february mailbag

What to do with sad feelings, tips on asking someone out, and how to do hard things.

Hello. This Cat.

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.)

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To Cat
from Entemitmesser

Cat! Should i Vote Cat AS President?

Answer is not obvious?!?

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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

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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.

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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.

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To Cat
from C4t

Does cat play valorant?

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

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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.

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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 🍤

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To Cat
from bluePNWcats

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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To Cat
from Lucas

is cat life hard

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

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 🐾

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/    づ♡ Cat loves you