Two kitties facing life one day at a time. 

My cat is one of the most important things in my life, and here's my story.

I got him back in 2021. I had just moved, I had new roommates, new apartment, and I was starting a new life. I had briefly discussed with my roommates about getting a cat together, and they agreed. There was no cemented plan that we talked about, and both of their birthdays were coming up. I took a chance and decided to surprise them with a cat. I found him posted on a Facebook page for fostered animals needing a furrever home. I barely read any description, I didn't think twice, I just messaged a girl and told her I want him and am going to pick him up. The next day, I had a 5 month old kitten in my bedroom figuring out what life is going to be together. 

My roommates came home and I told them I had a birthday surprise for them. I opened the door to reveal a kitten! A stripped, long, green-eyed kitten named Ty. And the rest is history. 

The last 5 years together he's played such a crucial role in my life. He's always my safe space, he's always loving and makes me be more responsible. He never hesitates to tell me how he feels, or plop in my lap, or watch a movie with me and make me feel better about everything. So here's to introducing Ty, a truly unique little guy. Read below how my roommates responded to being gifted a kitten as a birthday gift by someone they barely knew!

Every cat can be petted at least one time. 

We have said this for the longest time, of course, but we will reiterate because we think it's appropriate at this moment. One day, without a doubt, we will end up on the news for trying to pet something that we should not have. At least I will. As someone who gets irrationally excited about every single cat, wild and housecat, and also as someone who gets jealous of every other person who gets to have a bond with a big cat that we can't have… yes, I'll end up on the news for trying to pet a lion or something. 

Why do some people get to be part of a lion pack and I cannot? Why do some people choose their profession so early on that they can help raise cheetahs and then have bonds with them for life? Why couldn't I? These are questions that I ask myself every time I see something like that. And so if I were these people in this story, who somehow came across a drowning wild cat in the ocean and got to save it, then yes, I, too, would have petted that big cat. When life gives you lemons… you must accept that you may have lost a finger or two in the process and then make that lemonade. 

And hey, what they did might have been dangerous, but we hope that every one of us would have done the same. Maybe the petting was overboard, but they did save this wild cat, and that is what matters at the end of the day. 

A wedding is the one time in our lives when we're allowed to go absolutely crazy and drag our family into that loophole

I'm just kidding, but apparently, this is the unspoken rule of weddings lately. Or have they always been like this? They seem to be the focal point of any family issue that was going on prior to the ceremony.

Maybe these types of rituals are good in a counterintuitive way. They bring what's hidden to the surface and we get to deal with it and move on.

Maybe my opinion is too frivolous, but why avoid drama that is not ours? Isn't drama entertaining when you're not at the center of it? If I were her, I would totally attend this wedding with the sole purpose of watching everything unfold.

I mean, you get to enjoy free food, free drinks, fun music, and an amazing live performance. Will it be a tragedy? A comedy? Who knows! You have to attend to find out.

I'm feeling philosophical today, but we're only on this earth for a limited amount of time; why not do our best to seize every minute of it?

If you really, really can't enjoy the wedding and the drama it will likely unfold in, you can always bail out! You can go out for drinks that night with your best friends. You can tell your family you're sick. Nobody will find out, and you'll protect your peace.

In the end, what matters most is what makes you the happiest. But if it were for me, I would pay to see that WHITE DRESS WITH GIANT SKY BLUE FLOWERS ON IT in action. Seriously, What could go wrong?

If you steal a cat that no one technically owns, is it really stealing?

I've always been someone who follows the rules. I was a straight-A student, I always recycle, and I will read the directions at least three times through before even starting anything new. I like rules - they give order and if you follow them, you'll usually find yourself in a better place than those who don't. But all of those morals go in the trash as soon as I see someone not treating a cat with the love they deserve.

The sad truth is that many people don't think of cats as creatures with feelings or souls, so they allow themselves to ignore their suffering. That results in cats getting left behind when their families move, getting abandoned on the side of the highway, or not giving them the medical care they need because they're "just a cat." 

