Feeling Sleepy Sunday Selfie and Friendly Fill-Ins

 Come on Mum, take this selfie and let's go and take a nap!

Hosted by The Cat On My Head

FRIENDLY FILL-INS

1. I was pleased to hear that ____________________.
2. There should be a ________________ Appreciation Day.
3. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to _________.
4. _________ is easier said than done.

Marie

1. I was pleased to hear that there will be a new Soundgarden album out at last. After the tragic death of frontman Chris Cornell in 2017 I wasn't expecting to hear any new material from the band, but after some legal issues they can now go ahead and release those tracks recorded prior to Chris's passing. 
2. There should be a World Sensitive Person Appreciation Day. Oh, but apparently, after just googling  there is! It's on 6th October. You can find out about World HSP/Highly Sensitive Person Day here. 
3. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to see through people. That is I can read people quite well. I don't know if I'm just relying on my gut instinct or simply that I'm good at reading body language but most of the times I've been right. Of course this is not a brag because I've been wrong too. Like when I've been blinded by "love". 
4. Being calm is easier said than done.

Athena

1. I was pleased to hear that Mum is back on her anti-depressants. She has been so very depressed and anxious lately and I was worried about her. The last couple of years have been crap so I'm not surprised she's been more down than usual. Mum finds being human very hard 💚
2. There should be a Brown Tabbby Appreciation Day. 
3. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to make Mum give me more food. She can never say no to me.
4. Catching birdies is easier said than done.

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Sunday Selfies and Why We Haven't Been Around Much

Happy Sunday!

Sorry that we haven't been around much this past week and sorry for missing Feline Friday, Friendly Fill-Ins and Pet Photo Fails.

Mum hasn't been feeling well. Truth be told I think she's suffering from Social Media Burnout and I've ordered her to take a rest. What is it with humans and their obsession with staring at screens, especially phone screens?

Surely it's bad for your health, both physically and mentally? Mum goes around squinting her eyes a lot to focus (she needs to get proper glasses) and as for her mental health, well, it's been affecting her really bad. Her anxiety is a lot worse, she is always busy, and then she has no time for me.

So, it's no Facebook (not that she's on that much), no Twitter and only Instagram to keep my fans updated on my life as a cat influencer for the next few days.

I doubt she will stick to that plan, though.

Hopefully, the blogging schedule will get back to normal by the end of next week.

Take care, everyone!

Looking worried about Mum?

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Sunday Selfie, Cat World Domination Day, and Fill-Ins

Note: This post contains affiliate links. This blog doesn't run itself and I need to earn a little income if I spend hours on it. 

Happy Sunday and Cat World Domination Day!

I'm joining my furriend Summer and all my other cat pals today to celebrate Cat World Domination Day! What am I doing? Nothing really, just taking it easy on a Sunday just like any wise feline would. In my selfie below you can see me lounging on my PetFusion Cat longer/scratcher and hoping Mum takes it easy today too. Since moving to our new lovely home I always keep her company in our bedroom as she works hard at her desk in the corner.

 I have to watch over her because she hasn't been well lately.

You may have noticed that we don't post much now. It's not only because we've been extremely busy with the move but Mum hasn't been coping well with her depression and anxiety. She hasn't felt motivated to post in a long time. She says there's no point sometimes as both blogs cost too much in time and money to run and though she loves blogging, she needs to earn money as she is unable to work because of her illness. Working from home is the ideal for her, plus she really needs to be a stay at home mum to look after me!

Don't worry though because we are not going anywhere.  Mum loves blogging and all her blogging pals but has become so overwhelmed with her problems lately. Depression is so hard to explain to people that have never experienced it. She can't just "pull herself together" and "get on with it". Depression is an illness just like any other.

She wants to talk about what is really bugging her. And I'm doing it for her now. You see, she's had depression for years. And then anxiety followed, which has been getting a lot worse lately. Trying to sell our house really messed her up I think. But it's more than that.

Mum is agoraphobic and suffers from social anxiety. She cannot stay away from home for long. She manages to run a few errands now and then and goes shopping, but rarely on her own. Because of this, she can't work. She wants to work from home. Blogging isn't earning her a penny. Neither is writing. She's tried everything she feels she is good at but nothing works out. She feels such a loser. 

