Cat is back for more questions and answers. Let’s look at the maths. This is the 23rd day of 6th month of year 2026. This newsletter has 254 sentences and was written by 1 very hungry Cat. Please drop 3 crunchies in comments if you rate this newsletter 10 out of 10.

Ready? Let’s begin.

To Cat
From Pigon

Hello cat, I never thought I’d need to do it but now I need help. I just pushed myself away from half of my friends. What do I do? Thanks, crunchies to my feline friend 🍤 🍤 🍤

Hello Pigon. Cat commend you for writing to ask for help. Making amends to friends can feel very vulnerable. Here is Cat’s advices. It may feel hard to do, and it will require some courage, but if Pigon would like to rekindle friendships, way forward is to reach out openly and honestly.

Only Pigon knows the details of the whys and the hows of the pushing away, but Pigon (and anyone else who is facing similar dilemons, and wants to reach out to friends) can start by saying something like: “I was dealing with a lot of stuff and instead of reaching out, I pushed you away. I really value our friendship, I’ve missed you, and I want to reconnect.”

In most cases, Cat believes that friends will respond with kindnesses and understanding. In some cases, offerings of apologies may be appropriate. After reaching out, and if it feels right, follow up with suggestion for a light hang. Something like, “I’d love to sniff some catnip with you and catch up. Do you have time to meet up next Thursday?”

Believe it or not, Pigon, Cat suspects that most humans have pushed friends away at one time or another. This is why Cat thinks your friends will understand if you reach out with sincerity and courage. Doing hard things takes lot of courage, and most humans respect that. Cat can tell that Pigon already has courage, what happens next is up to you.

If Pigon feels like investigating further, figuring out why you pushed your friends away might be illuminating. Does Pigon journal? If so, write down these three questions in your journal, then write your answers.

✏️ Why did you push your friends away instead of reaching out for support?
✏️ How would you respond if one of your friends pushed you away?
✏️ If you could do over, what would you do differently, and why?

Please DM Cat if want unpack further, and please make sure to give yourself grace.
Love ya, mean it! <3 Cat

To Cat
From Horse #1936384639463847

Hi cat :P How can I deal with dumb neighbor, and smart like you? And how I deal with terrible leader of country? Many neighs and treats for u, horse.

Hello Horse. Cat not know what country horse lives in, but where Cat lives, Cat has terrible leader of country. One way that Cat deals with this is by refusing to give terrible leader huge amounts of Cat’s precious attentions. Terrible leaders crave attention, so Cat uses attention as a form of resistance. Instead of focusing attentions on how terrible this leader is, Cat gives precious attentions to humans and situations that terrible leader has made offenses towards. In some ways, Cat senses that this redirection of attentions may be one of terrible leader’s worst nightmares. Subverting intentions of terrible leaders gives Cat feeling of agency and participation. Terrible leaders will come and go, but right actions are forever.

As far as dumb neighbor, Cat thinks that best course of action is to try to get along. Never know. Might find something horse has in common with neighbor. Like desire to live peacefully without strife and conflicts, or the pleasure of scritches behind the neck and biting into crisp and juicy apples.

To Cat
From nyx

hi cat! I feel unproductive all the time and I’m always left feeling guilty when I take breaks. What should I do? many treats and crunchies for you, nyx

Hello nyx. Many humans feel guilt around productivity. First thing Cat suggests is to replace guilt with curiosity about these feelings. Some questions for nyx to contemplate: When does feel most guilty? What is nyx afraid will happen if nyx is not productive? Whose voice does nyx hear when nyx feels they should be doing more? Does nyx believe rest has to be earned?

These questions about guilt and productivity touch on very many big ideas: personal vs collective values, production vs experience, creation vs consumption, and the condition of living in a capitalist-centered world. As always, Cat believes that maintaining curiosity and investigating feelings is solid first step in understanding and approaching things we want to change.

Cat suspects that nyx’s guilt about being unproductive may not come from nyx’s own values, but from a world that says value depends on how productive nyx is. But this just Cat’s opinion. What does nyx think?

Nyx asks “what should I do?” Cat suggests doing nothing. More specifical, Cat suggests nyx practices being unproductive by doing things that have no measurable outcome. Like what? Well, Cat enjoys taking a daily wander: no goal, no destination, just wander. Cat also enjoys bird-watching, smelling flowers, and daydreaming. One thing all these activities have in common is that they are experiences that offer no tangible reward. These activities give reward in different ways: pleasure, wonder, enjoyment, exploration.

If all these curiosities and adventures in just-being stirs up desire in nyx to go further in these explorations, Cat suggest dipping a toe into the ways that humans are living and being outside of capitalism. Cat loves the community fridge in Cat’s neighborhood. Cat also loves supporting businesses that are worker-owned, or are unionized. Cat finds community gardens and food co-ops fun and crunchy places to get paws dirty.

In the end nyx, we are so much more than how hard we work and how much we achieve. We are the choices we make, the things we feel, and the big questions we ask and are willing to explore with joy and curiosity.

Many treats and crunchies to you too, nyx. Love, Cat.

To Cat
From MewMewFloofypants

Other cat, how do i send you crunchy treats? Do you have some dropoff address i can mail them to? do i just email you locations where i put crunchy treat?

Hello MewMewFloofypants, all of the above. And also, drop the 🍤 in the comments. Thank you, Cat.

To Cat
From Jade

How doos I becomez cat?? :3

Hello Jade. Do you like sleeping, eating, playing, and receiving affections? If answer is yes, might want to look in mirror to see if you are cat. If look in mirror and still see human, try a change in diet. Cat suggests tender morsels in gravy or loaf in sauce. Good luck!!

To Cat
From Delry

Hi Cat, Nice to meet you. I just saw you in my email and read your message to people. Anyway, I was dealing with people like I want to improve my communication skills, but I ended up feeling awkward and always messed up. Can you help me?
sending more treats for you, Delry.

Hello Delry. After Cat reads Delry’s question, Cat feels that Delry is fine communicator. But Cat understands the desire to improve communication skills. Cat is working on this too! Cat has come to believe that improvement can occur in any part of life with a little practice. Practice is useful because more we do things, more comfortable we become doing them (and being comfortable is opposites of being awkward.) Cat spends much time practicing communication with mirror-self. To do this, Cat makes private time in bathroom and practices speaking with mirror.

Another thing Cat does when Cat feels awkward feelings arise: Cat addresses it. This helps release pressure to be Very Good Communicator. For example, when Cat is having conversation with dustbunnies and Cat starts tripping on words and making big long silences, Cat simply says “I get nervous sometimes when I talk. Don’t mind me if I stumble on my words.” This makes everybody feel less awkward and makes Cat feel less stressy and nervous about messing up. Hope this helps, Delry.

To Cat
From Laylalalala

What do I do about trying to control my temper quickly? Sometimes I snap at the people I love. This makes everyone (including me) really sad. I don’t like to lash out at people, so what should I do?

Hello Laylalalala, Cat does not like to lash out at peoples, but Cat must admit, sometimes it happens. And that is okay. Having tempers is pretty normal and can actually be useful at times, but Cat understands not wanting lash out and snap at loved ones. Cat has learned little bit about how to work with tempers.

Cat suggest for Laylalalala to try Take Five method. When Laylalalala feels hot burning anger rising in throat, count to five. Count slowly. Lashing might be rising up in throat. Give lashing feeling deep breaths. Taking Five is one way to make a pause. Making pause can ease the pressure that causes snap. Making pause gives your brain some space to relax, reconsider, and respond in way that is calm and considerate.

Sometimes, instead of taking five, Cat will take a little trot to release the energies of tempers. Cat believes that angers and tempers are not BAD. They are just…energies, and energies need direction, flow, and release. Breath helps create direction. Pause helps create space for flow. Hope this helps.

To Cat
From MYSTERIOUS ONION

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT POTATOS?!

Hello MYSTERIOUS ONION, Cat is fascinated by potatos because potatos spend much of life underground, in the darkness of earth. This leads Cat to believe that potatos have knowledge of many secrets, many wisdoms. Once, Cat met potato that sat on kitchen counter for very many days. One day, this potato sprout tiny stems that Cat’s human called eyes! Cat is pretty sure potato have eyes because potato is mystic of vegetable kingdom.

To Cat
From Asda

wow this grammar is actually good. did Cat perhaps take english classes during break?

Hello Asda. Very observant, very, very observant. Maybe too observant 😼 Thank you for noticing. Matter of facts, Cat had desire to improve grammars and syntax so Cat spent break reading very many books, like Lynda Barry’s What It Is and Cat’s old friend Stephen’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

To Cat
From ultravioletray

How i stop the feeling of lonely? i is sad...it is overwhelming :(( btw LOVE YOUUU CAT<333

Hello ultravioletday. Cat agrees with you: sadnesses can be overwhelming. However. In Cat’s infestimations, cannot stop the feelings. Better to feel them. Might be ironical, but feeling the feelings, helps us to move through them. And when we move through them, they are less overwhelming and it is easier to let them go.

When the feelings are overwhelming, Cat suggest ultravioletray try to externalize them. This means giving the feelings an outlet instead of holding them in the heart and the mind. Creative expression is good way of externalizing feelings: things like singing, drawing, writing, painting, dancing, walking. Cat enjoys creative expression of shredding cardboard boxes.

When Cat is really stuck with the feelings? Cat writes feelings in notebook. Cat fills entire page with writings about feelings. Then, Cat tears out page of feelings, folds up into little square, places square inside mason jar, and places jar in freezer section of fridge. For Cat, putting big feelings on ice neutralizes them and gives Cat some relief.

One last thing. Feelings like lonely and sad is big normal. These feelings are just one of the things that make you a sensitive, tender human being. Love YOUUU too ultravioletray <333

To Cat
From Fried and Whiskered

Hi Cat, I’m super stressed out all the time and my therapist suggested meditation. Can you teach me how to meditate? I’ve tried to do it before but I can’t stop my mind from racing and sometimes its hard to sit still.

Hello Fried and Whiskered. Meditation helps relieve stress and anxiety, reduces depression, stimulates creative and intuitive vision, and prepares brain for better focus, and sleep. If do it regulars, may notice very many interesting changes and enhanced state of being.

Many different ways to meditate. First, must find kind you like best. Cat suggest starting with a stillness meditation. This how do.

Find quiet place where no one disturbs. Get comfy. Ready? Okay. Take big inhale and tense up muscles, from bottom of feet to top of head. Then big exhale and relax muscles, from bottom of feet to top of head. Repeat couple of times. This should help body to feel loose and relaxed. Now, observe breath. In, out. In, out. In, out. When inhale, think the word “still”. When exhale, think the word “ness.” Still-ness, still-ness, still-ness. Your mind will wander. You might think about what you will eat for dinner, or what happened last week. No big deal. If you notice you have a thought, gently return to observing in-out of breath, and return to thinking “still-ness” with your in and out breath. Can do anywhere. In the car. On the bus. In bed. All up to you. The more you do, the easier it gets.

If cannot sit still for long period of time, Cat suggests a walking meditation. This how do. Go for easy walk. Soft eyes. Easy breath. While walking, notice how body feels each time foot meets ground. Can match breath to steps if want. Inhale step, step step, exhale step step step.

It is effortless, yes?

Cat loves answering your questions. Did you enjoy reading answers? Leave questions for next mailbag in comments or here.

Thank you for playing, and reading.
Love, Cat 🐾

˚∧＿∧ 　+ —̳͟͞͞🍤
 ( •‿• )つ —̳͟͞͞ 🍤 —̳͟͞͞🍤 +
 (つ　   -- —̳͟͞͞🍤
 ｜　_つ + —̳͟͞͞🍤 —̳͟͞🍤 ˚
`し´

Sawasdee, this Cat. Long time no shrimps. Mailbag is full and questions piling up. Perhaps readers would like some answers? Some advices? Maybe just some sweet treats? Okee. Let’s begin.

The year is 2026. The month is June. Find a quiet spot, a secret cache of crunchy treats, and tuck in to your favorite loaf position.

To Cat
From Maya
where did cat go?

Hello Maya. This Cat. Does Maya have time for very long story with many twists and turns? Maybe Cat will save for future newsletters. Long story short: Cat needed break from metal box and so Cat took break—big break. Taking break from screen time did Cat a world of good and Cat highly recommends. Hope you understand. Love, Cat

To Cat
From Cat Furryson

How to stay calm when things get frustrating? (=^-ω-^=)

Hello Cat Furryson. Staying calm: very commendables. Life can be frustrating. World can be frustrating. Removing tiny pieces of popcorn from in-between teeth can be frustrating. Cat understands. Cat will admit that Cat’s instinct when dealing with frustrations is to blow up. Big yowl. Hissies. Claws out. This instinct is good because it natural. However. In Cat’s experience, big blow up sometimes make frustrations worse, not better.

Cat’s advice? Take five. Like, literally. Close eyes, take big breath, and count to five. The big pause in the form of taking five helps. Maybe sometimes need take more than five. If this is true, excuse self. Take bathroom break or do ten jumping jacks in privacy of supply closet. (Cat is not speaking from experience, just giving examples.) In Cat’s case, a quick run around the perimeter helps expend the energy of frustration, and gives Cat time to regulate.

Cat is big into visualizations. Very helpful for remain calm during frustrations. How about this: next time Furryson feels frustrated, close eyes, and picture frustrations as a big piece of bubble wrap. Now picture self doing dance on top of bubble wrap until it flat like piece of paper. Imagine sound of bubble wraps popping. Snap snap snap. So satisfying. Now picture self crumpling deflated bubble wrap into a ball and slam-dunking it into garbage can. This might help if Furryson is big into visualizations too. (Cat highly recommends.)

One last thing. Laughters always helps. Laughters has energy of deflation: like air escaping and releasing pressures. It like this: imagine something stupid and allow self to laugh at it. (Unless you are in presence of human who no have sense of humors and laughter will only make situation worse.) In this case, please use discretions.

To Cat
From jolly rancher simp

What do the aliens want?

Hello jrs. Aliens want what most intergalactic beings want: peace, love, freedom to wander, and good soup. Cat suspect that these desires align with human desires, but humans have very many problemos to overcome before alignment can commence. For instance, aliens feel that humans are messing up the very most beautiful planet in this solar system. Too many ragings. Too much excess. Human activities disturb nature greatly, not too mention cutting down so many trees. These issues need attention.

For funsies, Cat suggest for jolly rancher simp to make inquiry of aliens and see for self what aliens have to say. If can quiet thinkings and turn on mental radio, jolly rancher simp (and all humans) can tune into so very many interesting frequencies. Musings of trees. Song of stars. Deep sea heartbeat (its not what you’d imagine). And yes, late night stand-up comedy stylings of aliens, which are very enlightening and result in much laughters.

PS. The aliens also want you to send Cat very many crunchy treats, expeditiously.

To Cat
From NPCBARD

Hello cat, my dad suffered a heart attack and now is in a coma, I feel tired of everything but I still try, does cat know what to do..?

Dear NPCBARD. Firstly, Cat sends love, biscuits, and headbumps. Very sorry to hear about your dad. When humans we love get sick, can be easy to forget the needs of self. When we are taking care of others, they are often time the only thing we are thinking about. Is natural to forget self. Is natural because you have so much love and concern for your dad and you want him get better. So if you are tired, this sounds very understandables.

However. Are you taking care of self, too? Easy to get overwhelmed. Easy to forget the very important task of taking care of self. If NPCBARD can, try to take few moments here and there for yourself. Special things. Maybe a sweet or salty treat, a walk outside in sunshine, a big long cry by yourself, a venting session on phone with trusted pal. Just some ideas.

Most important thing Cat want to tell you is that you are doing very best you can in a very tough situation. And that is enough.

To Cat
From 123456

what is THE best hu-man name?

Hello 123456, THE best name is 78910. Cat thinks Kevin is a pretty cool name too.

To Cat
From Edible table

What cat opinion on cucumber? Why brethren scared of cucumber? What is deal?

Hello Edible table. Cat’s opinion on cucumber is that they are mostly harmless, but in rearview, cucumber resemble snake, and that is when brethren’s primordial instincts kick in. This is, in Cat’s opinion, the deal.

To Cat
From maya

how do I get over chronophobia? also love u cat <3

Hello maya. Big question. Cat think long and hard on this one because it is important question. What Cat come up with is this: some humans fear time because they not want get old or die. Others fear time because they have anxieties about the limits of time. You say you want get over it. Cat’s advice for getting over things is simple, but if Cat is being honest, simple not always easy. So here goes. If want get over something, must first accept it. Once we accept things, the sufferings tend to get smaller. This is Cat’s experience anyway. While you are doing hard work of acceptance, funny thing may happen. You may discover meaning. In Cat’s opinion, finding meaning makes the passing of time much more palatable. Much more tasty. Delectable, even. This is because meaning is the spice of life.

Love u too, Cat <3

To Cat
From SalihBanana

Hello cat. Me have problem. All I do is:

1:sleep

2:school and other activities

3:free time for whatever

4:sleep

5:sleep

6:sleep

7:sleeeeeeeeeeep

And I’m still tired 😴 in morning and bored 😑 in day

Pls help

Hello SalihBanana. Cat has big understanding of this problem. Cat struggles with similar problems on the dailies. The routine of life. The neverending obligations. The mundane affairs surrounding what it means to be a tiny furry creature trying to hold it down and survive in 2026.

For Cat, this problem feels like the twin anxiety of feeling overwhelm and underwhelm—simultaeousishly. So what to do? Well first, Cat remembers that nothing lasts forever. This is just one way of working through the muck, maintaining whatever structures life has in place for you, and doing so somewhat triumphantly. (Cat tries, anyway.)

Here’s the deal. Life is about moving from one moment to the next. Boredoms? Tireds? Life won’t always be this way because nothing lasts forever. Try to remember this. Remembering this may help you to see these moments as meaningful in some way. (And finding meaning is actually the point of, *gestures around* all of this.

SalihBanana mentions sleep five times! Cat finds very many enjoyments in sleeping. Mostly because when Cat sleeps, Cat dreams. Cat looks forward to dreaming because in dreams, anything can happen! This is what humans call “novel”, which mean new, unusual, strange, surprising. Finding “novel” ways to get through humdrum doldrum days of sleep and school and chores or whatever—this is how Cat manages. How does SalihBanana do it?

To Cat
From David Williams

How do I call my cat?

Hello David Williams. Use one of ten meat sticks to tap cat’s number into small metal box. Hold small metal box up to David Williams’ wrinkly hole on side of head and listen for ring ring. When ring ring stops, say hello. Or, shake bag of crunchy treats and cat will come running.

