Earning the trust of a scared stray cat takes time, but apparently all it takes is one surprise lap jump to make every second worth it.

Marco, a little orange cat, started hanging around a cafe a few weeks ago. The only problem was that he was absolutely terrified of people. Even someone getting up from a chair nearby would send him running. Clearly, becoming friends with this orange boy wasn't going to happen overnight.

One cafe regular decided to keep trying anyway. There were some food bribes involved and eventually curiosity started winning out over fear. Marco still wasn't ready to be touched, but he was getting closer. With a nervous cat, sometimes being allowed to simply exist nearby without them sprinting away feels like a win.

Then Marco decided to skip about ten stages of the friendship process at once.

His new friend arrived at the cafe, took their usual seat, and noticed there was no Marco around. They started looking at their phone and went about their business until, completely out of nowhere, they felt a thump land on their lap.

Guess who?

Marco had apparently been hiding underneath the table waiting for them. This is the same cat who, just weeks earlier, couldn't handle someone standing up near him. Now he was voluntarily climbing into a lap like he'd been doing it forever.

We're going to say those food bribes were money well spent.

There's something pretty great about a cat deciding on his own that someone has officially passed the trust test. Marco wasn't chased down, picked up, or forced into affection. He got there on his own schedule.

In classic orange cat fashion, once he finally made his move, he went all in.

Sometimes you're NTA on paper, but you kinda are in real life.

I think the man who's telling this story is bringing an old grudge into it, and I can't pinpoint exactly why. It's something about how he describes the other dude's food preferences, or the way he treats them as childish. Something tells me that if he had ordered something he considered more 'manly,' he wouldn't have reacted that way, but maybe I'm exaggerating.

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree that some food preferences are kind of childish. Some people really didn't explore any taste or texture past the age of eight years old, and there are truly tastes they will never acquire. Their loss, of course. But those picky tendencies, almost always, come hand in hand with personalities that won't shut up about them. They will cause a scene, just like children do.

Not liking a food is one thing, but being entitled enough to think that a young person who's kindly covering the check for a group of people is going to pay for whatever extra thing you order is kinda crazy. I truly believe some people don't grasp the value of money until they're much, much older. They simply don't understand it.

To be fair, it's not that hard to realize you're being impolite for ordering something extra and expecting it to be covered, but this man clearly didn't. The thing is, how the entire story developed- even though the one who was initially covering the check was in the right- he was kind of petty in the end. 

He could've been more elegant and not wait until the end,  make remarks about how childish were the other dude's preferences, and let him know he wasn't paying. He could've stated that when he realized what was happening, but I get it; things might have escalated too quickly.

The thing I can't forget is that they're almost the same age; how could the 25-year-old ordering the nuggets not realize he was overstepping the line?

Cancel the summer plans and grab the biggest cup available because pumpkin spice latte season has officially entered the chat.

There's something about that first PSL of the year that makes fall feel real, even if it's still suspiciously warm outside. One sip and suddenly we're mentally wearing sweaters, watching leaves fall, and curled up on the couch with a cat purring beside us. Is it dramatic? Maybe. Are we ordering another one tomorrow? Absolutely.

Cats fit perfectly into pumpkin spice season because they already understand the assignment: get cozy and stay cozy. While we're sipping our overpriced autumn-flavored coffee, they're settling into our laps and making sure we can't get up until the mug is empty. Honestly, it's a pretty good arrangement.

Of course, our felines don't understand why their hoomans suddenly become obsessed with pumpkin spice every September. As far as they're concerned, we walked into the house carrying yet another drink that isn't tuna flavored and therefore has absolutely nothing to offer them. The whipped cream might get their attention, but otherwise they'll stick to their regularly scheduled treats.

Still, there's no better PSL companion than a cat. Coffee shop run complete? Check. Favorite blanket acquired? Check. Kitty curled up nearby looking extra fluffy? Now we're officially feeling fall.

So bring on the pumpkin spice lattes, cinnamon everything, cooler mornings, cozy evenings, and excuses to stay home with the cat. We waited all year for this, and we plan on enjoying every last basic sip of it.

The PSL is in hand, the cat is on our lap, and suddenly leaving the couch feels like an October problem.

Imperceptible traits can teach you more than you think!

Some people can tell you everything about themselves by just their appearance, the way they walk, talk, and breathe. Everything is just a little spoiler of how they actually are as a person. When you work in customer service, you learn to discover character traits of customers before they even open their mouths to talk to you. Is something about them that can be almost imperceptible to anyone else that will tell you everything you need to know about them. Whether they are going to scream and mistreat you, whether they will be extremely cooperative and apologetic about everything, or if they will just remain calm during the whole interaction.

