They say the only way to fight fire is with fire, but we have another alternative. In our opinion, the best way to fight fire is by being a safe distance away while laughing at cat memes and not caring if the world burns down.

There are two different types of people on Mondays: the people who are overly excited about surviving another week, and the people who wish they didn't survive to reach Monday. Spoiler alert, both are terrible. The manic people are obnoxious with their pawsitivity and love to bother the people who feel differently from them. The others complain for at least 24 hours and are insufferable to talk to. We're not here to suggest that you be either of those people, but we will suggest a secret third option that involves both pawsitivity and a judgmental vibe.

This third option involves a few things: furiously fluffy feline funnies, energy for zoomies, and the knowledge that the only thing that matters in life is cats. If you only care about cats, then it doesn't really matter what day it is. Cats are going to do what they're going to do, which means they'll zoomie when they want to, even if it's 3 o'clock in the meowrning. 

Listen, we're not telling you that it's the purrfect solution, but it's certainly better than being an annoying "glass half full" or a "glass half empty" kind of purrson. Instead, just knock the glass over, enjoy some funny cat memes, and live your life the way you want to. 

It's time to RTO

It's hard to think it's all for the best when you just signed the lease on an apartment 45 minutes away from the office you now have to return to. Some things we can't predict, and sadly, we simply have to adjust to. I don't think the company was basing its decisions on what would be suitable for every employee, but more on what was more suitable for the company itself, obviously. That's what every company does. Not because they're inherently evil but because it's kinda impossible to be suitable for everybody. I don't know how big the company this employee is a part of is, but if it's small, he can very well have a chance to discuss things.

There is a dark side to rescuing animals, and the line between doing good for them and keeping yourself afloat is a more slippery slope than most people think.

Adopting any sort of pet is a financial burden. Whether it's a pedigree cat from an esteemed breeder or a free cat you saved from life on the streets, you are still going to have to prepare yourself for 12+ years of expenses to take care of them. Now, is the financial burden between one cat and two cats huge? No. But you save one cat, then you find another who needs your help. And another. And some kittens from a mom who wasn't spayed. Before you know it, your house is full of cats you've become emotionally attached to, and you have 10 cats to bring to the vet for medicine, shots, not to mention all the litter, food, and enrichment supplies you need to buy for them. 

When do you have to learn to say no? This is what our pawrent from Reddit's r/catadvice subreddit is tackling now. She rescued a whole colony of stray cats in her neighborhood, 10 cats to be exact, and now she's struggling financially. She's also a mom and a wife, and her home life is starting to suffer from the strain of taking care of all of these cats. 

It's hard because she's grown attached to these cats. She saved them, but they are taking away from her quality of life. This is the "dark side" of rescuing animals that we were talking about above - when you give too much of yourself to save them. Cats are sensitive creatures, and if you are stressed,  they will be too. Scroll down below to see what advice the cat community gave this cat mom who is on the brink of bankruptcy. 

Why would you expect someone to do something for you if, in the moment, you could have done it for them, you decided not to do it?

If you had a friend that you even considered your BEST FRIEND, and when their wedding came, they not only did not pick you as their maid of honor, but they also started using you as one without inviting you to the bridal shower or anything. Would you still be friends with them? I don't think so. The story below has some sad parts, as every story about a falling out between friends, but I think that the most awful part was the fact that the friend who got married first decided to take advantage of the user telling the story. Which simply proves that she was never a good friend indeed. 

The first bride wasn't only a bad friend. She was also an entitled mean girl. She saw the opportunity to take advantage of multiple people at the same time to get what she wanted, and she took it. She used people she knew had money as her bridesmaids so they would organize and pay for a really expensive bridal shower. Then she used her best friend as some kind of servant that helped her organize the wedding without even inviting her to be one of the bridesmaids. 

What a good thing karma is. This annoying bride got exactly what she deserved. No bridal shower, nobody helping her out at the wedding planning, a stressful wedding party, and the loss of a really good friend. If she just asked her best friend to be her maid of honor, she would have had a great party before the wedding, some help with all the planning, and would have also been the maid of honor of her best friend during her wedding. Now she's not even invited to the wedding of her oldest friend. And she deserves it. I really love the stories where people get exactly what they deserved. She tried to use people and got payback instantly. Next time, try being a nice person, and maybe things won't turn out so bad. 
 

