I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone that has been encouraging me by reading my blog. I have 100 Facebook followers and to celebrate I'd like to do a little giveaway!

Included in the giveaway is....

1. Orly Cat Woman Nail Polish Set
2. Pusheen USB Mug Warmer
3. Times Three Limited Edition Bath Bomb from Porcelain Wolf
4. Full Moon Bubble Bar from Nature's Whimsey
5. Freddy Sticker and "Baddest Witch in Town" Decal from Merch Massacre

All you have to do is...

1. Like the Fluffy the Vampire facebook page

2. Comment on the Giveaway post

3. Share the Fluffy the Vampire facebook page

Good luck! Winner will be picked Fri., Jan 5, 2018 and will be contacted via facebook.

I know I've been M.I.A. as of late. This holiday season at Cats Like Us, (the shop I own) is taking over my life ~ even more than normal! So I'm blogging when I can, and it's not very much. I plan to get back on track in January. BUT please enjoy this unboxing of the Winter 2017 Pusheen Box. (You can see the Fall unboxing here.) In this video I use a massager! (Get your mind out of the gutter!)

(My necklace in the video is from GoreJess Labatory from the Glamour Ghoul Luna Box.)

Here's the packing list...

1. Pusheen massager. Not sure if this works. I feel like it would just tangle my hair, but maybe I'll try it on my elbows like the box says.

2. Winter Pusheen Mug. This is a big ass mug. Perfect for my tea addiction.

3. Pusheen Vinyl Holiday Figure.

4. LED Charging Cable. This is really cute. It lights up just like Christmas lights AND THEY ARE LITTLE PUSHEENS!!!!

5. Set of 4 Holiday Pins featuring a yellow star, present, Stormy (the fluffy cat) and Pusheen. Yes the fluffy kitty is named Stormy and they have a little brother kitty that pops up every so often, his name is Pip.

Stormy, Pusheen & Pip.

6. Set of 4 Pusheen Holiday Sticky Notes.

7. USB Mug Warmer. This is a good idea, but I'm not sure if I'll ever use it. It's stinkin' adorable though.

8. Plush Winter Pusheen. Look at those little arms!

9. Pusheen Holiday Sweatshirt.

Pusheen Cat is the equivalent to Hello Kitty in the 1970s and 1980s. She was everywhere and on everything, especially stationary. Then they turned Hello Kitty into a pink design that I hated. I liked her red, white and blue outfit ~ probably because she wears stripes. Hello Kitty approves of this Pusheen Box, can't wait for the Spring one!

Halloween 2013, I was the original Hello Kitty ~ I'm the one in the first picture. ;)

While looking for a specific cat picture for my last movie blog, Movie: Hush (2016) I stumbled across a certain website and was completely intrigued. Andrew, my husband, and I always joke that our next career move will be to train cats for commercials and movies and I love that this website has a database for movie star cats! It's www.cinemacats.com. It includes a ton of genres, short films, television, animated cats, and more! But they aren't the only website dedicated to actor cats. There's The Horror Cats, Moviepaws, and Pet Cinematary (the last one includes all animal actors)! Who knew?!

Here's a small compliation from the Cinema Cats website of The Greatest Cats in Films, don't worry Burger Fiction (the people that made this video) are working on a part two! This one includes tons of Disney movies and animated cats, but it's still worth a watch. They are missing many ~ off the top of my head Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Keanu, Pywacket from Bell, Book and Candle, are missing for sure! (I blogged about Bell, Book and Candle for my shop website Cats Like Us. You can read it here.) If you want to talk about animated cats ~ what about Si and Am from Lady and the Tramp?! You can't leave those troublemakers out.

There's even a book dedicated to cats on film that came out this past September. It's simply called Cats on Film by Anne Billson. (I'm going to try to get my paws on it from the library.)

If you want to see a newer movie with real cats that aren't actors ~ I recommend Kedi. It's more of a documentary about the lives of stray cats in Istanbul. Trailer below...