And her writing has suffered because of it. That's why she can't write books anymore and only manages a few longer posts here now and then. Writing was once her passion. A sense of failure has seen an end to that, I think.

She is looking for jobs to do at home that aren't scams. And of course, she would love a job that involves animals (especially cats!) I suggested cat sitter, even though the thought of her being affectionate with another cat and bringing home the scent of another feline makes me sick!

So, she is bravely opening up and putting this out there in the hope that someone might offer any advice. And by talking, she is hoping to help others in similar situations. 

Remember, we live in the UK (recently moved from London to Essex) but if she can earn any money online which isn't a scam then she would love it.

Mum is good at writing, photography, social media marketing, editing. She has an English degree and has recently completed a Level 3 Diploma in Cat Care and Behaviour. 

Of course, she is the owner of this blog and Purrs Full of Love and needs to pay for the running of these blogs. Affiliates and advertising haven't earned her enough if nothing at all. Does anyone actually make any money from affiliates and partnerships? And as for our Zazzle store CatGoddessDesigns and our RedBubble  store, just like Mum's books, her designs have only earned her a few quid. 

One thing many of you bloggers I'm sure can relate to is people approaching her to post stuff on our blog which is blatantly free advertising for them and don't want to pay for it. Mum ignores those emails now, but really she wants to tell them to do one! Mum is tired of working for free and she's lost count of how many of her books she has given away for free on Amazon.

The stress is real. Mum doesn't exaggerate. She feels guilty moaning about her problems as she knows there are people with worse problems out there. But she says she can't take all this stress anymore. The worry just piles on as well as the weight as she tends to overeat when worried and turns to wine in order to help her cope with anxiety. 

As a private person, she hates voicing her problems or posting anything about her personal life online. But keeping silent about these issues doesn't help anyone and just adds to the stigma.

Have a good day, everyone 💚

P.S. If you would like to work with us click HERE.

Sponsored by The Cat on my Head

                                    

Sponsored by Four-Legged Furballs and 15andMeowing

My answers

1. My favourite scent is Mum.

2. I hope to get more treats this weekend.

3. Silence is music to my ears.

4. Home is where I feel safe with Mummy.

Mum's answers

1. My favourite scent is cinnamon (or maybe vanilla).

2. I hope to not be stressed this weekend.

3. Athena's purring is music to my ears.

4. Home is where I feel safe and happy and I don't really care if people think I'm boring because of it. 

Taking a Blogging Break for a Few Days

It's been a rough week for Mum and so she's taking a blogging break for a few days. This means unfortunately that tomorrow's Caturday Art Blog Hop has been cancelled.

We are so sorry to disappoint, but as many of you know, it's all been getting a bit too much for my mum and she's been struggling a lot lately for various reasons. She just wants to take a few days off to think more clearly about certain personal stuff going on in her life right now. She has some decisions to make regarding a few things.

BUT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BLOGGING THOUGH.

She is not about to give that up. It's one of the things that keeps her going (and me of course). It's just that she hasn't been able to focus much on anything lately.

And her computer has been acting up again, so she is trying to sort that out too. The house selling has been nothing but a nightmare so far as well. And she needs to focus on what to do next because that's what has been getting her down the most. 

So, I suggested a few days off to recharge her batteries. And of course, I am looking after her. I am making sure she gets all the rest she needs and I am by her side all the time, purring and snuggling with her. I've even started to chase after the red dot at night just to make her laugh.

Hope you understand 😽

Here are a few of my photos from the past week on Instagram.