These little things that make employees know their customers beforehand can be different for each worker. Some people notice the way they walk. If it's with confidence, then they will probably be entitled, but if they walk in a reserved manner, then they will try to avoid any kind of confrontation. It can also be their perfume. According to the smell, they may determine if they reserved the biggest penthouse or just a simpler suite room. Every angle and detail that you can sense with your senses will tell you beforehand everything you need to know. You just have to learn to interpret these signs.

These things aren't infallible. They can definitely give you the wrong impression about a customer, which can actually cause even bigger issues. So it's best to always keep that judgment you make of them to yourself and act as you would with any other customer. Pretend as if you haven't noticed anything about them. They are just assumptions, but they can be extremely useful to deescalate complicate situations. Just be wise about them and don't just assume you know these people just because of the traits you discovered. If you want to know even more about these little imperceptible traits, I gathered below a thread about which ones most employees notice.
 

Have you ever heard of a company that stays true to its word? 

It's fine if your answer is no, because honestly, we've never heard of a company like that either. Many companies thrive on the opportunity to say one thing to their employees, and then act completely differently. It is as if the more the higher-ups lie to the employees, the more powerful they feel.

When you are a seasoned employee at a workplace, you learn not to get too worked up when you find out that what you were promised a few weeks ago is never going to happen. It doesn't matter that your boss promised you this big bonus, or that they said that your promotion is right around the corner. You already fell for these kinds of promises enough times to know that nothing will be handed to you so simply.

But for a new hire, like the one who shared their experience on Reddit's r/jobs, the bait-and-switch they fell for felt completely out of the blue.

It started back in the interview process, when the potential employee was very clear when they said that they would not be able to come to the office whatsoever. The commute was too long, and they could not commit to it on a regular basis. The company, in response, assured them that the position would be fully remote. When the offer was made, they even put it in writing in the offer letter. 

For the first month, things were great as the new hire worked fully from home, but then the CEO came with an announcement: all employees must return to the office for 4 days a week. At that moment, the new hire realized what we all know: that companies have absolutely no problem lying to get their way. 

Now, they are debating whether they should suffer through the 4-hour commute a day, or fight to get what they were initially promised. Finding another job sounds like a distant dream, but that might be the only other option this employee has.

Since when does inviting someone to dinner include 11 other people?

There is no world where an invitation to dinner means you can invite everyone you want over and have their check covered. I think the birthday girl thought that if she didn't say anything, her sister wouldn't notice she was paying for eleven more people. But well, it didn't go as planned. She did notice, and it wasn't fun.

We can't forget this is a 30-year-old's birthday; she is not a teenager, and she can't expect everyone to pay for her and her friends. I'm assuming this isn't the first time something like this has happened; someone doesn't develop that attitude suddenly, and even though it's uncomfortable, maybe she needed just that. Maybe she is learning something important in her early thirties: That she needs to communicate, and that nobody owes her 11 best friends a dinner check. It's never too late to learn something new!

Regardless if the 30-year-old sister learned anything new or kept on being entitled. Llet's see the big sister's point of view and judge for ourselves whether she was the A...ahem, or not.  Did she act well by teaching her sister a lesson?

When we say you never know how the Cat Distribution System is going to get you, we need you to know we really do mean it. You might have thought that it could only catch you while hanging around next to trash or desolate paths and roads. Well, let us regale you with the tale of the Walmart kitten who met its hooman to be while they were innocently out for a bit of shopping.

It is often remarked that the most extraordinary things in life come from the most mundane moments. Genius ideas that come while brushing your cat's fur, incredible job offers when you are muddling your way through your Monday meeting, or even a cute cat child waiting for you to put them in your basket as you stroll the aisles of Walmart. A cat like that is once in a lifetime and no matter the price that they ask for, you had better say yes and with gusto. Luckily for this cat lover, the feline was free, though she did have to buy some food and a carrier…which is a pretty clever sales scheme.

Nonetheless, a kitten was saved this day, perhaps not from immediate peril, or any danger at all other than some potentially unfortunate accidents. But what this woman did is provide love, stability and support for a cat who had none. A cat who was left to try and survive in a Walmart parking lot, making breaking into the department store the only reasonable thing to do. After all, this cat was looking for a home, and everything you need for a home can be found in that one place.  
 