To Cat
From Dash Jones

Living in an apartment, what would be the best way to make a “cat superhighway” so that my kitties can run the interior of the room without touching the floor?

Hello Dash Jones. Do you have several many doll-hairs at disposal to make this “cat superhighway” in your apartment a reality? If not, maybe you can be inventive with cardboard and a glue gun. Cat suggest taking look on youtubes for ideas on how other humans have achieved this. Many options at disposal, ranging from a catio to simple rearrangement of furnitures (and entire life) in order to allow kitties to zoom around home without touching floors. Please report back findings and good luck.

to Cat
from Tofu_pizza:)

What do about insecurities? (•_•) ( ﾉ ﾟｰﾟ)ﾉ ＼(ﾟｰﾟ＼)

Hello Tofu_pizza:). Well, everybody has insecurities. Even Cat. Cat tells you this so maybe you will begin to think of insecurities as less of a personal problem or a personality trait and more like a situation. Situations are temporary. Situations are a state of mind. They occur due to circumstances, or how your mind is framing reality in any given moment. Also, since everybody has insecurities, there is no reason to feel shame or embarrassment about them.

So what to do about them? Maybe treat them like a sneeze. They happen, but they don’t define you. You can sneeze once, say excuse me, and move on.

Can also try shifting focus. Maybe you were clumsy last week when you tried to jump up on the bathroom counter. Maybe you felt foolish and insecure. So what? If you think back, you may be able to remember a day two weeks ago when you were extremely agile while catapulting off of the back of the couch. Sometimes, the things we are insecure about are actually the things that make us endearing and lovable to others. You never know. (Says someone who definitely did not try to jump up on the bathroom counter and failed bigtime but still loves themselves exactly as they are.)

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As always, Cat thanks you for reading, and for sticking around during prolonged absences. Have question for Cat? Make comment here with question and Cat will give your question very many contemplations and Cat’s very best try.

If readers would like to leave Cat crunchies in comments, Cat would not be opposed, but that is up to you.

Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

Usually, Cat try squeeze very many reader questions into one newsletter. This time, Cat only answer one question. Have question for Cat? Please ask here.

And now, welcome to a mini mailbag, with a special guest Cat’s longtime readers might remember from the dust bunny crew.

To Cat
From KL

Dear Cat - my wonderful Dad Charlie passed away on April 17th. He was an incredible human-smart as hell, witty, curious, and deeply kind. A total star and beloved by many. He was always sure to share his butter when eating toast with my cat Stan. We miss him very much and hope that he reaches out to us. What Cat feel about the afterlife?

Dear KL, Cat is very sorry for your loss. Cat knows that missing someone feel like carrying heavy stone in chest. Cat not know about afterlife. Cat only know that missing someone mean love is still alive ❤️

When Cat not know something, Cat become very curious. When Cat not find answers in books, Cat look to dust bunny, name of Fluff. Fluff spends days under bookshelf, studying, so naturally, Fluff is covered in very many stories, stories that hold very many wisdoms.

However. When Cat calls on Fluff, Cat finds mess of pencil shavings, post-it notes, and paperclips underneath bookshelf. Fluff is nowhere to be seen. Lucky for Cat, Fluff’s research assistant, name of Dusty, is happy to speak with Cat about bigger answers.

Of course Cat would not dream of arrive with empty paws, so Cat collect gifts that would please any dust bunny: one dead cricket, two hairs from Cat’s human’s comb, and sprinkles of stale Cheetos dust. Cat was very pleased when Dusty present Cat with a crunchy treat (extra crunchy) foraged from under the couch.

After Cat and Dusty exchange gifts, Cat pour two tiny mugs of warm creams and arrange self on floor in front of Dusty.

Cat: Hello Dusty. This Cat. Cat want know about afterlife.

Dusty: Ah, yes, the afterlife. Cat, do you know the work of Elisabeth Kübler-Dust?

Cat: No. Please tell more.

Dusty: Of course. Well, she was very knowledgeable about these things. There is one book in particular… Here it is, On Life After Death. Elisabeth accompanied many beings through the doorway of death. Because of her experiences, she held a great deal of wisdom. You know, she shared something very wise with me when my father died, so I will share it with you now.

“I have spent many lifetimes sitting in the quiet after someone’s last breath. What I learned is this: death is not a wall, it is a doorway. Your father has stepped through it, and though you cannot follow yet, the doorway is not locked. Grief is the echo you hear because the love between you is still alive, it does not end when the body dies.

You hope he reaches out. Perhaps he already has. Not with hands, but with small ripples: the sudden memory, the dream where he lingers, the ache that brings you to tears. Each is a vibration from the other side of the doorway. Missing him is not an ending, missing him is how love keeps speaking.”

Cat: This makes Cat’s heart feel soft and warm. Thank you, Dusty.

Dusty: You are most welcome, Cat.

Cat: Cat still feels curiosities. Elisabeth Kübler-Dust say love and grief live on after death. Cat not understand. How???

Dusty: For that, Cat, we must talk about consciousness. Sit close now. It is a long story.

Cat: Cat knows this word, consciousness. Every time Cat closes eyes, Cat feel like whole universe is breathing on tips of Cat’s whiskers. Feels tickly. Is that consciousness?

Dusty: Mmm. Tickly is as good a doorway as any. Consciousness is not just in your head, Cat, it’s the entire field in which your head appears. Think of it as an endless living porch, with no walls, no roof, just chairs stretching forever. Everything sits on that porch: planets, pawprints, the smell of loaf in sauce, the ache of missing someone.

Cat: Porch with no roof? Is not drafty and cold?

Dusty: Drafty but alive. The breeze is what lets new ideas in. Many creatures think consciousness is like a lantern in their brain, lighting up thoughts. But I have wandered through eleven dimensions and found no such lantern. What I found was sky. Limitless, shared sky. The lantern is just a pocket of that sky, pretending to be separate.

Cat: If all share porch, are fleas invited too?

Dusty: Absolutely. Fleas, cosmic dust, forgotten dreams—every speck has a chair. Consciousness doesn’t discriminate, it hums through flea and philosopher alike. I once held a conversation with a fungus spore about the meaning of eternity. It lasted eight thousand years, though we mostly discussed moisture.

Cat: Eight thousand years??? And not get hungers for crunchies? How not get bored?

Dusty: That’s the beauty of it, Cat. There is no boredom when you rest in the porch itself. Time slows, then disappears. Only noticing remains. You and your crunchy treats, the fungus and its droplet, all dancing in the same noticing.

Cat: So Cat is not thinker of thoughts? Porch does thinking?

Dusty: Precisely. Thoughts are furniture that appears on the porch, then wanders off. You don’t own them, they just…drift through. Some cats chase every chair. Wiser cats just watch chairs come and go, perhaps sometimes napping in one.

Cat: If thoughts not Cat’s own, why bad ones feel like hairball stuck in throat?

Dusty: Because you swallow instead of observing. Hairball of thought wants you to notice it, groom it gently, then let it pass. When you believe “this hairball is me,” it lodges. When you remember “this is porch passing through,” you cough, purr, and move on.

Cat: Sounds messy. Porch crowded with chairs, fleas, hairballs, planets. Where can Cat find room to nap?

Dusty: Anywhere. Porch is made of stillness, even when crowded.

Cat: Dusty, when Cat close eyes to nap, feels like Cat disappears. What happen if Cat never wake up? How is sleep not full of dangers?

Dusty: Good question, Cat. Sleep is the safest disappearance you’ll ever know. See, you don’t actually leave. You loosen. Think of it as setting down the heavy backpack of “Cat” so the porch of consciousness can breathe without straps digging in.

Cat: But what if Cat sets down backpack and porch wanders off?

Dusty: Porches don’t wander, Cat. They hold everything, even while you forget you’re sitting on them. Sleep is your rehearsal for letting go. It’s like a dress rehearsal for a play you’ll one day perform by letting go completely.

Cat: Letting go completely…like death?

Dusty: Very good, Cat. Yes. Every nap is a small, reversible death. It teaches trust: you let your edges dissolve, and somehow the morning knits you back together.

Cat: But why dreams? Why the strange mice made of blue light, the endless stairs?

Dusty: Dreams are the porch rearranging furniture. Daytime thoughts pile up like mismatched chairs; at night the porch says, “Let’s see what these pieces look like in new constellations.” Sometimes the arrangement is nonsense, sometimes revelation. Either way, the mind loosens its grip.

Cat: Cat has very many dreams of chasing mice made of cheese. But then Cat wake up. No cheese, no mice. Only empty tummy.

Dusty: Think of it this way, Cat. Dreams are postcards from worlds you almost visited. You collect them, then return.

Cat: So, every nap is like tiny trip to afterlife?

Dusty: Exactly. Which is why naps are sacred.

Cat: If that true, that mean Cat is very sacred cat.

Dusty: I never doubted it, Cat.

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After many thinkings about sleep, death, and dreams, and after very many mugs of warm creams, Cat feels pleasanty full, and ready for nappings. Big nappings. What do readers think?

Cat gives many thanks to Dusty for the wisdoms, KL for sharing question, and you, for simply being.

Thank you for reading, Cat 🐾

Where Cat go? What Cat do?

Buckle up kittens, Cat will tell you.

Well, firstly, Cat took break. Big break. Cat learn there is word for big break. Has name of saccatical, or, “an extended period of leave for rest, renewal, or research.”

May be thinking, ‘But Cat has easy life. Sit around all day, napping, eating tender morsels from crystal goblet on a velvet pillow, why Cat need take break?’

Cat will tell you. Cat spend very many days in past months sitting on windowsill, watching storm clouds gather. Lot of noise in human world. Lot of chaos. Lot of angers. Lot of fear.

See, Cat feels pain of human world. And Cat is not alone in feeling world pain. Humans, animals, and other beings also carry heavy feelings of world conflicts. Trees feel it. Wind feels it. Water feels it. Earth feels it.

May be thinking, “But Cat is too sensitive, Cat is being dramatic. Trees don’t have feelings, Cat is letting imaginations run wild.” These thinkings are understandables. But Cat wishes to share this thought-form:

We are connected. All of us.

Cat knows how very hard not lose hope and slip into feelings of despairs. When troubles come, Cat could run and hide. Cat could puff up tail and shred back of couch.

Or Cat could simply be.

Cat has learned that this simply being is also called resistance—a resistance that is like holding the weight of things that try to make you forget what is true.

See, resistance can be very many things. Not always about fighting with teeth, claws, and growls.

Resistance can also be found in the spirit that does not surrender to hatred or fear.

Resistance can be the refusal to be swept away by the lies that come from the powerful. The ones who want you to believe that there’s no hope. The ones who want to make you forget what’s true: that you are part of something much larger than yourself.

We are connected. All of us.

So Cat spend very many days and weeks sitting at home on saccatical, simply being. Simply holding the truth of who Cat is, what Cat is feeling, and how Cat will choose to respond.

However. Many weeks of saccatical gives Cat hungers. Big hungers.

Crunchy supply ran out long time ago. No very many refills. Cat’s human says we need to EAt HeAlTHieR and saVe MOniEs. Cat’s human works long days. Comes home at night tired, flops on couch. During day while human is at work, Cat helps out at home.

Cat sweep the floor. Cat empty the wastebaskets. Cat tidy the coffee table. Cat wash the dishes. Cat want help human because Cat loves Cat’s human and Cat want make house sParRkLinG and CleAn for human (because teamwork makes the dream work.)

And soon the days grow longer. The sun shines brighter. The airs of summer blow hot and dry. And Cat reach breaking point. After weeks of simply being, of holding complexities, of making contemplations, and of doing very many dreary chores, Cat realize something important. Cat needs creativities. Cat needs care.

Cat needs joy.

First, Cat finds joy in small things. Chasing baby lizard that crosses Cat’s path when Cat takes garbages to curb. Licking gravy off of chunks in bowl. Roasting in the sun while breezes make ruffles in Cat’s back hairs. Leaving copious gifts of hairball and slime on Cat’s human’s metal box.

Joy.

Can you imagine?

During Cat’s saccatical, Cat read something about joy and resistance, written by very old, very wise being, name of Edgar Morin.

104-year-old Morin says the first, most important resistance is the one that happens inside the heart, inside the mind.

Morin says the real resistance comes from within. It’s in the small things, like standing up for kindness, discerning facts from lies, speaking truth even when it’s hard, and finding ways to connect, not divide.

It’s in the small acts of creation, joy, and care. It’s about making space for love, life, and connection to flourish.

Even when crunchies run low. Even when dishes in sink pile up. Even when world seems set on destruction.

Joy.

Can you imagine?

All summer long, Cat finds joy in widening circles. Watching baby eagles in Big Bear leave the nest. Collecting monies to buy flowers from vendors to keep them safe from danger. Sniffing the desert night airs to encounter the rare beauty of night-blooming cereus. Supporting local journalism. Listening to the wind blow through the tress. Making musics with neighbor with long hairs who tinkers in his garage.

Joy.

Can you imagine?

Even if world feels like it’s falling apart, resistance is like gazing steadily into the void. Resistance is the ability to resist hatred and fear, and the strength of holding onto the truth of who you are.

A wise, tender-hearted elder, name of Joanna Macy, who died in July once wrote:

It is good to realize that falling apart is not such a bad thing. Indeed, it is as essential to transformation as the cracking of outgrown shells. Anxieties and doubts can be healthy and creative, not only for the person, but for the society, because they permit new and original approaches to reality.

What do Cat’s readers think? Is possible to turn anxieties and doubts into creative outlets for change? For joy?

Can you imagine?

Subscribe now

: ¨·.·¨ :
 ` ·. 🦋
                  ╱|、                   
                (˚ˎ 。7  
                 |、˜〵          
                じしˍ,)ノ           

Thank you for reading.
Thank you for being.
Love, Cat 🐾

Nervous, handsome, playful, shy.

What Cat notice first, was Leo’s soft eyes. Eyes have color of liquid amber when light catch them. Otherwise, tint with greenish gold hues of springtime.

When Cat first start visit shelter few years ago, always find Leo quietly curled up in discreet kitten room cubby. Sometimes, Cat find Leo carousing around main room with Gaspar, looking for errant crunchies, or mischievous adventures.

Like most cats, Leo loved treats. So when Cat come visit, always find Leo and sneak little treats into his cubby. Leo was shy guy. Took time to build trust.

Finally, after many month of offerings and soft encouragements, Leo allow Cat to give small pets on top of head.

This was moment when tender friendship between Cat and Leo Wyatt begin. As Cat’s readers may know, once have earned friendship of a cat, may have friend for life.

We keep our loved ones close by remembering them, and what Cat will remember most about Leo is soft white furs, and surprisingly high-pitched, almost shockingly piercing meow.

Leo may have been shy guy, but Cat suspect that Leo’s big bold voice only hint at his soft, sweet, courage and inner strength.

At end of life, Leo was lavished with love and tender care from his Sante D’Or family, and Cat offers deepest condolences to all who knew and loved him.

Cat feels sadnesses when lose friends, but there is comfort in knowing that Leo no longer suffers. May Leo now rest easy and continue on in his journey with all those who have gone before him 🌈 🐾

          へ   ♡   ╱|、
     ૮  -   ՛ )      (`   -  7
       /   ⁻  ៸|       |、⁻〵
 乀 (ˍ, ل ل      じしˍ,)ノ

1. Cat reads every question but because Cat can be a little bit disorganized, sometimes questions get lost. If many months passed and Cat still did not answer your question, please ask again here or send Cat an email with your question.

2. Sometimes Cat receives question that Cat already answered. Feel free to read archives of Cat’s mailbag.

3. Cat not actually have third thing to say. Cat just likes the number 3.

Now, please grab some crunchies and tuck into your comfiest loaf position, this is your extra long mailbag, springtime edition.

📍Please note: This advice column is intended for lighthearted, cat-themed questions and friendly advice. While we care deeply about our readers and their well-being, we are not equipped to handle serious, sensitive, or emergency issues. If you or someone you know is in danger or experiencing harm, please speak with a trusted adult or contact a professional support service.

To Cat
from Antony

Hola cat ¿Por qué mi esclavo (dueño)no quiere salir de casa tan seguido ? Investigando en su caja de metal pequeña descubrí que solo tiene 2 amigas y pero viven muy lejos ¿Que le debería desir?

Hello cat, why doesn't my servant (owner) want to leave the house so often? Investigating in her small metal box I discovered that she only has 2 friends and but they live very far away. What should I tell her?

Cat commends you for accessing your human’s small metal box. Did you order more crunchies while you were investigating? No? Next time, then.

Cat observes that very many humans have only one or two friends. For others, only have friends who live very far away. Humans move around. Change jobs, change homes, change friends. Maybe you wish for your human to have more friends who live closer. Someday this may happen. When we are living vibrantly, with hope, life is full of new experiences, even new friends. Tell human to stay curious and open. Friends come and go. In meantimes, enjoy living, enjoy life.

You ask: “Why doesn’t my servant (owner) want to leave the house so often?” Cat gave this some thought. Maybe human not leave house often because she senses that you regard her as your servant. If you are doing good job of being a cat, she will always serve you. Maybe give her a day off every once in a while?

To Cat
from Damon W

what is your opinion on spicy shrimp vs regular

Hello. While Cat enjoys the concept of spiciness, reality is that spicy things have too many aggressive flavors for Cat. Regulars just fine.

To Cat
from kitten!!

what to do about my bills!?!?!?!? (p.s. I don't wanna pay my bills or taxes!! XPPPP) help me out!! ( will pay in catnip if u pay my bills and taxes for my nine lives!!🍧🦴)

Hello kitten!! Cat understands your dilemma. Cat may not have experience paying bills or doing taxes, but Cat does have experience doing things Cat does NOT want to do, like getting nails trimmed and eating cold liver pâté. Cat not sure Cat will have best advices for you, but Cat will give it a try.

Cat believe that biggest reason paying debts is good, is because it relieves stress of having them. The silver-lining of doing hard things not want to do is: it good practice for growing, adapting, and dealing with life. More can practice doing these things now, more can be enjoyer of life when kitten become cat.

Or, kitten can shred bills and pretend they not exist…but problems will catch up to kitten if not deal with them now. Take care of problems now, more time later for enjoyments. 🤝

To Cat
from Wendy

hello cat!

I would like to know if you have any advice about how to tell my parents that I'm bisexual and have a girlfriend. I think it's that they'll be supportive but I'm not sure what to say.

best regards, wendy.

Hello wendy! Cat salutes you with both paws up. You are carrying something sparkly and soft and wonderful in your heart, and now you are wondering how to share it with your humans. Cat sees you.