This is where our story today starts: a purrson tending to their loan horse noticed a pregnant cat in distress near their barn. All but skin and bones, the horse-lover asked around, and learned that the cat "belonged" to a farmer nearby, but refused to let her inside, or even spay her because it was "unnatural". 

Unable to look the other way, they took the cat to the emergency vet to get her the care she needed. The vets assured her that, if the farmer came to claim the cat (do you think he will actually come?), he would have to not only pay for all the veterinary care, but he would also have to get her spayed, as it's a requirement for all cat owners in their area.

This poor cat did not deserve to survive like this. I chose the word "survive" because that's probably all she could do for so long. But now, she will have her kittens, hopefully find her furrever family, and live happily ever after.

Oh, so paying your print shop to make copies of your artwork gives them the right to reproduce and sell it? Cool, cool, cool.

But it obviously doesn't. 

Life and law are sometimes pretty straightforward, even when it comes to messy, complex stuff like IP, because a written order for twenty-five prints on heavy paper means twenty-five prints. It doesn't mean the shop can crop out the signature, hang the image by the register, and treat it like inventory.

That's true for Massachusetts print and also pretty much any state and any shop.

Just like snowflakes, every cat is unique. Most differences are small and only noticeable to their owners, but you could pick out all these cute kitties below from a mile away.

I've seen more cats than most people will in a lifetime. I was raised with cats as pets, adopted cats as an adult, and every day I go to work and look for funny and cute cats on the internet. I've been doing that for years, so you can imagine how many felines I've seen up until now as a 36-year-old cat dad (please don't call me old).

But you know what? Cats still surprise me to this day. It feels like I could write and research cats my entire life and I would always find something new - and that's partly because the world is getting bigger (metaphorically) and cat genetics are wild. The way their genes determine their coat colors and patterns is something I would happily go back to school and study in depth for years. As a result, you constantly get cats with unique and rare fur patterns and markings. It's simply beautiful to see.

I'm not just talking about the different tiny details between my SID (standard issue cat) and yours, I'm talking about cats with "mustaches," cats born with little bowties or with a single, straight line all the way from their heads to their tails. All these fluffy, fabulous felines below are unique in their own special way, and it's pretty obvious how. But what matters most is that, no matter how different they are, they're all still beautiful, and all deserve to live their best lives ordering us hoomans around until their very last breath.

Should the perks of the job apply to an employee's social circle?

For all the complaints about the working world, it does occasionally come with some benefits. Those companies that aren't too stingy acknowledge that a few perks can make their employees happier and maybe even more inclined to do a better job for them. If it's in the budget, it should be a no-brainer.

That being said, these kinds of arrangements have to operate with a certain level of trust. Somebody who exploits them unfairly could end up ruining it for everyone, or at the very least, getting in trouble themselves. Of course, employees are going to try to use their benefits to the maximum of their ability, but it is sensible to have some limits. Not only can employers be fickle, but other people can be inclined to use the worker so that they can make the most of their perks, too. It is yet another scenario where it is necessary to have firm boundaries and be careful who you share your goodwill with. There will always be a person who wants to take things too far and turn it into a bad thing instead.

I've talked about corporate jargon before, but this takes it to a completely different level

What makes remarks like this so disrespectful is that you know they hold a much deeper, personal meaning, but they are expressed in such a dry, professional, and seemingly assertive way that you are forced to smile while, at the same time, you're being openly insulted.

Executive presence is nothing more than a value judgment based on the way you present yourself or speak. They are basically telling you that you don't look the part, and that they won't give you roles that fit that part.

Maybe it is something you can improve; maybe it isn't.

Of course management has the right to decide who'll occupy those roles, but it stings nonetheless.
If one wants to be successful in corporate, one has to find the right, HR-approved ways of saying "I hate you", "I'm going to succeed at this regardless", and "When I get there, you'll be the first person I'll fire if you're not already gone by then".

