Cat Sitter And Dog Wander Into Lipstick Jungle

Chico, the schnoodle living with me this summer, and I took a walk to Tompkins Square Park in the East Village this afternoon. We were headed toward the dog run when I spotted a Farmer's Market (pictured) in the middle of the park. I wanted to buy some apples, so Chico and I skipped the dog park and went straight for the Farmer's Market.

As I was approaching one of the tables, I saw a man with a walkie-talkie shooing other people out of the Farmer's Market, telling them it wasn't real. That's when I noticed the giant camera and other production equipment.

I was mortified at being an intruder, but I stood still, not knowing what to do. While other people were being told to leave the area, no one said anything to me. After a few seconds of panic, I sought the safety of a nearby bench with other observers, who I soon found out were extras. So I was still trapped in the middle of the action.

Shooting resumed, with the extras, including a woman with two dogs and a woman on a bike, moving to and fro in front of me while I sat frozen on the bench. I relaxed when I realized that the camera wasn't even pointed in our direction.

I didn't know what was being shot, but then I realized I had wandered into a location shoot for the NBC series Lipstick Jungle when I spotted Brooke Shields and Mary Tyler Moore milling about in the fake Farmer's Market.

There are so many shows and movies shooting in my neighborhood. Just the other day, I blogged about The Unusuals being in the area.

Brooke Shields, who I've actually seen in person before, looked beautiful as always, and it was such a treat to see Mary Tyler Moore. I recently read that she is playing Brooke's mother on the show this upcoming season. I grew up watching the re-runs of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and have always been a fan. So to sit thirty feet away from this television icon watching her work was an amazing treat.

A handsome actor came over and sat next to me and Chico at one point, and we struck up a conversation. He was an extra, and he was surprised that no one had booted me and Chico from the bench. Thankfully, he didn't rat us out.

I'm no casting agent, but I thought this guy had something, and I hope he makes it.

Hobnobbing with the talent gave me some confidence, and I felt comfortable enough to do some pretend acting. When the director yelled action, I bent over to scratch Chico, trying to convey a sense of caring and concern for him as I did so. I don't know if the real actor knew I was acting. I didn't want to break character, so I couldn't tell him what I was doing. Then when the scene ended, I was too embarrassed to ask for his feedback.

I know the camera didn't capture my performance, but I felt like I needed to contribute to the making of Lipstick Jungle in some small way if I was going to sit there.

I think I was pretty convincing even though I was blushing.

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Chico Meets The Unusuals On Avenue A

Chico has arrived.

He is a schnoodle (that's a schnauzer/poodle mix) from Montreal living in Manhattan with me and my cat Charlotte for the summer.

The first couple of days were rough. Chico was whining, and Charlotte was hissing.

They still can't be in the same room together, but yesterday they engaged in a quiet staring contest, looking at each other through the baby gate I have set up between the kitchen and the living room, without going nuts.

Meanwhile, Chico likes to sit in Charlotte's pink camouflage cat bed (even though it's a little small for him), and Charlotte likes to eat Chico's Fromm Duck & Sweet Potato Formula Dog Food.

My hope is that they will be friends by fall.

I haven't had a dog since I was a kid, so this is an adjustment for me. I am slightly stressed out because I just want both of them to be happy, but I am doing fine, and I enjoy taking Chico out for walks around the East Village.

During this morning's walk, we ran into the crew for The Unusuals, an ABC pilot that is being shot right around the corner from my apartment. The detective dramedy has a great cast, including Lost alum Harold Perrineau and Adam Goldberg, who I loved in the short-lived series Relativity. My friend T saw Harold and Adam on Avenue A the other day (they were also shooting here last week), and she was freaked out to see Harold given what happened to his character Michael on the season finale of Lost even though, technically, she knows it is just a TV show.

Joan of Arcadia's Amber Tamblyn, who T and I saw eating lunch at Benny's Burritos the weekend before last, is also one of the stars of The Unusuals.

We were impressed by how nice Amber seemed given that young Hollywood actresses don't have such a great reputation these days.

Amber is a bit young for the role, but if Saturday Night Live's Kristen Wiig is unavailable to portray me in the inevitable Cat Sitter in the City feature film, I would strongly consider Amber. We should meet and talk about it while she is in the neighborhood.

Anyway, I am glad to see that The Unusuals, which is set in the Lower East Side, is actually shooting in the East Village. I hate when Hollywood tries to sub the Universal Studios New York backlot or Toronto for New York City—seriously, they aren't fooling anyone. You can't fake New York, especially the vibe that you get from the East Village.