Someday Andrew will be a cat trainer. Here he is teaching Ginger to be a parrot for his "pirate lifestyle." (a.k.a. drinking too much rum.) She sits on his shoulders while he walks around the house. It might be harder to do with a large cat, but Ginger is tiny and easy to carry. She purrs and loves being chauffeured from room to room. I'm off to go train Vicktor not to be a jerk and eat our fake Christmas tree!

Thanks for reading, my holidays have been very busy, hopefully things will calm down and I can get back on track to reading, writing, and watching more horror and cats!

I heard about a TV show called Lore, so I did a little research and found out there's a book called The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke and podcast too, and all are based around the same thing...folklore of unsolved mysteries. I think I'm the only person left anywhere that doesn't listen to podcasts, I swear I don't have time for them. I drive 5 minutes to work where I listen to rockabilly music, and when I'm at home I'm reading or watching a movie or trying to finish Supernatural because ~ I'm not afraid of commitment ~ and I'm in the home stretch in the middle of season 10. (You can read all about my Supernatural thoughts here, here, here and here.)

Being a book nerd I ordered the book The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures from the library. It touches on all the historical monster narratives from vampires, witch hunts, zombies, pygmies, ghosts, to things we still hear about today ~ the Warren's Annabelle doll and curses, Shirley Jackson's haunted house writings and poltergeists. Historical vampires and witch folklore are my forte, so I was already prepared to like this book. Vamps have a special place in my heart along with witches and it started for me in junior year of high school where I wrote a 25 page paper comparing Bram Stoker's Dracula book to the movie. (Side note: No comparison. The movie is very pretty with bad acting, the book is better although a little boring as it's written like a diary.) The witch curiosity started even earlier, sophomore year when I wrote about Cotton Mather's Salem Witchcraft Trials and their attack on women. Now I'm not going to claim I know about everything in the book. I did learn about Spring-Heeled Jack in England and lots more specifics on creature origin stories. It even includes the origins of words and why certain things are called what they are. You can see a lot of time and effort went into this book and I'm always excited to expand on my creepy knowledge especially if I don't have to do all the research. (Haha.)

Enough about me, Lore, the book, covers a lot of (burial) ground! It references 1980s pop culture movies and icons, i.e. The Serpent and the Rainbow, Teen Wolf, and even MacGyver. It includes horror anecdotes too which really hold my interest, but it goes deeper and explores folklore itself. There's always been a fear of the unknown everywhere. And how do you explain the unexplainable? With folklore! Perfecto example: A woman in Salem, MA back in the 1690s didn't conform to societal norms because she didn't attend church. The town decided to call her a witch and put her through the witch trials. (That way they can get rid of her since she's different.) Another example: A family claims to see a deceased family member, they dig up the body and find that it hasn't decomposed and there's blood by it's mouth. Well, obviously it's a vampire. These stories get told over and over, expanded on and spread throughout history creating the monster lore we know today.

One of the really fun things I enjoyed about the book is that the chapters don't end with conclusive evidence but often plot twists, suggestions of what happened, and speculations that make you come up with your own conclusions. It really makes you think. Could there be logical reasons people saw and documented what they did? Hmmm.

The Edward Gorey-esque pen and ink illustrations in the book are something you don't get from a podcast. The artist M.S.Corley is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer that draws for a variety of books. The artwork in Lore is very Edward Gorey compared to his other pieces. Gotta love a book with pictures!

Many of the creatures written about can be found in the TV show Supernatural (I'm not joking) ~ trickster, jinn, wendigo, changling, elves ~ and here I thought the writers were just making them all up! So I guess you can say Supernatural was my introduction to a wide array on monster folklore and it's a good preface. After reading this book though, I feel like anything is possible and real. Truth can be scarier than fiction. Yikes.

Look for Aaron Mahnke's next book, The World of Lore: Wicked Mortals coming out in May 2018.

When I'm not wearing something in theme, or something that's black and white, I'm wearing cat clothes. Yes, CAT CLOTHES. I will admit I'm the biggest sucker for anything with a cat on it. Throw a cat on it and I'm sold! It can be ugly as hell, it can be cutesy with the most adorable pink fluffy kitten, it can be a tough as nails satanic cat and I'm sold. I love them all!