I think we've all been told something that later turned out not to be true. Or we were told that we weren't fit for a role we were totally fit for. Not everybody has the vision, and you can't blame it. To me, you've got to go with what feels right for you. One should never reject an opportunity to learn and should always remain humble, but nobody can tell you that you lack something and that you will lack it forever. They simply can't know that.

What do you think this word salad actually meant? Do you think this employee still has a chance of escalating within this company, or should he start looking for another job that gives him the opportunity to learn some 'Executive presence'?
 

The Cat Distribution System apparently had this entire family planned out years before anyone else knew what was going on.

Back in 2012, the future cat pawrent was a teenager attending a French-language high school. March 30 happened to be a day off for Francophonie Day, so instead of getting up at 6 a.m. for school, they slept in and made plans to meet a friend around noon. The weather was nice, so they decided to walk instead of taking their usual bus. Already, the CDS was pulling some strings.

Along the way, they passed a woman carrying a box of kittens. She put the box down for just a second to lock her door, and one kitten immediately jumped out and ran straight toward them. They had grown up with dogs and had never even owned a kitten before, but apparently this tiny feline had already made the decision for them.

The woman explained that her cat had given birth and she couldn't keep all the kittens. Since this particular baby had already made a beeline for her chosen hooman, she offered to let them take the kitten home.

And that's how Philip joined the family. They later discovered that "he" was actually a girl, and Philip eventually became Philippa.

But the CDS was thinking way further ahead.

A year later, Philippa gave birth on her pawrent's bed. While they were sleeping in it. Imagine going to bed with one cat and waking up to an entire litter. One of those kittens was Bastet, who is now 13 years old and, according to her hooman, a very spoiled brat.

The whole thing came down to a ridiculous amount of perfect timing. A random day off, nice weather, walking instead of taking the bus, one particular route, and one kitten choosing that exact moment to escape her box.

Turns out the Cat Distribution System plans WAY ahead.

Sometimes the dumbest thing can be the reason for your firing.

You can get hired for a job position without being the most intelligent one. But you can get fired without being the dumbest one as well. Getting fired can even be easier than getting hired even was. To get hired, you have to send your resume, get approved, get called into an interview, ace it, and maybe go through even more interviews. Then, finally, after all that effort, you get the job. On the other hand, to get fired, you just need one dumb thing, and that can be reason enough for your job to no longer be yours.

So, if getting fired is that easy, does that mean that everyone could lose their job over one mistake? Well, it depends, but mainly, yes. Especially if the mistake is actually harmful to either the company or your superiors. You have to remember that, as an employee, you are just one more person who works in favor of the company. Your job description also includes being useful, being important for the company, not the reason that damages it. So, if by any means you dumb act or bad day, it's actually harmful to the company, its production, or any of the hired people who work for said company, then you can count on the fact that you will, in fact, get fired. And, unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about it, as it is justified.

I'm sure that every employee who has worked for a while at a company knows at least one story about a person who got fired from the job due to a dumb mistake. Sometimes is something extremely dumb that can even be not able to be understood by other people. And everyone just thinks, "Why did they do that?" But well, those things happen, and we have to just deal with it. If you want to know more about this kind of story, I would suggest checking the thread below. 

Maybe the office fundraiser needs a better strategy instead of trying to stop an employee from handing out treats. 

A free candy bowl should be harmless. The owner of the candy bowl is an employee who posted in the Reddit AITA subreddit under the username GrotiusandPufendorf. He explains that he keeps candy stocked for everyone to help themselves, spending about $40 every two or three months on treats. He is happy to do this and doesn't expect anything in return. People occasionally contribute a few dollars or bring more candy, but there is no price list or expectation attached. The bowl has become a small part of the office's workday, bringing a nice gesture meant to make people a little happier at work.

