at the best of times so when we do take delivery of the product we'll do an in-depth post with full disclaimer.  But in the meantime as Halloween and Bonfire Night are just around the corner, today is the only day we've got free to share this info with mew. 

Here's a little bit of info, more can be found on Higher Natures Webpage:

The product is called Pets calm, and is for stress and anxiety for cats or dogs. It's a blend of theanine, tryptophan and magnesium to support pets in stressful situations. Perfect for when they are feeling anxious. Sprinkle or mix in with food. It's great for firework night!

Image @HigherNatureUK

Plus there's also a great competition running right now on Higher Natures Instagram page.

Entrants can win Pets Calm products in time for bonfire night. The Higher Nature Instagram handle is - https://www.instagram.com/highernatureuk/ 

All mew need to do to enter is post a pet selfie, follow Higher Nature, tag them in the Instagram and use #HigherNaturePets

*    *    * 

In other news, the P.A. got tickets fur the furry furst cat festival in London, aptly called

Catfest London 2018

In their own wurds....

A celebration of all things feline, CatFest makes its debut in London, showcasing fancy pet food and accessories, along with stylish cat-related products for cat folks, books, art, veggie street food, cocktails, films and inspiring talks from bestselling writers and animal experts. Plus an onsite adoption lounge brought by our beneficiary charity Feline Friends to raise awareness about welfare efforts and help cats in need.

Mew can order tickets here ~ sadly all the early-bird prices had gone, but the P.A. was just happy to get her mittens on a couple of normal priced ones.  So that looks quite fun and no doubt there'll be a tail or two to tell fur sure! MOL

 And if mew want to go to the National Pet Show at the NEC in Birmingham on the 4th and 5th of November, mew can get a 20% discount off your tickets, by using the code*:

BIONICBASIL 

So get your tickets now and hopefully we'll see mew there.

*This is not an affiliate code - mew know we don't share those here!

If mew missed anything offur the last week, here's the latest posts fur your purrusal:

Sunday Selfies ~ Are Mew Eyeballing Me?

Colouring with Cats #38

Wordy on Wednesday #48 and Amber's Birthday Give-Away

Pet Peeves with Parsley #10

Brain Training with Professor Basil #24

and if mew're still bored get our free colouring books below:

Colouring with Cats Book I 

Colouring With Cats Book II ~ Easy Mandala's

We'll be back on the morrow with a special Halloween edition of Crafting with Cats and again with our usual selfie selection on Sunday and hope mew can join us then, in the meantime we wish mew all an epic weekend

Bestest purrs and big hugs

Basil & Co xox

To see this weeks

❤ FEATURED FAVOURITE ❤

just pop offur to:

www.rascalandrocco.com

get the InLinkz code

An InLinkz Link-up

Gifs and Glitter Graphics

www.glittergraphics.com

Other graphics used under paid licence www.canva.com  and www.pizap.com

Love To Read? Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #177 featuring **SUPERSTAR CATS** byJ ulie Tottman PLUS Friendly Fill-Ins + **Top Tip To Survive Firework Noise**

Hello gorgeous library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank mew for joining me in the stacks today, and OH FLUFF it's Bonfire Night again!

For our overseas readers, click the link here to read all about the nefarious Gun Powder Plot of 1605.

Fireworks are freely available for the general public to buy in the U.K. which Dad finds completely hilarious as in Australia it's a serious offence for private citizens to buy, own or set off fireworks, anyhoo, so all and sundry can purrchase fireworks and mew know what that means? Idiot flufftards let them off anywhere and everywhere, and not just on the 5th of November. 

On Wednesday, some total numpty was letting them off in the next village for about an hour, and I'm going to get my very sarcastic voice happening now; we can't wait for tonight, tomorrow night and Sunday night, and purrhaps even into next week as foolhardy fluffers unite in setting them off in their gardens.

There are petitions to stop fireworks from being sold to members of the public, but the government does nothing and the problem/madness/danger continues.

Our nearest neighbours would set them off in their front garden, not only for Bonfire Night but also for New Year's Eve, and the number of times the spent fireworks would land on our roof was amazing, did they care, not a hoot! 