Landlord got played by a master tenant who, actually, wasn't playing at all.

If you don't provide solutions, solutions will be provided by themselves. If I were in the same situation as this tenant. Suffering through the malfunctions of appliances and getting these dismissive responses from the landlord, not making himself responsible for anything, I would have reacted way worse to everything.  But this landlord brought all this disgrace upon himself. He was the one who said that the appliances weren't a part of the rented home. Then taking them, selling them, or breaking them didn't have any real impact. If they are not a part of the home, then they aren't different from something that they could have found on the street. So selling the appliances isn't inherently wrong. They can do it, as they aren't a part of the home nor the property of the landlord. 
 

A hailstorm was evaded, but the storm of raising a tortie cat has just begun for this family.

There are not many cases in which such a tiny kitten is saved in the face of raging weather. But some do. These are the lucky ones for whom the Cat Distribution System succeeds in getting their human match to them right on time. Imagine getting the exact card you needed in your hand to complete a series in a card game, but with the life of a small cat on the line. So, you know, one major difference. But when a cat's life is saved, it always makes us happy, so we're here to share that happiness with the rest of the online feline-loving community.

But the thing is, the Cat Distribution System doesn't just affect the cats in need. They also have this special unit (probably) to make sure the intended person for the cat adoption is ready. And that's how a person who didn't want cats, like this one mom on Reddit, got the "maybe one more cat is okay" software installed in their heart as soon as she laid eyes on the small kitten. And that's what we call love at first meow.

Should parents let their children eat whatever they want? 

As a general rule, the answer is no. Children can be really picky eaters, and if parents let them eat only the things they like, they will end up eating only candy and McDonald's. So yes, many times parents find themselves telling their children to eat their vegetables and fruits so they can have a healthy and balanced diet. We don't agree with forcing them to eat when they're not hungry, but part of the parents' job is to make sure their kids are well-fed and nurtured. Yet, in some cases, it can be alright to let the kid eat something else if they don't like what the rest of the family is having, especially if it is a one-time thing and not a regular occurrence. 

In this case, a woman tells an anecdote that happened when she was 12 years old. Her mother had gone to work and left dinner ready for her father to give to her and her siblings, but the father apparently was too lazy to do that. He chose to give his children some canned spaghetti, which his daughter didn't like at all. She asked the dad if she could just make herself a PBandJ sandwich, and then clean up after herself and the others, but the dad said no. he told he she couldn't leave the table until she finished eating what he had "made." So she did. She stayed there. Alone. For Hours, until her mother came back and found her there. She got so annoyed at the situation and her husband that it was the last time he ever tried to tell his daughter that she had to stay put at that table. 

We can understand when parents tell their children to stay at the table and finish a meal. But in this case, it was simply ridiculous for the father to do that. The mother had already left dinner ready, and all he had to do was give it to her; he was too lazy to do that. He actively chose to give his daughter something she disliked, which wasn't even healthy, and didn't even let her prepare something else for herself! It's laziness taken to an extreme. 

If you had been the mother, what would you have done about it? 

What's better than cats? More cats! And the cattier they are, the better.

Cats always make everything better. From household items to deep, emotional discussions. Everything is better when there's a cat involved. The more cat a thing is, the better it is in general. Just think about it: You eat lunch, and when you finish your food off the plate, you discover a cat painting underneath - that's wholesome. You arrive at a friend's house and ring the bell, and instead of a "ding dong" (standard, boring, plain), it's a loud "MEOW" (original, surprising, reminds you of cats) - it's whimsical and heart-lifting. You talk about a sad subject with someone close on the phone, a sad and difficult conversation, but then your cat comes and gently curls themselves up on your lap - and you instantly feel a little better.

Cats make everything better.

So when we talk about such a regular shmegular day, as this one, we always aim to elevate it through cats. And the best way to do so is with cat memes. Because even memes are better with cats. And when you have so many cat memes, it's hard to stay sad, mad, bored, or whatever negative emotion you've been feeling today. Just put a cat on it - it'll be just fine. Especially when funny cats are around.

Cats are absolved from mistakes and faults just inherently. 

Everyone makes mistakes. A day of purrfect ease could be ripped under you in the blink of an eye. You stroll along and suddenly you find that you've said the worst thing at the worst time. You never really know yourself until you're met with the moment where intention and impact accidently miss each other, and all you can do is stand there, replaying it in your head long after the moment has passed. We carry these moments like weights at the gym. We analyze them, assign meaning, and build narratives around them, whether they're true or not. Our narratives dictate our whole world, and let us decide our thoughts and actions. A single mistake can cost a whole relationship, job, or your sense of self. 

