Is it accidental, or are they using weaponized incompetence?

Having new hires to train can be a pain in the neck (just ask my bosses lol), especially if they seem not to care much about learning their tasks and the rhythm of the company. It's one thing if they make mistakes because they are new and still don't have the hang of it, and a very different thing if they are simply irresponsible. 

Anyone can make mistakes when they are confused, but skipping work hours, lying about something you said before, and being generally not trustworthy are not innocent mistakes. Reddit user u/amethystkitten420 is a hotel receptionist who had a new coworker doing just that during the first two weeks of working there. 

When these things happen, it makes you wonder whether they are doing it on purpose, if they are actively trying to get fired, or if they are simply not cut out for that job. All of these options are equally possible, but depending on the person, it gets easier or harder to realize which one it is. Even so, it would make no sense for someone who was hired two weeks ago to be underperforming intentionally. The logical explanation is that she's not good at her job, or maybe she enjoys making other people's work lives miserable. Not a very good attitude to have, but definitely a realistic option. 

Having a bad coworker can drive you mad and make your job all the more complicated, so it's better to stay as far away from them as possible. We're not saying they deserve to get fired; they can still learn, and their performance can meet expectations. Still, they're going to need help from management and to receive the right warnings for their inappropriate behavior. Eventually, they will get better, or, worst-case scenario, the managers will have to make some tough decisions.

Cats truly make our lives better, one meow and purr at a time.

It's not a secret that we love cats here. Like, we're a whole website dedicated to cats - memes and jokes, adoption stories, and general cat cuteness that took over the internet long ago. But it's not just a facade - we truly all love cats here. We went around the office to hear some of the I Can Has Cheezburger staff gush about their cats:

"My cat, Waffles, has this habit of sitting directly on my keyboard the second I start typing - like clockwork, every single day. I used to get annoyed, but now I just accept that whatever paragraph I'm writing is going to have a few extra 'zzzzz's in it courtesy of him. Honestly, working from home with a cat means my 'coworker' is unbothered by deadlines and demands snacks on a schedule that has nothing to do with actual hunger. Wouldn't trade it for anything. He's basically my supervisor at this point, and he's terrible at performance reviews."

"I adopted my cat Bobbert the Girl two years ago from a cat shelter, and she's completely changed how I start my mornings. She headbutts my coffee mug until I pay attention to her, which honestly is a better wake-up call than any alarm. What gets me is how much personality she has - she's dramatic, she's stubborn, and she's weirdly obsessed with trying to squeeze her head into my shoes. Scrolling through cat memes all day for work and then coming home to my own tiny menace? It's the dream job, honestly. I don't think I could do this job without a cat of my own."

"People assume working here means I'm just professionally cat-obsessed, and okay, fair, but it's also personal. My cat Miso is thirteen now, mostly deaf, and somehow still the bossiest creature I've ever met. She naps on my desk while I design, and I swear she critiques my color choices by knocking things off the table when she disagrees. Cats don't need to do much to make your day better - Miso just exists near me, purring, and somehow that's enough. I think that's what this whole site gets right: the little things cats do really are the whole point."

Cats are humanity's greatest mischief buddies.

Despite cats' popularity (which is well deserved - look how cute cats are!), most people think of dogs as their best friends. But the fact that you can take your dog to the park in ease, unlike a cat who needs leash training for literal months or years, doesn't mean they're the only BFF candidate. The friendship between humans and their animals isn't measured in constant proximity alone. It's also about the mutual love, and… the shenanigans you are up to together, against the world. And cats? Oh, they're the meowing masters of mischief.

When you chase each other at 4 AM, in a full-on zoomies mode. When you watch them trip your legs because they know you're about to give them a yummy treat. When they jump on the ceiling and somehow latch on and stay there. Cats are silly, and these funny experiences we have with them are a crucial part of a human-cat friendship. It's a friendship that fills our hearts and never fails to make us laugh.