Is there anything more peaceful than a cat sleeping in a cozy position? Some curl into neat circles, others manage to fit in the space between two cushions, and others steal your bed blanket. But all cats look completely content when they curl up to sleep. And if there is a sunbeam? Perfect. That spot becomes their reserved seating.

Hey there, tired human. I know you've been lacking sleep lately, so I made this post for you. I mean, you should probably get some sleep, but in the meantime, you can watch these cozy cats and feel the vibe. Maybe your week started tough; maybe you couldn't get the rest you needed during the weekend because you made so many plans, maybe you weren't ready for the week to start again. I feel you. So I've summoned the masters of coziness and sleepiness so this post could get to you. I hope you feel better.  

If your brain could leave your body for ten minutes, it would probably reappear as a cat sleeping in a cozy rectangle of sunlight. Everyone knows that cats know rest better than anyone else. So if you need more rest, just learn from your cat. OR else, scroll through these cozy cat pictures and feel the sleepy vibe. These cats are so comfy and cute that something will be fixed inside you after you see them. I promise.  

These cats can't teleport you to a warm and comforting patch of sunlight, but they can make the day feel lighter for a moment. And most probably, at this time of the year, you wouldn't want to sit in direct sunlight anyway. The heat would cook you alive. You'd better stay indoors near a fan and a cold drink in hand. But that's why this feline therapy is all mental. Let the cats soak up the imaginary sunbeams for you and embrace the cozy cat philosophy: let yourself slow down and rest without feeling guilty about it. You may not sleep for sixteen hours a day like them, but you can still take a peaceful pause and then continue with your week.    

What does a workplace "red flag" look like to you? It turns out, they're difficult to decipher.

College is never easy, not for students, nor for teachers, but everybody gives their best to finally get their well-earned degree. Administrators and advisors play a fundamental role in all students' lives. They guide them and help them with all the tedious bureaucratic paperwork. They're there for us and keep the motors running. Without them, everything would be a lot more chaotic than it already is. 

Us students, value these helpers very much throughout our studious lifetime. That's why it's even more disappointing to see the educational institution, itself, work against its own students. Redditor u/mods-begone was not only underappreciated, but also overworked by his superiors. They diminished him, spoke ill of him right to his face, used him like a scapegoat, and so much more. And the red flags were there from the beginning!  The day he started working for that department, SIX PEOPLE had already resigned. 

It is more than justified for him to leave that place and find a position that is best suited for his character and abilities. One with bosses who are actually professionals and don't have the need to diminish the people who help them. One would think that, since they're all college-educated people, they would have better manners and be actually reasonable. However, as life makes sure to teach us, people oftentimes don't meet the minimum criteria for human decency and basic understanding of social rules. This Redditor realized he would never get out of that poor workplace with that kind of attitude. Plus, he still has his whole career ahead of him. 

It's silly that we call it a 'PTO request' when we shouldn't really ask for anyone's permission to use our much-earned time off.

We should all make it a habit to never ask for permission to take our vacation days. Instead, we should simply email our manager saying, "Hey, I will be gone in these days; please plan accordingly" and call it a day. They can say no as much as they want, but as long as you gave them enough of a heads-up, their inability to plan ahead should never be your problem.

Most jobs don't even require that much planning ahead anyway. You simply take the time off, and your work can wait the few days it will take for you to return. Unless it is a matter of saving lives, nothing will happen if you're gone, clearing your mind and ensuring you return with actual energy to do the job properly.

When your absence means that someone else has to cover for you, then it is your boss's responsibility to make sure there is someone to do that. As long as you gave them enough time to prepare, it is not your concern whether they succeed or not. You should be able to go on your PTO regardless of whether or not your boss finds a replacement for you in time. And if they don't, well, all it sounds like to us is that your boss is going to work a little bit extra while you're away.

But under no circumstances should you give in to your PTO request being "denied". You don't ask for permission; you provide a proper notice, and that's that. They can say no as many times as you want, but you will not be here to discuss it during your PTO time.