But cats? Cats never feel the shame, the guilt, or the pressure that humans feel. We're so riddled with lamentations and struggles from the slightest things, while cats could maliciously destroy a prized possession and just go to their couch throne for a nap immediately afterwards. And it's not that they're truly malicious, mean, or have ill-intentions. But their whole system of life is built around them – you're merely the plaything in the corner of their life that feeds them and lets them have the comfort they deserve. Cats live completely unburdened by this internal trial. A cat can knock a glass off the table, stare directly into your soul, and walk away without a shred of remorse. Not because they are careless, but because they do not equate mistakes with identity. The action happens. The moment passes. Life continues. There is no moral residue.

Cats play the victim, they play docile and delicate at the times when they know they've done wrong. They look at you with big eyes, airplane ears, and a sense of innocence after they just knocked your keys off the table, broke your favorite mug, and destroyed all the toilet paper on the roll in the bathroom. And what are you to do? You have to just let them do their implicit apology, their feigned sadness, and their adorable manipulation on your heartstrings. 

Nothing wakes up a workplace like a corporate newcomer discovering that the people who keep the place running have developed habits without first requesting permission from a PDF

It's pretty amazing in any field, but a man with spotless hands sees a technician solve a five-minute problem with a Q-tip and feels compelled to protect the "integrity of the equipment," like the machine has feelings and spent years begging to be treated according to the manufacturer's preferred bedtime routine.

What do you do when the "family emergency" you've been working overtime to cover turns out to be a month-long vacation in Bali?

Nobody should lie, but especially not in your workplace. Some things don't last, and I think a lie is one of them. If we take this situation that happened, we can confirm that no liar is as capable of maintaining a big secret for a long period of time. Dan, the star of this novel, decided that it was a good idea to tell HR that his mother was very sick and needed his care for a month. He did, of course, to ensure a paid leave… but he was not going to her house. Instead, he had planned a luxurious trip to Bali weeks in advance, and needed the time - and the money -  to go and enjoy.

Because his leave was not going to last long, a coworker decided to cover his workload until he came back. They did this out of respect and love, considering that it is an enormous amount of work, but really wanted to help him in this time of need. Little did they know that one morning, when they had to access Dan's computer to check some information, they were going to encounter the itinerary and a detailed schedule of what he and his family were going to be doing in Bali.

But seems that care is still there, because now the OP is hesitant about going to HR and exposing Dan. On one side, they cannot handle any more work, and they have started living with constant stress due to tight deadlines and a double amount of work. But on the other side, there's no sick parent, and he's out there enjoying a holiday on the other side of the world. If you ask me, I'd definitely expose him because there's no way that I'll keep doing someone else's work… not when they lied about a complicated family issue. He deserves to be fired… Mmm, I thinks is affecting me more than it should. Okay, I'll be quiet now; go ahead and read the story.

We don't care what others think, as far as we're concerned, as soon as August ends and September begins, spooky season is in full swing.

We can already hear what all the other sceptics have to say: "It's not even cold yet", "It's way too early for Halloween decorations", "We haven't even gone to the beach once yet"… All excuses to ignore the sign that the best season of all is finally upon us: Fall.

While summer is all fun and games, and is full of special activities we truly enjoy, it does not compare to the season that follows and brings with it the coziest weather of them all. Fall is the winner in every department, from the clothes, the orange trees and falling leaves, the smell of the first rain of the season, and the absolutely best holidays of the year. The streets go quieter as kids return to school, people start planning their Halloween costumes and discuss where and with whom they will spend Thanksgiving this year, and we simply soak up every last minute of all that fun. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

We are not the only ones in our household excited about this shift in the air. We can already see how the slight shift in the weather is affecting our cats. While they might not be as excited as we are about Halloween costumes, we know they can't wait for the cold AC to turn off for the final time this year, and for the temperatures to finally drop enough for all the cozy blankets and heaters to come out of their hiding place. All they want is a nice, long snuggle session in bed, where we don't kick them off us when their furr gets too hot to bear. We can't wait to pull out a good book, some hot chocolate, and get super cozy until the sun goes down.

Since we are not quite there yet, we are doing everything in our power to manifest the cozy season to start as soon as possible, including using the help of this cozy collection of cute cat memes, so scroll down to help the cause!

Most of the time, when I see a DIY fail, my immediate response is: why didn't they just hire a contractor?

