Welcome to the Cat Blog Help Center!

I git a lot of qweshchuns frum new cat bloggers trying to figyur evrything owt. I don't have all the ansers, but I'm happy to share whut I know. And I suspect thare are qwite a few of yoo hoo are willing to help as well. I hope this blog will be a destinayshun for cat blogging reesorses and online stuff like Catster.

HOW TO USE THIS BLOG: Browse the TOPICS list in the right sidebar for topics of interest -- or just start reeding frum top to bottum. If yoo don't find whut yer looking for....

GOT QWESCHUNS? Add them to the comments feeld of this post and we'll try to anser them within 48 howrs. Then, chek bak in a day or two for the noo post ansering yer qweschun. NEW! If yoo klik the chekbox for "emale me followup comments," yoo'll see win I respond to yer qweschun.

How to put PayPal Links in Your Blog

My best frends Katie and Da Katz asked the following:

HELP!!! We iz tryin ta find out hows ta put da pay pal codes on our site... any beans or furry babies knohs how ta do dat???

MomsBusy saids dat dehr is a tabbie... we gotz a tabbie named daisy, but she donts knohs where da code iz.

ooh she saids a TAB... Mawmee whats dat??? Dehr supposed ta be a tab or a links at pay pal fur dis... n weze needin ta gets dis sets up cuz da bloggin cats is helpin us thru ruff times while mawmee not got no jobbee and weze cold n hungree n stuffoms reel hard likes dat.

Tank U!!!

Katie Too...

That's a good qweschun becuz the Paypal site is not ixzaktly eezy to use. So let me show yoo ware to go:

1. Once yer logged into Paypal, click the Merchant Services tab. (Yoo mite have to be set up with a merchant accownt, but that's pritty eazy.)
   
2. On the Merchant Services tab page, click the donate link (klik to biggify). "Donate" is the 4th link down in the left collum:
   

On the Donate screen, enter the reqwired infermayshun (yoo probly want the peeple hoo are donayting to be able to set thare own donayshun amownt):

Then yoo'll go to a screen that gives yoo the code. Just hit the Select Code button, and copy it and paste it into yer blog:




I hope that helps! Once yoo find ware to go, it's pritty eazy!

Article abowt Cat Blogging

I just red this blog post called, "All About Cat Blogging." I'm reprinting part of it heer for any cat hoo's considering starting a cat blog. Thare's a link at the end to reed the hole thing. --- StC


All About Cat Blogging

Have you ever tried writing using a different viewpoint? Most people will write using their viewpoint. Seldom can you find a person who writes in a different way. But if you want to be known online, you must be as unique as possible. If you try to surf the net, particularly in blog websites, you will note that some bloggers write using their cat’s viewpoint which is more commonly called as cat blogging.

What is cat blogging? Those who are unfamiliar with cat blogging may think that these are blogs about cats. Well, you can actually find blogs about cats online. Pets are interesting topics and aside from cats, some bloggers also write about dogs, birds, and fishes. However, some bloggers find cat blogging much better because it draws more attention. Readers find cat blogging quite interesting because the blogger writes blogs using their cat’s viewpoint.

Cat blogging is really strange and this may be the reason why many individuals are interested in reading it as well in posting comments. Blogs about pets, specifically about cats are quite ordinary nowadays because many bloggers want to share with the whole world the everyday life of their cats. If you want to become a well-known blogger, why not try cat blogging?

KLIK HEER TO REED THE HOLE ARTIKUL

How to Change yer blog to a 3-Column template

My best frend Brandi rites

dear skeezix,
my mama wants to move stuff around and is afraid to. She wants to have a sidebar on the left and the right side to make our stuff look better. Do we have to do a brand new template or can you help? Remember, mama is not that teknical.
Thanks, brandi

p.s. we have blogger template "minima" and other sites don't seem to address that template. Waiting patiently...hugs, brandi and her mama, Carol

I haven't gon to a 3-column layowt myself, so I looked for a good tootoriul, wich I've pasted below. It's frum bloggerbuster.com.


WARNINGS!

Ferst, this is not a good projekt fur cats and kittins hoo are not teknikly profishunt. It's not hard, but yoo can skrew up yer template and not be abul to undo it. I rekummend praktissing on a new blog template. Frum yer dashbord, klik the "Create a Blog" link.

Make all yer layowt changes on the new blog, then win yer done, copy and paste it into yer own template (in the Layout > Edit HTML view).

Secund, ALWAYS bak up yer template beefore yoo start messin' with it. The bakup proseedure is deskribed in the post beelow this one.

Source: bloggerbuster.com

"In this tutorial, I'll explain how to create a three column template in Blogger layouts, using the Minima template as a starting point.

The Minima template is the easiest Blogger template to customise, as this is the simplest two column template, and has few parameters regarding margins, padding and the like. Once you have developed the third column, it will then be easier to alter font-size, colours and such so leave this until later on. We're going to concentrate on the actual layout first.

First of all, set your template to Minima (not the stretch template, but any colour will do!), then follow these instructions:

1. Go to Template>Edit HTML, leaving the "Expand widget templates" box
   unchecked.
   
2. Now, find this section in the HTML code:
   
   

   #sidebar-wrapper {
   width: 220px;
   float: right;
   word-wrap: break-word; /* fix for
   long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
   overflow: hidden; /* fix for long
   non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
   }

   Copy this entire section, and paste it directly below. We're going to change the elements I've highlighted in red to the following:
   
   

   #left-sidebar-wrapper (this makes the css for
   this section unique)
   float: left (this will make the
   new sidebar float to the left of the main column)

   
   This will provide the styling for the new sidebar element which we will create
   next.



3. Now, you need to find this section further down the page:
   
   

   <div id='main-wrapper'>

Immediately before this section, you should paste the following piece of code:

<div id='left-sidebar-wrapper'>
<b:section
class="sidebar" id="left-sidebar" preferred="yes">
</div>

Let me explain the elements of this code to help you understand what we've just done:

• <div id='left-sidebar-wrapper'> This section tells the browser that the left-sidebar element exists here, and to look in the css for the appropriate styling for this element.
  
• <b:section class="sidebar" id="left-sidebar"
  preferred="yes">This tells the browser the class of the sidebar
  element and all other elements (widgets) which may be included in this section.
  The ID of this element must be "left-sidebar" in order to make it unique,
  otherwie this would cause problems when viewing. It is preferred so that it
  will feature in the layout, even if no widgets are placed within it.

If you preview your template, you will notice that the right sidebar will be beneath the main section at the moment. This is because the outer-wrapper is still only wide enough to accomodate one sidebar. So now we need to expand the outer wrapper to accomodate this new sidebar.

Find this section in the HTML code:

/* Outer-Wrapper
-----------------------------------------------
*/
#outer-wrapper {
width: 660px;
margin:0
auto;
padding:10px;
text-align:left;
font:
$bodyfont;
}

We need to increase the width of the wrapper by the width of the left-sidebar-wrapper, in this case 220px. So, change the value in red to 880px.

You may also want to change the width of the header-wrapper to 880px so that
it spans the new width of your blog:

#header-wrapper {
width:880px;
margin:0 auto 10px;
border:1px solid $bordercolor;
}

At this point, you should save your template. At present, your new sidebar will not be seen as there are no widgets contained within it, though it will still be present in the markup of the page. Once you have saved your template, go to Template>Page elements in your Blogger dashboard.