Chico was also excited to see The Unusuals crew in the neighborhood. He has some experience with television, having appeared on MusiquePlus, which is Montreal's version of MTV. An animated version of Chico was featured in the opening credits of a cool Canadian style and design TV show called I.D. Mode.

But when no one stopped Chico and offered him a starring role in The Unusuals pilot, he got visibly upset. At one point, he lifted his leg and was about to pee on some of the crew's cable. I stopped him just in time, exclaiming that it wasn't right to pee on the production's cable. Plus, I knew it would ruin his chances of ever being cast on the show.

A crew member unloading a Paramount Pictures truck heard my outburst and encouraged Chico to pee on the cable, joking that he didn't care because it wasn't part of the rigging.

Still, I couldn't let Chico do it, although I told the guy that I might be back with Chico at lunchtime, and maybe I'd let him pee on it then—I doubt I will, though. It just doesn't seem like the best way for Chico to get noticed.

Bada Bing! Sopranos Star Judges Potential Feline Game Show Contestants

Vincent Pastore was a judge at the New York City auditions for The Meow Mix Game Show.

I'm not sure how much this actor knows about felines. Then again, he did play Big Pussy on The Sopranos, and he engaged in a rather nasty catfight with Piers Morgan on The Celebrity Apprentice.

Plus, a cat played a pivotal role in the series finale of The Sopranos. Remember that little gray cat who wandered into Tony's office at the Bada Bing and sat staring at Christopher's photo?

The Daily News did an interesting story on the cats that played that feline (there were actually three cats cast in the role) on The Sopranos and what the kitty character symbolized.

Back to the subject at hand, The Daily News attended the Big Apple auditions for The Meow Mix Game Show and shot this video of some of the cute cat-testants and their owners.

Look for The Meow Mix Game Show to air November 15 on GSN (that's The Game Show Network).

SNL's Kristen Wiig Must Portray Me In The Inevitable Cat Sitter In The City Movie

I love Sue, the woman who is just "so freakin' excited." Kristen Wiig debuted the character on Saturday Night Live last season. Doesn't Sue look like she might have a cat? (Actually, there is a ceramic cat in the first video below. If you look over Sue's right shoulder, you'll see it sitting on the table behind her.)

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Suction Saves A Kitty Stuck In A Drainpipe

I would like to give a Cat Sitter in the City shout-out to Matt Michaelis, an employee at the Ziebert auto shop in Columbus, Ohio, and Roto-Rooter excavation supervisor Kevin Adkins. These two great guys rescued a cat who was stuck in a drainpipe with the help of a septic tank vacuum. Check out this video provided to CNN Video by Columbus station WCMH for the full story.

Is It Real? Or Is It A Robo-Cat?

Today, I was poking around AC Gears, a store on East 8th Street that sells all sorts of interesting electronics and gadgets, when I spotted a gray cat sitting on the counter by the cash register.

This was no ordinary cat. It was a Segatoys robo-cat known in Japanese as Yume Neko Smile, which means Dream Cat Smile in English.

The robo-cat sits up, blinks, purrs and meows. If you squeeze her tail, she will actually hiss at you.

I was fascinated by the robo-cat, of course. I asked the sales clerk what her name was, and she said this particular robo-cat goes by Papaya.

I probably don't need a robo-cat. Honestly, I have my hands full with my cat Charlotte and my cat sitting clients.

But it would be fun to have one.

Sanity prevailed, though, and I left the store without the $149.99 robo-cat.

If you can't get to the store to meet the robo-cat, you can see her on the AC Gears Web site.

A Cat Sitter Pays Tribute To Florent

Like all New York City cat sitters, I am sad about Florent's imminent closing. Okay, I shouldn't speak for all New York City cat sitters, so let me just say that I am sad about it.

The 24-hour French diner, which opened in the Meatpacking District back in the mid-1980s when the neighborhood actually was home to meatpacking companies (hence the name of the area) not to mention hookers, is shutting down at the end of the month.

The reason?

Florent is being priced out of a neighborhood it put on the map.

David Amsden recently wrote a great feature for New York magazine chronicling the restaurant's history and the countdown to its closing.

Unlike many of the restaurant's patrons, Florent Morellet, the Frenchman who runs the place, isn't crying in his soup. In fact, he embraces change and is ready to move on.

I'm not.

I haven't eaten at Florent in ages. Still, it distresses me to see the place go. Yet another piece of my New York youth will soon be gone.