If that gets you in trouble once you're back, then that workplace might not be a place you should spend your time at…

Kittens need their mothers, but sometimes, the mother and kittens need help from humans as well. 

Being a cat mom is one hard job, even without nosy humans sticking said noses into these moms' business. That's why we have entire hilarious collections of pictures of cat moms overwhelmed with the realities of parenthood. It's why, oftentimes, when new cat moms live with humans, these cat moms bring their babies to their humans for babysitting duties and go nap in a different room, recuperating from working hard. From the outside, it's hilarious and silly, but for these moms… they are exhausted, working their cute fluffy booties off, and they don't need extra problems in their lives. 

In the story shared on r/blackcats, one woman decided to be a whole problem. She didn't want cats on her roof, so she just decided that the newborn kittens she found on there should be moved. Without searching out the mother to trap her and move her with the kittens. Without caring for the kittens herself. On the roof, a group of teenagers was bringing food to the momma cat and kittens, but this woman didn't warn them either, and didn't bother bringing food for the kittens herself. She just decided to be a problem. 

Thankfully, another neighbor found the kittens where she had dumped them, and they were not going to stand for something like this. They tried explaining first, letting this woman know that kittens need their moms, but she didn't care and wouldn't listen. So, the neighbor took it in their own hands, and fast forward later, the kittens are reunited with their mom, have a great human taking care of them, and a forever home already found for all of them with a friend of the person taking care of them. 

You don't owe your family anything, especially if they don't even make the effort to know you or your children.

There is this belief that if it's family, then you must love and cherish them, just because family is stronger than anything else. Well, I'm here to break that dangerous social construction. Dangerous because it is common for family members to take benefit from that. Just because you are related to someone does not excuse them from mistreating you. It also doesn't make them forgivable for anything they do. A family member is just that, family, not someone special or a nice person. That depends solely on their way of behaving, not on the familiarity they have with you. 

The main problem with believing that just because someone is related to you, they are an excuse to do anything is that it makes us unhappy by forgiving every single bad thing they do. Also, if ones you decide to act on their behavior, for example, cutting ties with them, well, then it is probable that other family members start excluding you because you were not good to family. As if just because someone is family, they are entitled to do anything they want, and you have the unavoidable task of accepting it. 
 

In the story below, we encounter a grandad who doesn't really want to make an effort to have a good relationship with his daughter or grandkids. Then why is it the mom's responsibility to keep in touch? Why does she have to organize to go visit him? If he doesn't want to take time to know his family members, why should she make the effort for him? Just because it's family? Well, no. Family works both ways. If you stop making an effort to care for them, then they owe you nothing. Family IS conditioned on whether they are interested in forming a meaningful relationship or not. It's not only about being related. It's about taking an interest in family members, both ways. 
 

Another Monday, another desperate need for some pawsitivity first thing in the morning. 

I don't know about all of you guys, but during strange times like these, I have really been looking for every single thing that could uplift my mood. And it's been a surprisingly tall order. For me, as I was growing up, the best place to go do that was the internet. I would log on, search out my favorite sites, like ICanHasCheezburger, for instance, and I would look at adorable pictures of cats all day long. After that, it became all about social media, but even on social media, things used to be simple. Clicks were worth less, so there was no crazy algorithm to chase, no clickbait, no ragebail. It was funny cat memes and other silly things that we all loved. 

Today, things are even more intense. I log onto my Twitter account, and I see chaos. A wasteland of content, moving at the speed of light. I remember everything and nothing at the same time. And the one thing that I search out - the cute and silly cats that used to make me so happy online are drowned out by all the madness. Still, people like me - like us - are on Twitter, fighting hard to keep cats' position as the rulers of the internet fully intact. And that cat content that is drowned out is still worth seeing. It's still ameowzing. So, I have decided to personally do the digging for everyone. I search through the wasteland every single week and bring you the best of the best that cat Twitter has to offer - the funniest, the cutest, the most viral. Here, you have it all without all the noise and chaos that surrounds it. Cats and only cats to start the week on the right paw. 

Is it the teacher's or the student's responsibility when the entire class performs poorly?