First, Cat want to say: it is a beautiful thing to know yourself, and to love someone, and to want to be true. This is no small thing. This is big cat, lion-hearted living.

You say you think your parents might be supportive—this sound like a hopeful feeling to Cat, a good sign. But even hopeful things can come with nerves. Speaking truths that live in the heart can feel like jumping off the the back of the couch in the dark. We not always know how things will land, even if we feel sure of the terrain.

So here is Cat’s advices:

• You do not have to say everything all at once. A little at a time is okay. “I want to share something about who I am” is a good way to start. Go at your own pace. This is all about what feels good to you.

• If speaking feels too big, maybe writing a note or a message could help. Words on paper can be brave too. Writing or journaling your thoughts before speaking can be helpful. Writing creates space for you to remember and refine what you want to say.

• You might choose to talk to one parent first. Or someone else you trust—a kind aunt, a wise teacher, a school counselor, a trusted friend, or even an animal who listens with big eyes. Tapping into support before, during, and after big talk can help you feel extra-loved.

• You can come out in any way you like, and you don’t owe anyone anything. If parents have lot of questions that you are uncomfortable answering, it’s okay to tell them “That’s not something I am ready to talk about right now.”

• Lastly, and very important: think gently ahead. If your parents don’t react as you hope right away, is there someone you could stay with or talk to while feelings settle? A friend’s house, a cousin’s couch, a caring grownup? Just knowing you have a net can make a big leap feel safer.

Cat believes it not being dramatic or overly cautious to think about comfort and safety. It being wise. Even when we believe someone will love us just the same, it’s still okay to make sure we’re held, no matter what.

And remember: if your heart gets tangled or feels heavy, that’s okay too. Talking to someone kind who knows how to listen can help you feel steadier. Sharing your feelings not mean something is wrong—it mean you’re being loving with yourself.

Coming out is a process: humans are constantly changing, growing, and becoming. Whatever happen when talk to parents, please keep this thought tucked in your back pocket: Your heart is exactly right-shaped.

Love, Cat

P.S. Sometimes humans take a little time to grow into their better selves. But your truth is still yours, and it’s worth protecting with tenderness. You might find this Coming Out Handbook helpful—it’s full of kind and thoughtful ideas: 👉 The Trevor Project’s Coming Out Handbook

Cat want to share one last thing for any young people reading this: If you need resources or someone to talk to, you can text, chat, or call The Trevor Project anytime. They’re there to help with care, understanding, and support—especially for LGBTQIA+ folks under 25. You don’t have to go through anything alone, there are warm paws waiting 🐾

To Cat
from Silvergoat

Does Cat like chandelier?

Before Cat answers this question, Cat would like to know why you are asking.
Thank you, The Management.

To Cat
from UrL0c4lR4t 

Can I have some free angies managing advice? (I don wanna hear nuthin like "take deep breaths" or "talk to someone trusted")

Hello. You ask about anger management. Good question. Okay, you not want hear about taking deep breaths, but here is the thing. When feel angry, first thing do is react. However. It is always better to respond. Taking deep breath is trick humans use to create space. When have some space, can actually choose whether to react or respond, and being able to choose gives you agency and power. But you want other tricks. Okay, no problem. Cat has two tricks for you to consider.

One trick is to find a physical release. When Cat has pent up frustrations and angers, Cat takes it out on kick toy. Feels good to release the angies so they don’t pile up inside body. Do you have access to cardboard boxes and a private space like a garage or backyard? Cat wonders how you might feel if you took out your angies on some old cardboard boxes. Cat has observed Cat’s human stomping on empty frozen yogurt popsicle boxes. Cat’s human stomps on them in the kitchen and laughs like maniac while doing so. Of course, Cat’s human is an adult and can do whatever want to do in their kitchen. (If you are not an adult human, you might need to tell parents or roommates you are breaking down boxes for recycling and do it in the garage.) If stomping on cardboard boxes is not your style, working out is good way to release angies while making room for feel-goods (also known as endorphins.)

Second trick is turn anger into laughter. What makes you laugh? Is it hooting like an owl? Doing a chicken dance? Saying ho ho ho like a big ridiculous Santa? Find out, and remember to use it next time you feel angies. Anger is energy that needs a release. Sometimes humor can help make release easier. HAHAHAHAHA!

To Cat
from Tris

How did cat get through cat school? What if you fail each test and lose hope?

Cat has confession: Cat never went to school. Cat is self-taught. Name for this is autodicat. Reason Cat share this with you is because school learning is not for everyone. Some learn through experience rather than school. Some learn by making mistake and try again until get it right. Some learn by teaching self, like Cat. Lifelong learners use experimentation and curiosity, try different approach until find good fit.

However. School is requirement for many humans. Especially young ones. So, even if school is not for you, must try to get through it. So Cat will give you some practical advices.

First, if failing tests, try not be too hard on self. Being hard on self will only make self feel bad. No need for that. Second, if having troubles with tests or homework, Cat’s advices is to ask for help. Can you tell parents you are struggling and need help? Can they see if there is tutor or study aids for you at school? Maybe teacher can give extra time for completing tests.

Cat is big fan of asking for help. Even if parents or teachers not have solutions right away, asking for help is proactive. Cat believe that making actions when facing problems always helps to move the problem, even just a little bit, and moving energies is good, makes you feel less stuck, less despairs.

And finally, try not worry too much. Cat understands that young humans must feel very many pressures in big, fast-moving world. Big secret: Cat recently learned that Cat’s human failed algebras many times. Cat’s human had to take algebra class three times before finally passing with C minus grade. In the end, Cat’s human turned out okay. Cat’s human may not have mastered algebra, but Cat’s human did master skill of persistence and not giving up. All you can do is try best you can. When try do best, things work out, one way or another.

To Cat
from Littlebrowncat

you know the metal box is called a computer, right?

Interesting. In Cat’s experience, computer is tool humans use for exercising their fingers, and metal box is tool Cat uses for writing newsletters and ordering crunchy treats.

to Cat
from Snake

Dear cat, As I see this, I feel sad. For some reason, I get sad memories, and I very much feel like I have to share them.

I have lost a few friends over the years. It may sound stupid to still be sad after years but it's okay it gives good memories with said friend and I've had worse that are private in my family but it's all okay.

Cat can I get some advice for this problem? Thank you, Life is not working out very much....

Dear Snake, having access to the glorious full range of emotions is a powerful gift. Tough at times to feel the sads, but so important to feel the feelings and honor them through expression. Why? Because this is how we let them go. (Trust Cat: feelings want to be expressed, rather than bottled up inside where they tend to fester.)

Cat has lost friends and family too. This is one of the hardest sadnesses to bear, so Cat fully supports your desire to share your sad memories and Cat understands how much you are hurting. Knowing that we are not alone in our sadness can help, just leetle bit.

One thing Cat has noticed during Cat’s short time on Earth, is that relationships tend to come and go throughout life as we change and grow, and this is okay. It is never stupid to feel sad, even years later. It is simply a testament to how deeply you love. Losing friends is not a failure. It just is.

Cat sends hugs and thanks you for sharing ❤️

To Cat
from ANG3L

I has important question. Does cat support not being "normal". I no judge if not, I just curious.

Cat supports being self no matter what others think. Normal, not normal, all are okay. Cat wonders what is “normal”, anyway? Best is to be self. Cat loves you 🐱

to Cat
from ehcatfollower

Cat, i am conflicted, i have fallen into this loop of solve problem, and much worse problem appear, it is exhausting and makes me feel terrible. I know life is worth it, but I have honest considered the jump window. Please, give me advice.

Hello friend. Cat knows that feeling exhausted and terrible is hard. Cat urges you not to give up. Cat especially urges no jump windows.

Now for advices. Solve problem is important and useful skill. Cat can only imagine that by sourcing and using this skill, you are building strength. This hard work, so please no forget to love on self, be kind to self, and allow self plenty of rests and treats.

One thing about catching many problems, each one worse than next, is that sticking with it and persevering (aka strength-building) is what make growth. Much harder for humans to grow when life is in easy mode.

You say you know life is worth it. Cat is glad you feel this way, because Cat also knows that life is worth it. Cat wonders if you also know that the way you are feeling will pass, just like the hard times will pass. This just the nature of things—everything comes and goes. Life is made up of ups and downs, good times and bad times, easy mode and hard mode. Learning how adjust, adapt, and accept is how we grow joy.

Knowing that feelings will pass—that our feelings come and go—this may help you not feel overwhelmed, may help you when feel like giving up. When Cat feels like stuck in loop of problems, Cat thinks of saying Cat once heard, “just take it one day at a time.” Cat thinks this mean just try focus on present moment. Makes sense to Cat. Eases burden of worry and fretting and makes problem solving little bit easier too.

Cat’s final thought is to tell you: you got this! If feel exhausted, give self some grace. (Crunchies will work too.) Cat’s dms always open if need to talk. Cat loves you.

To Cat
from Zoe

Wut does cat like doing in free time? (Here is treat 🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤)

Cat does enjoy the watersports…

To Cat
from Lexi

Who would win in a fight, a cat or a dog

Has Cat answered this question before? Really depends on the cat and the dog involved, and what kind of fight. Is it an eye-contact war? In this case, probables cat always wins. Is it a tail wagging match? In this case, probables dog will win.

to Cat
from PARTYdino

how does cat get so popular on sub stack? :} teach me your ways >:3

Cat approaches substack same way Cat approaches food bowl. Every day, Cat visits, pays small attentions. Checks for crumbs, checks for fresh meats. Not pay too much attentions though, Cat has other important things to do. But Cat makes everyday efforts on substack, leaving comments and hearts, making friendlies. Cat is consistent. And of course, Cat is wise to big wisdom: Cats are Internet gold.

to Cat
from Maggie

I would say I'm sad because of fake friends. How would I get out of situations with fake friends and how can I avoid them?

Cat thinks there are several ways to get out of situations with fake friends. It’s about setting boundaries, but really what this mean is prioritizing self. If not like being around fake friends, spend less time with them. This is one kind of boundary, soft kind. Other way of making boundary is to communicate what you expect from friends, and then give them chance to treat you with care and respect. If you do this and they not respect your boundaries, you are free to move on. Moving on not necessarily mean ending friendships or dramatically cutting them off. Can simply choose to spend less time with them, and think of them more as acquaintance, rather than friend.

As far as avoiding fake friends, this takes some practice. Involves observing feelings and instincts when you are around other humans. True friends are caring and supportive, they make us feel good. Observe how your friends make you feel. Notice if they make time for you, if they are curious about you, if they make effort to hang out with you. Spend more time with the friends who make you feel good, and less time with those who make you feel bad.

It’s okay to feel sad because of fake friends. Cat has felt disappointment over friendships that didn’t work out too. Finding good friends is really hard! Not as easy as television and books make it seem. Especially if you are young and still growing into yourself. Friendships come and go, and that is okay 💓

Cat,
Are you ever scared and shy and it makes you not enjoy timeoww.
Love, L

P.S:I'm really shy so don't show the email!😻

Your email is safe with Cat. Answer to your question is yes, Cat does feel scared and shy sometimes. Especially around new creatures or unfamiliar situations. When Cat feels shy, Cat plays pretend and imagines self as a big cat. In big cat mode, Cat sits tall and ruffles up fur around neck. Big imagination makes shyness seem smaller.

Would it make you feel better to know that feeling scared and shy is normals?Everybody feels it at some point in life, some are just better at pretending.

To Cat
from Delusional

how does one find motivation to do all the things

Good question. When Cat is have hard time motivate, Cat think of reward that Cat can give self.

See, one of Cat's jobs is to run perimeter around house. Cat run perimeter to make sure human is safe, to make sure house is secure. But sometimes Cat feels lazy. Not want do job, want lie on floor and slap tail on floors instead.

So to motivate self, Cat make job part of game that has rule: if Cat runs perimeter, Cat may have reward. Reward can be sniff out extra chunks that fall outside of bowl, or scratch cardboard box until human come give scritches, or curl up in bed and luxuriate with long bathing session.

Trick is to create a reward for yourself, then follow rule of game. Most thing in life are like game. Once understand this, can run game and play to win.

To Cat
from KrazyCatLady

Cat, why people expect me to be someone I’m not? Why expect me to want something I don’t want, even though I make it clear I don’t want it?

Here’s crunchies 🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤

In perfect world, all creatures would accept each other exactly as they are. Acceptance of all things is secret key to enjoying life. Cat’s human is industrious and lazy, loud and quiet, messy and neat: Cat must accept all parts of human. Cat is full of complexities too: sweet and spicy, obedient and willful, sedentary and zoomy. Most creatures are complex. It is what makes them interesting and dynamic. If only everyone understood this, right? If you have made clear you not want something, you have set boundary. If others not respect your boundary, not your problem!

to Cat
from Faris

Do you have a favorite way to scream in the middle of the night?

As matter of fact, yes, Cat does have a favorite way to scream in the middle of the night. It sound like this.

To: cat.
From: julio (my real name)

Dear cat, why do i feel if i was stalked at night and feel in a liminal space?

Hello Julio. This Cat (real name). Cat is very intrigued by this question. As far as feeling you were stalked at night—Cat needs more details. But feeling like you are in a liminal space: Cat has some thoughts for you.

See, between sleeping and waking, there is a space—what you call liminal. This space is like a magic hallway between worlds. There are two of these spaces that Cat knows of and they have names. Let Cat unwrap.

🌙 Hypnagogia is the swirly sensation you feel just as you’re falling asleep. Maybe you see strange pictures, or feel like you’re floating, or hear sounds that no one else hears. This not spooky—this your mind stretching itself into the dreamworld.

🌤️ Hypnopompia is what happen just before you wake up. Dreams might be clinging to you, like dust bunnys hanging on to bottom of couch. Might feel fuzzy or upside-down for a moment. That okay too. That your brain slowly slipping back into the land of clocks and crunchies.

Both of these times are liminal spaces and they’re full of very many possibility. This where inspiration runs the perimeter of your mind. This where ideas curl up and purr. Artists, dreamers, and even scientists have found treasures in these in-between spaces.

Cat’s advices: If find self in liminal space between sleeping and waking, try not rush through it. Let yourself float. If something odd or interesting shows up—a strange voice, a flying teacup, a feeling of your body being made of stars—just observe. No have to believe it, and no have to be afraid of it either. Just know its your mind doing cartwheels in the soft grass between worlds.

to Cat
from Moonlight Rambles

Cat, have you ever moved home? Me moved home today first time, had to leave nice comfy bedroom behind. Liked lying in sunny bedroom, now sad im gone. Guess will make new bedroom in future days, but changing is scary. Here is shrimpies as thank yous for your time 🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤💖💖💖

Cat has moved away from home, leaving comfy things behind…but Cat agrees with you, change can be scary. But change be fun too. Making fresh start, planning new bedroom, and making new discoveries…these are the fun stuffs.

Dream big, Moonlight Rambles, you are captain of ship that is your life. 💗ฅ/ᐠ. ̫ .ᐟ\

Subscribe now

LaLaLalliPop11, The grugger, naiaa, Tofu_pizza, Culty Chef, Pigon, Maya, Capybara, A cattyl0v3r, Ryley and everyone else who left questions: Cat has run out of space. Cat sees you and Cat will answer questions in next mailbag. If your question is time-sensitive, feel free to email Cat or send a DM and Cat will do best to respond.

Now Cat has question for readers:
How are you enjoying springtime? 🌱 Please be specific, Cat wants details.

Thank you for reading. Crunchies in comments always appreciated.
Love, Cat 🐾

 ˚∧＿∧  　+        —̳͟͞͞🌷
  (  •‿• )つ  —̳͟͞͞ 🦋         —̳͟͞͞🌼 +
  (つ　 <                —̳͟͞͞🍀
 ｜　 _つ      +  —̳͟͞͞🐝      —̳͟͞͞🌸 ˚
`し´

It is the month of March and Cat is starting to feel the stirrings of springtime.

Winter is fading and outside, the ground is damp from rain. Inside, Cat lies awake at night more often, dreaming up plans for warmer weather or pulling an all-nighter to play Uno with the crew of dust bunnies that have been wintering with Cat.

However. Cat has been a little down in the dumps these past few months.

With a foreboding outside world, and an interior world full of uncertainty, existential dread, and free-floating anxiety, Cat’s creative impulse feels deadened.

What do???

Cat invites you to read along and enjoy today’s newsletter on the subject of stuckness.

when routines turn into ruts

Cat is a creature of routine. Cat requires mealtimes on regular schedule. Cat enjoys uninterrupted naptime at least eight times a day and the promise of a crunchy when Cat is good Cat.

Cat knows that moon rising in darkened sky signals nocturnal activities, like cavorting with the dust bunnies and running perimeter around house.

Cat equally knows that sun rising and birds chirping signals diurnal activities, like finding best sun spot to lounge in, and waiting for food bowl to be filled.

But Cat has been struggling with one routine in particulars. Cat has been struggling to express Cat’s self. Cat has been unable to write.

the varieties of self-expression

Cat expresses self in endless ways.

Cat meows at human to express hungers or desire for attention. Cat ramps down the hallway to express joy of release after Cat uses litter-box. Cat lowers head and whips tail back and forth to express personal boundaries and desire to be left alone. Cat lies in a pile of blankets and kneads paws to express deep comfort, a primal mechanism leftover from kittenhood.

Cat is sure that Cat’s readers are familiar with all of these feline expressions.

However. There is another kind of expression that interests Cat: the creative impulse.

the creative impulse

The creative impulse is a deep urge that comes from within. It originates outside of thinking, often arriving spontaneously, as if from a wellspring hidden deep underground, driving us to document, interpret, imagine and invent.

Cat embodies the creative impulse when Cat shreds cardboard box. For Cat, surface of cardboard box is smooth and beguiling, like artist canvas. It beckons. Cat feels like abstract expressionist when Cat makes wild gestural markings on cardboard box.

Similarly, Cat embodies the same creative impulse when Cat sits down in front of metal box and lays paws on little squares to make tap tap tap. For Cat, blank screen of metal box is like an open door.

Cat not know what Cat will find when Cat walks through this door and crosses threshold into world of creativity, into world of unknown. Cat only knows that Cat is guided by something mysterious when obeying the creative impulse.

stuckness

Cat believes self-expression is Cat’s evolutionary imperative. What Cat means is, Cat sometimes feels as though Cat will die if Cat cannot express self. Dramatic? Perhaps. Imagine Cat’s horror when Cat sat down in front of metal box and wait for tap tap tap that never come. Imagine Cat’s horror when nothing comes. Only silence.