After visiting my handsome kitty client Juba (pictured) for breakfast this morning, I meandered over to the Meatpacking District and sat on a bench in front of Florent for awhile to soak up the atmosphere.

I couldn't stay long because the sun was beating down on me, and I forgot to put on sunblock today, and I was overcome with worry that I was going to get sunburned. Plus, I started to feel like a big weirdo for just sitting in front of the restaurant silently paying tribute to it. I had my iPod on and was listening to Christopher Cross' "Sailing," which isn't technically a sad song but somehow seemed like the right tune at the time.

I couldn't eat at Florent today because I am currently adhering to a strict budget.

But it would be a shame not to dine at Florent one last time. The restaurant is open through June 29, so I will likely treat myself to one last meal there before it closes.

Meow Mix Creates A Game Show For Cat Lovers

If you and your cat are telegenic (I don't know what you look like, but what cat isn't telegenic?), you might want to audition for The Meow Mix Game Show.

The show, which will air on GSN (that's the Game Show Network) on November 15, will test how well pet parents know their cats.

Cat-testants will have the chance to win up to $1 million as well as other prizes.

Tryouts start this Saturday in Chicago, then will move to New York, Tampa, Dallas, Denver, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

You have to bring your cat to the audition, by the way. My cat Charlotte (pictured) thinks we should go for it. But I am too busy with cat sitting on summer weekends to try out for a game show.

If you and your cat are up for it, you can get more details about the auditions by visiting the Meow Mix site.

Also, if any of you Cat Sitter in the City readers try out for the show and want to share your experiences, just click on the little envelope below to publish your story in the comments section or email me and Charlotte directly at catsitterinthecity@gmail.com.

Hot In The City

It is hot in New York today. I am delirious as I write this, but I think it is 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

I didn't have any cats to visit. Still, I ventured outside a couple of hours ago and walked to the gym. I had to. The demands of cat sitting require that I stay in top physical shape.

I arrived at my favorite New York Sports Club location on 14th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues red-faced and sweating profusely, and it was then that I realized it was a huge mistake to go to the gym.

I felt like I needed to save face, though. I couldn't just walk out, so I did a faux workout, standing on a mat in my cute new light blue yoga pants, which I realized still had the price tag on them when I got home, slowly lifting 3-pound weights. (Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything lighter.) At one point, I actually sat down on the mat and placed my palms on top of the weights and rolled them to and fro, trying to look serious about it as if this was a wrist exercise I read about in Women's Health. The girl next to me who really was exerting herself kept looking at me. Maybe she works at Women's Health and knew I was a fitness fraud.

After about 20 minutes or so of acting, I left the gym and took the bus home, stopping along the way to pick up some fruit and a thick steak for dinner—I need the protein after a workout.

Charlotte was napping on her kitty skyscraper in my air-conditioned apartment when I got home. She clearly had the right idea about how to best spend a hot day in the city.

Tall, Carpeted, Beige And Not Incredibly Attractive

It's tall, carpeted, beige and not incredibly attractive, but I had to get it.

I am talking about the kitty skyscraper I bought for my cat Charlotte. I had resisted getting one because cat furniture is generally so ugly, and I pride myself on having great taste—even if it is a little quirky—when it comes to decor.

But I broke down and purchased a kitty skyscraper as it is billed on PetSolutions.com because come June 23 a dog named Chico is moving in with me and Charlotte. The trainer who is working with this 11-year-old schnoodle to help him see Charlotte as a friend as opposed to prey suggested that I buy a tall kitty condo or perch to provide my cat with an escape from Chico should she need one.

Chico and Charlotte aren't strangers. They have lived together before. I was up in Montreal for a couple of months last fall, and I adopted Charlotte while I was there, and we stayed with Chico until we returned to New York.

All Chico wanted to do was chase Charlotte and body slam her, and I didn't have time to referee, so I had to keep them separated through the use of a baby gate. I will likely employ the baby gate once again when Chico arrives, but this time I am willing to put in the work it takes to ensure that these two get along and perhaps even form a friendship if not a romance.

We'll see how it develops. Chico will only be here for a few months. But my hope is that the pair can peacefully co-exist. Meanwhile, I hope that with time the kitty skyscraper becomes more attractive to me.

Charlotte loves it, by the way, so that makes me happy. It was on sale for $64.99 (by far the best price I saw for a piece of kitty furniture like this one), and Petsolutions.com had it to me in a week via UPS, so I would highly recommend ordering from this company.