Returning to work after maternity leave should not be treated as if you're just coming back from vacation.

Anyone who has spent any time near a new parent knows that this time off is anything but restful. Furthermore, it's not just strongly preferred that parents have that time with their newborns; that time is more than necessary. No one should be retroactively blamed for their absence either. If companies and workplace environments are not set up in such a way that they can proceed without an employee on temporary leave, then that is more reflective of the flaws within the company than any one person's choices. 

This employee returned to work and received the expected slew of missed emails from her time away. However, a large portion of those emails pertained to mandatory training she "skipped" during her time off, as if it were a requirement for her to complete said training while on maternity leave. She attempted to explain the situation to her new boss, who only doubled down and reprimanded her in an email chain with other coworkers attached. 

That's when she absolutely felt compelled to call him out to upper management. Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from several members of the online community.

Cats are truly a mysterious bunch, and we would not be surprised if many of this world's mysteries could be solved if a cat thought translator would be invented. If we could finally know what is going on in their tiny, albeit brilliant, minds, who knows what mysteries we could solve? But at the very least, the mystery of why the cat child featured in today's story decided to wriggle out of its harness and run away would be solved. For what is a loving feline pawrent meant to think when their cat child does their very best to squirm out of the only thing keeping them together while outdoors?

Lucky for the pawrent in this story, the cat came back, but if it had not, that could have been a pain and weight that they would have lived with for the rest of their life. So the moral of the story is we need the technologists that be to invent a cat thought translator.

This flyer claims that an airport worker stole their pair of pricey sunglasses, and they're questioning how to retrieve their property when security doesn't seem to care. 

As if airports haven't created enough ways for a person to lose their items while traveling, this person has discovered an infuriating new way. We all know that putting your luggage into the trust of an airport doesn't come with a 100% guarantee that you'll get that suitcase back at the end of the trip. Bags get lost in the shuffle, end up on the wrong flight, and sometimes get taken off the conveyor belt by the wrong person. 

However, most of us don't expect our belongings to get lost while we're in the TSA line. I mean, you basically have eyes on your belongings the whole time. I like watching my belongings go through the X-ray machine! What other times in life do you get to watch an X-ray machine in real time? For this person, though, that was the moment that they lost a super expensive pair of shades. While they were going through the x-ray for humans, a TSA agent apparently swiped their sunglasses. And of course, since they had a flight to catch, this person couldn't just wait around until they were found. Their shades remained in Miami while they had to fly to their destination, and now they're asking for help with getting their glasses back (or at least getting justice). I hope that their investigation results in someone getting fired — you just know that if that worker has stolen once, they're probably a habitual thief who has no business rummaging around in people's belongings. 

Let's get the bottom line out of the way first - we're absolutely happy to know this cat is in her forever home. It might take her time to mend the broken trust she's experienced from her previous owners, but it'll come. This kind neighbor who took her in seems to have all the right intentions and means to make this beautiful feline girl right at home - from here on out, and forever. Soon, she won't be the "kind neighbor" who saved this cute cat, but her actual human mama.

Now that the bottom line is at the top, we can continue to what bothers us so much, bubbling under the surface, that we have a mighty need to ask - who in their right mind abandons their cat?! Seriously, who? A cat is not a toy, it's a feline family member. And when you adopt someone into your family - you treat them as such. Especially when we're talking about a cat - a creature who depends on you for all their needs, their safety, their well-being. People who move out and leave their cats behind should be abandoned by society altogether.

But, you know what? We're happy the Cat Distribution System re-distributed this cat to someone who cares for her, who wants her around, who shows her love and kindness. All cats deserve to be safe in a home, never to be abandoned as used furniture. That's just pure evil we can't fathom thinking about.

This resident knew he had to put a stop to this lady's completely inept driving skills!