Cat feels stuck, and Cat hates it.

This stuckness? Boo tomatoes. Terrible. This stuckness gives Cat very many feelings.

First, Cat feels denials. With help of denials, Cat brushes off regular writing schedule and spends days flopped on couch, binging on crunchy treats.

Then Cat feels anxious. Cat wonders where creative impulse hides. Cat wonders why this is happening and Cat wonders if this will ever end? Soon Cat’s thinkings overflow with troubles, frets, and worries.

After anxiety, Cat feels angers: angers at self, angers at metal box that gathers dust. Cat’s human walks by and Cat swats at humans leg for no good reason, tearing hole in human’s new pants, and Cat’s anger turns muddy and dark with sadness and regret.

Finally, self doubt arrives. Cat wonders if writing was a fluke. Or worse, a bad idea. Cat begins to feel embarrassed for ever even aspiring to be a writer. What was Cat thinking?? Cat goes down shame spiral and stays there for long time.

the pull of curiosity

At long last, Cat surrenders.

Cat throws Cat self on carpet and lays there motionless for several hours. The hours turned into days, and the days turned into weeks.

Soon, a new feeling arises: curiosity 🌱

So Cat picked self up off of floor, and decided to pay a visit to the wisest beings Cat knows: the dust bunnies. Cat has observed how the dust bunnies see things differently and Cat wonders if this is a side effect of having once been scattered across the cosmos. Surely the dusties would have sound advice for Cat on how to navigate creative stuckness.

Yes, Cat has spent many late nights playing cards and trading stories with the younger, rowdier crowd of dusties who hang out in the laundry room. But for big wisdoms and advices on important issues, Cat knows there is only one bunny to see.

solar insight and lunar wisdoms

Normals, Cat find the dustbunnies gathered in forgotten corners of the house: under the couch, behind the bookshelf, or in the brambles of plastic cords behind the big metal box. But for big wisdoms and important advices, Cat want talk to oldest, wisest dust bunny, name of Ray.

Ray live in quietest corner of house, on top of fridge. But Ray lives in silent contemplation, and Ray’s words come sparingly, like flints of dust catching light. Only under light of full moon, do Ray’s wisdoms spilled freely. On nights when moon is full, stories and advices tumble from Ray like pearly wisdoms.

So Cat wait, little bit impatiently, for night of big moon.

In meantime, Cat collect gifts for Ray: a tiny feather from under the front door mat, a few strands of hair from the hairbrush on the bathroom counter, some stray chia seeds found on the kitchen floor, and some downy white fluff of unknown origin.

front and follow

Finally, night of full moon arrive. Cat wait until midnight before leaping up to the top of the fridge. Once Cat cozily seated in front of Ray with a mug of warm creams, Cat explain everything.

Cat tell Ray about the joy of writing, about Cat’s passion for tap tap tap. Cat tell Ray about the stuckness, the angers, the swatting of Cat’s human’s leg, the wallowing on the back of the couch. Cat tell Ray about the sadness, the despairs.

Cat explained everything as Ray sat silent, eyes peering out at Cat from behind a tiny pair of horn-rimmed glasses, listening. Finally, Ray spoke.

“Cat, you may be surprised to learn that the great secret of creativity comes naturally to cats.”

Cat could hardly believe what Cat was hearing. Cat feel hot burning feeling rise in Cat’s ears. Cat has been struggling all this time, frantically chasing creative impulse for weeks…and creativity is natural to Cat? How???

Cat listened intently as Ray spoke expansively, and at great length, about quantum intelligence, unconscious processing, meaning-making, and creative wellsprings.

At times, Cat struggle to understand what the wise bunny was talking about. Ray’s pearly wisdoms start to feel like fever dream, but Cat continue to listen, taking tiny sips from mug of creams to stay awake.

Soon, the silvery light of the moon faded. Cat yawned and stretched paws out in front of Ray. Cat thanked Ray for wisdoms and made motions to leave.

“One more thing, Cat.”

Cat paused before launching off of top of fridge.

“Stuckness, like everything else, is a form of energy. Energy dissipates when it is captured. In it’s most generative state, energy must flow.”

And then Ray closed tiny eyes, scuttled off into a dark corner, and Cat and jumped down off of the fridge, eager to get in bed for a long nap.

the great secret of creativity

Cat guesses Cat’s readers would like to know what Ray told Cat about stuckness, about the creative impulse and flow. Cat guesses Cat’s readers would like to know the great secret of creativity.

Well, Cat’s readers will be happy to learn that Cat took copious notes while Ray was delivering wisdoms. In Ray’s words:

💡Creativity flows best when you attract ideas rather than chase them.
Chasing often comes with pressure—forcing inspiration, overthinking, and grasping at something just out of reach. But when you create space, stay curious, and trust the process, ideas naturally find their way to you. Allow yourself to be receptive rather than frantic in pursuit.

💡Attracting means nurturing the right conditions
Spend time reading, observing, daydreaming, or simply being present—so that ideas feel invited rather than hunted. It’s like leaving a window open to enjoy a cool breeze instead of running after the wind. When you stop forcing, inspiration arrives effortlessly, surprising you with its timing and clarity.

cat attraction

Now, Cat understands that creativity comes willingly when wait for ideas, not chase after. Cat understands that walking away, changing up routine, and nourishing body with foods, sleep, and play make more receptive self, make more ready self.

That's the great secret of creativity. You treat ideas like cats: you make them follow you.
—Ray Bradbunny

What Ray mean when say that creativity is like cats? Cat not like being chased, not like being cornered. Cat will come to human when Cat feels like it. Cannot force Cat. Same with creativity.

When chase ideas, brain feels tight—too many thinkings, too many trying, ideas run away. But if sit quietly, allow curiosities, and trust that ideas will come, inspiration will show up, the way that Cat shows up when human shakes bag of crunchies.

Waiting for idea is like making warm spot in sun. No need to run, no need to grab. Creativity come when ready, soft and perfect.

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So has Cat’s stuckness gone away? Maybe yes, maybe no. Maybe not so important.

Cat read something wise human once said: “If you have nothing at all to create, then perhaps you create yourself.” Another wise human say this: “Creativity takes courage.”

Cat would like to know reader’s thinkings. What do readers do when struggle with stuckness? Please share in comments, or leave a 🍤 if you enjoy reading.

Thank you for reading, ❤️ Cat 🐾

∩――――∩
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||    (* ´ ｰ`) 💤
|ﾉ^⌒⌒づ`￣  ＼
(　ノ　　⌒ ヽ ＼
＼　　||￣￣￣￣￣||
　 ＼,ﾉ||

February is when Cat makes deep slumbers. While airs are cool and nights are long, Cat spends cozy time with dustbunnies near the heater, trading stories and learnings. In Cat’s opinion, February is perfect time for big naps, long talks, and deep dreamings.

But this month, very many of Cat’s readers leave comments and questions asking for advices about love and what do about Valentine’s Day. Cat decide to make some investigations.

First, Cat watched several YouTubes to learn about Valentine’s Day. Cat’s learnings? This day is about love and candy hearts. Well, Cat is not biggest fan of candy—Cat prefers crunchies—but Cat does understand the deeper meaning of candy hearts…

Hearts hold love.

Cat asked dustbunnies to tell Cat more about Valentine’s, since dustbunnies are keepers of very many wisdoms. Bunnies tell Cat the word valentine come from old Latin word valentia, which mean courage, strength, and power. Please contemplate.

Now Cat will answer reader’s questions about love.

To Cat
from Panda_BearCub

Hi Cat!! Panda wants to know how to tell if they've found their forever partner or not 🩷🐼 Also is it possible for a panda and a sloth to fall in love?

Hello Panda. This Cat.

Yes, Cat believe is possible for a panda and a sloth to fall in love. They may have issues with compatibilities since sloth move at slower pace than panda, but panda is not known for speed, so they could make good match. What Panda and sloth have in common is they like veggies, so eating together could be fun date activity.

Panda want know how to tell if they’ve found their forever partner or not. Well. Cat has potentially controversial opinion on forever partners…

Cat is not sure that Cat believes in forever 🙀 Let Cat unpack.

First, Cat has a concept of time that is centered around the present moment, so “forever” feels somewhat strange in Cat’s imaginings.

Second, Cat observes how humans are in constant state of growing, learning, and becoming. When humans grow and change, their relationships change. This mean some relationships are for a moment, some are for a while, and some are for a long, long time. What Cat will say next is important:

Cat believes that the length of a relationship does not determine the quality of relationship.

What Cat is trying to say to Panda, is that it is okay if a relationship not last forever. It is also okay if a relationship does last a long time, like forever.

Now that Cat has gotten spicy opinions out of the way, let’s discuss how to know if Panda has found partner in long-lasting love. Answer is: it depends. That said, (assuming that Panda’s partner is Sloth), Cat would contemplate the following questions:

Do Panda and Sloth share values and goals? Do Sloth and Panda have similar lifestyle? Are Panda and Sloth able to communicate easily? Not only speaking but listening too. Can Panda be vulnerable with Sloth and is Sloth supportive when Panda shares hard feelings? (Now reverse Uno: Can Sloth be vulnerable with Panda and is Panda supportive when Sloth shares hard feelings?) Does Sloth bring out best in Panda? (Reverse Uno this too.) Do Panda and Sloth accept each other for who they are without needing to change or fix each other? Can Panda and Sloth support each other during tough times? Do Panda and Sloth make each other laugh? (Cat would guess answer to this question is yes. Big yes. 🐼)

See, lot of factors for consider. It all very, very, personal, and specific to the pandas and the sloths that are involved. Perhaps Panda needs to shred bamboo before eating, but the mess of shredded bamboos gives Sloth big stressies. Are Panda and Sloth able to talk about this and find a way to adjust and adapt so that Panda gets to eat bamboo in a way that is comfy for Panda while also being respectful of Sloth’s needs? Is Sloth is able to manage Sloth’s stressies in a way that honors Sloth’s needs while also making sure that Panda feels seen, supported, and loved?

tl;dr: Cat believe that communication and compatibility are two important ingredients that can lead to long-lasting and (more importantly) loving relationships. Well, that, and the fanny flutters 🩷

Panda, Cat wishes you a happy valentines. Thank you for trusting Cat with question. If Panda knows any sloths, please say Hi from Cat 😽

To Cat
from Frog

Hey cat! Frog wants to know how to overcome sadness after breakup, especially around valentines 🐸

Hey Frog! Overcome sadness after breakup is hard, so don’t be too hard on self. First, Frog must feel the feelings: feelings like sadness, hurt, anger, and lonelies. Cat knows this is no fun, but this is quickest and most effective way to get through a breakup.

There are activities that can help Frog feel the feelings. Listen to musics. Play musics. Write in journal. Spend time outdoors. Spend time with animals. Express self with creativite activities like art, collage, and crafts.

Let tears come out. If have trouble crying, try watching sad movie or video. When Cat feels sadnesses and needs to cry but cannot, Cat types “feral kitten journey” into YouTube on metal box. Cat does this when Cat can get comfy and has lots of privacy. Always helps release Cat’s tears.

Sometimes, Cat discusses sadnesses with dustbunnies. Dustbunnies are good listeners and Cat trusts them. When Cat feels sadnesses, sometimes laughters is what Cat needs. Friends are good for making laughters and for listening.

For overcome sadness after breakup around Valentine’s Day, Cat’s advices is give self special treats. What make Frog feel good? Does Frog like to feel cool spring waters on skin while hiding under shade of smooth green leaf? Does Frog like to eat bugs and chase bubbles in pond?

Whatever makes Frog feel good, do it. This is called self-soothing. Cat soothes by making extra long bathtime. Cat licks paws and licks furs until Cat feels calm, comfy, and *just so*. Making air biscuits very soothing for Cat as well. What soothes Frog?

Cat’s biggest advices to help Frog get through a breakup is for Frog to trust that sadness will pass. Life is full of both sadness and joy. Sometimes just knowing this helps. Cat loves you ❤️‍🩹ฅ (• ˕ •マ

to Cat
from Laylalalala

Does Cat have a valentine ❤💘😻💌🫶💞💗💖?

On Valentine’s Day, Cat has houseguests. Big group of dustbunnies are in town for their annual quantum physics conference, so Cat will host a late night Valentine’s party. Cat will provide Cheetos dust for dustbunnies, and dusties will tell Cat stories about time travelling through black holes. Cat has also invited Worm who will bring dirt pie, but Worm will only show up if there is rain, so Cat not know yet if Worm can make it. Happy Valentine’s Day Laylalalala! 😻

to Cat
from Grace

hey cat, what do I do if a guy I like knows I like him but wont say anything? What do I do??? If you answer me wisely I will make sure to get cat many many crunchy treats..and shrimp treats :)

Grace has made conditions that Cat must meet in order to receive crunchies and this makes Cat nervous! However, Cat has great admiration for how Grace navigates assertively, so Cat will shoot Cat’s shot.

Here is Cat’s answer: if Cat was Grace, Cat would just speak to guy. However, Cat would do so in a way that prompts guy to do more than what guy is currently doing, which is not saying anything. Grace cannot do all the work.

See, in order for Grace to know that guy is deserving of Grace and her attentions, and in order for Grace to know if guy shares interest and is not simply basking in the knowledge of Grace’s affections, guy needs to make efforts equal to Grace’s efforts. Does Grace agree?

Cat would like to present Grace with two options of what to do.

First option is what Cat would do, but keep in mind, Cat uses this method to capture prey and influence Cat’s human, so while Cat’s approach may be somewhat-forward-yet-not-very-direct and more appropriate for cats, Cat will share anyway. Cat’s second option is straightforward and leaves less room for wonderings.

First option: When Grace and guy are in same space, make eye contact with guy. Grace must be bold and hold eye contact, then look away. Take a moment. Remember to breathe. How did that feel? What did Grace observe while making eye contact? Give self moment to process.

Next step is to make eye contact with guy for a second time. This time, while Grace makes eye contact, say “Hi.” Can practice in mirror to get feel for it. Just a simple, confident, friendly “Hi.”

Now that Grace has initiated contact, ball is in guy’s court. Grace says that guy knows that Grace likes him, so now that Grace has made contact and opened door to more communications, it is guy’s turn to return efforts. This is reciprocity, or mutual exchange.

If guy does not show interest in reciprocating contact, this has nothing to do with Grace—this is simply information, and information, like wisdoms, is power. Guy may not be ready to be romantic. Guy may like someone else. Guy may lack confidence or may not have courage needed to return Grace’s “Hi.” If any or all of the above is the case, Grace may want to reconsider attentions towards guy, or, may consider trying Cat’s second, more direct option. Remember, reciprocity is important.

Second option: be direct. Cat advises Grace to simply walk up to guy and start conversation. Can start conversation by introducing self and then asking question like “So, how do you think you did on today’s math test?” If question sparks conversation, this is information. This information tells Grace more about the possibility of reciprocity, or mutual liking. If guy answers wisely, Grace has more information to use when decide how to proceed.

Extra credit questions: What does Grace think of guy’s answer? Does it increase or decrease Grace’s interest? Does guy smile or frown? Does guy ask how Grace did on math test? Does guy have soft eyes? Does guy act embarrassed, annoyed, or bored? Does guy act nervous, awkward, or shy? Does guy seem interested in more conversation?

Answer to all of the above = more information. Give self time to process and reflect.

Once Grace has had first conversation with guy, more conversations easier to initiate. No worry if conversation is awkward at first, this normal. Finding common ground is key to making conversations flow. Cat trusts Grace knows how to do. In fact, Cat has a feeling that Grace will be good at this.

Was Cat’s answer wise enough to earn many many crunchy treats from Grace? 😻

to Cat
from naiaa

does cat have/want a valentine? and does cat have tips for getting one?

Hello naiaa. Cat would like Valentine to be readers who click hearts and leave crunchies in comments. Cat knows only way to receive this is to make newsletter for readers, so Cat’s tip for getting is to give.

Giving is always easy way to receive. This is because energy enjoys exchange.

naiaa can test this out by giving a Valentine to someone. Could be teacher, could be friend, could be parent or relative or pet or neighbor or even character in book. Cat make warning: giving a Valentine no is guarantee that naiaa will get a Valentine in return, but one thing Cat can guarantee is that it feels good to give. So try, and see what happen.

Pro tip: can always give a Valentine to self, which means naiaa will most definitely receive one. 😺

to Cat
from ehcatfollower

Cat, hooman haves another question, me haves a girl best friend, that i think is pretty, fun and funny. And I thinks am in love, but i do not get the butterflies in the stomach or the skipping the heartbeat, I am unsure on what to do.

Cat’s advices for humans who not know what to do will always be the same, so Cat will give this advices to ehcatfollower. You must listen to the rustle of the morning stars. (Cat read this in book once and Cat immediately understood, so Cat has remembered this wisdom ever since.)

This what mean: Listening to the rustle of the morning stars means tuning into intuitions. Some call intuitions gut feelings. This is because feelings that come from gut are different than thinkings that come from the head.

The rustle of the morning stars is not the voice of the head, it is the voice of the heart.

For many humans, voice of head is louder than voice of the heart. Voice of head, (also called thinkings) is so loud it make it difficult to hear voice of heart. The best way to listen to the heart is to make thinkings more quiet.

Cat has some methods for ehcatfollower to try, may make it easier for hear voice of heart.

First method is to get comfy and quiet and close eyes. Make picture in mind of early morning, of dawn. Sun has not quite risen yet. World is quiet and sky is starting to lighten. Spend time notice details of this picture until can see morning stars twinkling in distance. Listen for their rustle, listen for heart’s leanings. Get comfy inside heart space. Can take long deep breath here too, if like to. Sit quietly for a moment or two. Then open eyes slowly. Can flex toe beans, roll shoulders, and yawn if feel good.

Second method is to take time every day to occupy thinkings with small activities. Things like coloring, walking, dancing. Even chores like sweeping, washing dishes, or tidying will do. Some of Cat’s small activities are lying on floor and thwacking tail, sitting like loaf on back of couch, and looking out window with eyes half open. Small activities keep thinkings busy so that heart has space to speak and be heard. Trick is to not try. Trick is just do with open mind and see what happen.

Now. Cat’s advices for ehcatfollower’s situation is to find some time to get quiet. Then follow Cat’s first method for listening to voice of heart. If hear voice of heart, just sit with it. If no hear voice of heart, just sit with the stillness. In either scenario, no need do anything. Just sit and be. Practice this regular. Maybe do when wake up before get out of bed. Maybe do when get into bed before go to sleep. Maybe do while riding in car. ehcatfollower can choose time that feels *just so* for ehcatfollower.

ehcatfollower says girl best friend is pretty, fun, and funny. Cat thinks girl best friend sounds great. Cat want remind ehcatfollower that there are many different kinds of love. Love for a bestie, romantic love, crushy love, love for family, love for animals or musics, or ideas. All forms of love are wonderful. Trick is knowing which kind of love you feeling, and when.