That is a difficult question to answer, and the response will depend on who you ask. Almost all members of my family are teachers, so I guess I might be a little biased. Still, one of the most important skills a teacher needs to have is the ability to do some self-reflection and evaluate their own methods. They are constantly learning, as much as the students, which is why that self-reflection is so important. Not all kids learn in the same way, and every class is different. 

I understand that it must be a huge hit to any teacher's ego when their students like another teacher better. It's really easy to always blame the kids for not studying, not being interested in school, or being too lazy. And don't get me wrong, that is one hundred percent possible and often true. But it is also true that some teachers have the ability to make the students feel more engaged. Then again, teachers have many responsibilities, and it is not humanly possible for them to cater individually to every single kid's interest; they have a program to stick to. It's a never-ending cycle and a never-ending debate. 

For Redditor u/Being-Wordy-2000, it was a bit of both. Their division was usually problematic, and that didn't change, but they met a math teacher who made them feel interested in the subject. So much so that they outperformed other divisions during exam week. That was suspicious to another teacher, who ended up accusing them of cheating.

Both the students' and the teacher's sides are understandable. If the teacher already knew how they usually performed and behaved, it could be suspicious to suddenly see them act so differently. And the students must have felt frustrated by the accusation, since they were doing exactly what all teachers expect from other classes. The issue is not the distrust itself, but the motives behind it. The teacher was motivated by jealousy and a crushed ego, and students should never have to take the blame for some adult's inner insecurities.

Relationships and cat kids are complicated. Often when they end there is a lot of shouting, bargaining and begging related to the feline fur baby whom you had both raised. But this story shows what happens when it all goes wrong and your ex does something completely unhinged.

Coming to us from Reddit's r/bayarea subreddit this story tells the tale of a poor feline fur baby who found herself stuck in the middle of her pawrents' parting. And through the fog of war, she suddenly found herslef being whisked away by her cat dad to the other end of the country, and subsequently left to fend for herself on the streets of Cali. a heinous thing to have done to a cat, but luckily one that will not cost too dearly for the feline who was properly chipped, meaning that the rescue who caught him could promptly call mom and tell her the good news.

However, this is where things got tricky. Being at the other end of the United States means a car ride is simply too long and a flight would be the only available option for their reunion. Problem being that cats need an accompanying hooman to fly alongside them and our cat pawrent protagonist sadly could not afford the air fair. But after posting about her sorry situation on Reddit, one kind cat lover stepped up to take their burden on her shoulders and shell out the cash and time to bring this cat kid home to mama. Safe to say it was once heck of an emotional reunion.
 

It is a well known fact that cats love a box to squeeze into. Some have posited that it might be because they feel self conscious because of their fur and want to show us hoomans how slim and trim they actually are. But those are nothing more than baseless opinions, what we have fur you today are some straight up feline facts from hoomans who have actually figured out why cats love sitting in boxes so darn much.

Cats squeezing themselves into boxes, or generally enjoying a good box is a surprisingly common topic on Reddit's r/cats subreddit. Pawrents fawn over how cute the habit is, how when and where their cat kids curl up in their boxes and of course as this list aims to answer, why in fact do our feline friends so very much enjoy the confines of a cardboard box? After all, what could they see in this flimsy, single use piece of overgrown paper? Maybe us hoomans are missing something?

And as it happens, we hoomans have indeed missed a whole heap of stuff when it comes to cats and their cardboard boxes. Now first off the facts we have found apply to all boxes not only cardboard, but cardboard is a central figure considering how readily available our online order boxes have become. Second, we want to get the obvious out of the way, a box is a safe space for a feline, after all, they too are prey in certain situations and need a place to feel safe, secure and hidden from their predators. The rest of the rather interesting reasons we will leave for you to discover. Just be warned that the reasons are that good that you yourself might end up in a box by the end of it.

 

Shrek WHAT?

I can't believe this is an actual concept, but we are living in a strange era. What is the world coming to? Lol. Of course, she is not overreacting; this could very well be the modern version of Carrie, except the protagonist in this story doesn't have telekinetic powers (that we know of). The mindset behind this trend is so bizarre I can't even begin to comprehend. It's like he wants to date prettier girls, but according to him, those same pretty girls ask for too much (maybe they're asking to be treated as human, god forbid), so he is lowering his standards. But also, what does he get in exchange for lowering his standards if, in the end, he gets the attention of a girl he doesn't care about? Is it all about power and control? It's honestly kind of psychopathic, and I don't understand the logic around it, perhaps because I'm not a monster lol. Anyways, shout out to this girl who got up and left. I'm worried she still wonders if she overreacted, though.