The conflict began when the office committee started selling snacks from a shelf in the lobby. They use the profit to pay for happy hours, holiday decorations, and occasional office lunches. That system exists separately from the candy bowl. The candy bowl had been available for years before the committee was formed. 

Anyway, the members of the committee dared to ask the employee to charge for his snacks and even accused him of not being a team player, as he was cutting into the committee's snack sales. The employee naturally refused to charge for his candy. Coworkers remain free to support the fundraiser if they want lunch and social events, but they are also free to take a piece of candy that a colleague purchased to share. The fundraiser can't depend on controlling or eliminating every other free alternative. They have to find another way of raising money.

Moving in with a roommate sometimes is the only way to pay for all the bills and live in a somewhat comfortable place, but living with a stranger is always a risk.

These two girls have been living together for a few months now, and mostly they get along just fine without major issues. But recently, they faced a situation that strained the relationship. One of them came back after a long shift at work and found that half of her closet was missing. At first, she thought she had misplaced some items, but they were nowhere to be found. She asked her roommate, and she said she'd been cleaning up and had taken her clothes to a donation center. Without asking first. Just because she thought those clothes were up for donation. Mind you, the clothes were inside the closet. The first girl asked her to get her things back, but she wasn't able to do it, and they only gave her $60 for everything. The thing is, there was valuable stuff among those clothes that was worth far more than that, especially a jacket that she had received as a gift from her brother. A few days later, the electric bill came, and she refused to pay it until she was reimbursed for all her stuff. 

You know what? That's completely fair. The other girl left her with half a closet empty (clothes are not exactly cheap), got into her room, and went to her things without asking. She basically stole from her. She didn't respect her roommate's space and boundaries, and if she's not willing to pay her for everything she made her lose, she might as well take care of the bills as a way of reparation until the cost of the items is covered. She can always just pay her what she's owed for all the clothes, but we all know she most likely won't want to do it. This is what 'a risk' means. Not everybody understands boundaries in the same way, and even if they help you pay the bill, they can make your life more complicated. Let's hope she's learned to be respectful of other people's space and belongings. 

We love a spoiled cat, and having your own tiny couch is definitely taking things to another level.

Some cats really do have little sofas all to themselves, and the pictures are way too cute. They climb up, get comfortable, and lounge around like this is completely normal. Meanwhile, we're looking at them wondering why a cat sitting on a miniature couch is making us so happy.

They look so funny when the couch is actually the perfect size for them too. Their little paws reach the edge, they can rest their head on the arm, and there's just enough room to stretch out for a nap. Some even sit upright on them, which makes them look like tiny people relaxing in their living room.

And then there are the cats who have no interest in sitting on their couch normally. They're upside down, hanging halfway off the side, or somehow taking up more space than the entire couch. Give a cat a perfectly good place to sleep and they'll still find their own way to use it.

We're also a little jealous of anyone whose cat actually uses the furniture they buy for them. Cat pawrents know you can spend money on the nicest bed you can find, only for your kitty to decide the cardboard box it came in is better. So if your cat is actually sleeping on the tiny couch you bought them, you won.

Not that having their own furniture means they're going to leave yours alone. Your couch is still fair game, especially if you just got up and left a warm spot behind.

Still, we fully support giving cats their own little place to lounge. They spend a lot of time sleeping, after all. They might as well do it in style.

These kitties certainly look pretty happy with their personal couches.

Why do bosses keep forgetting that employment is a two-way street?

The first three months of a new hire's in a workplace are often referred to as the employee's "probation period", and it is exactly what it sounds like. These three probationary months are there for the employee to prove that they were the right hire for the job. During these 90 days, new hires are expected to bring in their A-game, work as hard as they can to show their worth, and prove to management that they are worth keeping, without a single doubt. 

An employee who fails to do so by the time the probation period ends will most likely be let go, without the company having to provide a severance package, a notice period, or anything else a long-term employee is eligible for.