Goodnight 😽#cats #instacat_meow #tabbiesofinstagram #tabbiesoftheworld #catlife #catlover #ilovemycat #athena

A post shared by Athena (@athenawisekitty) on Aug 7, 2017 at 3:30pm PDT

Happy #internationalcatday 😽😻🐾💕#catsrule #tabbiesofinstagram #catsoftwitter #tabbiesofig #catblogger #felinebeauty #cats_of_instagram #beautifulcat #tabbylove #greeneyes

A post shared by Athena (@athenawisekitty) on Aug 8, 2017 at 8:21am PDT

Hiding! #cats #tabbycat #tabbiesofig #catsoftwitter #tabbiesrule #catsforever #catsdaily #catslife

A post shared by Athena (@athenawisekitty) on Aug 10, 2017 at 10:40am PDT

5 Ways Cats Are Great Therapy for Depression & Anxiety #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

This week (8th to 14th May) is Mental Health Awareness Week 

Many of you will know that Mum has struggled with depression on and off for most of her life. And if you've read her memoir The Cat Years: How My Cat Soulmates Saved Me, you will know that what helped her the most throughout her struggles was having a cat by her side. 

Cats, and indeed any pet, make life so much better, as many animal lovers would agree!

Here are 5 Ways Cats Are Great Therapy for Depression & Anxiety

Purring is healing... 

Purrs soothe and can undoubtedly help to alleviate any stress and anxiety. In our case, I'm there for Mum when she needs me and I will purr extremely loudly because I am quite the purring machine. I love to see the affect I have on her. She feels calmer, happier, and loved. It makes me calmer and happier to see her like that.

Mum not only struggles with depression but also suffers from social anxiety and sometimes a little agoraphobia too so she has to stay at home and is unable to work. That's why she wants to work from home as a writer and blogger. She doesn't mind sharing this info on this blog as mental health problems should be discussed openly and not stigmatised. Raising awareness for mental health issues and animal rights is something she truly believes in and nothing will stop her in helping these causes that are dear to her heart.

The love of a great cat

Unconditional love... 

My mum knows that I love her unconditionally. Yes, I rely on her for my food, but that's not the point. I don't judge her. I understand her. I know what she's all about. I know her soul deeply. She's the same with me. There is nothing she will not do for me. 

Animals don't care what you look like, what you wear, what car you drive, what you do for a living, how much you earn or whether you're single or married. We love you for YOU!

Just look into our eyes and you will see true love radiating from our eternal soul. Nothing else. No judgement. Just pure love. 

Look into my eyes

Stroking soothes... 

I don't mind Mum stroking me and kissing me if she needs to. I very rarely disapprove. If I don't feel up to it, I'll soon let her know with the thrashing of the tail. 

As she usually wakes up in a bad mood, seeing me on her bed staring up at her with love, her face always lights up and she will begin stroking me and then will be kissing me until it's time to get up. I let her have this precious time for both of us and then it's straight downstairs for breakfast or else!

The love of a great cat works wonders on the soul

Funny feline antics... 

I have many sides to me. I can be an elegant goddess or cat model posing for my fans one minute and a clown the next. In this playful mood, I do silly things that make Mum laugh. I can be ridiculously hilarious. Sometimes I don't know what comes over me, and this is with no catnip involved! Mum has captured my crazy antics many times and they are available for all my public to see on my YouTube channel. 

I'm a little crazy but so what?

Inspiration...

Cats are muses and inspire humans to get creative. My mum is already a creative soul, but with depression comes a creative block and she loses any desire and passion for creating. She doesn't write books anymore, but when we met in 2011 she had been preparing to self-publish her novels. I'm happy that she achieved this in 2012. 

A writer needs a cat

With the novels finally published, I then inspired her to write her memoir. After that, we wrote A Forever Home For Athena together, which is my rescue story, some of it fictional, to help raise funds for the charities we support. Mum also wrote another cat story, The Snowflake Pendant featuring the fur daughter before me, Suzy, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 1998. 

Suzy, the star of The Snowflake Pendant

Mum is too busy to write other books right now as she has to maintain two blogs (again, it was I who inspired her to start pet blogging) And she's also found a new passion in life - photography. No need to guess who set that passion alight, hey?

With my photogenic looks, she has the purrfect model to keep that passion burning (as long as it's only me she photographs 😸

I am so photogenic

I also inspired her to take up afternoon napping. We nap together for a couple of hours in the afternoons to recharge our batteries. Before anyone remarks that Mum is lazy, don't forget that she's always up at 4:30 am to feed me!