To know more about what kind of love you may be feeling, ehcatfollower, Cat suggests some self-reflective activities. What this mean? This mean spending time alone with self, writing in journal, drawing, doodling, playing music, doing puzzle, writing short story or poem, and meditating. These activities help make deeper connection with self. Help make friendlies with inner self. Knowing self better allows inner thoughts to speak more clearly. (Why Cat no suggest activities like video games or TikTok? Cat enjoys video games and TikTok, but in this case, Cat prefers activities that no use metal box.)

ehcatfollower says unsure what to do. Cat not sure need to do anything, just yet. Suggest take time before take action. Cat believe that over time, answer may become clear. For now, Cat suggest sit with feelings and tune into heart. The love butterflies and skipping heartbeats? They have strange way of showing up when the time is right.

If want try a journal exercise, ehcatfollower can write answers to the following questions in journal: Has ehcatfollower ever felt flutters for a human before? What was that human like? What does ehcatfollower like the most about girl best friend? What kind of qualities in a human does ehcatfollower find appealing? What kind of qualities in a human does ehcatfollower find unappealing?

No need do anything with answers in journal. This exercise just for ehcatfollower, for help clarify feelings. (And perhaps ehcatfollower might find it fun.)

Please keep Cat updated. Cat loves you! ≽👁️ܫ👁️≼

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If readers want ask Cat about something, can leave question here or in comments. Cat loves to answer questions and give advices.

Since Cat has been thinking about love while answering reader’s questions, Cat made video dedicated to one of Cat’s great loves: shrimps.

Please enjoy.

If readers would consider subscribing to Cat’s YouTube channel, would please Cat very much. Thank you, The Management.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

   🌺🌺           🌺🌺
  🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
  🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
     🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
 ^    🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
( ˘ ᵕ ˘   🌺🌺🌺
ヽ   つ＼     ／
  ᑌ ᑌ    / 🎀 \

Time for February mailbag. Yes, Cat skipped January mailbag. Why? Well, Cat was feeling very tired and stressed last couple weeks, so Cat take big rest. That mean some of Cat’s activities, like writing newsletters and farming crunchies must wait.

Many readers send questions about stress, loneliness and anxieties, so Cat knows Cat is not alone in feeling big overwhelm sometimes. Cat knows that feelings are like time: they pass. Good to remember.

Now Cat is feeling betters. Readers have questions and Cat have answers.

To Cat
From abcd

how big was biggest dustbunny cat found?

Cat once found dustbunny so big, Cat could not carry with paws or in Cat’s mouth, so Cat invite big dustbunny to ride on Cat’s back instead. Have to use old sock for saddle, otherwise dustbunny would fall on ground while Cat trot perimeter.

(Usually big dustbunny hides behind big metal machines in laundry room. Look there if want find big dustbunny and sprinkle area with orange Cheetos dust to entice.)

To Cat
from Entemitmesser

Cat! Should i Vote Cat AS President?

Answer is not obvious?!?

To Cat
from StxrLight <3

hey cat…wat should I do if I am sad and lonely :<

First of all, Cat sends head bumps and snuggles to you.

Second, Cat know what Cat say next may sound cheesy but it has truth, so listen close: happy times with friendlies will find you. Sometimes humans, and even Cat, feels sad and lonely.

Cat guesses it just a part of being a human (or cat). And being a human means having feelings, even feelings that feel bad, and sad, and lonely. Naming feelings helps—like when you write comment to Cat. Another word for this is acknowledgement. Sharing feelings helps us to feel them. When we feel them, make it easier to let them go.

Releasing feelings has funny way of making us feel betters. Makes room for other feelings and experiences to find us.

Only advices Cat can think of is to tell you to take it day by day. Life has way of surprising us when we just hang in there. Cat loves you ≽👁️ܫ👁️≼

To Cat
from StxrLight <3

but how do I let the sad go if I've been hanging in there too long.. cat?

Good question StxrLight. Cat wishes there was one answer for this question, but truth is, there are many—maybe because sad feelings can feel very big, and lot of humans have them.

There are lot of ways to let the sad go. StxrLight's job is to find the way that work best for StxrLight. Noticing feelings and naming feelings help make it easier to accept feelings, and when can accept feelings, is easier to let go of them.

Other things that help: getting plenty of sleep, exercising or any activity that moves your body, eating well (many healthy proteins, few crunchies), writing in journal, yoga or meditation, hobbies like coloring or legos or scrapbooking or collage or writing poetry or cooking or puzzles or word games or drawing. Support from others is good—talking it out with a friend or someone you trust, or even telling to journal.

Learning how to let go is one of hardest things for humans to learn how do. Love on self, be kind to self, be patient with self and remember to listen to the rustle of the morning stars. 🩷 ฅ (• ˕ •マ

To Cat
from robin

do cat have any new year resolutions?

Lemonman ask this question too. Hello Lemonman! Cat’s resolution is to eat less houseplants and more crunchies.

To Cat
from Ethan

have your human ever found this site open?

After Cat learn how tap on metal box, Cat learn how repair metal box. Cat needs privacy so Cat make repair on metal box so human can never find site.

To Cat
from C4t

Does cat play valorant?

Cat think Cat might need big powerful metal box for play. Is true? Please explain.

To Cat
from Edgedancer

What are Cat's favorite type of books?

Cat enjoys books about mysticism, science fiction, and media theory. Right now reading Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. Cat also reading Conversations with Birds by Alan Powers. Enjoy poetries and short stories too, like Sakutaro Hagiwara’s Cat Town. Cat just start new book, The Aesthetics of Resistance by Peter Weiss. Cat thinks is about history, workers, and art, but book has so many words, author has to fit them into three books.

To Cat
from Athena

When did Cat become addicted to shrimp?

Cat and shrimps go way, way back. See, Cat likes crunch-munch. Anything crunchy, Cat loves. Something about crunch really speaks to Cat. Cat think has something to do with teeth, bones, and Cat’s hunting nature.

Eating crunchies reminds Cat of how Cat’s teeth make crunching sound when biting neck of Cat’s prey. But Cat not have prey anymore because Cat is housecat now. Cat not outdoors hunting down birds and lizards and mice, too much dangers for Cat to be outdoors in big city full of cars and coyotes.

So Cat takes next best thing to hunting: playtime with human followed by crunchy treats and praises.

Cat try to find emoji that best resembles beloved crunchy treats. This when Cat landed on crunchy, savory, salty fried shrimpers 🍤

To Cat
from bluePNWcats

Has Cat ever done the slow blink with a human person?

To Cat
from lobotomy fan

cat, what is your advise on doing hard things? i try difficult task and want to give up but cat is resilient. how do you do it?

Cat does hard things by doing little bits every day. Do little bits, makes hard thing less overwhelm, less intimidating, less likely to give up.

How does Cat do it? Cat makes goal, then makes deadline. This means Cat must do what Cat sets out to do, and Cat must do it within set amount of time. Cat has good memory, so Cat not forget goal, but human might want write down goal and place on mirror with tapes so goal will stay in mind.

See, big difficult task is more easy if split into little bits. For example, Cat make goal of farming 20 crunchies in seven days. Since Cat has seven days to meet goal, if Cat farms three crunchies each day, Cat will meet goal…with one extra. Cat loves extra. Extra is like bonus point for do good job.

Can also try level-up method. This same as little bits method, except that as get closer to goal deadline, must level-up. For example, Cat sets goal of hanging from curtain fabrics for 5 minutes, and Cat want be able to do this in 1 month.

Cat start out by hang from curtain fabrics for 30 seconds every day. Then after one week, Cat levels-up: Cat hangs from curtain fabrics for 1 minute and 30 seconds a day. Then after two weeks, Cat levels-up again. Cat repeats until meet goal.

When doing hard things, really helps to have support, like friends who can offer encouragments when feel like giving up. Cat’s DM’s always open if need support.

To Cat
from Maya

why am i so sad cat :( time passing scares me 😿 Me think because me miss things that happened 😿😿 me think I will lose what me has right meow

Only way not lose what have right now is to live in moment. Must try not worry, because worrying takes you away from moment.

Good way to worry less and live in moment is to play gratefuls game. Every day when wake up, or when go to sleep, think of three things feel gratefuls for.

Cat will go first. Today Cat is grateful for cozy feeling in bed, sound of birds outside, and fresh can of chunks of gravy. Try gratefuls game and see if helps. Gratefuls game always helps Cat when Cat is feeling scared and sad.

Thing about time passing is that time never stop passing. Nothing humans or cats can say or do to control time or stop time from passing.

What Cat can tell you, is that is possible to find joy in the passing of time. Like when Cat looks back and realize that six month ago, Cat barely know how use metal box. Now, Cat is almost expert. Cat finds joy in this. Also make Cat feel hopeful about what Cat can do six months into future.

Finding things to do that requires lot of time is fun way to experiment with time, easy way to see if you can find joy in time passing instead of fear. Like…finishing a coloring book or learning animation, or reading a book series or completing big puzzle. Spending some time in meaningful, intentional way may give Maya new perspective.

Interesting. Cat has observed that feelings are actually a lot like time: they pass. Next time Maya feels sad, instead of say “I am sad.” Try say “I feel sad.” Small difference in words, but change in meaning is very big.

To Cat
from ilovecat

Why does my cat always have so much energy in the morning??

Cat has so much energy in morning because this only way to get human out of bed to fill Cat’s bowl.

To Cat
from Charlotte_luv

Hai cat ^_^! i was wondering, how do i ask out this guy i like? i don't talk to him much but i really like him

Might be nervous to start conversation with this guy, but this is best way to find out if he is interesting enough to ask out. See, this is Cat’s opinion: way you feel about this guy is just as important as how this guy feel about you.

Will not know how you feel about this guy unless talk to him little bit. Have to talk to him to find out if have shared interests, find out if see world same way, find out if he is kind person (very important), find out if laugh at same jokes, find out if like same activities, find out if prefer salty or sweet, and most important, find out if like cats (very, very important).

Please let Cat know how it goes.

To Cat
from izzy

cat does your human trim your claws or leaves them to grow?

Cat’s human wraps Cat up in towel like Cat is a burrito and trims claws when get long enough for make loud tap tap sound on floors, or when get long enough to make discomfort for Cat. After trims, Cat always receives treats.

Cat’s human also has many scratchers around home for Cat to make use of. Scratchers helps Cat shed claws naturally, and is enjoyable activity for housecat.

To Cat
from Lucas

is cat life hard

Cat life is easy sometime, hard sometime too. Mostly, Cat chooses to enjoy.

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If want advices from Cat next month, leave questions here or in comments. Cat would not say no to crunchies in comments either, but that is up to you.

Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

  ∧,,,∧
(  ̳• · • ̳)
/    づ♡ Cat loves you

Cat and water: strange friends. Maybe readers observe how cats and water dance together, how paws stay at water’s edge. Curious but careful. Cautious.

Maybe, readers believe Cat not make big friendlies with water.

Truth is, Cat is enchanted by waters. Waters that move. Cat has fascinations for running waters, for living waters.

Drip-drop of sink.
Glug-glug of tub.
Splish-splash of rain.
Hush-hush of sea.

The way light and shadow dance in running waters, the way movement warps and weaves…Cat loves it all. Sometimes, can even see image of self reflected in waters.

Water in motion is lot like Cat: reflective, mutable, mysterious.

Once upon a cat, there was wise old feline, name of Heracatus. Heracatus have long white whiskers, live like hermit, and speak in riddles. Heracatus say:

“A cat cannot step into the same river twice, because it is not the same river, and it is not the same cat.”

Cat lives this wisdom. Every step, every blink, every pounce: Cat changes. Like river water, Cat is always moving, always changing.

Cat understands that life is flux. Word flux has meaning like change, like flow—change that flow like water. This what Heracatus mean when make riddle about cat step into river: Heracatus saying that life flows like water in river. Always changing.

Always becoming.

Maybe Cat’s readers know the wisdoms of martial artist star, name of Bruce Lee:

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

Philosophical thinkings of Bruce Lee run deep like ocean waters. To be water is to be resilient, to be organic, to adapt, to transform. Be water not mean be passive. Be water is boundless, fluid way of relating to rigid forms and structures. Be water, my friend.

Bruce Lee make these words very many years ago. Still important today. In Bruce Lee’s home, name of Hong Kong, students choose to be water when protest for freedoms. Use metal box to organize. Use musics to unite hearts. Use umbrellas to protect bodies. Use flow to evade police. Use philosophy of Bruce Lee: Be water, my friend.

Cat read book about water that reminds Cat of this fluid, always becoming way of life. Book is about living waters, waters of life. Book is Água Viva, written by human, name of Clarice Lispector.

Book have only 88 pages. Easy, right? Cat think probables finish read book in one day, in between eating crunchies and napping. That what Cat think but Cat was wrong. Big wrong.

Água Viva not easy. Not easy because very much different from other books. Different because not tell story. Not have plot, characters, or setting. Not have form or structure.

So Cat approach Água Viva like Cat would approach a strange animal. Sense contours with whiskers. Pick up scent. Listen to rhythm of breath, listen to voice. Observe behaviors, look for patterns. Watch and listen.

First, Cat observe how água-viva is word that mean ‘living waters’ in language of author, Clarice. Have another meaning in author’s language. In Portugese, água-viva is also word for jellyfish.

Interesting. Água Viva is lot like jellyfish. It float. It sting. It glow. It inhabit deep sea waters. It mysterious and mesmerizing. Cannot hold in paw, can only experience with feeling senses.

When Cat read Água Viva, feel like diving into deep end of primordial waters, waters of consciousness.

Clarice write book like jellyfish moves—no straight line, no plan. Words in book flow here, flow there, like water running in stream. Words take reader deep into bloom of jelly womb-waters. Beyond time, beyond space, beyond thinkings.

“I am trying to seize the fourth dimension of this instant-now so fleeting that it’s already gone because it’s already become a new instant-now that’s also already gone.”

Cat understand that what narrator voice calls ‘this instant-now’, is time. Not time on clock, but time as lived experienced. As presence. Cat understands this because Cat, like most other animals, lives in dimensional shades of instant-now.

Many years ago, Cat learn how to time travel. How to exist in the instant-now.

See, Cat was arrange in perfect loaf position. Windows open. Light breezes and warm afternoon sun fill airs. Eyes closed, but Cat could hear yawning sky, hum of human voices, and twinkle of birdsong in the distance. Cat’s heart felt open, alive, immortal.

And then Cat was somewhere else. Cat was—hard to explain—Cat was everywhere and nowhere, all at once. Cat became yawning sky, Cat became twinkle of birdsong, Cat became light breezes and warm sun.

Sleeping is abstracting yourself and scattering into nothingness.

After much time pass, or maybe no time pass at all, Cat returned to Cat-self.

Where Cat go?? Narrator voice of Água Viva calls this place the instant-now. (Cat calls this place Crunchytown, and Cat visits often.)

Most humans not live in instant-now. Instead live in before, or after. Narrator voice want live in the instant-now, in the breath of life.

I want to grab hold of the is of the thing. These instants passing through the air I breathe: in fireworks they explode silently in space. I want to possess the atoms of time.

Narrator voice want “grab hold of the is of the thing.” Cat understand this struggle. Cat understand feeling of wanting to grab and hold.

Cat enjoys sit by big bowl, waiting for human to make waters appear. Water pour into bowl, swirling, spinning. Cat is mesmerized and dips paws in water. But water not stay same. Water run from paws, escape between toes. Cat try grab and hold, but water always one step ahead.

Once, Cat leap into bowl—more water in bowl—easy for grab. This what Cat thinking. Instead, splash-splash. Cat lose balance. Cat fall. Wet fur. Wet paws.

Cat not enjoy wetness, but Cat learn something important. Cat learn that water cannot be held, cannot be controlled. It flows, it moves, it changes—like life. Like Cat. And so, Cat sit by big bowl often now. Watch water. Respect water.

Animals fantasticate me. They are time that does not measure itself.

Narrator voice of Água Viva not speak as human simply observing animal. Speak as human who is animal. Cat think narrator voice wants see self in same way as animal sees self—without explanations, without messy thinkings.

Narrator voice want live beyond thinkings, to perceive reality by embody instant-now. To perceive reality like animals, who “are time that does not measure itself.”

Interesting. Many see book author as cat-person. One human tell Clarice: “People must think you’re a bit feline because of your eyes, but that’s not it. It’s because you have an inner behavior and a way of being constantly observant that’s feline.”

Seeing oneself is extraordinary. Like a cat whose fur bristles, I bristle when faced with myself.

Seeing with eyes is only small part of how Cat sees the world and how Cat sees self. Cat thinks these sense-impressions which are natural to animals, are the deep ocean currents of Água Viva.

When Cat look at world, look at life, Cat sees with eyes, yes. Cat is also sensing with self—with whole self.

Use whiskers to sense dimension and space.
Use nose to pick up scent.
Use ears to listen to sound of dustbunnies whispering late at night.
Use impressions to sense energies.

Humans can make sensings and seeing with whole self too. First must make stillness in busy thinkings, must dive underwater and learn to swim.

Sometimes I get electrified when I see animals. I’m now hearing the ancestral cry within me: I no longer seem to know who is the creature, the animal or me.

Cat think about electric stinger of jellyfish. Maybe Clarice name book Água Viva because narrator voice use words to pour self into living waters, into jellyfish thinkings.

Jellyfish no have brains. No blood, no bones, no hearts. Still, Jellyfish live. How??

Live by existing beyond thought. Jellyfish have nerves like nets. Sense touch. Sense light. Sense world.

In deep, dark waters, Jellyfish drift. Waters carry them. No pushing. No pulling. No fightings. Just flow with tides and currents. Just moving with what is.

Cat wonders: is this not wisdoms? To swim in senses beyond thinkings, beyond time? No grabbing. No holding. No forcing. Just flowing, just letting go.

Água Viva move between ideas like Cat move between sleep, nap, wake. Book not give story, book give impressions. Of sense-feelings-instant-now. Of writing oneself in and out of being, of becoming.

Maybe Cat and water not so strange friendlies after all. Water is everywhere—in airs, in clouds, in humans. Even inside Cat. Cat made of water. Just like human. Just like jellyfish. Be water, my friend.