I'm going to let you in on a fashion secret...I shop a lot in the kids dept for cat things. This latest acquisition is from the girl's pajama section at Target. It's supposed to be a night gown, but I added leggings and a belt and it's become my favorite comfy cat dress! This outfit makes me soar like an atomic space kitty!

So you can't fit into the stuff in the kids section ~ still shop there! You might find a really cool cat purse, or cat ear headband, or cat leg warmers. In recent years even the men's section has cat clothes. I've seen amazing 1980s inspired cat Ts, socks and more. Cats are everywhere and I challenge you to find your crazy cat person through fashion.

I say wear what makes you happy and don't be afraid to think outside the box!

If you've been following me, you know I like subscription boxes. I subscribed to the Glamour Ghoul Batty Box, Classic Horror and Luna Box. I LOVED the Batty Box, the Classic Horror was a-ok, but I was really unimpressed with the Luna Box. As a result, I decided to take a break, and try out their Beauty Bag. It's the same idea, but with just makeup. At only $10 (plus $3 shipping), I feel like you can't go wrong! I loved this one.

Here's a speedy unboxing...er unbagging video...

Included in the November Beauty Bag...

1. An adorable black and white ghost zipper pouch.

2. Blue Raspberry Lip Balm from Rebel Rouge Labs. If you're curious about the lip balm, you can find it on their website for $2.50. It smells very light and the scent isn't over powering at all. It even smells a little herbal-y. I like that.

2. Lipstick from Spoiled Lips in "Bittersweet". I like this color. It's sort of a pumpkin shade, perfect for fall. Glamour Ghoul works a lot with Spoiled Lips and I have another color, "Charmed" from them that I love. It really does stay on ALL DAY. No joke. You can find both colors on their website too.

"Bittersweet" & "Star Light"

3. Dirty Glam Cosmetics loose powder in "Star Light". This is probably the thing I like the least simply because it's messy...or I should say I'm messy. I end up with more everywhere else than on me. This color is ah-mazing though! It's a silvery blue, super shiny, very neutral. After going to their website it looks like they are on vacation and will be back Oct 18, 2017. Ha! Um yeah, it's a month later now, better update that. I guess they don't care about sales.

4. Chirality Polish in "The Night Runner" is a nice dark shade with gold and rainbow glitter. I can't wait to try it, perfect for the holidays or anyday!

Thanks Glamour Ghoul! I think I'm going to have to try another Beauty Bag, I'm really enjoying the makeup choices. Even though lots of gals are posting them as soon as they arrive on the Glamour Ghoul facebook page, the colors and bags may be different from person to person, so it doesn't ruin the surprise ~ I like that.

p.s. You're probably wondering, "What the hell is she wearing this time?" You can get a better idea in this blog.

I'm not much for home invasion movies, I tend to find them boring, BUT Hush kept me on the edge of my seat and I really enjoyed it...AND there's a fluffy white Persian kitty in the movie named "Bitch". Um YES! More kitties should act in horror movies. The basic premise is it's about a deaf and mute writer living in the woods and there's a masked killer that learns about her disability and wants her dead. It's no surprise that this is a very quiet movie, but the action speaks for itself. (See what I did there?)

Spoilers ahead (sort of)...

The first fifteen minutes set the tone for the rest of the movie. We find out how isolated Maddie is living in the woods and just how she lives with her condition. The killer comes in and steals her cell phone and then starts taking pictures of her without her knowing and messages them to her on her laptop. She freaks out and locks herself in the house ~ now she's a captive. He seems pretty smart, he kills her closest neighbor, steals her and her neighbor's cell phones, cuts the power and slashes her tires. He taunts Maddie and shows her Sarah, her dead friend through the window, in the hopes that she'll break. He even pretends to be the police when her neighbor's boyfriend comes by to check things out. She in turn sets off her car alarm to distract him, steals his crossbow, sprays him with wasp killer and sets off the house fire alarm that is extra loud and vibrates the whole house.

As a writer she runs through all the possible scenarios in her head of how to escape. In all of them she ends up dead, except for one. I won't tell you what that is, but it makes sense that she thinks this way.