My Mum's memoir

(available from Amazon in paperback and for Kindle)

Sunday Selfie: Taking Care of Mum

Mum is still not feeling very well so I took my selfie whilst sitting on top of her and purring her to get better. Mum is such a worrier, so I'm purring some healing positive vibes into her troubled soul.

She says she finds everything overwhelming and being online all day, I'm not surprised. But she misses you all and hates not being able to visit as many of you as she would like. But she needs to rest.

Thank you for understanding xx

Hosted by The Cat on My Head

Why I Love Animals More Than Humans #ThursdayThoughts

The above quote means so much to my mum so she wanted to share it and explain why. 

Of course, most animal lovers would agree so she doesn't need to explain. But as she is co-writer of this blog I decided to let her have her say instead of always being dictated to by me :)

Professor Noel Fitzpatrick

First, a little bit about Noel Fitzpatrick. He is The Supervet (also The Bionic Vet) - the world’s leading neuro-orthopaedic veterinary surgeon. I know that I mentioned before that I often hide when Supervet is on TV, but that's because, being a cat, I don't like vets very much. They scare me (just like human doctors scare some humans.) Some vets are great, but some I've met haven't been that nice, and well, they make us furries hurt don't they? Mum says they do it to help us feel better. Well, let's just say I know that that's what they are meant to do!

So before I hand you over to Mum, let me just say that I do admire Supervet. And I know why humans admire him too. He does great things for animals and is pure genius at what he does. Having said that, all his team seem like incredible human beings too and also deserve a pat on the back (or some purry furry hugs) for the the amazing care and respect they have for all the animals that pass through Fitzpatrick Referrals.

Here's Mum

This quote just resonates deeply with me. It's what I've always believed myself. To me animal love is the purest love. It's that strong intense feeling I get whenever I look into my sweet Athena's eyes (those all-knowing eyes of kitty wisdom), and whenever I hug her - in that moment all that exists is just me and her. One powerful super spiritual bond. Just the two of us together against the whole world, existing for each other. Soulmates forever and ever.

Most people will say (and I've had it said to me many many times) that I feel the way I do about my pets because I have never had children.

Well, sorry to disappoint, but actually I have been a mother - to my beautiful Tuxie cat Suzy. And now I am a mother to my beautiful tabby girl Athena. This love I feel is simply too powerful to put into words, but I am sure many of you animal lovers will understand.

And my cats end up saving me. They are my reason for living. It may seem over dramatic to some, a bit too Wuthering Heights, but I don't care. It's my life and this is how I want to live it.

I just want to save animals

Someone asked me the other day what it is I want to do with my life and when I said "to save animals" the look on their face said it all. This person, who I like and admire very much for various other reasons, sadly does not share my love for animals. Maybe this person thinks I'm wasting my life and should be aspiring to other "great" things (like marriage & babies, or making lots of money). But then I think to myself how sad it is that they can't experience that beautiful human-animal bond.

To most people, I may be a failure. And many times I have felt one too. But to my cats, to my amazing beautiful girl Athena, I am her world. I am someone. I rescued her. I have given her the most amazing life and she has done the same back to me.

Who rescued who?

I was in the depths of despair when Athena and I met at the rescue shelter 5 years ago. I have battled depression for most of my life, and I had just lost my dad a few months earlier which depressed me even more. I decided it was time to adopt a cat and then found this precious tabby kitten who wanted me the moment I stepped into the cattery. She made a great fuss to get my attention, climbing up the wire mesh door of her pen. The other sweet kittens were very quiet and didn't seem that bothered. But Athena, oh how she fought for me to get her out of there! And when I touched her little paw through the door, that was it. Bonded forever.

Abandoned in someone's garden as a tiny kitten, Athena's first few weeks of life must have been horrific. But thanks to the work of the charity that rescued her, she came to me as the most affectionate little cat I have ever met. She gives so much love, her beautiful expressive green eyes always filled with emotion. And I love her SO much.

Love has always been a scary feeling for me. Maybe it's because I'm overly sensitive.

All I know is that pure unconditional love is what really makes the world go round. It is the best thing. The greatest love in the world.