Oh no! The consequences of my own actions

Facing reality can sometimes be hard; one can realize that one was living well beyond one's means, or that one lost not only a relationship but also a specific lifestyle. To me, separations come with these types of literal and concrete costs. You have to find another place; there's nobody available to pick you up from a party or the hospital, and of course, you no longer have a partner to share your life with, which is the most important part. For the girlfriend in this story, it seems the most important part was the apartment they shared, because her suggestion to go back to the relationship was made only when she realized she couldn't afford the lifestyle she wanted on her own, and that is a very cynical way of managing her finances and her relationship to others.

Why make all that scene if the employee is going to leave anyway? Just accept the notice and move on!

Toxic workplaces are not something you can recognize from afar. When you notice it is toxic, you are already working there and just looking forward to getting another job and leaving. So when you do, you find another place that values you more, that seeks benefits for hard workers, and in which your career can grow. You don't just leave. You run away. Is finding what you were looking for all along. There is no step in between. You just leave everything and leave. So, in this Reddit story, this employee decided to leave a 10-days notice. I was impressed. That is not really common to do when the company you work at mistreated you as they did to her. But I admire the fact that they wanted to end things correctly and professionally.

What I did not value is the attitude of the boss, a manager who had no reason to scream and demand anything from the worker. You, as an employee, don't really have the obligation to notify a company 2 weeks prior that you are leaving. But if you do is always better. But, as it's not an obligation, if you do notify them, they have no right to tell you that it should have been more days of notice or anything. You are not a slave. You have a job that you can leave whenever you want, especially if the company is mistreating you. 
 

In this case, this employee was unhappy with their job and found a new opportunity that was actually in their field. What reason did they have to stay? Stop working in retail to work in something that you're passionate about, that doesn't seem crazy, just as a wise decision. How can a company that is doing nothing for this employee compete? It can't. They just have to accept the fact that the employee didn't just leave to somewhere where they probably can leave without having to go through a dramatic scene. 
 

Finding a discarded kitten is emotionally overwhelming enough for most of us cat loving hoomans. But to then discover, like this rescuer did, that your saved kitten will not eat nor go to the toilet. Well, that is one heck of a harrowing experience and we hope you will join us to find out how this pawrent and their kitten overcame their first furious hurdle together.

Reddit's r/cats subreddit is full of stories about kittens being found and abandoned in boxes. For some reason it seems to be cruel hoomans' favorite choice of dumping receptacle. Nonetheless, our story is of that ilk but it has a slightly scary twist added to it, one that if pawrent and kitten could not overcome would end in a trip over the rainbow bridge. And there is no more heartbreaking outcome than seeing the feline you have worked tirelessly to save slip away.

But this pawrent was not about to let anything happen to his new feline love. And he set about trying all the different options he had to hand to help this cute critter let go. However, this pawrent was no expert, and when his homemade attempts did not quite pan out he turned to the pawfessionals. Who also did not initially figure out how to help this sweet kitten. But with his pawrent's perseverance he made it to a super clever vet who straight away saw the problem and put things right as they should have been from the start. 
 

Warning: cute cat memes might send you off to sleep this meowning.

The thing about cats is that they're so multifaceted. Being chaotic and zooming one moment, and off to cuddle you the next, there's no predicting what they'll do, but they always manage to bring a smile to our faces. Even when we've had the worst day, even if our cat misbehaves, when that little furballs sees us upset, he or she knows when to kick cuddle mode into gear. Some people never get to experience the warmth and touch of another person, never get the pleasure of a cuddle. Cats allow us to get the love and care we need without the difficulty around managing how someone else feels. It's too easy to just grab a cat and let him or her fall right to sleep on you. Maybe you're mid movie, maybe you're scrolling before bed, but either way, your cat will make it to you to give you some much needed love. 

When cats are around the people they love and care about (aka their owners), their brains actually release oxytocin. If you didn't know already, oxytocin is known as the "love" chemical. It's released when you feel safe and bonded to someone or something. So when you say you really love your cat you're not lying! There's a whole neuro network of transmitters regulating those feelings of safety, warmth, connection, and love. It's so important that we get that in our daily lives. 