Your layouts section should now look something like this:


You can now add a page element (or two) to your new left sidebar.

But we aren't quite finished yet! If you add anything to this left sidebar, you will probably notice that it jams right up to the main section, like this:



This is because there is no space defined between the left-sidebar and the main ection. We need to create this space in the template's HTML.

To do this, we will add a margin to the left hand side of the main posts section. Find he following code in your template's HTML and add the code defined in red:

#main-wrapper {
width: 410px;
float: left;
margin-left: 20px;
word-wrap: break-word;
/* fix for long text breaking sidebar float in IE */
overflow: hidden;
/*
fix for long non-text content breaking IE sidebar float */
}

This defines a margin space of 20px between the left-sidebar and the main column. You should also ensure you adjust thewidth of the outer-wrapper from 880px to 900px to ensure the width of your blog is enough to accomodate this margin too. Either that, or you could reduce the width of your main column/a sidebar by 20px to serve the same purpose. Now, your previewed template should look more like this:

Finally, save your template and enjoy your new sidebar!

The same principles described here can help you create a three column template from any Blogger template, though you may find that you'll need to adjust the width, margins and padding for your new sidebar in order for it to look the way you would like.

Also, you can configure your new sidebar to float to the right, and have two sidebars on the right of the main column if you prefer. Simply set the CSS of your new sidebar to float: right; instead.

Here is a download of the three column Minima template for reference (or if you prefer to use a preconfigured template instead!):

Download 3 column Minima template (Skeezy's note: this link wasn't werking erlier, but keep trying. I cood aksess it later on.)

For more Blogger templates to download, please have a look through the Templates section here at Blogger Buster.

How do I back up my Blogger blog?

My best frend Castle asks

Dear Skeezix,

How can we back a Blogger blog up?We are thinking that it would be absolutely heartbreaking if anything happened to Storm's blog...and we wanna make a copy of it, just in case...

Love,
Castle xxx

Castle, yer in luk! Blogger has a new feecher called import and export wich helps yoo do a bakup. GO HEER FOR COMPLEET INSTRUKSHUNS!

How to Make an Email Link

Camies's Kitties asked:

Skeezix,

We were wondering how we can put up a link with our e-mail address so people can e-mail us. We looked but didn't see it in the topics covered.

Tiki, Tavi, Cody and Camie

This is eezy, but yoo mite not wunt to do it cuz it will jenerate spam. Spiders and bots crawl the innernet looking for emale adresses to harvist, and beefore yoo know it, yer male box will be full of viagra offers and reqwests to send munney to Nijeeria.

Heer is whut the link strukcher looks like:

<a href="mailto:camie@camieskitties.com">camie@camieskitties.com</a>

Yoo just replace it with yer emale adress.

But as I sed, this will make spam show up in yer male box.

There are forms and javascript yoo can use to make yer emale adress invizibul to the spiders and bots, but I'm not sertin thare 100% effektive (I'll look up one of thoze skripts and post it heer shortly.) I purrsunully think the safest thing to do is post a grafik with yer emale adress on it, and don't link it.... yer frends can still eezily find yer emale adress, but it's more safe frum spammers.

A reeminder, win yoo post an emale adress in text on yer blog, don't paste in the emale adress, insted use the following format:

myname AT mydomaine DOT com

Blogger image upload problems

My best frend Jeter Harris rites:

deer skeez,
heer it iz ... day deux uv not bein able to uplode a pikshur.
da messije i get iz dat i'm havin sum server difficultiez.
i'm reelee reelee mad at google fer dis.
do u hav any idearz?
yerz troolee-o'jh

Jete, I understand yer frustrayshun. Forchewnitly, thare's an eezy werkarownd. Yoo need to uplode the foto to anuther site and then point to it frum yer blog. Yoo can uplode to Catster, Flickr, photo bucket, or any one of many free image hosts. Once it's bin uploded sumware other than Blogger, git the image "path" - that's the URL ware the image livs. To do that, rite-clik on the image to pop up the menu as shone beelow:

Selekt PROPERTIES and then the dialog box that comes up will show yoo the URL of the image:

Copy the URL (by selekting and hitting CONTROL-C), and then bak at yer blog, in the EDIT HTML mode, paste (CONTROL-V) the URL into yer post and in frunt of it, put <img src= " and after it, tipe "   border="0" >

so that the hole thing looks like:

<img src="http://www.fotosite.com/jeterspikcher.jpg" border="0">

... and yer dun!

How do I git started with blogging?

How do I git started blogging?
It's as easy as setting up a Blogger account. Blogger is probably the easiest blogging platform to git yoo up and running without having to know any kind of coding. (The new Blogger werks much much better than the old Blogger.) There are other blogging applikayshuns as well, including Typepad, Wordpress, LiveJournal, Blog.com, and Blogstream. Many ISPs also offer blog functionality with thare hosting akkownts. Some of theeze are availabul for a low yeerly fee, and offer a free trial. Take advantije of the free trial to see if yoo like thare templates, and if it's eezy for yoo to use.

Heer are a few:

• Blog.com
• Blogger (blogspot)
• Blogstream
• ClearBlogs.com
• Livejournal
• Typepad
• Windows Live Writer
• Wordpress

How offin shood I blog?
As offin as yoo have sumthing to say. It's best if yoo post at leest a few times a week, so that evrywun gits used to viziting yer blog and it becomes a habit --- this will help bild traffik to yer blog and yoo won't feel like yer blogging in a vakyoom. If yoo don't blog in a wile, yoo cood fall off evrywun's radar.

On the other paw, don't bern yerself owt! Naptime is importunt! And don't just post entreez for the sake of bloggin more offin than not --- if yer blog izn't intristing, yoo won't be abul to establish a fan base.

Nobuddy's commenting on my blog!
Comments are a good mezhure of how engaged other cats are with yer blog. If yer not gitting comments, chek to make shur yoo don't have comment moderayshun enabled. (Uzhually a chekbox in "Settings" for comments, depending on whut blog platform yer on.) If comment moderayshun is NOT enabled, yer blog probly needs more vizibility. Ferst of all, both me and the Cat Blogsphere try to annownse new blogs -- so drop us an emale or comment and let us know yoo've got a new blog. Second, get owt thare and start commenting on other cat blogs. Win we see new faces, we'll chek yoo owt and comment on yer blog.

Get on blogrolls
Emale me (skeezix AT skeezixthecat DOT com) and I'll add yoo to mine. After yoo've vizited spesifik blogs sevrul times and left comments, ask the blogger to add yoo to thare blogroll ... and reesiprokate. To reesiprokate meens to add them to yer own blogroll as well.

Partisipate in Memes
If yer a regyuler kontributor to the vareeyus memes (Thursday Thirteen, for ixzampul), others will git used to viziting yer blog on thoze days. Adding auto-linkies helps a lot!

Use Cat Blog Help as a resource
We're heer to help. We hope to provide help on evry aspekt of cat blogging and will be adding kontent daily, so chek heer offin for the newest stuff going on of intrist to cat bloggers.

Shood I go with Blogger or Wordpress?