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January has been big long month with very many happenings. What will happen next? Over past several month, Cat’s readers have sent messages asking how to deal with anxieties and sadnesses, how to deal with changes, how to live with uncertainties.

Cat sends readers slow blinks.

Drinking water helps. Eating food helps. (Cat prefers meats, and Cat’s human enjoys ice creamies.) Getting rest helps. Big sleep or quick naps, not matter. Only thing matter is get plenty of it.

✔️Water, ✔️Food, ✔️Sleep. These are the basics.

Once have basics down, can play. Can start planning, organizing, making, doing.
Be water, friends. 🌊

While Cat is on subject of water, Cat would like to share This Is Water. If Cat has any readers who are young and starting out in world, Cat shares this especially for you.

Have readers ever read book that no was easy? That challenge idea of what book is? Or make reader think differently about life? Please share in comments. (Crunchies also acceptables. Thank you, The Management.)

Cat loves you!
Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

  ˚∧＿∧ 　+ —̳͟͞͞💧
   ( •‿• )つ —̳͟͞͞ 💧 —̳͟͞͞💧 + 
   (つ　 < —̳͟͞͞💧 
  ｜　 _つ + —̳͟͞͞💧 —̳͟͞͞💧 ˚
 `し´

Cat feels intensity in the airs. For past weeks, Cat has been work on newsletter for readers. Cat was tap tap tap when winds come. Big winds rattle windows, shake trees, leave Cat in dark. Then fires come.

Big fires in city Cat lives in, and everything change in an instant. So Cat decide write different newsletter. Cat decide write about Los Angeles.

Cat’s readers may know some of Cat’s lore. How Cat has rambled across United States working as bartender at Cuddles Bar. Or living on fishing boat in New Orleans, getting stranded in hot sandy place, and delivering wheel of cheese from Wisconsin crystal caves for mice. Cat has many adventures.

But before Cat was rambler, Cat was make musics on streets of New York City. One day, Cat was taken off streets by a human. Seem like luck: warm bed, roof over head. Then change come, as change does. Human become hollow and cold-hearted. Cat realize must leave to find freedoms. Must leave to make better life and find happiness.

Leaving, not easy. Journey filled with very many adventures, very many perils too. But Cat has nine lives, and Cat survived, as Cat does. Eventually, Cat find self in Los Angeles. And Cat find Cat’s human, who is kindhearted, gentle, and…a little strange.

Cat find happiness. Cat has good human. Cat is grateful to have house to live in, to feel safe and loved. To be surround by light. (And crunchy treats.)

Still, Cat not sure how Cat feel about Los Angeles. Feels like big unfriendly place, run by coyotes and cars. Cat must get used to the hot dry summers, the car exhaust, the leaf-blowers. Sometimes, Cat secretly hopes that Cat’s human will pick up and move somewhere new.

But past few years bring big changes and big losses. And Cat’s human, like many other humans, must accept and adjust. So Cat stays put and tries to find reasons to like, or even maybe love Los Angeles.

Cat loves sunsets in Los Angeles. Big orange sun 🟠 disappears behind mountains every evening with a sizzle. Skies splash with pinky orange and purples.

After sun sets, Cat wait for nighttime chorus to emerge from dark evening airs. The chirp of crickets, the howl of coyotes answering screams of police sirens, and the distant hum of humans drifting through an open window.

After midnight, when Cat is visiting dustbunnies, Cat hears chug chug of a train in distance. Cat finds comforts in the low whoooo whooooooo horn of train, it touch something spacious and wild in Cat’s ramblin’ heart.

Cat is perplex by the plants Los Angeles. No need water to live, grow new when cut, and make flowers in wintertime. Magics. Come in many shapes and sizes, plump with sticky juices or covered in needles.

But Cat loves climbing plant most. Have big fluffy clumps of petal-things that shake and dance in winds. Come in very many colors: red, scarlet, magenta, yellow, orange, white, purple. Cat think petal-things look like tears of a clown. Has tiny prickles too, name of thorns. Bougainvillea lives outside window, and Cat trusts tiny thorns will keep predators away.

Cat loves the creaturely landscape of Los Angeles. Cat has never lived in city with so many wild animals.

Baby skunks rustle through bushes. Sneaky raccoons dig through garbages. Possum waddle across backyard. Packs of coyotes howl in nearby canyons. Lizards perform sun salutations on rocks. Cat has even heard rumors of big cats that roam mountains, but Cat has never seen 👀

And the birds: crows gather around wires that criss-cross skies, hawks perch at top of highest tree. Flocks of wild green parrots screech and squawk from trees and Cat thinks,“Why so loud, green parrot? Why???”

Cat prefers woodpecker’s industrious, rhythmic presence. Cat’s favorite though, is owl. Owl moves silently after midnight, making soft hoot-hoot when moon is full and bright, observing secret workings of city in darkness of night.

Foods are plentifuls in Los Angeles. Citrus, avocado, persimmon, and pomegranate hang from trees. Cat prefer crunchies and meats, but Cat’s roof rat friends love the fruits. Cat spies them out the window at night, scurrying up and down the loquat trees, and they give Cat all of the neighborhood news. “Oh, the man with the loud floppy dog? He eats carne asada on Sundays and tosses his scraps and greasy papers. Then we feast.”

Cat has met very many strange and unusual humans in Los Angeles. Of course Cat is also strange and unusual, so when Cat meets one of Cat’s kind, Cat takes notice.

Like the wrinkled human who live next door, raising lovebirds and and singing opera. Or the human with the grizzled long hairs Cat spies out the window, who tinker mysteriously in garage at night wearing cowboy boots and goggles.

Once, Cat’s human tucked Cat into the snuggler, and took Cat for mountain hike. At foot of mountain, Cat deeply sniff airs, taking in earthy black sage, sharp chaparral and dusty buckwheats.

On hiking trail, come across strange barefoot human, sitting on tip-top of big rock.“You may pass, but first I will grant you three wishes.” Cat’s human was startle, but barefoot human had soft eyes, so wishes were made and Cat even snuck in a few of Cat’s own. More crunchies! Bigger sandbox! A new kitty friend!

If Cat has learned one thing about Los Angeles, it is that this is a city of hopes, wishes, and dreams. At night, Cat likes to sit in window and look at expanse of twinkling lights. Reach all the way to the ocean, cover city like big blanket. Beyond twinkles, Cat sees steady lights of cars as they snake through hills in the distance.

Watching parade of lights and tiny travelers, Cat thinks maybe one day Cat will join them. Cat has wishes and dreams of new journeys and new adventures. But for now, Cat stays put. Maybe not so hard to love the wildness of this place, the multivalence of life here, and all of this city’s strange angels.

Even as Cat writes, the fires still burn. Cat write this newsletter to help Cat remember and hold steady the humans, the wildlife, and the landscape now experiencing big, turbulent change.

Cat is safe from fires. But Cat is lucky. Many others lose home, lose lives in fires. If want help animals, Cat suggest give to Pasadena Humane Society, need moneys for helping and housing hurt animals who escape fires.

💚 Can also help some of the families who have lost their homes.

🌱 Donate to Aid O Happy Days Vegan Cafe Recovery: Cafe and Home Lost

🪘 Support Rhythms of the Village Family after LA Fires

Cat hopes readers are all safe and will join Cat in doing good work of sending love to all those who have lost homes, jobs, and loved ones to fires in Los Angeles. Or to hurricane in North Carolina. Or to wars in faraway places.

Wherever there is suffering, there is work to be done. This work starts with love ❤️

Thank you for reading.
Cat loves you 🐾

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This month, Cat answers reader questions about anxiety and romance: two things that make heart flutter. This is last mailbag of the year, don’t forget leave questions for next time if want Cat’s advices.

to Cat
from Elle

what is the worst thing cat has done? Σ:3

Cat has a lot of worsts to choose from…

Sometimes Cat’s worst is also Cat’s human’s worst. Like when Cat nibble on houseplants even though Cat’s human keep telling Cat “No.”

Cat forgot about human’s big No and tore apart houseplant and nibble on leaves. Then worst thing start to happen. Cat felt terrible burning in stomachs. Human’s big No start to echo in Cat’s mind, and then terrible churnings begin. Cat barf chewed-up leaves in laundry basket that hold human’s clean clothings.

Human was very unhappy with messies and invite Cat’s biggest enemy, vacuum, come out to play. Very worst thing.

to Cat
from Void

What is cats favorite color

Blue. Like sky.

to Cat
from Cash

why do my cat run from me and family

Is cat scared or nervous? Try give cat many places to hide and high places to perch. Hiding spots and perches give feeling of safety to scared cats. Pro tip: cardboard box is good for hiding and playing.

to Cat
from sierra

sum tips for anxiety pwease

Cat is glad sierra ask about anxiety. Lot of humans have experience of anxiety. Cat is only cat on Internts—not expert—but Cat will share what Cat knows.

Cat observe how moving body help to release energies and give brain some relief from thinkings.

Moving body releases endolphins. Endolphins are feel-good beings that live in brain. More time spend moving body, more freedom endolphins have to swim, chasing anxieties away and attracting feel-goods.

Some ways to move body: Dancing in bedroom with headphones on. Going for walk around neighborhood. Playing sports or riding bicycle. If want more gentle activities, try yoga. Even Cat does yoga sometimes.

Endolphins love to swim freely, so if can move body regularly, will make endolphins very happy 🐬

Sometimes, not right time or place for move body. Might be in car, or in school or at night in bed. If so, Cat has advices. First, make self quiet and still. Then take four deep breaths. Take time, no rush. Inhale through nose, exhale out mouth. Do four times, and do slow. Count numbers while breathe if want. Deep breath helps to calm body and mind.

One of Cat’s readers, name of Edgedancer, leave answer for sierra that Cat would like to share. Have to do with creative imaginations.

I have anxiety, and sometimes it gets to be a LOT. One thing that helps me is to be able to put that unnecessary anxiety in a box and stop thinking about it for a time. It really helps to visualise it when you're starting out. I know this one's out there, but sometimes I imagine opening a pocket dimension, condensing all of my anxiety into a ball, and dropping it into it for another time. Some people put their anxiety in a treasure chest and bury it in the ocean. Some people make a little box in their mind to hold it. The important thing is to not let it overwhelm you. It's hard to learn how to manage anxiety, but once you do, you'll feel a whole lot better.

Very many different anxieties and many different ways to handle anxieties. Might make feel better to talk about it with friend, teacher, parent, or any other human you trust. May also get more tips, support, and comfort by sharing with others.

Wishing you feel-goods, sierra. Cat ❤️ you. Say hi to the endolphins for Cat.

to Cat
from biaaaaaaaaaaaa

cat, can you give me some wisdom? any peice of advise will do

Best piece of advices Cat can give is this: Choose wisely. Every day, have decisions: what give attentions to, what listen to, what eat, who play with, how feel…

This is how choose wisely: Take time before make choosing. Consider self, consider others. And most important: listen to rustle of morning stars. Choose wisely, friend.

to Cat
from CatSlays

Wut cat like play wiff yarnz or mousiez

🧶🐭 🟰 🤝

to Cat
from straykippy

me want to know more your lore of u once stray like me

Once, Cat was on important mission: driving cheese wagon through Wisconsin. Cat promise cheeses for mice friends, mice who deliver cheer for Sandy Claws. Mice want special squeaky cheese, so Cat arrange trade on Catslist: big wheel of finest squeaky cheese in exchange for dank bag of homegrown ‘nip.

After days of travels, Cat finally arrive in Wisconsin. Night come and Cat need place to sleep. Cat found empty cave to curl up in. Inside cave was cool and quiet. Inside cave was very many crystals, sparkle like stars in dark. Cat curled up on floor with cheese wagon, yawn, and settle into sleep.

Then came noise—Cat’s ears twitch. Cat opened eyes and saw ghost cat. Have fur like fog and eyes like moons. Ghost cat sat down in front of Cat. “They’re the cheese, and you’re the macaroni.” said ghost cat, tail twitching.

“Wat??” Before Cat could ask who was cheese, a cold gust whooshed by. Cheese wagon? Gone. “Where cheeses?!” Cat turn around and around, back arched, tail puffed. Only see darknesses. Only feel cold wind ruffling fur. Cat start running for opening of cave but legs feel wobbly. Cat feels like moving in slow motions…

And then Cat woke up.

Inside of cave was filled with soft golden glow of morning light. Cheese wagon was at Cat’s feet, and tiny quartz crystal was lying on top of mice’s squeaky cheeses. Cat quickly licked paws and rubbed eyes as memory of dream disappeared into thin airs.

Cat left Crystal Cave with cheese intact and whiskers twitching, but before Cat left Wisconsin, Cat made mental note: pick up a box of macaroni on way home.

to Cat
from Josh

What cat do if cat human and human cat

Cat think Josh is ask, what if Cat was human, and what if human was Cat. Cannot speak for human-as-Cat, but if Cat was human? Easy. Cat would invest moneys in crunchy treats, banish vacuum, and give very many playtime, at least three times a day.

to Cat
from Somewhat_Sophisticated

Has cat ever felt certain attraction to fellow cat? Hooman has felt attractions to others sometimes. Hooman curious on cat’s feelings about the art of romance.

Love, romance: tricky words for big feelings.

Yes, Cat has felt certain attraction to fellow cat. Once, in neighborhood, there was mysterious black cat who sleeps under rosemary bushes. Cat saw black cat and, Cat felt...something. Tail flicked faster. Whiskers twitched. Eyes widen. Cat sat taller, made extra groomings, and pointed ears just so. Black Cat ignore at first, but then gave Cat slow blinks. Purrs. Big purrs.

But romance for cats? Different than for humans. Cats are subtle. Not poems and flowers. More like tail swishes, shared sun patches, and meaningful eye contact.

Sometimes, Cat give affections by bumping head, sharing space, and grooming. Other times, chase, play, wrestle. Romance is like hunting—delicate dance, take lot of patience and timing.

Cat’s advice for hooman? Be like Cat. Watch carefully, move thoughtfully. Take it slow. Let others show you who they are. Show kindnesses, but keep whiskers sharp. Most important? Be self. And remember: slow blink is best compliment. Simple, but full of meaning. True art of love.

to Cat
from Mori76

Wut is dustbunnies favorite crunchies

Dustbunny likes cheeto dust, human hairs, spider webs, and pocket lints. If having party and want dustbunnies to come, sprinkle ✨cheeto dust✨ in dark corners and bunnies will stay for long time.

to Cat
from Ethan

is cat a god or some magician with teleportation skills?

to Cat
from lola

so cute i have a question, can I train my 17-month-old kitten to sit stay roll over ect. PLEACE AWNSER MEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

Can train kitten to sit stay roll over, but…Cat have wonderings. Why want kitten obey commands like dog? Cats and kittens not like be told what do. Prefer be boss of self (and boss of human, if Cat is being honest.) lola may want train self to respond to kitten’s commands 🤝

to Cat
from Ana

Is it true cats are the best animals to exist?

Cat want know who say cats are best animal to exist. Was it a cat? True, cats think very highly of selves. Cat, being a cat, think all cats are elite beings, but Cat also think manatee are great animal too.

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Looking back at this year…

Big year for Cat! Cat learn read, learn tap on metal box, discover Internts, and start writing newsletters. Cat’s grammars not best. Cats word-per-tap, not very manys. One thing Cat knows: small steps make big changes. So Cat will keep making small steps. Keep working on tap tap. Keep learning, keep curious, keep writing.

Cat’s favorite for this year was making very many new friends on metal box.

💫 Wish very happy mew year to friends who donate to Cat’s fundraiser which raise big moneys for animal rescues and animals in need!

💫 Wish very happy mew year to friends who make comment, send message, give hearts, and leave crunchie shrimps for Cat.

💫 Wish very happy mew year to you, for sharing time with Cat.

Thanks for playing. Love, Cat 🐾

  ∧,,,∧
(  ̳• · • ̳)
/    づ ❤️ 

One thing about Cat, Cat loves to stay up late. Nighttime is quiet. In nighttime, whole world curls up in soft ball. Airs feel ripe and full, like big moon, full of secrets and magics. When Cat’s human sleeps, Cat explores. Nighttime feels like has no edges—just big, soft blanket. Cat watches, listens, and waits.

Cat waits all year for one special nighttime, come in month of Decembers, when humans make holiday with tree that lives inside house, eating foods with friends and family and trading gifts.

In Decembers, Cat’s human leaves cookies and milk under tree—humans call this tradition. Cat has tradition too. On Catmas Eve, Cat leaves crunchies out at nighttime, for Sandy Claws.

Sandy Claws is a carefree laid-back cat who lives by ocean. Has thick fur and big stomach. Enjoys watching waves, sniffing catnip, and living a relaxed lifestyle. Sandy Claws lives a cat’s life: a life of leisure.

But for one night only, in Decembers, Sandy Claws delivers good cheer to cats all over the world. On Catmas Eve, when nighttime comes, Sandy Claws stretches out in beach hammock, sipping mug of creams with sprinkle of catnip, and settles in for a long cat nap.

You thought Sandy Claws was run around busy-busy, delivering good cheers all night long? Noooooo, Sandy Claws hangs loose in hammock on beach while mice take care of business.

Mice are quick and cheerful. Know what to do. Scurry around to load up sleighs pulled by tiny sand crabs. Jingle of bells fills airs as mice race off into the night, carrying crunchies and toys for cats all over the world.

Sandy Claws listens to the waves and watches moonlight dancing on waters, trusting mice to get job done.

“Light work.” Sandy Claws says.

When Sandy Claws’ mice arrive, Cat is ready. Cat stays up late every year, waiting for jingling bells and soft squeaks of mice.

The mice tumble in with bags full of crunchies and goodies, shaking off bits of sand and jingling their bells. Cat runs to meet mice friends, ears pointing with excitements. Mice chitter and laugh, happy to see Cat. Cat always invites them to stay awhile.

Under the twinkling lights of human’s holiday tree, play poker. The mice are good at bluffing, pink noses twitch and eyes dart. Cat pours creams into tiny mugs for mice, Cat’s special holiday mix—creams with a splash of something extra.

Cat passes crunchies around and everyone makes a holiday toast. To great, wise, Sandy Claws who relaxes by the sea, and to mice, who bring joys to cats everywhere.

By morning, the mice are gone. Cat stretches out under the tree, tummy full and whiskers twitching with dreams of sandy shores and tiny jingling bells.

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Cat wishes all of Cat’s readers a very merry holiday. May all of Cat’s readers enjoy copious crunchies and very many sweet cream dreams.