Losing your soul cat is hard. Losing 3 in quick succession is even harder. But all it takes is one tiny kitten to claim you as their hooman to help you believe in love again.

Something no cat pawrent likes to think about is the rainbow bridge. We all want to live in a beautiful dream, in which our cats will live exactly as long as we will, and not a second longer or shorter. But that's not reality. To care for a cat is to give it the best life you pawssibly can and prepare yourself for their eventual crossing over the rainbow bridge. If you're not ready to face that reality, don't get a cat. 

Nothing can prepare you for it, and it doesn't get any easier if you've experienced it before. The months after can feel devastating. It might even feel like you don't have room in your heart for another cat again… ever. But Binx's story below proves to all of us that it doesn't take much to learn how to open your heart again.

George Brown lost his 3 childhood cats in quick succession, the youngest being only 3 years old. After a while, his now ex-wife took him an hour from home on an "errand", which turned out to be a foster home for cats, where George was supposed to pick out a black cat to adopt. The only black cat there, however, wanted nothing to do with him. He was about to leave when he felt a sharp pain climbing up his leg and onto his shoulder - a black kitten stared into his eyes, screamed at him, then licked his nose. His name was 'Osirus', but George would soon name him 'Binx'.

He's not angry, he just has RBF (Resting Boss Face).

Just when you thought your boss was the worst, this little feline came along to give you your purrformance review, and it's not looking good. Everyone knows that the size of one's mustache directly correlates to the strictness of one's purrsonality. And this cat might have the bushiest, most beautiful mustache we've ever seen. He gives Ron Swanson, Tom Selleck, and even Freddie Mercury a run for their money. He's like J. Jonah Jameson from the Spider-Man universe reincarnated.

We're no stranger to cats with facial hair. You might even say it's something of a specialty of ours. We love all cats equally, but we do love to search for cats with rare and unique fur patterns, and this corporate kitty cutie definitely fits into the box of "unique". From cats with hearts or numbers in their fur to vitiligo kitties, we love searching for any feline with an unusual marking or pattern. However, none of them would be fit to give you a purrformance review like our RBF (resting boss face) cat below.

Your job may be on the line, but at the very least, you'll get to be fired by this fluffy feline and his seriously silly 'stache. He might even let you cuddle with him after he breaks the bad news, so you have that going for you. Bring some cans of tuna (he has been known to accept bribery on occasion) and a cardboard box because even if you do get fired, at least you'll get fired with a smile on your face.

Some bosses are really awful leaders.

As a manager, you aren't only a boss. You are a team leader, which means not only managing employees but also helping them succeed in their careers in the internal ladder of the company. This is not something that many bosses know. They usually believe they just have to boss around and control them, but it is far more than that. A good boss would actually make an effort to make sure their employees are actually exceeding their expectations and capabilities, that they are doing their 100% for the company. 

Instead of that, it seems as if some managers were jealous of their employees. Afraid they are going to exceed them, be better than they are, take their place. But the truth is, if you are actually a good boss, you aren't afraid that the people you are in charge of are going to upstage you. In this Reddit story, the boss felt threatened by the new employee with great qualifications, and instead of putting in a bigger effort herself, she decided to just make it seem as if the new employee was less than they expected. Why put so much effort into making somebody else look bad instead of trying to be better yourself? Wasn't it easier to just improve yourself? 

This is the thing with bosses. You can't really go over their requests without getting fired. So, with all this scheme that this manager put up, it became impossible for the employee to show his value and skills. He just got stuck in a role that wasn't what he was hired for. Leaving him with no real purpose or even a reason to stay in a company that was simply lowering him more and more every day. The boss may have looked like a better fit for the role, but for that, she had to demean a good employee who was going to bring real value to the company. 
 

The tiny voice telling your cat, "Do it," has never once been ignored.