If yer new to blogging and are trying to figyer owt wich platform to use, I fownd a good deskripshun of the pros and cons of Blogger vs. Wordpress.

KLIK HEER to reed a good summayshun of the relative merits of Blogger and Wordpress.

How do I add a pikcher to my sidebar - what's this "widget interface" yoo talk abowt?

My best frends Skeeter & LC ask:

We want to put a pic in our sidebar, but we can't find this "widget interface" that you mentioned. What is it and where do we get it?

Skeeter and LC

It isn't anything yoo need to "get" --- now all Blogger blogs utilize the widget interface. I used to have to differensheeate between the two when cats askt for blog help becuz the old and the new interface were compleetely diffrint. The old Blogger interface made yoo make edits to yer template in HTML. But Blogger forst evrywun to convert to the widget interface erlier this yeer. So win yoo hit the template tab yoo now see a bunch of boxes on the template page that yoo can moove arownd or clik to edit insted of digging thru HTML.

Widgets are self contayned mini-applikayshuns (often, therd party applikayshuns) that yoo can plop into yer blog withowt a having to have a lot of programmer knowlidje.

We have an explanayshun of how to add a linked image to yer sidebar heer. If yoo don't wunt it to be linked, just don't inklood the link code.

How do I change my Catster bakgrownd?

Miz rites:

Skeezix, I like you and Daisy's backgrounds on Catster. How do I change mine? I
am not a plus member if that makes a difference.

I don't know if non-Plus members can configyer thare pages, but if yoo can, heer's how to do it:

1) Go to yer accownt set up page and klik "Modify biography & traits":

2) On the Bio screen, skrole down a little bit, and klik "Fun Stuff."


3) Yoo'll see a bunch of oranje bio feelds.

The little one on the left is the feeld name. For this use, yoo'll just stik in a peeriod so it won't show too much on yer profile page.

The little one on the right deetermines the vertical height this line takes up on yer profile page. For this usage, tipe in "10".

The big box in the middle is ware yoo'll put the code for a bakgrownd or a musik file to play win the page lodes. The code yoo stik in thare is

<body background="http://www.photobucket.com/filename.gif">

with the "http" part pointing to the path of yer bakgrownd image file (yoo can have it hosted on photobucket or other file sharing site.) Klik heer for infermayshun on image hosts.

Yoo can test it with this backgrownd: http://skeezixthecat.com/images/bg_donanobispacem.gif

The code for an mp3 file is:
<embed src="http://www.skeezixthecat.com/music/happyboy.mp3"
height="20"
width="145"
autostart="true"
loop="false"
width="0"
height="0">
</embed>

With all that sed, yoo mite have to be a Plus member to be abul to go to the Fun Stuff area... so why not upgrade???

I'm sick of my page. How do I change it?

My best frend Jeter Harris rites:

... i'm sick uv mi page ... it'z borin fer me an i wood like to change it. i'm prettee scared dat i will blow it ... do u hav sum sugjeschunz fer me? thank u.

Jete' it's as eezy as backing up yer current template, then pikking a new one.

Ferst, save a copy of yer existing template (so if yoo skrew up, yoo can go bak). To do so, klik the Template tab (or link), and under it klik "Edit HTML". (Yoo can klik theeze pikchers to biggify.)

Make shur the "Expand Widget Templates" chekbox is chekt.

Now, klik in the big text box that has yer template. Select-all (CTRL-A on yer keybord) and copy (CTRL-C), then open up notepad or werdpad or other text editor (MS-Werd is not a good choice) and paste (CTRL-V) the contents of yer klipbord into the empty doc and save. Now yer bakt up.

Next, yoo'll need to pik a new template. It's as eezy as pikkin' yer noze. Ferst, klik the "Pick New Template" link. The templates will be displade beelow it. Just skrole thru the deezines (most have three or fore diffrint choices in diffrint colors), selekt the one yoo like and then klik the oranje SAVE TEMPLATE buttun:

Switching templates will NOT do anything to yer blog posts. Evry once in a wile, it does eet sum of yer page elements in yer sidebar win a new template is selekted .... but thare eezy to reetreeve if yoo bakt up beefore yoo started. In fakt, it's kind of teedius, but it can be helpful if, beefore yoo start, yoo open eech one of yer sidebar elements and copy the html to a blank text file (one long file with all the pasted code) ... it will save yoo having to reed thru a lot of XML to find yer widget code in yer backup file when if yer mom is helping yoo and she messes up.

Heer are sum tips:

• Don't stress owt abowt making the switch. 99% of the time it is seemless.
• A littul wine helps kalm yer helper down, but more than a littul is not such a good thing. So, like, win yer ladey gits home frum a Book Club meeting and she's all giggly and duzn't say her werds vary kleer, win she sez, "Jeter, how's abowt we change da way yer blog looks tonite??" JUST SAY NO!
• If yoo reely mess up, just paste yer backed up old blog template into the box on the Edit HTML page.
  
  

Can one gmail account have 2 blogs?

Laura rites:

Hi Skeezix,

Can one gmail account have 2 blogs?

When I set up Buddy's blog (Nezbine.blogspot.com), I used my gmail account & used her name for the blogger part. Now I want to make my own blog, and I did create a test one, but I can only post to it as Buddy (nezbine). Is there a way I can create my own blogger account without deleting hers or messing it up? If I modify it so it's me instead of her, then her blog will have my picture & stuff from the profile page, instead of her info. That would bother me.

Laura

Akshully, Laura, it's eezier than yoo think. The post beelow (wich ansers a similer qweschun that Jeeter askt) deeskribes the process. But let me ixplane a littul bit more....

When yoo set up a blogger (blogspot) blog with a blogger ID, the blog and ID are linked but not exkloosively so. The cat hoo orijinully set up the blog will be the administrayter (meening s/he can chanje the layowt and add new awthors), but addishunul awthors can be set up for any blog. And, a singul blogger ID can set up many other blogs and add many addishunul awthors to thoze blogs.

And, the orijinul blogger accownt under wich the blog was set up need never be used for posting.

So, say Buddy's blogger accownt was set up under the emale adress nezbine@gmale.com. And say thare are two blogs set up under that accownt (the blogs yoo see win yer in yer accownt dashbord):

• Nezbine.blogspot.com
• Laura.blogspot.com

Yoo cood have the following awthors set up under thoze accownts:

Accownt: Nezbine.blogspot.com:

• Buddy (nezbine@gmale.com - the administrator and sole awthor)

Accownt: Laura.blogspot.com

• Buddy (nezbine@gmale.com - the administrator)
• Laura (laura@yahoo.com - an awthor/contributor)

Once yoo add yerself as an awthor to the "Laura" blog, you can post with yer name. What will happen once yoo set up yer emale adress with permisshun to post, is that yoo'll git an emale frum Google to validate yer adress and yoo'll klik the link to compleete the process, and then yoo can set up yer compleete profile with pikchers and evrything.

The post beelow ixplanes how to set up permisshuns wich will enable yoo to have yer own blogger ID - even if it's with an ixzisting blog!

(Thinking abowt Buddy makes me sad, but I'm happy she had a good long life with yoo.)