That's why this quote really touched me. It's great to know others feel the same about animals. Noel Fitzpatrick totally gets how people feel about their pets. And I love how he calls them mum and dad on the show. Never refers to the humans as owners. How wonderful is that?

We are not owners. We are pet parents or guardians, or their humans. But never owners. No one should own anyone.

So yes, I admire Noel Fitzpatrick and have total respect for him. Of course I have never met him, but I do know that he is so passionate about his work and also extremely intelligent. He gives so much of his life in order to improve the lives of animals, to make a difference in this world for the sake of both animals and humans. An extraordinary human being. How many of those are currently in the world? Yes, I'm sure there are many but I'm just tired of all the evil that exists out there, and the shallowness of most people.

Hope

It's been a tough few months for me. But my love for my beautiful tabby girl keeps me going. And the hope and love I see in other animal lovers' eyes, and knowing that others feel the same way about animals, makes me realize that humans aren't that bad after all. At least some aren't.

And I love all you guys who read and comment on my blogs. I really believe that animal lovers are the nicest people around. I am so glad I have you all in my life too. Makes me realize I am not the only one who feels so passionately about animals and it's so wonderful to be able to share the love for our animal family across the pet blogosphere.

Truly blessed

If you have an animal in your life then you are truly blessed. When you're going through hard times, your beloved pet will always be there to help you through. Like days when you can't face getting out of bed. I've been there. And still end up back there sometimes. But Athena helps me through those awful days and stops me reaching for the bottle like I did in the past.

All animals matter

One last word: My love for animals isn't just for pets though. I believe all animals deserve love and respect and to be treated fairly and with compassion. They each have souls and their own lives to live. They have as much right as anyone to be free and happy and not exist merely to be used by humans. I won't go into animal rights in this post. I'll leave that for my other blog. But people must remember that all animals are sentient beings and should be respected as such. Animals give us so much, often much more than any human could. 

The quote above comes from the video Supervet:The Ethos Behind Fitzpatrick Referrals. You can click on the link to see it or view it below. 

P.S. Keep watching until the end to see Noel's adorable dog Kiera. What an amazing strong bond they share! Melts my heart :)

 

Melt Your Heart Monday

Happy Monday!

We hope your Monday is stress free but even if you have a lot of stress in your life, or suffer from depression like my mum, I'm sure your pet helps you enormously. We don't need any scientific facts to prove what animal lovers have known all along, do we?

Animals, especially those you choose to share your home with, are great relievers of stress and can help people with mental health issues like depression and anxiety cope better.

Here is a short clip of me helping Mum with her stress and anxiety issues the other day. 

Watch on YouTube if you can't view it here.

 

 How do your companion animals help improve your health?

Wordy Whiskers Wednesday

A bit of a wordy Wednesday today. I know we are posting rather a lot of videos lately, but I'm afraid Mum's become quite obsessed. She's like that you know. She can go through months dry of any inspiration and then suddenly BOOM! A wave of creativity hits and she cannot stop. It doesn't last long though. She will eventually wind down, I promise you, and then she'll just want to retreat into her cave (our bedroom), dive under the duvet and will probably not have another urge to create for months.

I do however continue to be a great source of inspiration and comfort for her. Apart from being a very photogenic cat and advising her on what to blog about, I am also there to provide the soothing purrs and huge love and affection I know she needs to feel better. I encourage her to take naps in the afternoon with me when things become overwhelming for her. And of course I provide endless laughter with my crazy antics and the funny faces I like to pull occasionally. I love hearing her laugh!

So I think I should let her off for sharing this embarrassing video of me rolling around ecstatically on her bath towel (it smells of mummy and that's great, but it also has the scent of lavender oil from her bath).

Lavender might not be for everyone (many associate it with Granny smells and Mum isn't old enough). Well, she is actually, but don't tell her that. Lavender is very good for depression and aids restful sleep, which is why she likes to add a few drops to her bath. The towel seems to have absorbed it though, hence my delight.

Anyway, let's end this rather wordy Wednesday post with the video, shall we? Hope it makes your humans smile too. I give you the permission to laugh at me, a goddess. It's OK. I am happy to provide fun entertainment for my friends, readers and fans.

ENJOY AND SHARE!