Wah wahhh! Mommy and I are mentioned in the New Yorker Book Bench Department (published July 13, by Andrea Walker), which you can read above and here. The earless cat is, of course, me! And I’m a character in La Carmina’s upcoming cookbook Cute Yummy Time, which is out this October and currently available from Amazon (get a copy now!).

Maoo maooo! Mommy did an interview with TokyoTopia, a fabulous resource for Tokyo travelers. Unlike most tourist sites, TokyoTopia’s advice on cheap hotels is easy to navigate, and the sightseeing recommendations are hand-picked. Of course, she talked about ME in the interview!

Here are a few excerpts; you can read the whole interview here.

We’re also cat lovers at TokyoTopia – we love Basil Farrow! We know he used to live with Mia Farrow… hence the surname : ) Could you tell us a little more about him and his role in your life?

Basil Farrow is a round, Garfieldian fluffball with tiny folded ears and giant sideways-paws. In other words, he’s a ridiculously cute Scottish Fold kitty! Basil grew up in Bridgewater, Connecticut but lived in my apartment because Mia’s house was often empty. When I finished school, he hid in my suitcase and we ran away together. Ronan is his daddy, I’m his mommy, and he has loving grandparents that dote on his every whim.

Everyone thinks her pet awesome, but Basil Farrow is decidedly not a regular cat. He demands to be carried and cuddled, he stands up on his hind legs when he meets new people, his meow sounds like “wahhh,” and he’s never scratched or bitten a soul =^.^=

Without Basil Farrow, my life wouldn’t be nearly as kawaii. My cat and I are the main characters in my upcoming cookbook Cute Yummy Time, and I drew illustrations of him on almost every page. Basil even has his own blog and Facebook profile with over 500 friends!

Tips for surviving your first long-haul flight to Asia:
When you book your ticket, ask for an Indian or Asian vegetarian meal; there’s no extra charge, and you’re served palatable food before everyone else. The stewardesses don’t advertise the best drinks: spicy tomato juice, soda water with lime.

If I had to pick one recommendation for first-time Tokyo visitors:
Despite one’s individual interests, every tourist should visit a konbini! Tokyo’s 24-hour convenience stores are unlike any in the world. My favorite products: Zero low-calorie cans of alcohol, Softymo’s magical makeup remover (an inside joke my blog readers will recognize – it’s amazing; eyeshadow comes right off), bizarrely-flavored Kit Kat bars, and Lemon Water – 1000 mg of vitamin C per bottle!

You can read the rest of the interview on TokyoTopia and pasted after the jump. Wahhh!

Ah-maooo! ModernCat, a nifty blog about designer furniture for cats, has published a writeup about yours truly! Basil’s grandma always insists that he’s a Buddhist, and now we have proof.

From the article: “This handsome man is Basil Farrow, formerly owned by actress Mia Farrow, and now living with his fashion designer mom Carmina of La Carmina fame. Basil is lounging on a Mogu meditation cushion, which seems to make a perfect napping spot for a feline seeking enlightenment. I’ve never though of using meditation cushions for the cats, but it makes perfect sense, if they’re comfortable for humans to sit on for hours, then why wouldn’t a cat love one, too [...] You can see daily photos of Basil Farrow on his blog, plus he will be a character in his mom’s upcoming cookbook, Cute Yummy Time to be released in November 2009!”

Wahhh! To celebrate the launch of my cute Scottish Fold cat Basil Farrow’s daily blog, I’m having a huge prize giveaway!

First up: a new video of my foldy-eared son! Basil Farrow lies on his back for a tummy rub, pounces on a toy… and for the first time on video, you hear him meow (or rather, “WAHHH!)

Every day, I’ll be posting adorable photos of Basil in the style of a manga – just like Japan’s popular kitty blogs. So please: bookmark the new blog, subscribe, and spread the word.

More reason to celebrate: I’ve teamed up with J-pop merchant J-List to give away FOUR cat-themed prizes! You can win a Lucky Cat bento box, or one of three Maineki Neko solar powered toys.

From now til Monday, head over to J-List or J-Box and search for a photo of my Scottish Fold cat (he’s hidden somewhere on the site). Hint: Basil is attached to a product that I’ve reviewed in the past on my Japanese fashion blog…

When you’ve found my baby, send an email to treasurehunt@jlist.com with a screenshot or the title of the product featuring the cat photo. J-List will randomly choose four winners.

How about a BONUS prize? If you share the news about the new blog (by emailing your friends, Twittering, blogging, or posting on a forum/social network) – Basil and I will personally send you an adorable present! Just leave a comment telling us how you spread the word, with a link (if applicable).

Ai-yah! I’m excited to give you a daily dose of Basil Farrow’s cuteness! Good luck with the J-List treasure hunt, and enjoy the new blog: http://lacarmina.com/basilfarrow !

♥ I’m famous on YouTube and Facebook (add me!).
♥ My mommy has a Japanese fashion blog and Twitter. I am featured in her upcoming cookbook, Cute Yummy Time.