FOLLOWUP QWESCHUN:

Laura asks:

When I set up Buddy's blog, I used my gmail address, but she had(s) her own email address. Can I add that and reassign ownership somehow? Her picture/profile is connected with my email address rather than her own. Is that making any sense? I know I know, I totally botched this when I did it. (Slapping forehead)

What I wood do is:

1) Add her as an awthor to her blog using her emale adress (not that it matters, but still, I'd probly do that), then

2) Sine in to blogger with yer emale adress and edit the profile so that it has yer foto.

The problim is that the profile on her blog wood then show YOO, so I wood deelete the page element on her blog that contanes the profile and add a new element (pik the HTML/Javascript one) wich will allow yoo to add a foto and the profile manyully.

How do I git my own pikcher and name to show win I leeve comments?

My best frend Jeter Harris rites:

deer skeezix,
u wood think dat i wood be a bit smarter abowt dis ... but i'm not. az u mus know ... mi brudder mickey mantle an i share da same image wen we make commentz (mi squillion laffin an laffin) i'm purrsonallee sick uv dis an wood like mi own hansum image. thus, cood u talk mi brudder an me throo da stepz to havin owr imagez show up wen we make commentz? thank u.

This is eezy to do, Jeter!

1) Ferst, set up emale adresses (on gmail or yahoo) for eech of the cats yoo wunt to have profiles for. So for ixzampul, yoo mite set up emale adresses at yahoo for:

jeterh0303@yahoo.com
laffinanlaffin07@yahoo.com
mickeymantledacat@yahoo.com

Now, sine into blogger with whatever emale adress and passwerd yoo usually use. Whut yer going to do is ADD thoze emale adresses as blog awthers. (Yoo can akshully akomplish the same thing setting up yer own blogger accownts sepritly, but this way is a littul more streemlined and yoo won't aksidently set up extra blogs.)

2) So, frum yer Dashbord, klik the Settings tab,
3) Then klik the Permissions link:



This gits yoo to the skreen ware yoo will add blog awthurs.

4)Klik the bloo ADD AUTHORS buttun and add the emale adresses yoo set up above.

5) Sine into the emale acccownts yoo gave permisshun to, and klik the link that Blogger sent yoo.

6) Now the new emale adresses are linked to yer blog, and all yoo need to do is set up the Blogger profiles for theeze new adresses... compleete with yer own pikcher and evrything.

Once yoo have theeze profiles set up, yoo can log into comments with the new emale adress and passwerds and yer hansum face will show up next to the comments.

Deleting Spam Comments on Blogger

When you get an icky spam comment (or any kind of icky comment you wanna get rid of) you want to know how to delete the spammy or icky comment even if you don't have comment moderation turned on. Here's how you do it in blogger:

1) Log in to your blogger account.

2) Go to the post that has the icky comment the same way you'd go to read cool comments.

3) The comments page part may look one of these two ways below, but that's ok!
Look for the lil trashcan icon that's with the icky comment and click that.

After you've clicked the lil trash can by the icky comment, you'll see this.

5) Check the box next to "Remove forever" and then click "Delete Comment".
Checking "Remove forever" makes it vanish like there never was an icky comment at all, so that's good.

6) Once you've done that, you see this, and you're all done!


No more icky comment! Woo hoo!

How to make a moovey

Phoebe rites:

Dear Skeezix,
Can you please give me some information about how to make my very own movie? I would really like to be an adventure movie star, but I don't know how to edit my footage and add interesting captions and things. I searched all the help center posts and couldn't find info about this question. Thank you.

Ferst, yoo'll need a moovey camra that takes digital mooveys. Thare are sevrul tipes frum wich to chooze: ones that rekord strate to DVD, ones that use mini-DVR tapes, memery cards, etc. I have one that uses mini-DVR tapes and I like it a lot. It's mostly a matter of persunul preferinse.

Secund, yoo'll need movey software.

If yer on a PC, yoo shood have Windows Moovey Maker alreddy installed. Thare's a tootoriul heer on how to use it. It's pritty strateforwerd. As much as I hate Bill Gates, this akshully isn't a bad peese of software, it's free, and it duzn't take vary long to lern it.

If yer on a Mac, it's even eezier. Just use iMovie. The tootoriul is heer.

Most evrybuddy I know was abul to figyer it all owt by going thru the tootoriul and taking a stab at it: if yoo run into problims, don't hezitate to ask!

Expandable Content Skript

Heer's ware yoo can git an expandable content skript. It's good for win yoo have a lot of content for sumthing in yer sidebar that takes up a lot of space and yoo wunt to only show it win yer reeder expands it. It's good for menus, blogroles, bios and stuff like that.

Reading All those Cat Blogs

Ever since blogrolling stopped automatically updating the other blogs, it's been harder to visit friends. We set up an account with bloglines to start a feed reader. Bloglines will automatically tell us which blogs have been updated and which haven't.

Right now, we have all of our cat friends in one folder. This makes it quick and easy to check everyone.

The PROS of Bloglines:

• Easy to check on what's new.
• I can go to one space and only open blogs that have been updated--this makes blog chekcing much faster--notice I've been around more?
• I can check on any computer and don't have to remember a lot of urls.
  

The CONS of Bloglines (I have not tried other feed readers, so other cats may have suggestions)

• Putting everything in one folder, if I don't look at everyone, it's automatically set so that the folder is considered read--even if I have to leave and come back--which means I can miss posts. I can fix this by putting up several folders but am not ready to do this.
• Skeezix blog NEVER seems to update
• Some days everything seems to update and other days NOTHING--even if I know certain cats, like Kaze and Latte have probably written.
• I still have to go to the blog itself to comment.
  

It's not hard to set up accounts. I found that after I set up the account and started adding blogs, I could add a tool to my browser toolbar and just say subscribe with bloglines. This made adding blogs much faster.

How do I change the Post Date?

My good frends Yuki and Kimiko ask:

skeezix, peese hep us. sometimes ars mommees can only hep us wif gettin ar posts ready on the weekend but doesnts want to publish them all at once. she says white wednesday shouldnt show up on sunday. how can she change the date (on new blogger) so it will publish on the day she wants iffens tho she makes it up before the publish date? --- yuki & kimiko

That's an eezy one! At the bottum of yer blogging window (above the orange PUBLISH POST buttun), thare's a Post Options link:



Klik it. It will expand an area that inkloods the place ware yoo can modify the date:


Put in the date/time yoo wunt and save it! It's as eezy as that!

How do I do "strike through" text?

My buds Kimo & Sabi rite:

Dear Skeez -
we was wonderin' how to do "strike throughs" on our text. Da only options we sees available are: bold, italix, color, size.

It's pritty eezy! But yoo'll need to do it under the "Edit HMTL" tab in Blogger (not the "Compose" tab) sinse yoo need to hand-code it.

The tag for a strikethru is <strike> . So yoo put <strike> beefore whut yoo wunt to strike thru and cloze it with </strike>

So to make it look like this: SKEEZIX

yer code will look like this:<strike>SKEEZIX</strike>

Is Werd Verification Werth It?

Perfektly Parker asks ...

"Is there really an advantage to having word verification on your comments section of the blog? I don't have it on my blog, but I notice some kitties do. I don't get spam or anything else without it, and sometimes Mommy has a hard time commenting on kitties blogs for me that do have it 'cause v's and u's look a lot alike and slow her time she has to help me comment. Your wise opinions would be appreciated."