Having the comfort and love from an animal or person is just as important as getting food, water, and shelter. Without care and support, we actually don't develop properly. Our motor functions won't be the same, our cognitive functions won't work as well, and it's a handicap no one wants to live with. So as the winter months preside over us, and as the skies get darker and colder by each day, take the time to recognize how love and connection can help combat whatever bad energies you may be feeling this winter. Use cats and cat memes as your oxytocin IV, and here at I Can Has Cheezburger, there's no stopping you. 

A smooch goodnight never hurt anyone. 

The work week is finally winding down, your to-do list can wait until Monday, and the weekend is stretching out before you like a warm blanket on a chilly evening. There's no better feeling than knowing you don't have to set an early alarm tomorrow. The only thing left to do is relax, settle into your favorite spot, and let yourself drift into a relaxing night of rest.

And what better way to end the week than with a good night's kiss from a collection of wholesome cat memes? Cats are experts in the art of relaxation. They know exactly when it's time to curl into you for nighttime snuggles. Sleeping next to someone who loves you truly is the best feeling in the world. It doesn't have to be a partner, boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse. Sometimes the love and comfort from a furry friend or pet is just as softening and relaxing as a person. Their little cat breath lightly breathing on you, and the feeling that you're important in the world. The weight of the week lifts off your shoulders in the weekend, and your cat sit alongside you helping that sense of calm. The rhythm of your cat's purr, the gentleness of their fur pressed against yours, and their cuteness exuding out of them. The weekend demands nothing of you, so you might as well enjoy it. At I Can Has Cheezburger, we love the weekend and think there's never a better time to indulge in relaxation. 

Do you know that feeling of satisfaction when you win after someone tries to sabotage you? Very specific, but we've all been there.

Oh, the thrill of being petty. Few things in life bring so much satisfaction as getting your payback after an attempted sabotage. Yes, we always try to be the "bigger person" and forgive when someone tries to mess with us. However, "trying" doesn't necessarily mean "succeeding." Plus, we can all agree that some people need a lesson in humility from time to time. 

Redditor u/Ruffffian recently came across a man in need of some humility, and he was happy to oblige him. They were at an auction, and this guy called Steve was having fun telling people that no matter what they bid on any piece, he would win it because he had three other people bidding for him. The Redditor was understandably upset, so during the silent auction, he found the piece he wanted and approached a woman bidding for this Steve guy. He snatched the paper from her with the winning bid amount and placed it by himself. Bam! Auction won. 

Some people are just greedy, we can't do anything about it. And many of them have enough money at their disposal to one-up anybody else. They don't need a reason to do it, they just find it fun. So it's very satisfying when someone can outplay them and teach them a lesson. You can get what you want in a decent manner, without walking all over other people. Until they learn that lesson, we just hope there's someone around who's willing to give them a taste of their own medicine. 

There are two kinds of cats in the summer: the ones who eat watermelon... and the ones who judge you for eating it.

Watermelon season always brings out some unexpected personalities, especially when cats are involved. All it takes is one slice on the counter before a curious little face appears out of nowhere to investigate. Whether they're hoping for a bite or simply making sure the fruit meets their standards, they can't resist checking out what's going on.

Some cats take one tiny nibble and decide watermelon is the greatest invention of summer. Others sniff it once, make a face, and walk away like they've been personally offended. A few skip the fruit altogether and become completely obsessed with the rind instead. Cats have a way of making their own rules, even when it comes to snacks.

Every cat seems to have a different approach. Some sit patiently next to the plate, hoping a piece magically falls their way. Others stretch as far as physically possible without getting caught. Then there are the cats who spend the entire time staring at the watermelon like they're trying to solve a puzzle.

Watermelon is one of those foods that only seems to taste right in the summer. You bring one home planning to cut a few slices, and suddenly everyone is standing in the kitchen waiting for one. Apparently, that includes the cat. They may not even want the watermelon, but they're still going to inspect every step of the process like it's their job.