It all started when the resident returned home and noticed scratches on his car. He couldn't prove that these were caused by his next door neighbor's daughter, but he had seen her driving before and was pretty convinced. First of all, before we start making any assumptions here, the daughter was in her 40s. This is not someone who is just learning how to drive. She is fully deserving of the revenge that was coming for her.

After the misfortunes of his car getting damaged, the resident knew that with the increasinly difficult weather, this lady was bound to cause some more wreckage given just how reckless her driving was. So, he installed cameras to catch her in the act. As fate would have it, a terrible snow storm went through the area and caused everyone to be snowed into their homes.

Keep scrolling below to find out what happened when the daughter tried to back out of her driveway without shoveling the snow out of the way first!

Meow. Yes, just meow. It's not that we don't want to say anything else - we always have a lot to say, about many interesting subjects, about various topics - but we just want to meow meow. Just like cats. Head empty, no thoughts, just meow meow. Want to join us in this meowing endeavour? But be careful, there's only one place for a single brain cell where we're going. Choose it carefully. We recommend choosing the meowing brain cell, so we can all meow aimlessly together.

Meow. Did you meow as well? Good. It's just meow meow from here on out. No thoughts, head empty. The headspace is limited. There's a place to pack the following, and the following only: One (1) brain cell, two throughs (not consecutive), the sock lost in the dryer (color not important), meow (as many as you can), cat memes (snacks for brain). You got that? No? That's okay, we'll meow it to you later. Just don't forget the cat memes.

Now that we've got that out of the way, are you ready for some true feline funnies? They're best enjoyed when the head is empty, no thoughts included. Just meow meow. Just memes memes. And nothing more. Laughs will come either way, we pawmise. Did you remember to pack? Wait, what were we meowing about?

At work, more often than not, you do not get the proper credit you deserve for the hard work you put in. You can spend countless hours at work, even lose sleep on a certain project, and never even get a pat on the back after you hand it in.

What's even worse than not getting proper credit is to be forced to sit back and watch as someone else takes that credit instead, like the boss in the story below. Not only was she not properly appreciative of her employee's hard work on a project, but she actually demanded that they stay quiet during the project presentation. She wanted to get all the credit for a job she actually had not part it.

The funny thing that happens almost every time someone tries to take credit and present a project they took no part in is that it becomes quite clear as soon as they open their mouth. So when the VP in the story below asked the boss questions during the presentation, everyone there became fully aware that the boss didn't have any idea what she was talking about…

How far will you go for your love of cats? Most of us would happily do anything for our fluffy felines, but we're also not allergic to them. But imagine that you are, for a second. The thing in life that you want the most makes you sneeze nonstop, making life purractically unbearable. Most people would give up there, but not this cat lover below. He spent three years getting allergy shots to build his immunity to cat dander, all so he could have a cute kitty of his own. Recently, he went and adopted his first rescue kitten, 'Legolas', and we literally couldn't be happier for him.

Cat allergies are no joke - they are ranked on a scale of 1 to 4. One is a minimal to mild allergy, which means that you may get a runny nose and your eyes feel a bit watery. Four, on the other hand, is an extreme allergy, making your time in their presence worse than sticking your head in a smelly litter box. What was his allergy level? A four. That's just how dedicated he was.

Now, the two snuggle daily, as you can see below with Legolas purrfectly perched on his shoulder. So next time you meet someone who is allergic to cats, just tell them his tail, and in a short three years, they'll be cured as well!

Most of us are pretty much glued to our phones most of our waking hours. That's nothing new by now. And that's why, if you ask me, our time away from it: hobbies, habits, whatever activity we do without it is kinda sacred at this point. For this woman, it's her weekend hike.

Once a peaceful escape from screens, it now doubles as a behind-the-scenes documentary for one woman's influencer dreams. The organizer just wants to enjoy the forest, breathe the air, and maybe share some trail mix. Enter Cora, whose cardio begins and ends with finding her light. The first hike was tolerable. She posed with trees. She adjusted her hair. She crouched dramatically near a rock. By the third outing, she brought a tripod, platform sneakers, and a full commitment to method acting as someone who hikes.  