Parker, I've tride it both ways and have not fownd an inkreese in spam comments with werd varryfikayshun off. Frum an end-user's standpoint, I HATE werd varryfikayshun and git really frustraytid win I can't deesifer the letters. Sumtimes it deeters me frum leeving comments. It duzn't reely deeter spammers.

I have all of my blog comments forwerded to my emale adress so I can tell imeediyutly if sumwun has left a spam comment... and then I go rite in and deeleete it. I get spam comments VARY INFREEQWINTLY --- like once evry three or for munths --- so it's definitly not a problim. I wood rekummend that evrywun hoo uses werd varryfikayshun tern it off for a wile and see if yoo encownter any problims. I'm gessing yoo won't. And then we'll all be much happier.

Jeter Harris may wish to way in on this, tho, cuz he has vary fermly-held convikshuns win it comes to werd varryfikayshun!

How to Customize yer Blogger Hedder

Thare's a reely grate tootorial owt thare on how to kustumize yer blogger hedder and put images in it. The Blogger teem added this feecher a cupple of weeks ago, and blogger Ryanne made a screencast to show evrybuddy how to do it! KLIK HEER to see the screencast.

How do I resize the cowntdown klok?

My best frend Jeter Harris rites:

deer skeezix,
i reelee like da cowntdown u hav on yer paje fer blogblast fer peece. i would like to put one on mi paje, too. evreetime i put in da code ... it messez up mi paje becuz it'z too big. can u help me wid dis?
thank u.
yerz troolee--jh

Hey, Jete, it's not too hard, yoo just hafta know ware to look. Heer's whut yoo need to do:

1. Configyer yer cowntdown klok heer: http://www.pyzam.com/toys/48
2. Klik the "Get the code for my Count Down" buttun.
3. Copy the code and paste into yer widjit window for yer blog (the HTML/Javascrip one).
4. Find in the code ware is sez Height="380" Width="280" (see below)
5. Change the height and width to fit yer sidebar. I used Height="120" Width="210"
6. Save and chek to see how it looks - fiddle sum more with the height and width if necessary.

In the pikcher beelow, yoo can see ware the height and width appeer in the code:

Help! My Cat started peeing on the bathroom rug

NOTE: The Cat Blog Help Center only offers advice on teknikul topiks relaytid to blogging. However, as a one-time ixsepshun, We will try to provide help on a cat beehavyer topik. PLEEZE REPLY IN THE COMMENTS FEELD IF YOO HAVE SUGJESCHUNS FOR JEANIE.

Jeanie rites:

I need help with my cat. She is about 2 years old and has a bad problem with peeing on the bathroom rug. She is litter trained and just started about 2 weeks ago with bad habit. We have tried everything, Pet Srpay, Pepper, Bleaching the rug, and washing it. We dont know what else to do. Any Ideas would be nice.Thank You For Your Time

Deer Jeenie,
We feel yer pane. Reely, we do.

Are thare any changes in yer howsehold reesintly that cood be stressing yer cat? Like, sumwun new livving thare, a new cat, construkshun or noise arownd the litterbox area? Offin, a change in the envirmint will cauze stress and pee problims in cats that have bin good with the litterbox until now. For ixampul, win Mr Tasty Face mooved in with the Food Lady, her cat Perl peed all over Mr Tasty Face's ixpensive furrnicher. Not just once, but many many many times.

Has she bin spayed? Unspayed feemales will pee owtside the litter box to let males know thare avaylubul.

If yoo feel yoo've tride evry remedy and yer cat has bin spayed and nuthing has chanjed in yer envirnmint, yoo shood have yer cat ixzamind as soon as possibul by a vet, becuz this is a simptum of sevrul seveere medikul problims, inklooding a yerinary blokkije, a bladder or yerinary trakt infekshun and hormone problims, as well as other medikul reezins. Thare's a good chanse yer cat is in pane and trying to elimate sumware else, sinse she eqwates her litterbox with panefull eliminayshun.

Reemember, peepul arn't smart enuf to unnerstand cat talk, so yer cat is trying to commyunicate with yoo in a diffrint way to tell yoo thare's a problim. She's not trying to be a bad cat --- peeing owtside the litter box is a last reezort to git yoo to understand her problim.

PS: Is yer ferst name "I dreem of"? Cuz I Dreem of Jeenie is one of my all-time faverit teevee shows. I reely loved her kyoot pink owtfit!

UPDATE: Help frum Rulles soon-to-be-mom

I got the following grate emale abowt the peeing problim (Thanks, Rulles' soon-to-be-mom!)

Dear Skeezix, the puter genius,

Jeanie can email me if she has any questions.

We have a 12 year old Russian blue and he started to pee on the blankets on the sofa. He had done this before but the previous owner didn't mention this to us. We didn't want a cat who peed in other places than in his litterbox.

We contacted the vet and he recommended birthcontroll pills to him in order to
supress his hormones and the need to mark his territory. We didn't think peeing was done in order to mark and we didn't want to give him medicine so we started to experiment with the litterbox. Initally we thought that we didn't clean the litterbox often enough, but he peed on the blanket even if the litterbox was newly washed and we had changed all the litter.

We fixed the peeing problem by making an other litterbox beside the ordinary one. We put there a towel which we chanced to a clean one after he has peed on it (he had his own towels). He used the towel litterbox without us showing it to him, he was clever. He used this towel litterbox every time he was upset. He peed on blankets only if the towel already was peed on. He never pooped there, only in his ordinary litterbox.

In this way we also found out what made him upset and we could often avoid those situations or made them less upsetting for him. We always took his own litterboxes (ordinary and softy) with us when we were visiting other places. This worked really well.

It's worth trying the same with Jeanies cat. Is she siamese? They are known to pee on soft places.

Take an empty litterbox to human toilet, near the place where the rug is, and put the rug she likes to pee on in the litterbox. When she pees on the rug, wash it and put it back again when it's dry. You also need something else (some clothing, rugs, towels) during the time the rug is drying. Later when she always pees in the towel litterbox, and not on the new unpeed rug, try to move the litterbox beside her ordinary one.

--- Rulles soon-to-be-mom

What's the setting so that all links open a new window?

Monica rites:

Dear Skeezix,I read the post about opening a new window from a link. I was wondering if there is an easier way to make all of the links from your blog open to a new window. I thought I saw that before on the blogger settings page, but i couldn't find it today. Do I have to do it separately on each link? Thank you for your help.

Monica, I think the Blogger settings thing yoo saw was probly the setting ware yoo have a new window pop up win sumbuddy kliks the comments link. I am unaware of any way to universally set up yer blog so that every link opens a new window ... yoo have to add target="_blank" to evry link. But I'll look into it for yoo.

How do I add a linked pikcher to my sidebar?

The Meezer Gang asked...

Skeezix,
How does one put a link to a picture in the sidebar in blogger? I see where you can add a picture and then add a link but not link a picture.
Thanks,
Meezers

If yoo want to link a pikcher and are using the widget interface on Blogger, yoo need to go to yer template, klik "Page Elements" so yer on the widget interface, and klik "Add a Page Element." In the popup, yoo'll selekt the "HTML/Javascript" widget by klikking "Add to Blog" ...
... in the Popup, enter the text for yer hedding, and than paste the HTML for yer linked image, for example:

<a href="http://www.cafepress.com/oreosmith" target="_blank"><img border="0" alt="Oreo's Store" src="http://www.skeezixthecat.com/images/catbloghelp/oreosStore.jpg"/></a>

Don't fergit to klik the oranje SAVE buttun on yer template page win yer dun to save the changes to yer template.