The P.A. also knows someone who let their teenager set some rockets off a few years ago, and they zoomed onto their house roof and set fire to the house. 

And still the government does nothing about public safety, which makes us severely MOL as mew can't even climb on a stepstool in work premises without a weeks full training and a certified certificate, yet anyone can light the touch paper on a firework, which could potentially blow your fingers/hand off.

Top Tip To Survive Firework Noise

Anyhoo, rant over, we're just going to put on an old western movie, and this is a top tip if mew don't like fireworks. 

Those old westerns with the shootouts at the OK Corral and the stampedes etc are epically brilliant for disguising firework noise. We've been using this method for years with great success.

Try it and let us know how mew get on. 

 And this is my purrsonal opinion on the general public being allowed fireworks.

Today the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.

1. Something I lost and was never able to find was _________.

2. When I _________, I want to _________.

3. _________ doesn't bother me.

4. I don't handle _________ very well.

The P.A.'s answers are...

1. Something I lost and was never able to find was: OMG so many things, but the most bizarre was an amethyst earring. And I know you guys want to know more about the ghosts and weird paranormal stuff here at BBHQ and what it's like living in a haunted house, so here's a little taster and I'll reveal more spooky stuff soon. 

I took the earrings off while sitting at my dressing table, and I had them in my right hand. My hand was closed tightly over them so I didn't drop them as I walked to the other side of the room to put them back in my jewellery box. Are you ready? 

I lifted the lid on my jewellery box, opened my hand to put the earrings in their little compartment, and one had vanished. It had completely disappeared, I combed the carpet, crawled under the bed, unmade the bed, remade the bed etc, I even got the metal detector out to locate it but it had gone and to this day it's never been found. 

I think I know where it ended up, let me know in the comments if you want to hear my theory, as that wasn't the only spooky or unexplained disappearance.

2. When I do housework, I want like to listen to an audiobook.

3. Not going out at the moment doesn't bother me. Other than to work or getting essentials which Amazon don't carry in stock, I'm happy at home with the cats and staying away from covid. 

4. I don't handle blood and guts very well. What I'm saying is, I'd make a rubbish nurse or a doctor.

Other Fun Blog Hops to Join in Today

         Catblogosphere        Feline Friday        Nature Friday        Flashback Friday     Friendship Friday       

                                                

Let's see what I've got to show mew this time!

This week's top book pick is...

Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

SUPERSTAR CATS

by

Julie Tottman

       Here's a little snippet of the book blurb:      

Trick-training is a fantastically easy way to bond with your cat, keep them active and entertained, and give you a laugh too! In this clever little book from Julie Tottman, you'll discover:

How to teach your cat the basics they need to begin.

Easy and impressive tricks for all shapes, sizes and attention spans.

FAQ and step-by-steps to make your trick-training sessions super simple and fun.

Julie Tottman is a movie/tv animal trainer with over 20 years of experience and has worked on Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, which are some pretty impressive credentials.

So what did I think about Superstar Cats? 

I thought it was really fun; after a short bio, there's a quick guide on how to use the information in the book which then leads into Top Tips for Success, so mew and your kitty get the most out of the tricks presented. 

Now I'm a bit old for all this, being 19+ now, but for instance, young Melvyn would be a purrfect candidate for training, and there are so many simple tricks and they all involve getting treats, I really like that bit. Maybe I can just get a pawful for just reading the book!??? MOL

I'm going to suggest that Melvyn does some training as he's totally obsessed with one wand toy, and it might take his mind off it and staring at the cupboard for 2 hours a day.

 So if mew're looking to expand your Kitty CV aka Resume, then this book could be right up your alley.

A great gift for any cat lover, or for any kitting wanting to expand their purrsonal repertoire.

My Rating Scale

Ratings of:

SUPERSTAR CATS

Overall Enjoyment

I really hope mew enjoy the book as much as I did if mew decide to read it.

It's time fur me to say BFN or bye-fur-now as mew know the drill, so many books, so little time and I'll be back next week with another specially paw-picked book just for mew, and don't furget that all my previous reviews can be found on my Book Review page.

Until next time...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 

Follow me at angry_amber_badtemperedkitty

& @BionicBasil® on Instacat

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