Thank you for playing, Cat

  ˚∧＿∧ 　+ —̳͟͞͞🌟
   ( •‿• )つ —̳͟͞͞ 🌟 —̳͟͞͞🐭✨ + 
   (つ　 < —̳͟͞͞🐭 —̳͟͞͞🌟
  ｜　 _つ + —̳͟͞͞🌟 —̳͟͞͞🐭✨ ˚
 `し´

Cat has many friend. Strange friends, funny friends. Not just other cats—no. Cat’s world bigger than that. Cat likes variety. Keep life interesting. Each friend bring something different:

🐿️ Like Squirrel. Always zipping-zap, up tree, down tree. Chitter-chatter, never stop talking. Cat sits, watches, tail flicking, very entertaining. Squirrel is small, but brave. Puffs tail, stands tall even when scared. Cat admires courage.

🐈‍⬛ Neighborhood Cat? Its complicated. Sometimes friend, sometimes enemy. Very many starings—long stares. Who blink first? Sometimes Cat swats, sometimes purrs. Deep down, same. Both cats, both proud. Even if not besties: share mutual respect.

🐕 Dog Next Door. Loud. Always wag tail like broom, bark like thunder. “Woof! Woof!” Dog want Cat to run, to play. *Eyeroll* Cat too dignified to run, but sometimes, Cat chase for fun. Cat sneaks close…Dog pretend not see. Tail wag always gives away.

More friends? Yes. Cat has a few more. Some friends play. Some are yappers. And some just ~quietly exist~. Cat tell readers more.

Dustbunny

Lives under couch. Small and quiet, but not shy. Dustbunny has secrets. Big secrets. Knowings about world, about stars, about spaces between things. Sometimes Cat peek under couch, and Dustbunny whispers wisdoms. “Cat,” Dustbunny says, “do you know why sunlight feels so good? Feel good because sun is a hug from the cosmos.” Cat listens, pretends not care, but secretly remembers every word.

Dustbunny is mystical, yes. Dustbunny also busybody. Knows everything about humans in house. “Did you see? Human dropped sock again. Always sock. Never learns.” Or, “Human is sneaking snacks after dark—thought nobody notice, but I saw.” Cat enjoys this gossip. Humors is important. Dustbunny is wise, but also silly. Perfect mix for Cat.

Mourning Dove

Dove sits outside window, so serious. “Coo coo,” like tiny grey poet. Cat listen, flicks tail. Thinks, “Why so sad, Dove? World not that bad.” But Dove knows things—about sky, about wind, about loss. Dove is wise, gentle…and plump. Cat could eat Dove, but Cat would never. Cat has very many admirations for tiny grey poet.

When wind blew hard, shook tree outside, Cat sat in window, watching Dove. Cat was sure Dove would fly away, but Dove stayed. Just sat, feathers ruffling, cooing soft, like wind was old friend. Dove is brave, Cat thinks. Sometimes Dove watches Cat. Not scared, just curious. Cat is curious too.

Curtain

Cat also has ally. Like friend, but different. Friend give love, ally give support. Cat’s ally is Curtain. Curtain is long, soft, and silent. Always there when Cat needs. Curtain is watcher, listener. Never speaks but always moves—gentle sway in breeze, quiet ripple when window opens.

Curtain hides Cat. When loud humans or noisy Dog visit, Cat slips behind Curtain, become invisibles. Curtain is shield, keeps world out, keeps Cat safe. Once, when human try to catch Cat for bath, Cat dart behind Curtain. Human looked, but could not see. Curtain not snitch. Curtain good ally.

Sometimes Curtain waves in morning sun, like whispering, “Come, Cat, nap here.” Cat climbs behind, watching world through soft folds. Safe, quiet, hidden. Curtain no laugh, no play, but always protect. Cat trusts Curtain.

There was time not too long ago when Cat no have friends. Just Cat, all alone. No Dog wagging, no Dove cooing, no Dustbunny whispering under couch. Cat wandered house, tail low, ears flat. No one to chase, no one to share, no one to share slow blinks with. Only shadows. Shadows not same as friends. Cat learned this.

Then, Cat meet Dustbunny. First friend. Very small, very quiet. Dustbunny not laugh or play. Just listen at first. Cat feel seen, even by tiny little dusting. Then came Squirrel. Loud, zippy, full of energy. Dog next door barked hello, and Dove perched outside, cooing soft. Curtains very shy, but eventually wave and welcome Cat. Slowly, Cat’s world filled with others.

Even enemies…

Yes, even cats have enemies. Cat has one enemy, make verrrry many irritations. This enemy? Vacuum. Loud, roaring, beast. Lives in closet, sleep most days away like lazy dragon. But when awake? Chaotic. Vacuum vrooms and guzzles. Eat crumbs, dusts, even socks! Cat make hissies, but Vacuum no care.

Once, Vacuum chase Cat. Vacuum came too close, Cat’s furs left behind. Cat ran, tail puffed up, heart racing. Vacuum growled “Next time, Cat!” Rude. Vacuum has no eyes, no ears, no soul—only noise and hungers. How can such thing exist? Cat not understand, but Cat knows this: Vacuum cannot be trusted.

Friends and enemies…both important.

Friends? Friends make sun patches bigger. Bring games, bring wisdoms, bring warmth. Alone, Cat is Cat. With friends, Cat is part of something bigger. Friends make naps cozier, make crunchies crunchier.

Enemies? Enemies make life sharp. Not soft, not warm—prickly, like thorn bush. But useful. Enemies teach Cat to watch, to wait, to leap at right time. Enemies make Cat stronger, smarter. Without enemies, Cat grow lazy. Forget how to hunt, how to climb, how to be Cat.

Cat values both friend and enemy. Friends for soft heart, enemies for sharp claws. Make for balance. Life not all nap, not all fight. Even enemy can help Cat grow. Even friend can make Cat sharp. Cat also think solitude important—alone time makes space for contemplate, makes quiet for listening to rustle of morning stars. Friend, enemy, solitude: all make for balance.

All part of being Cat in big, messy world.

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What about online friends? Did Cat’s readers think Cat forget you? Never ever ever ever. Cat has very many online friends. Live inside metal box. Live in words. Live in tiny pictures, have name of avatar. Cat’s readers are all part of Cat’s crew.

Now Cat leave customary questions and demands. ≽👁️ܫ👁️≼

1️⃣ What one thing always wanted say to friend but haven’t yet?

2️⃣ For readers who no have very many friends, what like best about alone time?

3️⃣ What traits in a friend do you value the most?

4️⃣ Describe most unusual friend.

5️⃣ Please give advices for good ways to make friends.

May answer in comments (Cat will also accept tiny friend-shaped flavors 🍂🍤😸)

Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

 ⠀ ∧___∧                ∧___∧
>꒰˶꩜ܫ꩜˶꒱<      >꒰˶꩜ܫ꩜˶꒱<
  / ᑌ       っ🍤   🧶૮         ᑌ \

This month when Cat browse on metal box, Cat encounter holiday gift guides. Puzzlement. Cat’s observations:

✅ Gift guide is list of things that can be acquired by trading moneys.
✅ After trade money for things, must wrap in colorful papers.
✅ When things are wrapped in colorful papers, have name of presents.
✅ Once many days pass, may trade presents for other presents.

Strange.

However, Cat is not judgemental and Cat deeply desire to participate in human activities, so Cat has make gift guide for readers. No need trade moneys for Cat’s gifts. No need look very far for find Cat’s gifts. No need wrap in colorful papers if not want to. No need wait many days for give. Only need creative imaginings and open mind...

Personal, timeless, plentiful. Only need invest in copious grooming to procure. Hairball smell gamey. If have solid center, firm like cocoon. Soft, felted, organic.

Old family heirloom from tree, name of Oak. Classic. Smooth-bodied with fragile, dry cap. Capsule of enduring potential. Big potential. Holder of wishes, dreams, and luck.

Solid. Various. Natural. Come in two size: pebble and rock. Feel smooth and cold to touch. So smooth, feel almost softish. Human hold in pocket, Cat hold in paw.

Relic of fleeting light-loving being. Find near light source or swept into dark corner. Taste is dull, powdery, bland. Over time, observe transformation into dust: magics!

Abstract. Sculptural. Kinetic. Long life. Can bounce, flick, and curl. Fun. Friend to bags, always hugs tightly. Find in pantries, near loaves or with cords behind metal box.

Contains smell of fall and cooler airs. Body is papery, crisp. Have elegant, addictive crunch. Come in many colors and flavors. All make distinct pose. An offering of time.

Moves with lightest winds. Crumple-crumple, and soft rustle clambers into ears. Surface reflective. Have many faces, many glitters. Come in very many endless forms.

Knobby, gnarled, pliant. Together, make fires. Savor when al dente, firm to bite. Have damp, mossy flavor, or peppery, brittle. Each one singular, but connected to whole.

Thick nubby textures. Fibers strong, withstand skippity paps and bunny kicks. Some come in pair, some singletons. Find in dark corner of closet or under bed. Well-loved.

Flutters but no have wings, shrivels but no lose spirit. Hides in pages of book, or hitches ride under foot. Vessel for memories and holder of enchantment. Beauty!

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Cat’s gifts simple. Maybe, Cat’s gift guide make more room for readers to play. More time have play, must give body and mind more time nap and rest. Make big sleep.

One of Cat’s readers ask why Cat sleep so much. Cat sleep so Cat can travel to dreamland. Dream big, play big. Without dream life, Cat’s waking life can feel hollow, taste like dead moth: dull, powdery, bland.

Lately Cat dreams of riding freight train through tall grasses. Cat dreams of deep-sea diving and eating magic cactus in a desert of the unreal. And of course, Cat dreams of endless shrimp. What do Cat’s readers dream of? Please share in comment.

Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

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||    (* ´ ｰ`) .˖𓈒𓏸‪‪🍤° 
|ﾉ^⌒⌒づ`￣  ＼
(　ノ　　⌒ ヽ ＼
＼　　||￣￣￣￣￣||
　 ＼,ﾉ||

This week, Cat share story about quest for shrimps. Cat’s readers may have some knowings of Cat’s love for 🍤. Sometimes, like love, enlightenment can be painful. Cat invite you to find comfy spot for make cozy times while Cat unrolls big juicy tale of love, idealism, and shrimp.

One day, Cat wake up from nap and feel deep, deep, cravings. Gnawing tug of hungers make rumbles in stomach, and Cat feel yearnings for dancing sensations on tongue.

Yearnings for warm, savory, crunchy, shrimpy goodness.

Cat shake off sleep and run to food bowl as fast as Cat can. Heart is pounding, fanny is fluttering. Visions of blissful joy fill Cat’s entire being until…

Cat arrive at food bowl and peer inside. Food bowl thick with cold pâté. Pink, lumpy, mush. Odor is mild, flavor is dull. Pâté not even swim in succulent juices!!! Outrage.

Feel like worst day ever.

Cat’s human not at home for ask give crunchies. Cat no can open pantry door for sneaky gobbles. Even runaway crunchies hide from Cat.

Despairs.

Cat paces lineoleum floors, whipping tail back and forth. Tugging inside stomach grows more insisting. Tongue feel scratchy and dry. Feeling of doom permeates airs. Cat feels desperations.

How can Cat receive savories…NEOW.

Then Cat have idea. Big idea. Cat sits down in front of big metal box.

Tap-tap, roll-roll. Very quick-like, Cat stumble onto Internt tubers, big place with very many moving pictures. Tap-tap, roll-roll. Delectables. Cat find moving pictures of endless shrimp, cascading fried savories. Copious crunchy goodnesses fill metal box.

The batters so golden, the juices so shiny, the shrimpers so plump…Cat’s mouth waters. Cat even drool on thin metal box, make messies. Big messies.

Tap-tap, roll-roll. Infinite endless shrimpies pay no mind to messies.
Tap-tap, roll-roll. Infinite endless shrimpies fill up metal box.

Cat cannot get enough. In fact, Cat cannot tear eyes away from moving pictures on metal box. Tap-tap, roll-roll. Clock tick-tocks as warm sunlight disappears and LED glow shines brighter. Cat wander further inside world of metal box, get lost inside infinite scroll-roll.

It strange…strange because moving pictures of shrimpers not fill Cat’s stomach. Moving pictures fill Cat’s thinkings. Strange how this fullness feels hollow.

Cat continue huntings, continue searchings. Tap-tap, roll-roll. Birds grow silent and sky turns dark as Cat chases hungers into the night.

After this experience, Cat have findings. Big findings.

Cat begin to see fried savories and shrimp crunchies every time Cat open window inside metal box.

➡️ When Cat tap on box for play game.
➡️ When Cat send newsletters.
➡️ When Cat read messages in emails.

Cat knows how feel when stalking prey. Now Cat feel like Cat is prey. Cat feel stalked…stalked by moving pictures of endless shrimpers. How???

Cat become very curious, as Cat does.

Fried savories follow Cat’s every move. No problem, right? After all, Cat love savories, Cat love shrimpers. Now, shrimpers always beside Cat in metal box. Now, Cat no have need tap-tap, roll-roll for endless shrimpers. Endless shrimps follow Cat, like shadow.

Not bad, Cat think, not bad at all.

But more Cat sit with thinkings, more Cat feel…strangeness. Cat know this not magics. This something else. Something unreal.

So Cat hunt for answers…as Cat does.

See, Cat is good hunter because Cat use senses to guide. Use senses to explore, use senses to hunt. Senses like smell, taste, hear, see, touch. For be good hunter, be good chaser, must put thinkings aside, must tune into senses.

Cat observe how images on metal box feed Cat’s thinkings, not feed Cat’s senses.

Cat dig deeper, scratch at mystery same way scratch at cardboard boxes.

Endless shrimpers—easy. No chase, no hunt, no surprise. Shrimpers always waiting for Cat inside metal box. But if shrimpers always waiting for Cat inside metal box, what is Cat chasing? Why Cat get lost in metal box?

Cat sit with thinkings.

More time Cat give to metal box, more time Cat forget world outside of metal box. More time forget how hunt and chase.

Forget how good it feel to taste true shrimp. Forget smell of favorite pillow on couch, forget sound of bird wings, forget feeling of warm sunlight on tummy while stretched out on rug.

In metal box, easy forget senses. Easy forget pleasures.

Moving pictures on Internt taste like snack. Like snack on airplane: keep occupied, keep complacent, keep calm. Keep Cat from feeling big, real, hungers for life. Keep Cat from playing with curiousities and imaginations.

Give Cat infinite chase, but keep Cat chasing the hunt itself.

Days go by. Cat take rest, away from metal box and endless shrimpers. Cat sit in front of book and read about things. Things so unreal, become more than real, become hyperreal. Things like endless shrimpers.

Cat sit with senses.

Endless shrimpers on metal box run cold. Not warm and juicy, not deeply fried, not salty goodness. Endless shrimpers on metal box are like endless shrimpers, but they are not endless shrimpers themselves.

Endless shrimpers no have origin in reality, only reflect reality. Refer to reality, but not bound to reality itself. Endless shrimpers are denatured shrimpers.

Cat contemplates, and small glimmers of knowing grow inside Cat’s thinkings.

Cat understands there never will be endless, infinite, supply of shrimp. Cat understands that endless shrimpers in metal box will never be touched by Cat’s senses. Will never feel embrace of Cat’s sharpened teeths, will never touch rough surface of Cat’s tongue.

When contemplate the finitude of shrimps, when contemplate the hyperreality of endless shrimps, Cat have feelings. Big feelings.

Cat feel sadness, feel disappointment. Even feel little bit angers.

Why? Because Cat love fantasy of endless shrimp. Cat love idea of endless shrimp. Cat love so much, Cat get lost chasing hungers, chasing moving pictures, chasing tap-tap, roll-roll.

Cat have some understanding of workings of energy. Cat understand that all energies are in exchange. What Cat give metal box in exchange for very many fleeting endless shrimpers?

Cat sit in sadness, makes bun, and folds paws quietly until sadness leaves body.

Time pass. Moon shines brightly through window.

Cat settles deeply into warm duvet. Turns round and round to make best fit, to make ultimate cozers. Cat tries to sleep, but toss and turning instead. Feel tired in body, but in thinkings, wide awake.

Time pass. Sun rises behind trees like big orange eyeball.

Warm light filters through window, bringing Cat back to waking world. Birdsong floats through the airs and Cat’s thoughts turn to the goodness of chasing, the goodness of hunting. Chasing crinkle balls, lizards, and dustbunnies. Hunting for real fried shrimpers, real crunchers.

Cat considers what lies beneath the goodness of the fried batters and the golden crispers. Cat considers the deliciousness of the chase: the satisfaction in striving, the thrill of the wild, the mystery of the shimmering unknown. The reward if finally catch, the reward if finally receive.

There is goodness, too, in the uncertainty of it all.

Cat’s stack:

Owen Barfield, Saving the Appearances
Jean Baudrillard, The System of Objects
Walter Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
N. Katherine Hayles, How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics
Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason
Kennedy Warne, Let Them Eat Shrimp

Cat is pleased readers accompany Cat through depths of cravings, on big hunt for shrimps and small sidequest for answers.

Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

 ᓚ₍ ^. .^₎ 🎣

It’s Novembers. Time for give answering to all your questions.

to Cat
from Flora

How old is Cat?

Cat experience time different than human, so Cat not know how answer. Cat have many experience. Cat have many era.

Some time past, Cat was in era of feral kitten. Cat was separate from Cat’s mother and father when Cat was kitten. Cat live in empty parking lot, make many hissies to keep scaries away.

When Cat no longer kitten, Cat dabble as rambler. Have many adventures, many travels. This what human call stray.

Now Cat is in house cat era. Cat have human, cozy bed, toys, very many crunchies. Cat have luck. BIG luck. This mean Cat old or experienced? Not know.

Hope this answer question Flora ≽👁️ܫ👁️≼

to Cat
from ZethHL28

Do you have an alliance with the raccoon federation?

Cat and Raccoon not enemy, but…not friend either. Raccoon is taker and Cat is receiver. Not compatible, but Cat and raccoon stay cordial.

One thing have in common, Raccoon and Cat both love crunchies. Raccoon not good at sharing, raccoon good at stealing. That why raccoon have mask, like bandit.

Cat stay unbothered. Cat have abundance of crunchies in house with human. Raccoon not have abundance of crunchies in house with human, so Raccoon stay searching.

to Cat
from Marion VB

Why does cat love to eat grass and then puke it up?

Cat eat grass and then puke it up because puke up help Cat digest thing that stomach cannot pass. Thing like bone and feather, or nasties from gobbling buggos.