What's rong with Blogrolling.com?

Phoebe asks:

Dear Skeezix,
Do you know why blogrolling isn't working? none of the blogs say which blogs are updated. It's making it hard for me to catch up on my friends. I just wondered if anyone else noticed it. I went to blogrolling website and everything was just normal there.

This happens peeriodikly. I'm pasting in a post frum my 1/03/07 blog, in wich Victor Tabbycat ixplanes part of the problim and how yoo can git yer blog to show as updated:

"This is copied strate frum the Cat Blogosphere, frum advice that my best frend Victor Tabbycat gave on gitting Blogrolling.com to note that yer blog has bin updated. I think they wint on a permunint vakayshun!:

Victor Tabbycat haf sum reely tekneecal advice if u's use Blogroll: Ok, so it's not really news, but if you use Blogrolling fur your linkies an NONE of them say updated, wul, that's happenin to efurryone but the support beans is fast asleep an hidin.

Anyway, there's ONE way to make sure anyone who links to you wif Blogrolling knows you've updated.
1) Go to http://www.blogrolling.com/ping.phtml.
2) Fill out the form.
3) Click Ping (the button, not the kitty at Abby's house)

For asample, I puts "Bonnie Underfoot and Victor Tabbycat" in the first box an "http://2tabbys.blogspot.com/" in the second box. I fink if they don't start fixing Blogrolling or at least talkin to the users who are askin them to fix it, we should all go ofur an HISS at them.

BTW, Blogrolling is run by TuCows an we might haf to hiss at them too. Are cows as vishus as deer? I fink I furgot to mention that if you "ping" blogrolling, you haf to do it EVERY time you post. I sure hope they fix it soon!

Thanks Victor (and the Cat Blogosfeer) for publishing this importint informayshun!Sum of us are lost withowt the pinging becuz it takes so much more time to vizit all the blogs! I uzhully go down my long list and vizit all the updated wuns, but if I don't know hoo has an update, I have to vizit evry singul one... it takes forever, and I can't git to evry wun. So taking the time to ping win Blogrolling's auto-ping is down will
rezult in more vizits to yer blog. Reely! I promiss!"

How to change background colors in your template

Kaia rites:

I am summoning help, and I think you can help! I am trying to change the background on my blog, and, to no avail, have succeeded. Well, Let me take that back. I succeeded, but it messed everything else up. So, with this effort, I am trying to do two things: 1. change my background, and 2. change the "posting column" background to a solid color because the background is a print. We are not HTML savvy to say the least, but nonetheless we are trying to figure out how to do this. Can you please offer some assistance?

To change fonts and colors, ferst klik the "Layout" link frum yer dashbord (klik to biggify):

Then, klik the "Edit Fonts & Colors" link (1) under the Template tab (klik to biggify):


To change the Page's Backgrownd Color, klik "Page Background Color" in the selekt box (2), then pik a color on the rite by klikking on it (3). Yoo can also enter a hex code in the box to the rite of all the color swatches.

To change the mane kolumn's backgrownd color, klik "Main Background Color" in the selekt box (2) and proseed as above.

Win yer done, klik the oranje "SAVE CHANGES" buttun. If yoo skrew up, klik the bloo "CLEAR EDITS" buttun.

Kaia, it's entirely possibul that yer blog template is not set up this way, so if yoo don't see the same stuff as above, tell me whut yoo do see so I can walk yoo thru it.

To change yer bakgrownd images, follow the instrukshuns heer, and if it duzn't werk, pleeze leeve a deetaled deskripshun of whut yoo did in the comments feeld and we'll look into it for yoo!

How to git a Slide Gestbook

Reesintly, I put a Flash gestbook on my site. It took abowt 2 minits, and it's vary eezy. It's a widget frum Slide.com, and yoo can kustumize it however yoo wunt: diffrint sizes, diffrint skins, diffrint bakgrownds, etc. (The one downside is that it duzn't come in a size small enuf to fit most sidebars.) I like being abul to see all my best frends faces come up on it!

GO HEER TO GIT ONE.

TIP: For sum reezin, the code that Slide.com provided reezulted in a teevee that was too narrow. So I modifide thare code and changed the width frum 400 to 550, and changed the height frum 400 to 425. Yoo can also try a 426 width and a 320 height. Or play around with other dimenshuns.... too small duzn't werk tho -- I coodn't shrink enuf to fit in my sidebar.

=========================

Kaze asks:

Yes, mine doesn't want to fit in my sidebar...how did you get yours to be at the top of your page?

Yoo'll need to edit yer template. I've provided Blogger instrukshuns beelow:

OLD BLOGGER

For old blogger templates, klik the template tag and paste yer code snippet above this div tag in yer template:

<!-- Begin #content -->
<div id="content">

NEW BLOGGER

1. Klik yer template tab.
2. Klik the "Edit HTML" link beelow it.
3. IMPORTUNT! Chek the "Expand Widget Templates" chekbox at the top rite above ware yoo edit yer template.
4. Paste yer code above this div tag: <div id="'content-wrapper'">
5. Klik the orange "Save Template" buttun.

How do I add myusik to my blog?

The code to add myusik to yer blog is beelow. Yoo'll need to have the mp3 hosted online sumware, and then replace the URL below with the path to yer mp3. In the code beelow, loop is set to false, wich meens it won't play over and over and over agin and drive yer viziters insane. To make it repeet, replace "false" with "true". In the code it's set to play awtomatikly win yer page lodes. If yoo don't wunt it to play awtomatikly, change autostart="true" to autostart="false".

<embed src=http://www.yoursite.com/song.mp3
height="20"
width="145"
autostart="true"
loop="false"
width="0"
height="0" >
</embed>

How do I uplode fotos on blog.com?

My new best frend Parker asks:

I can't figure out how to put a picture on my post. When I upload them from my computer they go into an album. I signed up with blog.com and my Mommy is getting so frustrated! Please help if you can! Thank-you!

Parker, I understand yer frustrayshun, becuz I coodn't git a foto uploded win I tride -- until I uploded a foto that was alreddy online (for ixzampul, hosted on Photobucket.) Heer are the steps I wint thru:



STEP 1: Klik the foto ikon:

STEP 2: A popup will come up. Klik the "Insert External Image" tab:


STEP 3: Paste the foto's URL in the Image Address box, then klik the insert buttun at the bottum of the skreen:


KLIK HEER for more informayshun on image hosting (since blog.com's hosting duzn't appeer to be werking).

Once yoo've got yer image hosted online sumware, to find out whut its URL is, all yoo need to do is view it, then rite-klik on the foto and select the last opshun -- PROPERTIES --- and then in the box that pops up, the address/URL is displayed abowt 1/3 of the way down. Copy the URL for yer image and paste in into the adress box as deeskribed above.

Heer's ware yer URL is displayd in the Properties box win yoo rite-klik an image:

Parker, I hope that helps. I'm gonna follow up with blog.com to see if I can git the album funkshun to werk rite.