By the time the last slice disappears, there's usually a sticky cutting board, an empty rind, and at least one cat who's convinced they played an important role in the whole operation. That's exactly the kind of summer chaos we can get behind.

Do we get married to please family and friends?

I don't think the concept of marriage is independent of gatherings and celebrations; the origins of marriage as a ceremony are directly linked to community, family, and groups. It was originally a celebration precisely orchestrated within society and a ritual that symbolized a passage from one role in it to another; the passage from a young man to an adult, from a single person to a family, from a child to a parent. Of course, nowadays things are different, and many people have found ways to redefine old traditions and give them their own meaning, and that's what I think happened to this couple. When a couple dares to do something like that, their relatives and friends might not understand it, because, probably to them, the ritual of marriage wasn't something that could be changed. Either way, I think something like this can spark up some interesting debates within a small community.

She didn't waste a single second choosing her person.

One minute, it was the end of a long 12-hour night shift for this hard worker. The next, a tiny calico kitten came hopping out of the tall grass like she had somewhere very important to be. Reddit's r/CatDistributionSystem subreddit has plenty of stories about cats choosing their people, and this little bean wasted absolutely no time making her decision. The second her future human stepped out of the car, she bounced right over, climbed onto a shoulder, and stayed there for the entire ride home.

There wasn't much else to do but make sure she hadn't been separated from her family. The nearby grass was searched, calls were made for her siblings and mama, and the area was checked as thoroughly as possible. With no houses within a couple of miles and no sign of another cat, it became clear this tiny traveler was on her own.

The little calico couldn't have landed in a better place. Within just a few days, she had a growing pile of toys, regular meals, flea baths, plenty of brushing, and a litter box she had already figured out like a pro. She even skipped right past kitten formula in favor of a hearty pâté mixture, proving she already knew exactly what she wanted. Her first vet appointment was already on the calendar before she had even settled into the house.

She may be tiny, but she's packed full of personality. Equal parts sweet, sassy, and completely fearless, she walked out of the grass and straight into a brand-new life without a second thought. Some kittens take their time deciding who to trust. This little calico made up her mind in about five seconds, and judging by that shoulder ride home, she wasn't planning on taking "no" for an answer.

Nothing frustrates a workplace more than someone who thinks the rules only apply to everyone else.

An entitled (and new) employee took over a shared meeting room and turned it into his personal office, brushing off complaints from his coworkers with his phrase: "first come, first served". The situation stayed like that for a while, and a little bit after, when he needed the main conference room for an important annual meeting, his coworkers beat him to it by following the same rule, leaving him with nowhere to host his guests.

I absolutely love these revenge stories, especially when they are about coworkers. We all have worked with one of those people who feel like they own the office and want to do whatever they want with it. They don't believe in sharing and claim shared spaces as their own private office, leaving the rest of the team with nowhere to go and where to work.

As a consequence, I love it even more when people get back at them and give them a taste of their own medicine. When they took over the big meeting room where Karl was supposed to have a meeting with important clients, they not only felt great at doing justice, but also when they responded to him with his famous phrase, making him full of anger. That should have been a wonderful workday, for sure.

However, and like I always like to say, I don't believe it is healthy or good to have a bad relationship with coworkers. Since we spend most of our day next to them, trying to have a respectful bond is important. In the case of this story, I'll also say that Karl deserved that act of revenge and to host his guest in another room, not as pretty as the one he was anticipating using. 

Caturday simply has to start on the right paw, with a collection of the very best cat content of the week! 

The only rule that there is on Caturday is that it has to be absolutely purrfect. Of course, it's hard to predict how a day will go, what kinds of things will happen, but we do have control over how we start the day. We can make sure to start it on the right paw and give ourselves the best chance at a good day possible. And on Caturday, there is only one thing that we need for that, and that is a bunch of adorable and silly cats delivered straight into our phones before we even get out of bed. 