Every five minutes, the group halts while Cora records herself "walking naturally in nature." The result is a hike that takes three hours longer than scheduled and generates more frustration than endorphins. The hikers start moving ahead. Cora sulks. When told to plan her own photo day, she claims suppression of her creativity. Apparently, the woods exist not for wildlife but for her engagement metrics. 

We've all gone through the painful expurriences of introducing a new cat to a new home. Some of them come out of their shell quite quickly, exploring their new kingdom like they already own it. Others, on the other hand, require a lot of patience and a gentle touch. Especially if they are scared of hoomans from past homes, like the beautiful, but frightened, feline in our post below.

Cats move at their own pace. And when they're scared, it's best to get down on their level and move with them. If you try to force improvement, you'll end up making things worse. You're building trust, and if you've ever broken trust with someone before, you know how difficult it can be to build it back up again.

So, back to our kitty below. He is only 6 months old, and he's in his third foster home in three months. That's a lot of change for any cat! Two families before returned him because he would only hide, but his new pawrent refuses to give up on this adorable scaredy cat. They asked for advice and the cat community helped them find ways to get him to open up. Read through their advice and this kitten's furrever home below!

When you decide to dig in at the office potluck, you do so at your own risk!

They say you can't eat at just anyone's house, and when you've visited a few questionable kitchens, you'll understand. Sometimes, even if you're starving, you just cannot eat at at certain person's home, because they don't abide by the health codes that are recommended to avoid falling ill. Some people let their pets crawl all over their kitchen surfaces, and then have no problem cooking on those same (unwashed!) countertops. Other people don't feel the need to refrigerate things, thinking that if they can't see visible mold, the food must be perfectly okay to eat. And some folks will simply never throw out any condiment or ingredient, even if it's expired by several decades. 

It's hard to get out of eating food when you're expected to, though. You may have to conjure up an allergy, or insist that you've already eaten and can't fit another bite into your stomach. You've just got to do whatever it takes to avoid eating a piece of cat-hair-infused pie or unwashed salad that's crawling with bugs. These people below will never eat at the office potluck again after their unsettling culinary discoveries, and it's a good reminder that we should probably just do away with that, and let the office cater food instead. There's no need to put an extra burden on the employees, anyway — just let a local restaurant do what they do best. 

The cold weather is finally hitting hard, and we have to remember that while we are at home, cuddling with our cats under fluffy blankets, they are stray cats outside who are feeling the weather hit much, much harder. It's very important to keep an eye and an ear out. Lots of cats find ways to handle the freezing weather, but lots of cats don't. Lots of cats need help, especially during this time. And although most cats won't ask for it - the most they would do is maybe hope that someone will see them and help, some cats will ask for help… loudly. 

In fact, some cats ask for help so loudly that they cannot be ignored. And we think that is a good thing. It's definitely an effective thing, that is for sure. The kitty in this story… he was not messing around. This little guy had absolutely no desire to try to get through this winter on his own, and boy, did he make sure of it. No more freezing outside. It's time to be nice and spoiled inside. 

There's no such thing as a flawless, problem-free property. There will always eventually be aspects of a home that require a homeowner's or rentor's attention…But how many property problems are too many property problems? And if your name's not the one signed across the bottom line, should any of the problems truly be yours to solve? Well, this is the back-and-forth debate between these two cousins…Their shared grandmother owns a little "granny flat" in which this older cousin was living previously. During that time, he decided to spruce up the place and renovate it! But with sprucing comes high costs…meaning he was forced to take out a loan of $100 cover it! 

Although by the time the other younger cousin was set to move in, there was still $30k remaining in debt. He agreed to cover the payment for his older cousin, and all was smooth sailing…That was until this new 'resident' started to discover endless defects rising to the surface, that would take a lot more than $30k to fix…So, going back on their verbal agreement, he tells his older cousin, as the one who started the renovations, he should be the one to financially finish it!