Wordpress blogs and Spam

I've been noticing that some cats are getting some comment spam. Some of those spam comments are from place selling interesting items. It's easy to go in and delete them. It can get frustrating if for some reason your blog is targeted for lots of this comment spam. Blogger helps because you can insert that little comment verification, however human spam can still get through.

There's also been some targeted hate spam going on in comments of various blogs. I'd like to point out a plugin you can get for your wordpress blog that combats all sorts of spam. Wordpress has many spam plugins. I found a blog using spam karma and I found that particular plugin and so I've used it. I have no real complaints except that from time to time spammers will find away around the filters.

However, it saves me most spam. In the logs I have 84 spam comments and about a dozen approved comments since the last time I checked. I believe that's been about 3 days. Spam Karma automatically captures the IP of your spammer as well as an email address and any other information. You can then either blog the email address (although it's probably fake), the keywords they are using (ie viagra), or you can even block the entire IP. Blocking the IP is dangerous because sometimes people are on a group IP address. However, for a really bad spammer that you can't get rid of any other way, it's a good solution. You can always remove the IP when the spammer moves on.

I still get a little spam, but very little. And if I do, spam karma will help me prevent more from that source in the future. It also gives me tools to work with if I have been targeted for any hate spam coming my way. Worst case scenario, I get a lot of hate spam from one IP. I can block it, but I can also report it to my host and they can block that IP from getting to my site and/or report the spammer to THEIR host.

RSS: A Primer

RSS meens Really Simple Sindikayshun, and it makes it eezy to share and distribyoot content on the web. I ran acrost a grate blog post the other day that ixplanes it in a much kleerer way than I ever cood. The post is "How to Explain RSS the Oprah Way." See? I knew yoo'd like it. It's geered more toward peepul hoo mite wunt to install RSS reeders, but it will still give yoo a good overvyoo of whut RSS is.

• Heer's Wikipeedia's deskripshun of RSS
• Heer's how to make an RSS Feed

I will add more later.....

[Wordpress] Backup your Blog!

We had a terrible scare yesterday, I accidentally deleted our blogs database :O Worse still we didn't have a recent backup. It has taken 24hrs, and we finally have it recovered after many hours of work.

Don't let this happen to you! Back up your precious blogs regularly!

For Wordpress users there is an easy to use plugin that will save a back up of your database for you and save you all the stress (we actually did have it installed..and forgot about it *blush*). Wordpress Database backup

Download the file, and upload it to your wp-content/plugins directory. You will also need to change the write permission on your wp-content folder. Activate it in your blogs dashboard in the plugin section. Then go to the Manage tab, then Backup. Download the backup to your computer, or have a copy emailed to you.

Perhaps Skeezix can share some info with the Blogger users on how you can backup your blogs too.

How to add Sidebar Content

My noo best frend Oreo the Cat asks:

I dont get how to post icons to my side bar of my bloggie...like the one for the bloggie party.....where do you post the code for the thing to appear in the sidebar!

Oreo, I'm assooming yer qweschun is abowt New Blogger's widjit interface. (If not, pleeze klarify yer qweschun in the comments feeld of this post.) With noo blogger, altho yoo can modify yer template direktly, whut yer prompted to do by deefawlt is use the widget interface to add and deleete content frum yer template. This reqwires a lot less HTML knowlidge on yer part (although going to modity the HTML in yer template direktly is now more komplikaytid.)

STEP ONE: GO TO THE WIDJIT INTERFACE TO MODIFY YER TEMPLATE. To do this, go to the Template Tab, and klik the Page Elements link:

STEP TWO: CLIK THE "ADD PAGE ELEMENT" LINK. In the template I use, yoo have a choice of placing it in the top grooping in yer sidebar or in the bottum grooping. (I'll show yoo later how to moove it within that grooping.) This will pop-up a window.

STEP THREE: KLIK "ADD TO BLOG" BUTTUN TO CHOOZE TO ADD THE HTML/JAVASCRIPT PAGE ELEMENT. This will pop up a window in wich yoo can enter the code for the link and the image. (For info on how to create the HTML for links and images, KLIK HEER.)

STEP FOUR: RITE YER TITUL AND ENTER THE CODE FOR YER LINKED IMAGE. Yoo can klik the Rich Text link for eezier editing. Save yer changes.

STEP FIVE: DRAG YER BLOK TO WHATEVER POZISHUN YOO LIKE. Back in the widjit template page, yoo can drag yer new element to whatever pozishun yoo like. When yoo mouse over an element, a cross thing will appeer, wich allows yoo to drag and drop yer elements. Once yer done, clik to save and that's it!

How to I git a kustom grafik to show up on the Top 100 Cat Sites?

Many of us are now listed on the Top 100 Cat Sites Site, and my best frend Jeter Harris was wonderin' how we got owr custom grafiks to display insted of the five star sistem grafiks that show up by defalt.

Heer's an example of a custom and a sistem grafik:

To start, yoo'll need to make a grafik. Heer are the gidelines:

• Yoo'll need to have yer image uploded sumware like photobucket or yer catster foto album or sumthing similer.
• The image must be 88 pixels wide and 31 pixels tall.
• Yer image can be a gif or jpg.

To uplode win yoo ferst join, paste the URL of yer image in the BANNER URL feeld as shone beelow (yoo can klik to biggify):

If yer alreddy a member, click the EDIT INFO link in the top menu, and paste the URL of yer image into the BANNER URL feeld as shone beelow, then enter yer passwerd and klik submit:

That's all thare is to it!

Emale Notifikayshun Services of Blog Updates

My deer frends Dazey, Jesse & Conner Cloud ask:

Skeezix,

How do we get a box for beans (like our granma) to get an email when we blog?

Thanx
d
j
cc

I've had a box for Blogarithm on my site for sum time. I wasn't shur it was werking, but I reesintly set up a test and was abul to suksessfully git an emale alert win my blog was updated. It's nice becuz it also provides an extrakt of yer post as well as a link to it, and it offers a seemliss way to forward the blog post - not just the kerrunt one, but also many of yer reesint posts. GO HEER to set up a blogarithm notifikayshun.

Win yoo submitted yer qweschun and did sum reeserch, I also fownd Feedwhip.com thru wich yoo can set up up to five alerts for free. It sends all the text frum yer blog entry (but not non-text content), wich is not so good if yoo wunt to git traffik coming to yer blog.

Neether Blogarithm nor Feedwhip send notises rite away, but they go owt the same day yer blog stuff is posted.

Thare's also a service wich will send an IM when a blog is updated. Go heer for deetales... altho yer granma probly isn't on IM...

Anybuddy else got any notfikayshun services they've used suksessfully?

Paying for the Cat Food

I know that there are a number of folks out there who blog about their cat who need a little extra income. I see a lot of cafepress stores. Did you know you could become a cafepress affiiate? For instance, if you love what the Cat Blogosphere has done, if they are open to affiliates, you can link to their store and if you have a cafepress affiliate number, you can get a few cents for every sale they make if the people click off from your blog.

Another you think you can do is offer adspace on your blog. I believe that google allows google adsense on blogger blogs. It's easy to sign up for and you can display them on your blog. Another company that sells adspace is called adbrite. They set you up with advertisers who pay a certain amount a month to advertise on your site. How much they will pay depends upon the amount of traffic you get that is targeted to the audience that your advertiser wants to target.