This is what the weekly meowgazine is here for. Here, we put together the very best cat content of the week. The funniest, the most wholesome and, of course, the most viral cat content that has hit the web. This way, we know that we are starting our day with something good and pure that will uplift our mood and have us as prepared as we can be to face the rest of the day! Happy Caturday, everyone! 

Luckily, masks can't stay on forever

Not many things are as frustrating in the dating world as discovering that somebody you thought was the perfect guy wasn't perfect at all. If we're lucky enough, this kind of thing happens early, and we're attentive enough to see it and take action. After an event like this, we can get caught up in any sort of justification for our significant other's actions. We can say he was stressed, he wanted to make a joke to fit in with his friend group, or that we're exaggerating or 'too sensitive'; but I think these episodes are not as ambivalent as they seem, and one should take rapid action. Let's analyze this Redditor's story and see if we're exaggerating or if she should run for the hills NOW.

No cat should be declawed, but those who have already been declawed cannot be outdoor cats. 

I have found, over my many years writing for ICanHasCheezburger, that some people have no understanding of what declawing cats actually means. When a vet - a bad one, because no vet should put declawing up as an option - tells them about it, they don't know any better. They don't understand that to declaw a cat is basically equal to destroying their quality of life forever, putting them in constant pain and at constant risk of health complications. 

Knowing this, I try to be forgiving. When people - in my personal life - ask me about this, as someone who they know has a lot of information about cats, I don't get mad at them. I simply explain. And the people who actually care about their cats and want what is best for their cats immediately understand. One problem is obviously the lack of awareness and education. The other problem… and unfortunately, there is nothing that we can really do about that, is that some people simply don't care.

That's what happened to the sweet black cat whose story was shared on r/Straycats. Bad people. She was a neighborhood cat, a "community" cat . The neighbors fed her, knew her, and pretended to care about her. But when someone who actually likes cats came into the picture, saw the state that this cat was, found out that not only was she being left outside in freezing weather but that she was also declawed, and then decided to adopt the cat, to give the cat a good life, the people in this community called them a thief and a liar. The person didn't listen to them. They adopted the cat. But they were a little shaken by that response, so they turned to the internet for advice. 

Why can something as simple as a nickname cause such a huge family feud? Is the rivalry between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law going to go on forever?

I don't really get the fuss between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law; it feels like a simple way to just pin women against each other based on nothing. But sometimes I get proven incorrect. This feud is always between the mother of a HUSBAND and the girl he married. What they have in common is a man. This often goes hand in hand with having an overprotected mother, also known as a boy mom. They focus so much on their son that even if they also have a daughter, they do not care as much. These mothers see themselves as the only woman, or the first woman, in their son's life. This creates competition among themselves and his son's girlfriends. 

That competition and jealousy are what really motivates the mothers to pursue confrontation with their daughters-in-law. The importance of the arguments lies almost completely in the fact that they feel displaced. Their place in their son's life has been occupied by someone younger, cuter, and nicer. So they don't mistreat their son's girlfriend for pure hatred towards them directly, is more vengeance for their place being taken. Which also includes the expectations they pass on to their daughters-in-law, as they expect them to take care of their "little boys" (grown adults) as they did. 

So this feud is not really about the woman entering the family, is about the mother feeling displaced by another woman and feeling as if they don't matter anymore just because their son is in love. Is about expecting to be the most important person in your son's life even when they form their family. Is about feeling jealous. So, in this story, as almost all of the other ones that bring up the in-laws topic, it is important to understand that just because your child grows and forms their own family doesn't mean that they are eliminating the connection to their parents, and this is the other way as well. Just because you are married doesn't mean you stop considering your parents part of your family. Is about finding your place in a bigger family. 
 

How do you know whether or not you got a job you applied for?

Well, there is only one way to know for sure, and that is when you get a job offer and officially sign a contract. Anything less, and it's safe to assume you were rejected. You don't even have to get a rejection email. As long as you don't hear back from them, there is no point in troubling yourself with whether or not you got the job.

