Pet Blog Spotlight: Bionic Basil

The Bionic Basil pet blog was created by Cathrine Garnell and inspired by Basil, the cat. Ranked in the Top 10 UK Pet Blogs, Basil and the ‘B’ Team of feisty felines share humour, brain training, mindfulness and cuteness. In this spotlight, Cathrine shares how she portrays each cats’ unique personality, why cats rule, and which kitty is most likely to endure a costume photo shoot.

How has your blog changed from when you first started? 
Where the blog began and where it is today is a lot different; it started out as just Basil’s blog but as it progressed the rest of The B Team joined in, and as time passed they each got an exclusive post which suits their personalities, sharing lots of really fun things to keep any cat fancier entertained on a weekly basis.

What’s the best thing about being a pet blogger? 
Crafting with Cats, Colouring with Cats, Gardening with Cats, Brain Training with Cats, Fashion with Felines, Feline Fiction etc… did I mention cats!

How conscious are you of the animal’s personality as opposed to your own when writing? 
Basil, Amber, Smooch, Parsley, Pandora and Fudge, aka The B Team, each have their own personalities, expressions and voice. They are all completely different individuals so when writing their posts, it’s all about them and what they’re doing at that moment.

What are better cats or dogs?
Oh now there’s a tough question, obviously I have many cats, but I love dogs too, though sadly don’t have the time to have another at this point. So at BBHQ, cats rule supreme at the moment.

Did you have a pet growing up? 
I had lots of pets, mainly dogs, though I also had ponies, donkeys, and my father used to keep rare breeds cattle, so from an early age I’ve been surrounded by all kinds of animals, hence the reason I have my own little cat-herd today.

What’s the best top tip you have for pet owners? 
If you can, do get pet insurance.

How do you work with PRs and brands?  
Most of the time, agencies, publishers and PRs will contact us via email and we simply take it from that point forward. Assessing the brand’s needs along with how we can best present their product/idea in the style of our blog.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?  
A couple of the best collaborations we have done recently are with Miaustore and Catit. Both are such great companies and produce such innovative products for feline enrichment.

Do bloggers need their own industry association? 
A dedicated Pet Blogger association/platform would be great in the UK. Our American friends have Blogpaws, so a UK counterpart would be great, and would help address questions and issues for new and seasoned pet bloggers alike.

What other blogs do you read?  
We read lots every week. On our blog we have a page dedicated to pet blogs, a directory of sorts and we visit most of those regularly. Though our favourite UK pet blogs in no order are:  Erin the Cat Princess, Katzenworld, Memories of Eric and Flynn, Speedy the Cheeky House Bunny and Athena, Cat Goddess.