One second they're peacefully sitting on the windowsill, and the next they're somehow halfway up the curtains. Nobody knows what changes in that tiny feline brain, but the decision is made in an instant. Whatever intrusive thought just popped into their head immediately becomes their next mission.

Cats have an incredible talent for turning perfectly normal moments into unforgettable ones. They'll stare at a glass of water for five minutes before suddenly deciding to slap it off the table. They'll spend ten minutes carefully studying a shelf, only to launch themselves onto it with the confidence of an Olympic gymnast and the accuracy of someone who definitely skipped practice. Sometimes they make direct eye contact before causing the chaos, almost like they're giving you one last chance to stop them. Other times, they don't even bother with a warning.

Once an idea enters their head, there's no second-guessing it. Climb the highest bookshelf? Absolutely. Sprint through the house at full speed because of a dust particle? Makes perfect sense. Stick your entire face into a shopping bag and somehow get stuck? Worth a shot. Knock a pen onto the floor just to watch it fall? Scientific research.

And somehow, no matter how ridiculous the plan was, they always walk away acting like everything happened exactly as intended. If something crashes, clearly it was the shelf's fault. If they miss a jump, everyone else simply witnessed it incorrectly. Their confidence never takes a hit.

Cats don't waste time wondering whether an idea is good or bad. If something sounds interesting, that's reason enough to give it a try. Their confidence is unmatched, their timing is usually terrible, and their commitment is nothing short of impressive. Every once in a while, those intrusive thoughts lead to absolute chaos, but they're also the reason cats keep us laughing day after day.

Is it worth it to put your job on the line because you think you know better?

In some cases, people don't know when to put their heads down. In life, it's hard to determine whether something is worth fighting over or if it's just better to let it go completely. In the workplace, the same thing can happen, but as a general rule, it's usually easier to yield to what your bosses are asking from you. 

Reddito says in  r/TalesFromRetail that a vendor from the store he worked at got herself in trouble for not following company rules. She was so sure she knew better and refused to follow instructions that eventually the company decided to retaliate against her for being problematic. 

Sometimes ego can get in the way and be an issue. The way someone behaves at work will depend on whether or not they need to keep a job or have other options. And if they think they are irreplaceable, that might lead them to act arrogantly and do more harm than good. 

If you ask us, the goal should always be keeping the peace and the job. No one wants to make it more difficult for themselves or their coworkers. On the contrary, ideally, everybody does their best to contribute to the company and function properly and without any incidents. Some people might not have that kind of consideration towards others, but that doesn't mean that kind of behavior should be considered the standard. All actions have consequences, inside and outside of the workplace. 

Whatever decision someone makes, they must be willing to pay the price for it, for better or for worse. If they actively choose to ignore instructions and do what they want, it is to be expected that management will notice and take action. Sometimes it will be a write-up; in others, to fire the employee on the spot. The way someone reacts to being called out will be tied to their intention to stay or leave.

She already had six cats, but one more kept pulling at her heart.

It only took one trip to the animal shelter to turn six cats into seven. Anyone who spends time scrolling through Reddit's r/blackcats subreddit already knows how often black cats get passed over in favor of younger kittens, and this story is another reminder that some of the sweetest companions are the ones people keep walking past.

The rescuer had just adopted an adorable cat two weeks earlier and figured that was the end of their shelter visits for a while. But there was one face they couldn't forget. An older black cat sat in the kennel next door, quietly watching kitten after kitten leave while he stayed behind. Every day during lunch, they checked the shelter's website hoping someone had finally chosen him. Every day, he was still there.

Eventually, they couldn't take it anymore. One more visit turned into one more conversation with their husband, complete with promises not to adopt another cat and even joking about signing a notarized affidavit to prove it. His counteroffer? Buy him Whataburger, and he'd think about it.

That was all the encouragement they needed.

Buddy finally walked out of the shelter and into a home filled with six other cats, two dogs, and people who already adored him before he even arrived. Judging by the photos, he settled into family life without missing a beat.

He may have been overlooked at the shelter, but Buddy's clearly making up for lost time. Between six feline siblings, two dogs, and humans who couldn't stop thinking about him, it's safe to say this sweet senior found the family he was waiting for.