There's lots of good realistic gore in the movie too. It's really well done!

Bitch Kitty survives! Yay! She's a Final Girl.

In retrospect, this whole killer situation could have been avoided if she had basic life tips:

A. She kept her cat inside. (Reasons why you should are here.) Even her neighbor is concerned that she leaves her cat outside and asks her about it! Her door wouldn't be open if the kitty was inside.

B. Call me paranoid BUT she has tons of bare windows and really needs to have curtains and keep them drawn at night. If she did, the killer might not know that she was even home.

C. Keep your doors locked when you're home alone at night in the middle of nowhere! He would have never stolen her phone if he couldn't get in the house. Duh.

D. Don't sit with your back to an open window or door, it's bad feng shui (or something like that).

Also I knew I never wanted to live in the country, that's where aliens land and home invasions happen. ;)

Trailer

Side tangent...If you like the suspense of no sound in horror movies, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode where everyone lost their voice was also called "Hush" and is definitely quiet. The Gentlemen Demons in the episode are always rated in the top three scariest monsters on BtVS.

So the other day I was thinking to myself, "Is Cat Scratch Fever a real thing?" I am here to say YES and it can be very VERY serious! (Please don't listen to the Ted Nugent song called Cat Scratch Fever, what he's singing about is something else entirely and terrifying in a different way.)

Cat Scratch Fever is a rare disease that is caused by the Bartonella Henselae bacteria, one of the most common bacterias in the world. It's an infection of the lymph nodes and is usually contracted from an infected cat scratch or bite. It can also be transferred if the infected cats saliva gets into contact with an open wound or eyes. It's mainly a problem for people with a weak immune system. Most healthy people can clear the infection in a couple weeks. So what's it all about?

Cats end up with the Bartonella bacteria in their system from infected fleas! BUT they generally don't have any symptoms and the bacteria eventually goes away. Your vet can always test your kitty for it if there's a concern. Young kittens are much more likely to have them than adult cats because they are new to fending off fleas and end up licking and eating them.

Not every person who's licked or scratched by a kitty needs to go to the doctor, only go if you are showing signs of an infection.

Compared to cats, the human symptoms are much worse, they include red bumps or blisters about 3-10 days after the scratch, swollen lymph nodes near the wound, fatigue, headaches, and an enlarged spleen. Your doctor can do a florescent antibody blood test to identify the bacteria or bloodwork or take a lymph node sample. He will likely prescribe antibiotics, and if it doesn't go away in a month...there's a couple of rare but serious complications...

Cat Scratch blisters.

(Image taken from http://cats.lovetoknow.com/Cat_Scratch_Fever)

Some of the scariest diagnoses are...

Encephalopathy in which the bacteria can spread to the brain and cause brain damage or even death. Yikes.

Neuroretinitis is an inflammation of the optic nerve. It will cause blurred vision but eventually go away with time. Ok, not too bad.

Parinaud Oculoglandular Syndrome also effects the eyes. It's symptoms are similar to pink eye and can be treated by antibiotics and in extreme cases the eye will need to be removed. Ick. Hell no.

Osteomyelitis is bacteria infection of the bones. Extreme cases will call for amputation of the limb. Ugh.

Now that I've just made myself a terrified hypochondriac. Let me see how I can prevent myself from loosing a limb the next time Vicktor scratches me.

How to prevent Cat Scratch Fever? 

1. Don't rough house with your cat, but if you do get scratched or bitten clean the wound out.

2. Wash your hands after playing with a cat and don't rub your eyes before washing your hands!

3. Don't let your cat lick you around your eyes, nose, or mouth.

4. Keep cats indoors away from fleas and give them a flea treatments.

5. Use common sense when petting a stray or feral cat, they could be carrying the bacteria.

In conclusion, sorry to scare you. Just be aware that cats can unsuspectingly kill you in terrifying ways.

Ok, I'll be the first to admit it, I'm a BIG Clive Barker fan. This past summer I read his Books of Blood: Volume 1 and one of my favorite short stories was the Midnight Meat Train. As you know dear readers, I subscribe to Netflix (since I reviewed 1922) and saw that Midnight Meat Train ~ the movie ~ was available for instant watch!