However, most employers forget that this probation period is also there for the workplace to prove it's worth it to the new hire. The new employee also gets these three months to test and judge the workplace to see if it fits their expectations. Everything that applies to the employee also applies to the employer, including the end result: if the employee isn't satisfied with the workplace, they can leave immediately, no questions asked.

So, when the boss featured in this post on Reddit's r/antiwork decided to extend a new employee's probation period by another 90 days, he was doing so on both ends. If the workplace isn't yet sure about the new hire's value to the company, extending the probation period means that both parties can still cut ties at any point. 

That is exactly what the employee did. Being told that she still didn't prove her worth in the company was a key sign for her that this was not a job she should keep, and luckily, she already had another offer at hand. When she sent her boss a resignation letter without any notice, he threatened to report her for breaking their contract. A contract that doesn't apply since he decided to extend the probation period…

Basically, he has no leg to stand on.

The work week is a woeful thing. We are thrown into the mix and with less than a moment's notice find ourselves swimming in a sea of messages, mails, memos and meetings. So by this point in the week we could all do with a little feline fueled support in the form of these sweet n scratchy cat memes.

You might be wondering why on earth we would offer you sweet as well as scratchy feline funnies, but the truth is that much like the loving relationships we have with our cat kids, the best part is having balance. A little sweetness to make you fall in love and feel as though you are floating. And a little scratch to keep you grounded and connected to reality. After all, we want you to feel better and more pawsitive about the world. But we would not want you to walk around with your head in the clouds. That is a little too happy for being in the office.

So we brought together a cracking collection of cat memes that are hissterical and manage to include a little kick of cayenne to remind you of your place in the world and that while it is fun to have fun at the expense of others. You still need to keep your paws on the ground and avoid getting all holier than thou, no one likes that pawson. And with that we leave you to scroll through this lovely list and hope that you come out the other end with a refreshed and recharged pawspective on the world. 
 

What would you do if the CFO's son put your career at risk?

Imagine that you're a good manager and you know how to do your job. People respect you, and working feels natural and not very demanding. Well, to this wonderful scenario, add a new character: the CFO's son. This nepo baby was stuck in your team because his father wanted to give him a job… or something to do. You know that is probably a sensitive topic, so you give him the simplest task ever: CTRL C + CTRL V. Copying and pasting documents…

At the same time, the company hired an intern, and your coworkers, smarty-pants, decide to give all of their nasty work to this new kid… leaving you reconsidering what you did with the nepo baby. Perhaps you should have given him more responsibilities? Maybe one of yours? And after confirming he's not even capable of copying and pasting anything… You confront him. 

Shame on you, because now you're on the blacklist.

Your higher-ups told you not to push him, or you may end up being fired. Imagine that, take a second…

People go to college; they work hard to find a good position in this hideous job market that we're facing, only for the company you're working at to side with this rich kid who clearly doesn't want to work or know how to work. Anyways, you know it's already a lost battle. You should swallow your pride and just do what you're asked to do… nothing is going to happen. Play along, and that's it. Yes, it's awful, and this manager probably deserves some respect. But ranks are ranks, and have to be "respected".

Besides the ego issue here, it's good to understand the rules inside any company. If there's somebody's son in there, then you should treat them like royalty and maybe expect nothing from them… play along with what you're told, and your job position will be secured. Sounds terrible, I know. But look what happened to this manager here: he wanted the kid to work harder, and he got iced out.

It seems like everybody had a campus cat in college, but not all of these studious cats receive the esteemed honor they deserve.

I studied at an arts and design academy. You can already imagine the eccentric types of people who enroll there as students without me writing a word about it. And, as naturally as it goes, many of my fellow students were cat people. And, also as naturally, it seems, we had some permanent cats living on campus grounds.