If you think that Christmas is the most wonderful and joyous time of the year, then clearly, you have never had pets before. Because somehow, after you get pets, Christmas gets even happier. Prepare yourselves for dogs tangled in Christmas lights and for cats climbing up your Christmas trees with absolutely no shame. And prepare for these disasters to be the best, happiest disasters ever. Really, after having Christmas with them, you will no longer even remember what it was like to have it without them. 

And it's really no surprise that our pets enjoy this Christmas time as much as we do, especially the first time. You may not remember the first time that you experienced the magic of Christmas, because you were just too young for it, but you will certainly remember your pets' first Christmas and all the magic that comes along with it. And you know what? In case it has been a while since that has happened for you with your pet as well, we have put together some new - and very excited - pets experiencing their first Christmas for you to fawn over. 

When you're born and raised in New York, like I was, you are privy to the rapid changes each neighborhood faces as more people and corporations move here. Having grown up in one of the most rapidly gentrified neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Greenpoint, you stop feeling surprised when you see a local bodega get swapped out for a Sweetgreen. It's not a shock that there's an affordability crisis in New York, especially regarding housing and grocery store prices.

Walking down the aisles of a grocery store in high-cost-of-living cities is one of the top ten most nerve-wracking situations to experience in 2025. With prices of goods skyrocketing at your mom-and-pop shop, you have little faith in picking up ingredients for a weeknight meal that amount to less than $20. So, instead of grabbing some fresh produce and a pack of chicken thighs, you grab some Top Ramen and call it a night. Certain tax brackets don't need to worry about this at regular grocery stores, but I'm sure they'd rather shop at a luxury gourmet market instead, anyway.

We, as people who desperately love cats - cats of all kind, big and small - we can never imagine doing anything bad to them. To us, a small lion cub is no different than a house kitten. They are fragile, they are growing, they need to be treated with love and care. Lion cubs are vulnerable the same way that any baby animal is. And although we can't imagine ever doing anything less than kind to them, there are people out there, unfortunately, who very much can.

The men who stole this precious lion cub and tried to sell it understood just how vulnerable the cub was, and they took advantage of it. They tried to use the cub's vulnerability for their own gain, passing him from human to human, looking for someone to buy him. There was no care, no love. If the cub hadn't been found and rescued when it was, before the damage was irreversible, there's no telling what kind of life he would have had. But he was saved. And he was given a second chance, a new life in a sanctuary in Africa, and there, he not only healed, he actually started to thrive. 

When you become available to your employers at all hours of the day, regardless of whether or not you are technically working, you are essentially giving them permission to disregard your boundaries.

Of course, any decent manager would elect not to bother employees after hours unless it was an absolute emergency. It should not be entirely on the employee to establish boundaries when they should be common sense. However, far too many bosses have forgotten the meaning of common sense and respect for other people's time, so there inevitability comes a time when those messages need to be sent.

For this author, she was essentially set up to fail on a series of projects after being reprimanded for needing to miss work. The reason? She had a serious medical emergency and needed to be admitted into the hospital. Instead of giving her time to ease back into a regular work flow, the employee was punished and forced to take on a series of responsibilities within an unrealistic time frame. 

It got to the point where she was overwhelmed and worked into a tizzy at 3:00 in the morning. After a discussion with her spouse, she made a decision that might seem impulsive to some but was really reflective of what she needed to do a long time ago…

Working for a company with a small team can feel a bit like working on a group project you can't escape. Everyone's close, everyone's tired, and everyone's pretending they don't hear each other's Slack notifications. At my last job, we all ate lunch together every day because "that's our culture," which mostly meant performative small talk and pretending we were all best friends. When a company is tiny, the walls feel even tighter, and the pressure to bond (especially with management) gets heavy fast.

And the truth is, as fun as it can be to vent about shared suffering or the coworker who loudly takes credit for breathing, you never really know who's listening. Or in this case, who's watching.