MY STATS

♥ NAME: Basil Yuen Farrow (add me on Facebook!)
♥ BIRTHDAY: April 21
♥ BREED: Purebred Scottish Fold cat. (I’m on Wikipedia!)
♥ SEX: Male
♥ COLOR: Solid cream

From Story of My Life profile on La Carmina:

Two years ago she had Thanksgiving dinner at a friend’s house, a friend who happens to be the son of Mia Farrow! A cat stuck its round, furry head out from her friend Ronan’s desk and purred. It was love at first sight. With Mia away all the time, the cat was lonely. So, her furry new friend went to live with La Carmina. Named Basil Farrow, the cat belonged on the silver screen. He is from an acting family after all! So, Basil began making regular appearances on YouTube and La Carmina’s blog. The two enjoyed YouTube so much that La Carmina developed a Goth Cooking Show (http://www.youtube.com/lacarmina) for her YouTube channel and gave Basil a supporting role. She also used Basil as one of the main characters in her upcoming book, Cute Yummy Time. Attributing much of her business appeal to her furry best friend, La Carmina says that: “without him, La Carmina’s world wouldn’t be nearly as cute and cuddly!”

♥ Submit your own Scottish Fold photos!

La Carmina says: “Basil Farrow and I did an interview about responsible cat care for animal rights organization PETA2, which you can read below and here. (I left out the introduction, since you already know who I am, and included the answers that they omitted due to lack of space.) PS: I am not a member of PETA, but when they approached me to take part in an interview, I thought it would be a great platform for speaking about the animal issues that are important to me. Basil Farrow has to watch out for his furry friends!”

How did you first get involved with helping animals? Did you have any animal companions growing up?
As a child, I cared so dearly for animals that I didn’t even distinguish between real and plush! I was horrified to see my friends throw around their stuffed animals; I always made sure mine were clean and standing upright. I even bought cans of real cat food for my Hello Kitties. Growing up, I shared my home with fish, turtles, budgies and lovebirds. Birds are incredibly intelligent and affectionate beings — if you socialize them right. I feel most people treat their birds like fancy decorations, and it breaks my heart.

Tell us about your cat, Basil Farrow.
Basil Farrow is a Scottish Fold cat, hence the tiny fold-ears. He was raised by activist/actress Mia Farrow and she loved him dearly — but her recent travels didn’t let her spend enough time with him. So he came to live with me. It was a tough decision, but she knew this was best for his well-being.
Basil isn’t a typical cat – he’s more like a sweet little kid or teddy bear! He loves to meet people; he’ll come when you call his name and lick your hand. Not many cats will demand tummy rubs and to be carried around. You can see in his videos and blog just how affectionate he is.

Can you give your fans some Basil-tested tips for keeping cats happy and healthy?
Keeping my Scottish Fold happy is my number one priority! Here is a video we made with tips on keeping cats cool in the summer; it applies to dogs and other animals as well. I did a blog post about the type of food and litter I provide: I refuse to feed Basil anything with fillers or byproducts. Every day, I set aside time for cuddles, playtime and/or grooming. Don’t forget to brush your cat’s fur and clean his ears, introduce new toys, and keep your house cat-friendly.

Why is spaying and neutering such an important part of responsible companion animal care?
Many people don’t realize that millions of unwanted animals are killed every year, simply because they are homeless. Pet births are a ticket to misery and death for the mother and litter – and they’re so easily preventable by spaying and neutering. So let’s do our part! Plus, a spayed or neutered pet is less aggressive and less prone to certain health problems. There is simply no excuse for not having this simple operation done as early as possible.

Tell us about your decision not to wear fur.
I never had any desire to wear fur. My parents’ generation oohed and ahhed over pelts, but mine has a very different attitude. As a child, whenever a relative proudly showed me her furs, I’d refuse to touch it and scold, “That comes from a cute bunny or fox!” Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I learned about the cruelty of wearing animals from my peers and the media. And I’m optimistic that the next generations will be even more anti-fur.

As a fashion blogger, do you find that people put pressure on you to wear fur? If so, how do you handle that?
It is the opposite – the bulk of my blog readers are animal lovers, and they make sure I’m doing all I can to help animal causes. I once posted a Ted Nugent song (not knowing about his hunting advocacy), and people were quick to educate me in the comments. I think if I did wear fur, there would be an outcry – as there should be.

Do you have any favorite vegetarian foods?
I surely do, as I mostly eat a vegetarian diet. In my new cookbook Cute Yummy Time, I have recipes that are both meat-free and adorable (everything is decorated to look like Japanese-style characters!) Such as an egg white quiche that resembles an owl wearing glasses. Strawberry and dark chocolate cupcakes that look like hobgoblins. And a mango coconut pannacotta, which is vegan if you use a gelatin substitute such as agar-agar.

What issue involving animals is dearest to your heart?
It upsets me when owners don’t take proper care of their pets, especially cats. Felines don’t show when they are in pain, and since they can be independent, owners don’t take them to the vet regularly. But cats can have serious health problems that only a vet can detect – such as tooth decay or internal troubles, which are best treated early on. I urge you to take your cats to the vet for (at the very least) a yearly check-up, and certainly when they show any sign of discomfort. It upsets me when people won’t put aside money for quality food and health care; I think this should be the priority. Instead of buying something frivolous, I spent all my birthday money on Basil’s vet bills.

You have a lot of fans out there, which gives you a powerful platform to reach people and make a difference. What is your message to them about having compassion and getting active to help animals?
Tiny, personal actions towards animal compassion will have a gigantic impact. My advice is to start in your own home and take proper care of your pets. Your attitude will spread to other parts of your life: I started Basil’s Scottish Fold blog because he is such a joy. Readers began sending me questions about cat care or pleas for adoption, and I’ve done my best to help out. I’ve also found that my friends help reinforce my attitude; we discuss animal issues, and make trips to the Tokyo Vegetarian Festival and Vegan Healing Café in Shibuya.

Hope you enjoyed the interview! Do you have any other tips on how to make a difference? Which animal rights issues are most important to you? I’d love to hear from you.