***Spoilers ahead...

The opening of the movie is bloody AF, so I felt like there's potential for this to be an accurate adaptation of the short story. Unlike the writing, the main character is a photographer, named Leon, played by Bradley Cooper, looking for his big break in the art scene. Brooke Shields plays Susan, the art gallery owner who decides what work goes into her art exhibits. I have to admit the photos Leon submits in the beginning are really ho-hum compared to his later grittier images. Susan sends him to take two more photographs worthy of an exhibit and he ends up obsessing over a butcher that takes the subway in NYC, to the point of even dreaming about him!

Brooke Shields looks fab in this movie.

The butcher has a fancy ring that appears to be a cult symbol. According to the short story there's an underground cult of creatures older than dirt (think Lovecraftian) that feed on the people they are given by the butcher to satiate them. It stops them from eating the other subway riders. The butcher is also described more in the book. He's strategic in who he chooses to kill. In the movie he chooses a giant meat tenderizer as a weapon, but he's capable of killing with various meat cleavers and tools. In a plot twist also found in the story, the subway conductor and police officers are in on the monsters that eat "meat" in the abandoned subway line. They are part of the circle that keeps the secret.

The butcher.

Leon is a witness to the gruesome killings and there's a big fight scene at the end in the abandoned subway line. Leon wins and in turn becomes the new butcher and a servant to the monsters.

The side story romance is annoying. It was added for the movie. Leon's girlfriend is a SUPER a-hole and is unsupportive of his work, she only wants to get married. She actually tells him to "only shoot things that make you happy". i.e. take pictures of me. (At this point I wanted to punch her in the face.) Don't worry by the end she's a goner.

Some of the special effects are SUPER computer generated. The blood splatter seems strategic, BUT the slipperiness of the bloody subway cars makes sense. The over head shots are nice and make it look "big budget". Overall it was an ok movie. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. 3 meat hooks out of
5.

The hokey-ist eyeball-popping-out-of-someone's-head I've ever seen!

Trailer...

No, I'm not referring to the horror movies  Jack Frost  or Cabin Fever ~ I'm talking about keeping your kitty inside. I feel you should always keep your cats inside, especially with the cold weather on the way. Why? Because there's lots of dangers to your cat being outside. Some things to consider...

1. Keeping your cat inside assures it can be safe from from diseases and parasites. They can contract feline lukemia, ringworm, rabies, toxoplasmosis, ear mites, and fleas from other cats and the outdoors...just to name a few.

Cat with ringworm.

2. There's lots of poisonous plants and foliage outside. Here's just a list.

3. If your cat is inside, you can to monitor their litter box for any unusual activity, like if they are not peeing or have loose poop. (You can read my blogs about litter boxes and litter for advice on what kind of bathroom to set up for your cat.)

4. You might think your kitty is King of the Jungle, BUT there's bigger wildlife and predators outside that will fight, maim, or kill your sweet cat. And PLEASE ~ for the love of horror movies ~ don't let your cat outside if it's declawed! Ugh. (Side note: I hate that mutilating...er I mean declawing still happens.)

5. Speaking of bigger animals...CARS kill cats a lot more than you think. Sure cats will stick to places they know and roam outside within parameters, but if there's a street, you can't stop your cat from crossing it. Who knows if the driver will see your cat. According to the National Traffic Safety Administration 97% of cats don't make it after they are hit by a car. 5.4 MILLION cats are hit by cars every year in the US. AND if it's cold out, cats will sit on or under the warm hood of your car and can get injured. (I'll spare you the pictures, but I CAN assure you they are disturbing.)

6. If you are forced to have a cat that is an indoor/ outdoor cat, please make sure they have a breakaway collar. Otherwise the buckle collar can get caught and strangle them on fence posts and various things. The breakaways come in a variety of colors and can even be personalized.

Available here.

7. If you think your cat is special and beautiful, there might be another person that thinks the same and steals your cat.