It's the same response I have to people who cut their own bangs, attempt electrical work after watching one video at double speed, or announce that they're "pretty handy" while holding a screwdriver like husbands hold their wives' purses while she tries on clothes at the mall. There are professionals for a reason. They have licenses, equipment, insurance, and some og the time even decency.

But this list is proof that hiring a contractor will not always save you. Sometimes you can pay real money, schedule the appointment, clear your calendar, buy coffee for the crew, and still end up with a result that looks like a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. The only difference is that this specific questionable decision comes with an invoice and somebody else's business card.

And that, my friends, might be even funnier.

Sometimes kids can be really weird, and teachers find themselves dealing with a lot of awkward situations.

Now that it's the moment to go back to school, all parents, kids, and teachers have a lot of mixed feelings. Parents are surely relieved to have a few hours a day to be alone and have some time for themselves without needing to entertain the kids. The kids must be thrilled to see their friends again, and at the same time a bit bummed to have to actually go to class every day. Teachers, in the meantime, probably want to curl up and cry for a little while. 

We're not saying that good teachers don't love their job; they most certainly do! You need to have a real calling to do this job properly and be the kind of teacher that everybody loves and makes the children actually learn something. But we can't deny that teachers are often overworked and underpaid. They take care of our kids for at least 6 hours a day, and they make sure they go back home safe and sound while learning new things. They are indispensable for society. This is exactly why they sometimes find themselves dealing with the most unexpected and unhinged situations. Kids are not always as well adjusted to society's rules as to know what is normal to do or say, and teachers just have to deal with it in the best way they can. They sure get some good anecdotes after that, but there's no denying that more than once they probably just stood there, dumbfounded, wondering: "Why did I choose this career, again?" 

These stories are not the exception. Here, different teachers told about moments when their students showed up to class with weird things inside their backpacks. Nothing was exactly illegal, but how or why did these kids have those objects with them? Are their parent blind or something? Their pets, random animals they found on the street, objects stolen from their parents, and even a rotisserie chicken are some of the things these teachers found in their students' backpacks. Reading this is a great way to get our laughs up and get back to class in a good mood! 

We all want our cats to live furrever, so here are some foods to improve their diet and longevity. 

Cats aren't just internet trends, memes, or hilarious furballs of fun to make us laugh when we get home. There's a serious side to them that we always need to remind ourselves of, and that's their health. Some cats are naturally bigger, or smaller, but the point is that since our cats mean so much to us, it's always of utmost importance to remember to not just keep them happy, but to keep them healthy too. Here are 5 nutrient-rich foods safe for cats that you may not have known about. Just remember that none of these foods should replace your cat's normal eating routine or cat food you normally buy. These should be used sparingly. 

He deserves more than rain and cold. 

With September here in full swing, rain might just be around the corner for you. Summer felt like it lasted forever, and whether you like the heat or the cold, the fact remains that each year the skies oscillate between temperatures. In the story below, a little white kitten was found outside in the rain, freezing cold, and in a dish full of water! How awful for this poor little thing. The kind person who found him immediately rescued him from the harsh environment outside and took him home. After a couple vet visits the two are housemates. This little guy got what he deserves, which is the warmth of a real home, and a pawrent to take care of him instead of a dish of water. 

Hey, maybe he just needs someone to talk to for 35+ minutes every morning!

Back in the day, I worked as a barista, so I didn't know what it was like to be tired of looking at screens or not seeing anyone in real life for days. I sincerely don't wish to go back, but every decision in life has its costs. You have to choose to get tired of hearing angry customers complain about their coffee temperature or of pointless Zoom meetings.

Employees don't need to be reminded of every standard procedure there is every single morning. Maybe the pointless meetings are the boss' attempt to keep the team together, or maybe he just wants to micromanage everyone and make them listen to what he did over the weekend. It must be boring to live with himself.

In any case, you can always mute the window, or turn the volume down and turn on some music. How would they know? They'll probably only notice you smile more. Plus you can send some fantastic, petty texts to your coworkers about your annoying boss. It's a wonderful way to start the day!.

If the job is otherwise good, I don't think daily meetings are that big of a deal; one can always do something else while they're happening; that's the magic of the computer. You can have breakfast, you can meditate while the meeting is happening, you can start to work before, you can honestly do anything that doesn't appear on camera. Just imagine having to physically attend to one every day! Count your blessings.

Has anyone else become so tired of pointless meetings that you need to do something? Is it safe to try to suggest not doing them? Or is suggesting something to our bosses always prejudicial to our jobs?