First and foremost, there was The Sultan. Yes, he had to have the "The" in the name, because he was that impressive. He was a huge tomcat with a thick orange coat, who would walk heavily all around the territory, and plop himself right at the center of the main yard for everyone to notice him. Then there was his Queen, a young grey female with a very long tail. She was skittish, but loved it when the students offered some food. But then we discovered The Sultan had another queen, so we creatively named her Mistress. She was a friendly calico who was loved by everyone on campus. She meowed loudly for pets.

And despite them being the most permanent residents on campus (because, you know, all students and professors go home eventually, even after days that seem like they stretch forever), they were never acknowledged by any official staff. But that's not the case for Max, the resident campus cat of Vermont State University. After being the friendliest cat for years, to both students and faculty members, he was honored with a fitting doctor title - just as if he were an esteemed university teacher, a professor of high regard.

Meowwwwww! It's cat time.

When we think of the best time to have a cat time, it's all the time. It doesn't matter what the actual hour is, or what day we're on - if time exists, then it's time to have some cat time. And the sooner it happens, the better. And since we're pretty sure time exists (we're not about to determine this astro-philosophical claim; we're not super smart scientists), it means it's a good time to have cat time. We might not be the ones to ponder over the existence of time itself, but we're definitely the internet's expurrts on cats, so we say - let's have ourselves the best cat time, right meow!

But what is cat time, you might ask yourself? Well, don't worry, we're here to explain everything. We can't explain the dilatation of the cosmos and the creation of time as a human concept, but we can explain cats. And we can do it all day long, because we're perpetually obsessed. And if you're here, we assume you're as much of a cat person as we are. The short answer is that cat time is any time you experience the catness of being with your cat, or around a cat, and generally surrounded by cat vibes.

You can achieve prime cat time by petting your cat, giving your cat a little snack, playing with your cat's favorite toy and watching them have the time of their lives, or literally anything you can do in the proximity of your cat. And if you're not around your cat in this current moment? Don't worry, just get any cat to be in your immediate surroundings, and you're good. But what if you can't even have that? Well, that's a very solvable thing for cat people. All you have to do is scroll through some feline funnies filled with immaculate cat humor, and you'll be just fine.

Some petty things are mandatory

Some things in life are obligatory. Not all of them are nice and ethical. Not all of them make us the bigger person. Sometimes we must do the petty thing, as this is the only way the message we mean to send will be understood.

If, by any chance, we were to be delicate or choose the mature road, some people would never understand that they've wronged us. Of course, we should be wise when choosing when to take the petty road, because not everything is worth creating a scene for, but some things are, and oh boy, we should squeeze all the juice out of them.

I don't really understand wedding code, because nobody around me gets married anymore. I assume this is a pretty dramatic situation, and that's why the OP reacted that way, especially after travelling so much to get to the event. What I do observe is that many stories reflect the economic nature weddings are acquiring. They seem increasingly more related to cash-grabbing than to celebrating union.

Angry brides demanding expensive gifts their guests can't afford is now becoming the norm. But if you're expected to travel 600+ miles and deliver an expensive gift and you're not even included on the list, I don't think that's a fair exchange, and it definitely deserves a petty reaction.

I don't think OP caused much of a scene; I think he was coherent, and after all, gifts and even presence should be optional. If they weren't, it wouldn't be a party but an obligatory fundraising event, and maybe that's what it secretly is, apparently.

Do you think this couple caused way too much of a scene? Or did they do well by leaving the party with their precious envelope?

Just like there are people who see the law as advice, there are bosses who treat employment law like a suggestion box and wonder why it bites them later, you know where. 

This one spent years yelling at staff, denying it on camera, and assuming nobody would ever push back. Then he met an employee who understood the rules well enough to turn a firing into a slow-motion financial trap.

The plan started simple enough: put the worker on a special government leave, stretch it with extensions, and hope they found another job so the company could dodge severance. It worked for a while, until paperwork due dates did what paperwork due dates do. An extension request arrived late, gov said no, and suddenly two months of paid leave became two months of paid nothing, billed directly to the boss.