8. If your cat goes outside and is a nuisance to neighbors, i.e. poops in their garden, chances are your neighbor doesn't like your cat. They can call animal control and have your kitty taken away.

9. Some people just suck and might abuse or poison your cat.

10. Cats can freeze to death if the temperature dips below 32 degrees Fahrenheit! They can suffer from frostbite and hypothermia.

Here are some ways to avoid Cabin Fever and keep an indoor kitty happy...

1.Play with your cat. There are so many different cats toys available. You can get balls with bells, wands with feathers, or just plush catnip toys to help your kitty keep entertained. This will give them the chance to pounce, hunt, and chase like they would if they were outside.

2. Make sure your indoor cat has access to a window. Some cats will sit in a window all day long and just stare. It's like kitty TV for them and it allows them to experience the outdoors safely. You can put a cat bed or add a cat perch to a window.

3. Offer them a cat bed. It can be as simple as a box with a towel at the bottom or you can buy a fancy cat bed.

4. You can bring the outdoors inside and plant cat grass.

5. Go vertical and make sure your cat has things to perch on like the tops of furniture or a cat tree.

Some cats you just can't keep inside. Take for example my neighbor's cat Dewey. He's the sweetest cat in the world, (although my Ginger hates him for some reason and anytime she sees him through the window she gets a giant puff tail and makes noises you never thought could come out of a cat.) Dewey is super friendly and I swear he guards our front porch and back deck. I asked our neighbor why Dewey is an outdoor cat. He said they they tried to keep him indoors, but he ripped through and broke three screen doors, and that was the end of keeping him confined. I guess he will only stay inside when it's cold out, but during the summer he refuses to be confined. I look forward to seeing Mr. Dewey, but I do get nervous for him.

This is Dewey aka Guardian of the Back Deck, Keeper of the Front Porch.

If you see any stray cats outside in the cold but you can't bring them in, you can always make a shelter for them. Even if it just keeps out the wind, it's helpful! Here's some ideas on how to make one. Here's some great tips if you do make one.

Bottom line, cats live longer if they are kept inside.

It's the 10th anniversary of one of my favorite Halloween horror movies Trick 'r Treat. I was so excited that Creeper Crate was doing a Trick 'r Treat themed box I ordered it pretty much when it was announced! I blogged about my love of the movie back in July. You can read about it here.

The video is a little rushed because Vicktor was being bitchy and trying to eat everything, BUT if you notice I'm wearing a sweater that would make Willow Rosenberg from Buffy proud! (There's a whole tumblr page dedicated to her terrible fashion choices!) p.s. Can you guess how many black cats there are in this video?

There are 4 black cats, one is on my sweater, one is a plush stuffed animal behind me, one is a pillow with cat faces and one is Vicktor.

As always the Creeper Crate packing is premium! The box is covered in blood splatter, and has a nice Thank You note from the owner. Included in the box are...

1. "Follow the Rules" Wax Melts from Terror Tarts in the shape of Sam's costume head and his face. They smell SOOOO good, like pumpkin spice, but don't eat them!

2. Sam laser cut acrylic necklace from Sparkle Monster. The other necklace I reference is from the Coven Creeper Crate. You can see me wearing it in this blog. Both are super reflective and detailed. It's hard to get a picture without me being reflected in it. Check out Sparkle Monster for other great designs. She even has a $5 sale section!

3. Samhain bar of soap from Dearg Due. The image is taken from the movie. This smells tasty too.

4. Sam socks! They have an all over print, are shaped like tub socks, and feel like a poly/cotton blend. The design is very colorful. (There was no label for them.)

5. A Sam Action Figure from ReAction Figures. I've read about these but have never seen them in real life. (I don't get out much.) My little guy was out of the bubble card, but he comes with a tiny removable sucker and he's posable!

Unfortunately I wasn't one of the 75 to get the print, but a friend of mine did! It looks like this...

Thanks again Creeper Crate! I placed my order for Jan (Overlook Theme) & Feb (MacNeil theme).

Reagan approves. (Halloween 2013).

Some of my past Creeper Crates...
Coven Creeper Crate
Slasher Creeper Crate