Marion VB ever gobble buggos? Slimy. Full of goo and nasties. Eating grass help Cat puke. When puke, undigestibles leave Cat’s stomach, make Cat feel better.

to Cat
from radu

is cat like being petted

Yes, Cat like being petted. But. If Cat not want be petted, Cat will tell. Cat will put tail low to ground, move fast, side to side. This mean DO NOT DISTURB.

to Cat
from Niethe the cat

Hewwo ^^ do you like watching videos on da bigger metal box??

Hewwo Niethe the cat. Yes, Cat sometimes like watch pictures on bigger metal box. What Cat like more is explore what live behind bigger metal box. Behind bigger metal box, Cat visit with dustbunnies who live in chaotic pile of plastic strings. Most of times, watching outdoors through window more interestings than bigger metal box.

to Cat
from Mick Mundy

do cat like marksmen

Is marksmen game? Cat like adventure game, search for treasures game. Cat is explorer, good hunter too. Only hunt with paws.

to Cat
from Maddox

What does cat think of the cat representation in the recent cat video game trends?

Cat think cat representation in recent video game trends is extra crunchy.

to Cat
from Andy Neely

HI CATTTTT how cat so cool? And also what is best way to adopt cat?

Best way adopt is find shelter or rescue close to where live. Go meet cats at shelter, find cat make good fit. Talk to humans at shelter. They give advices, help find good vet, help get house ready for cat.

Best way know if ready for adopt is by volunteer at shelter or rescue. Can learn how care for cat, and meet lot of cats right away. Cat think Andy so cool for want adopt cat.

to Cat
from Naima

Does cat like music?

Hello Naima. Cat like musics of waking world, especially rustle of morning stars.

to Cat
from Krazycatlady

Has Cat try art before? I want see self portrait

Cat has try abscratch expressionisms. Lot of gestural markings on cardboards. Big, immersive works. Cat make self portrait, but only in imaginations.

to Cat
from Goober

is me cat related to u cat also what breed are you

Hello Goober. If you are cat, you belong to family of Cat.

Cat not know breed…Cat know bread. Sometimes Cat is loaf and sometimes Cat make air biscuit ≽👁️ܫ👁️≼ What about Goober? What kind bread?

to Cat
from Marce

what should I name my cat

⭐ Aurora
⭐ Ziggler
⭐ Hearty
⭐ Dove
⭐ Miguelito
⭐ DJ Waffle Iron

to Cat
from Other cat

How can be more cat like you? Btw I share you some my chrunchies

Thank for chrunchies, Other cat. Cat think you should just be self ฅ (• ˕ •マ

to Cat
from Muggle_monkey

How did cat learn to type? I don't know if this is too advanced for cat but, also how many words per minute can cat type? *gives cat crunchies*

Tasty crunchies Muggle_monkey, thank you.

First Cat learn to read. Cat read book about computer, read book about Internt. Then Cat learn how use paw for tap little button on thin metal box, make little curlies. Cat collect curlies until have enough to make words.

Cat not know words per minute. Is important? Cat tap metal box until get tired. Take nap, rest then tap more later.

to Cat
from Calvin

how many crunchies do you eat daily?

Cat receive crunchies after big playtime with human, and after get in carrier with no troubles. Not receive crunchies every day, but if Cat do the maths, Cat estimate receive average of 1.5 crunchies daily.

to Cat
from catlover5

cat, how yummers is catnip?

The most yummers of all yummerings.

to Cat
from gabrielle

why dont my parents love me?

Cat is sorry gabrielle not feel love from parents. Cat understand this feeling because Cat was separate from parents when Cat was very very young.

Most important wisdoms Cat have for gabrielle: if feel unloved by parents, it not because of you. It because some humans just not good at being parent. It because being parent is tough job. It because sometimes life is hard.

This what Cat do when Cat not have love of parents: Cat learn how to be parent to self. Cat play pretend father and pretend mother to Cat’s inner self. If sound strange, it because it is strange...at first.

Pretend-parent game require lot of imagination, acceptance, and self-awareness.

This game can be hard, but game also have big reward. Reward is make strong foundation for self. Strong foundation for self will guide through all of life. Even when life get hard. (And life will get hard. Sorry, Cat don’t make the rules.)

Take Cat long time learn this game, learn how be own father and mother. Even when make mistake, Cat keep trying. Cat think gabrielle can do it. Cat love you.

to Cat
fro Miggy123456789

How cat so cute?

Cat just born this way ≽👁️ܫ👁️≼

to Cat
from Dara

do cat like bubble tea?

Once Cat find brown bubba tea ball on floor. Cat enjoy play, but flavors not so good.

to Cat
from Andy Neely

How cat so cool? Also what is favorite country -Cat admirer

Cat is cool because winters come and Cat’s favorite country is Catland, of course.

to Cat
from Floof

Cat speak other languages?

Cat speak Meowish and basic Dustbunny, and some languages pass down from elders.

to Cat
from Debbie the Kitten

wat favorite crunchie flaver

All flavers tasty, Debbie.

to Cat
from devin

do cat stretch

Very many stretches.

to Cat
from Miraidon

What is your favorite place to sit

🐾 Window sill
🐾 Middle of rug
🐾 Middle of hallway
🐾 Top of fridge
🐾 In front of heater in winters
🐾 In front of screen door in summers
🐾 On top of bed (bed must be made)
🐾 Next to human on couch
🐾 On human’s metal box
🐾 On human’s lap.

to Cat
from pearlxzoee

do cat love milk?

Little bit. Tiny splash in Cat’s coffee 😸

to Cat
from Samantha Stevens

Do Cat look out the window and make chirpy death sounds at birds?

Yes, this is Cat’s nature.

to Cat
from Ilikebeans558

Why cat always chirp when looking out window

Cat chirp when looking out window because Cat see bird. When Cat see bird, Cat imagine holding bird with mouth. Cat imagine give bird gentle massage with teeth. When Cat have these imaginings, Cat’s jaw click and make chirp sound.

to Cat
from Sam

Does cat like cheese crunchies or meat crunchies more?

Cat prefer seafood. Then cheese. Then meats. All tasty.

to Cat
from Kat Person

What should I do for my 2 kittens?

Cat suggest Kat Person do everythings for 2 kittens. Most important: play, healthy foods, and love ❤️

to Cat
from Lisi-Tana

Is Cat adventure cat? If so how many lifes used already?

Sometimes Cat receive feeling inside heart, feeling like adventures is nearby. Sometimes Cat consider leave home, leave human, leave abundant crunchies…for what? For unknown, for rambling adventure.

Cat have many lifes, many memories. If want to, Cat can travel in thinkings, no need leave home for have adventures. Is same for human?

to Cat
from Nicholas Blough

do cat like walking on keyboard

Cat like walking on keyboard, especially when Cat’s human is on work call, sending important email, and playing video games.

to Cat
from Davet! :3

Will Cat perhaps share crunchies?

🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤🍤

Cat answer more questions in Decembers mailbag. If want ask Cat question or ask Cat for advices, please leave question for next time. Can also read past questions and answers if curious.

Please share very many crunchies and comments below. Cat loves you.

Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

(_＼ヽ
     ＼＼ .^＿^.
　　 ＼(　ˇωˇ)　
　　　 >　⌒ヽ
　　　/ 　 へ＼
　　 /　　/　＼＼ 🍤
　　 (　ノ　　 ヽ_つ
　　/　/
　 /　/|
　(　(ヽ
　|　|、＼
　| 丿 ＼ ⌒)
　| |　　) /
 ノ ) 　(_ﾉ
(_／

Cat think art very interesting. Cat think about art very many. Fill mind all day and night. Why? Cat tell.

Cat observe how arts are images and ideas that speak. How image can speak? How image have voice? Cat observe how art use image to express many different idea, stir many different emotion, bring to life many different thinkings. WOW.

All this from image. All this from idea. How?? This magics? Please contemplate.

The Uncivilised Cat, 1930. Agnes Miller Parker. Image via Fleming Collection.

Cat think this is painting of a cat that get in troubles. BIG troubles. Look how knock over flower. Look how disturb glasses. Look how tear papers. Cat would never. Except for that one time…

Cat look at cat in painting. How claws out, ears point, tail curve. Cat look at this painting and see self. Not self…but likeness. Something that feel familiars to Cat. This art was make almost 100 year past, and Cat see self in painting. How?? This art give Cat many adventures in thinkings. Cat think this painting tell about time travels.

Marie Laurencin’s Young Girl with a Cat. Image via artnet.

Cat is enjoyer of paintings by human, name of Marie Laurencin. This human born many times past, year of 1883. This human have many friend who paint cubisms, but she is different. Paint very many dreamy human. Dreamy human in wispy places, dreamy human with pale animals. Paint with pale, ghostly colors. Paint make arts that look airy, wing-like. Speak in whisperings.

Cat learn word for how this paintings speak: ethereal. Remind Cat of bird outside window. Cat cannot catch, only can look. Cat think Marie Laurencin paint ethereal figures because airy, ghosty images resist being caught. Resist being captured by gaze.

Screenshot of Car, from Garn47 by Floombo. Image via garn47 on X.

Cat can already hear readers now: “But Cat, video game characters are not art.” Cat disagree. When Cat look at this image, Cat see art. Cat’s eyes see art in more ways than painting that live inside frame on wall. Cat see art that live inside frame of big metal box. Not always need live in museum or book.

Cat see art that take many form, even form of thought or idea that is live inside big metal box. Cat’s eyes behold art. Even in video game.

Untitled (Snoebelle), 2011. Sue de Beer. Image via Sue de Beer.

This art live in metal box and live in museum. How?? This art live inside frame of video. This art by human, name of Sue de Beer. Make video look like gothic horrors, look like eerie science fictions, like haunted fairy tale. Make video that speak in language of image.

Cat observe how this art has interesting way of being. All about placing. First place cat in video. Then place video on big metal picture box in room with furnitures. Then place room in museum. But placing not what make this art, only what make form. This art because because speak in image-language, language spoken only by artist name of Sue de Beer.

Bodega Cat from Tschabalala Self’s Bodega Run (No 4), 2018. Image via Pilar Corrias.

When Cat lived in New York City, Cat spend many days and nights at bodega—at corner store. This artist in New York, name of Tschabalala Self, make art about bodega. Tell how bodega is meeting place and mirror for many different humans living in city of New York.

Cat is enjoyer of this art because it give Cat rememberings. Cat remembers sit on newspapers next to counter in bodega. Cat remembers drinking bodega coffee, eating egg and cheese on roll, watching humans come and go. Cat is enjoyer because this art give Cat experience of bodega.

Cat Litter, 1990. Robert Gober. Image via Matthew Marks Gallery.

Look like bag of cat litter. But also…look like art. Make by artist, name of Robert Gober. Robert Gober make art that look like regular thing, like familiar thing. But because this art it not regular thing—only look like regular thing—it have other quality. Have quality of strangeness. Quality of strangeness some call ‘uncatty’.

Cat very impress by this art. How does artist make look like cat litter AND make look like art? Make Cat wonder: does artist make arts with hands, or does artist make arts with thinkings?

When art speak to Cat, art invite Cat to look at world more closely, more creatively, more meaningfully.

But the more Cat have thinkings about art, the more Cat have questions. The more Cat have curiousities. Cat realize that art stretches Cat’s thinkings and art makes puzzles for Cat’s thinkings. Sometimes Cat feel challenged by stretchings and puzzlings, but Cat enjoy this kind of challenge. Why??

Because challenge invite Cat to expand. Because challenge is like adventure game. Because all adventure games come with reward. Sometimes reward is hidden, sometimes is crunchy. Cat enjoy crunchy rewards. (Hint hint. Comments. Hint hint.)

Cat love all of you. Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

 ˚∧＿∧  　+        —̳͟͞͞🍤
  (  •‿• )つ  —̳͟͞͞ 🍤         —̳͟͞͞🖼️ +
  (つ　 <                —̳͟͞͞🖼️
 ｜　 _つ      +  —̳͟͞͞🍤         —̳͟͞͞🖼️ ˚
`し´

Cat feel a kind of darkness surround lately. Nights grow longer. Airs feel cooler. Shadow grow larger. Cat become curious about darkness. Cat become curious about shadow.

Shadows...strange beings. Not light, not dark—something between. Shadow arrive when light cannot pass. Light hit thing—tree, wall, whiskers—light stop there. Behind thing, no light. That dark place? That shadow.

Shadow live on other side of light. Shadow only copy of thing that block light, like shape of paw or tail. Shadow not real thing...but also is there, somehow.

Shadow always follow. Go here, go there—shadow come too. Stretch long in morning, short in bright sun, big again at night. Shadow change, but always there.

What is shadow? Maybe it part of Cat, maybe not. Maybe it secret part, quiet, always close but hiding.

Cat’s eyes—built for shadows, built for night. Humans, eyes not for dark. Not for shadows. Cat eyes see much humans miss.

Cat’s eyes have rods. Rods mean see even small, small light. Light from stars, from far window, little sliver from street. Cat’s eyes go big, pull in all light—every bit. In darkness, Cat move, hunt, jump. When whole world quiet and still, Cat see all.

Colors? Cat cannot see as much. But movement—yes. Tiny twitch, smallest flick. Cat see, cat know. What human call darkness? To cat, not darkness. To cat, life there, even in dark stillness.

Human look, see empty shadow. Cat look, see something else. Shadows full of shape, tiny shift, hidden maybe. Shadow tell secrets, hold life quiet, waiting. Cat see mystery. Shadow alive.

Cat play with shadow—simple, fun at first. Light jump, dark move. Shapes twist, bend. Cat watch, maybe tap with paw. Little game.

But shadow...they stretch, stay close. They not just shape. Shadow hold things, things hidden, things pushed away. Play with shadow not for hiding, no. Play with shadow for getting close, seeing what they keep.

To play shadow is look closer. See what in dark. See whole, not just light. Maybe feel odd, yes. Maybe little...strange. But in quiet darkness, we learn: shadow also ours.

Cat have new learnings about what do during crunchy leaf times, come at end of Octobers. Cat learn if wait outside door and ask for trick or treat, will receive treat. Cat not want trick. Why ask for trick if not want? Cat want treat. Crunchy treats...

≽ - ˕ •マฅ 🍤🍂🍤🍎🍤🍁🍤

Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

Cat and Cone, 1976. Joe Brainard. Image from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Hello. This Cat.

Cat want discuss life. Cat have many thinkings about life because Cat having read book about life of human, name of Joe.

Joe was artist. Joe was writer. Joe was poet. Joe was friend.

Cat share more learnings: Joe love lay on grass in sunshine. Joe love make big mess, cutting papers for glue to other papers. Joe love send letters. Joe love smoke cigarette. Joe love eating chicken pot pie. Joe love friends.

If Cat could trade place with human, Cat might pick Joe❗

Writer of Joe, name of Ron Padgett, say about Joe: “His watchword was to be open.” 🧐

Cat read another book, name of I Remember. This book written by Joe. This book is one long poem, all rememberings. Cat learn this book is called ‘memoir’.

Cat have very many thinkings about rememberings after reading. Even though Cat finish read book, Cat still contemplate memory. Maybe tell readers thinkings later.

Now Cat share short poem by Joe, name of Life.

Life, by Joe Brainard. Image from Adventures in Poetry, via JSTOR Daily

In first line of poem, Joe think about life and look for answer. Then Joe write:

“I think it is safe to say that life is pretty mysterious. And hard.”

Cat think life is pretty mysterious too. If Cat stop to think about it, Cat think life is pretty strange. And miraculous. Cat think life is like story, dream, big adventure.

But…Cat not sure if life is hard, Cat think life is soft. Soft like human skin, or coat of Cat. Soft like butterfly wing. Life so soft, easy to receive bruise, easy to get hurt. Maybe this what Joe mean when Joe say life is hard 🤔

Next Joe write that “Life is short.” Then Joe give advices, say important to have remembering that life is short. Cat find this curious because Cat not think that life is short or long. For Cat, life is like time, it just is.

Cat think Joe understand Cat’s impulse to live in ~the moment~ because when Joe say life is short, Joe also say, “Just because it is.”

Cat feel energy change in poem when Joe write, “Now to get down to the basics.” Can humans feel this too? Energy change because now Cat lean in to read what Joe write next. Cat want know more about mystery of life! Cat want get down to basics.

Joe get down to basics by write about time. How human can spend time, how human can fill time. Joe tell ideas for time fillers. He say that “Other people are most important.” He say “Art is rewarding.” He say books and movies are the most reliable. He say to fill time as best as one can, “With love and fun.”

Cat wonder why Joe not mention foods? Cat suggest fill time with abundance, fill bowl with plenty. ‧˚⊹˚🍣🍤🧀🫒🥩🥓🦞🪴🍕🍖🍤🦐🍗🦀༘˚.✧₊˚

Untitled (Owl Cat), 1971. Joe Brainard. Image from Tibor de Nagy Gallery.

This how Cat fill time: Cat wait for food bowl to be filled. Cat wait for human come home for play, snuggle, sleep. Think about crunchy treats. Spend time napping. Spend time exploring inner landscape. Fill time with dreaming, playing, observing, thinking.

“Or what have you.”

This what Joe call activities of life. The basics, or what have you.

Finally, Joe say that life is hard. Say poem make life sound easy and human job is work on hard parts and then—

“…just relax and be ourselves.”

Cat breathe deeply when read these words. Cat breathe and let relaxation flow.

Cat feel like self when Cat is in participation with world, when Cat is tuning into world-soul rhythm. Cat feel like self when Cat is relaxing and structure of cat-self softens into surroundings. Cat feel like self when Cat is dreaming of running through big green grasses, when Cat is zooming, when Cat is playing.

When Cat is sitting in sunshine with eyes close, smiling.

Cat has shared Cat’s understandings of poem about life. Cat find poems very interesting. Words in poems seem full of secret knowings. Make Cat think poems may be having magics. Cat wonder if Joe knows this when write this poetry call Life. Cat think life is like poetry, softly vibrating with secret knowings.

When Ron Padgett tell rememberings about Joe, he say, “His watchword was to be open.” Cat not know what mean by ‘watchword’. Cat tap this word into metal box and learn watchword is a guiding principle.

Cat think for very many days before choosing Cat’s watchword. Can reader’s guess Cat’s watchword? Maybe better for Cat keep watchword secret. (It’s not crunchies, but good guess ≽👁️ܫ👁️≼)

Cat has shared many thinkings in this newsletter. Cat hopes readers have become enjoyers. Please fill comments with abundance. Please fill comments with thinkings, dreamings, learnings about life. Or crunchies. Or what have you.

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Thank you for playing, Cat 🐾

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