Another easy affiliate to work with is Amazon.com. They have amazon shops, like I have at Chey's Place. They also have links that look at what you are writing about and then automatically generate a product that might fit in with your content. There are lots of places that offer affiliate networks and whether you are eligible with a blogspot blog depends upon each companies policies. Many of them do require you to have your own domain name.

This is just a very brief overview of some ways to make a little extra from your blog. There are many different blogs out there that are just devoted to different ways to make money from your blog, so this is far from inclusive. On that I recently heard about was Mike's Money Making Mission. Mike isn't an internet marketer who invested anything in making money from his online activities, so basically all he has done is spent some time. It has some great ideas and for those who have more time than money, it might be an interesting read.

New Blogger: Can't uplode fotos

My best frends Jake and Bathsheba rite:

Skeezix, our Mom is so upset right now that she's almost ready to make us stop blogging--and we're on the cusp of our 100th post! We were switched to new blogger over the weekend. We don't know if this is related or not, but something is preventing her from being able to post photos--and it's not like Jeter's problem. It's probably an internal computer problem (um, Dad messed around with Mom's computer a day before we were moved to new blogger and he did stuff like remove cookies). When she clicks on the photo icon while making a blog post, NOTHING happens! It used to open directly into "my photos" and everything was simple. Do you have any idea what the problem could be? Help - or we may never blog again! So much for Man Cat Monday for Jake! ~J&B

Taking the path of leest rezistinse, I think win yer dad mest with yer mom's compyooter he mite have installd a pop-up blokker or a noo browzer with a popup blokker. Try this - hold down the Ctrl key wile yoo press the foto ikon. (Sumtimes, like in IE7, this also makes yoo do an addishunul step just beelow the tab area to enabul popups for eech site.)If that duzn't werk (or the uzhual steps yoo take to allow popups duzn't werk), lemme know and the Cat Blog Help Center Staff will do sum more investigayshun to git to the bottum of this!

And BTW, don't let yer dad mess with yer mom's compyooter!!!

My bakgrownd duzn't show up in IE!

My vary speshul frend, Daisy the Curly Cat, rites:

I added a special Valentine background/wallpaper to my page. It shows up in Firefox, but not if you use IE. I can't figure this one out!

Daisy, it's a qwik fix:

1) In yer style sheet sekshun, go to ware yer body styles are --- the part that looks like this:

body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
border: 0;
text-align: center;
color: #555555;
background: #fff2fc top center repeat-y;
font-size: small;
background:url (http://images.bigoo.ws/content/saint_valentine/background/sv_background_0.gif)repeat;
}

and reemove the style that's displayed in green above: background: #fff2fc top center repeat-y;

2) Then, skrole down past ware yer style sheet ends (</style>) -- abowt 6 lines down frum that is yer body tag. It kurrintly looks like this: <body>

Add this: background="http://images.bigoo.ws/content/saint_valentine/background/sv_background_0.gif"
So it looks like this:
<body background="http://images.bigoo.ws/content/saint_valentine/background/sv_background_0.gif">

That shood make it werk in both Firefox and IE!

Daisy asks anuther qweschun:

"I have just one other little question. Do you know how I can remove the little blank space at the very top of my page? It is only about 1/4" high."

Daisy, that's akshully an image wrapping the top of yer mast. To reemoove it, go to the OUTER-WRAPPER style in yer style sheet. It looks like this:

#outer-wrapper {
margin: 0 auto;
border: 0;
width: 742px;
text-align: left;
background: #ffffff
url(http://www.blogblog.com/moto_ms/innerwrap.gif) top right repeat-y;
font: normal normal 110% Arial, sans-serif;
}

and reemoove the line (in red above) that deefines the stile for yur wrapper bakgrownd image:

background: #ffffff url(http://www.blogblog.com/moto_ms/innerwrap.gif) top right repeat-y;

so that the outer-wrapper stile now looks like this:

#outer-wrapper {
margin: 0 auto;
border: 0;
width: 742px;
text-align: left;
font: normal normal 110% Arial, sans-serif;
}

Thare's still a space between yer header and the top margin, but I can't figyer owt how to make it go away. Reemooving the margin in the body tag didn't werk. But it did point owt a problim in yer HTML, Daisy...

Down by yer body tag, yoo have dooplikit body tags, and one is clozed owt beefore it shood be. It looks like this:

<body>
<div class="navbar
section" id="navbar"><div class="widget Navbar"
id="Navbar1"><iframe id="navbar-iframe" marginwidth="0"
marginheight="0"
src="http://www2.blogger.com/navbar.g?blogID=2240334138501910154"
frameborder="0" width="100%" scrolling="no" height="30"></iframe
>< div id="space-for-ie">

<body
background='http://images.bigoo.ws/content/saint_valentine/background/sv_background_0.gif'> </body>

and the parts in red need to be reemooved!

Secret Paws: The Hows and Whens

The Cats Stephens asked about Secret Paws ... This is the answer that I posted in the comments with more info attached. If anyone knows MORE, please add your information in the comments of this post. DMM

Regarding "Secret Paws" ... You can visit the blog at Secret Paws or check with the organizers of the whole thing Diva Kitty and the Fluffies to find out more about the activity. As far as I know (the Feline Americans and I did this for the first time at Christmas), it occurs three times per year. Sign ups for April happen in March, sign ups for August happen in July, and sign ups for Christmas happen in November. It might be a good idea to visit the Secret Paws site and let Sophia (or Fiona Bun) know that you'd be interested in participating in the next round.

Secret Paws is open to any animal (and even includes some young children). A price limit is posted (usually $7 - $10) and doesn't include the price of packaging or postage. International "paws" are encouraged and there are always a number from Europe and Australia/New Zealand.

To participate, you email your name, your human's name, email address, home address, gender, and type of animal that you are. You can also specify who you'd like to have as your "paw": woofie, feline, bunny, etc. If you have a favorite color, type of treat, or have an allergy, you should specify that, too.

You can also choose to have a Shelter Pet as your Secret Paw or you can make a contribution of a gift card or some yarn so that Diva Kitty and the Fluffies' mama can make crocheted blankies for them.

After the registration process closes, you'll receive an email with your "paw," his/her preferences, and where to mail the Secret Paws package. When you receive your package of gifts, you open it in front of your humans so that they can take photos for you to post on your blog.

Since there are six of us, we divided ourselves into two groups of three and selected two kitties as our recipients (Maximus and Lucinda). We, in turn, got two Secret Paws presents (from Darling Millie and from Victor Tabbycat & Bonnie Underfoot).

We made sure that we mailed our presents by December 15th so that they'd arrive in time for Christmas. We're not sure if there's a specific time that they have to be mailed in April and August, but we'd assume that the presents should arrive before April 30th and August 31st.

Secret Paws is a lot of fun. It builds community in the blogosphere and also gets more traffic to your blog. Efurrybody should join! We're gonna (and so is Shadow Saluki and our cousins Suzanne and Ben). You can see our Secret Paws photos on our blog: DaisyMae Maus and the Feline Americans.

I hope that this helps and that you'll consider participating in March/April!
DMM
Cat Blog Help Center technician