That was the thought process of the young adult who shared the story below. They applied for a camp counseling job, where they had worked the past two summers, but due to a schedule conflict, they assume they won't be able to work this year. In fact, they got an explicit email stating that because they won't be able to attend the training, they won't be able to take the job.

So, the young adult assumed the job wasn't theirs, and they went on to make other plans for their summer.

However, while they were enjoying a nice vacation in Europe, they suddenly got an email from their boss at camp, asking them when they would start their first shift. This made the young adult start questioning their entire conduct with the camp, and especially questioning whether they were right to assume they didn't get the job in the first place.

Since they never heard back from the camp, we don't think the young adult should have assumed they got the job. Especially since other counselors got offer letters while they didn't. To be asked by the boss a week before camp is due to start, when they are coming in, is quite crazy, and there was no way the young adult could have seen it coming, as far as we're concerned.

The potential hire would still love the job, so they are now wondering how they should explain the situation to the boss. Luckily, they came up with a solution in their update, so make sure you read the story all the way through.

How do parents know when it's time to teach a life lesson?

When it comes to parenting, it is all about learning life lessons, and I don't just mean for the kids. Everyone is learning as they go. It doesn't matter if you've read all of the parenting books, learned from the best, taken all the classes, and watched all of the info movies. Parenting is a unique experience to every single family. There will be many many things that happen that you could never plan for. That's just how life works, bestie. But as long as you do your best and you do it with love, you're doing great. 

That being said, one of the most difficult skills to learn as a parent, but also one of the most necessary, is to learn when the best time is to turn a situation into a life lesson. You don't want to traumatize your kid and force them to do something that is actually not good for them in the long run. But you also don't want them to miss a moment in life where they could have learned, grown from, and become a better person. 

A mother has turned to Reddit asking for advice on the life lesson she is trying to teach her 12-year-old. Her kid keeps quitting things. She begs to be a part of a team, but then after hardly any time, she quits. It's apparently gotten out of hand. Now, she begged to be part of a cross-country team because she loved to run. She joined, and lo and behold, now she wants to quit. Her excuse this time is that it is too hot now. But her mom thinks that she is becoming "flaky" and noncommittal, which she doesn't want to instill in her kid. 

Her life lesson? You can quit if you'd like, but you have to do it yourself. Her middle ground is making her kid do her own quitting instead of what she has been doing, which is calling up the coaches and quitting for her. Now, her daughter has to face the consequences of her own actions and quit. The mom feels a bit bad, though, because her daughter says she has phone anxiety… But maybe that is also a lesson to learn? Let's see what Reddit thinks…

It's Caturday, so you know what that means - it's the purrfect time for a pawty of feline funnies and hissterical cat posts!

It's been a while since I've done a true Caturday post. But the time has come again for me to remind all of you about the sanctity, nay, the purrfection that is Caturday. It seems to me that some of you have strayed from the wise teachings of our lord and savior, Ceiling Cat, by doing too many "normal" things on Caturdays, thus turning them back into their boring, normal weekend day 'Saturday'. Well, not on my watch! 

The difference between Saturday and Caturday is simple - Caturdays are centered around all things cat, and Saturdays are focused on all things hooman. You have 6 days out of the week to do all your hooman things, like chores, errands, cooking healthy food, and being prrroductive. Well, Caturdays are for none of those things. Caturdays are for waking up to bring your cat with you to your bed and going back to sleep for another few hours. Caturdays are for scrolling through endless feline funnies while you wait for your food delivery to arrive and never changing out of your pajamas. Caturdays are for sharing bites of your food with your cat while you lounge on the couch.

Don't let the meowgic of Caturdays escape you. As adults, we already let enough of the meowgic in our lives slip through our fingers, so don't let this one day be taken from you. 

You're already here, reading this, so that's a good start. All you have to do is scroll down, and you'll be blessed with a purrfect illustration of fluffy feline humor to start your Caturday off the right way - with a smile, some cute cats, and all the funny felines your Caturday deserves.