We joke all the time about being a millennial cat dad because if you can't make fun of yourself, you're taking life too seriously. Recently, it was Father's Day, and we sent a sarcastic, yet silly, note in our family group chat accusing everyone of not wishing us a happy Father's Day. Our parents responded with, "But you're not a father!", to which we said, "How dare you! Mr. Whiskers is our child!" We weren't really upset that nobody wished us a happy Father's Day (even Mr. Whiskers), but the sentiment remains true: he is our literal cat child.
And he's way more purrfect than any of your hooman children, anyway. He's clean, only cries when he's hungry or we haven't paid enough attention to him, and we haven't once had to change his diaper (he doesn't even have a diaper). So, if you're like us and you treat your cats like your fur babies, welcome. This is a safe space for you. And better yet, we've got a bunch of cat memes that just make sense for us pawrents. Enjoy!
Anybody out there who thinks that being a momma cat is easy because cats are "independent" is wrong. Being a cat momma is hard work. Because before your kittens get all independent… well, they need to be taught how to be independent. Kittens need to learn how to drink water from a bowl without getting it all up in their noses. Kittens need to learn how to communicate properly - so that they know exactly how to demand everything that they need from their human servants.
Being a cat mom to one kitten is enough work. Hard work. But most momma cats don't give birth to just one kitten. It's usually around four kittens per litter, maybe six, depending on the breed of the cat. Eight is the most that we have heard of before. And yet, this momma cat has broken the record. The human who had rescued her thought that, after hours and hours of delivery, seven was going to be the end of it, but the next morning… they got a couple more surprises.
Tara: I’m playing Hades again and have also been playing Balatro on my Nintendo Switch for months.
Sarah: Hades! There is a lot of Balatro happening in Casa Wendell amongst my offspring.
Tara: I think I’ve played almost 400 hours of Balatro since December .
It’s a perfect game to play while listening to podcasts!
Sneezy: Pencil crayons!
Original art by Sneezy
Sometimes we collect stuff for hobbies and feel guilty about not using them. And sometimes we really want to make stuff and Past Us is all, “WE GOT YOU SHINIES!!!!” and we say, “YEAH!!!!” and definitely didn’t use misuse our Bad Decisions Book Club card.
This was a prompt from my friend! “A bunny riding on a whale shark, swimming through a river of stars”
Who can resist a prompt like that?
Claudia: I am continuing with my ceramics education (really, I need summer school!! It does not come to me ‘naturally’ or whatever that’s supposed to mean.)
At the behest of a dear friend I am also taking a six-week flower arrangement class this summer!
Shana: Please share what you learn, Claudia! I went to a flowering arranging event recently and discovered it’s not a skill that comes naturally to me.
Claudia: I will! I feel I do not have a “good eye” so I am looking forward to learning more about composition etc
Shana: I’ve been knitting again recently and I love the repetitive math. It’s very relaxing.
Elyse: Every year Westknits does a Yarn a Long Craft Camp. You can buy the kits from Stephen and Penelope and they release three shawl patterns over the course of the summer.
I’m working on the first shawl right now and I’m enjoying all the new techniques I’m learning, but it’s definitely “pay attention knitting” and not TV knitting.
Lara: I desperately want to craft more. I miss it a lot. I have so many projects planned out in my head but finding the time to action them is proving tricky with a baby in the house.
I do have one craft going at the moment. I’m knitting a baby jersey. So much quicker than a jersey for adults!
Amanda: Not crafting, but a lot of mobile games or gaming on handheld systems in bed. It’s what I do as a nighttime wind down routine to help combat doomscrolling. So something a bit mindless and repetitive like the games Tara mentioned have been great. Brian also plays a lot of Balatro as wind down time.
One unexpected treat for me recently is I’ve discovered a mild addiction to Sticker by Number books with vintage imagery.
I’ve been doing these while listening to audiobooks and it’s done a lot to decrease my stress after some really difficult days. Here are two I suggest if you want to give it a try.
Sticker books seem to be a very trendy hobby, which makes my elder heart very happy since I had a sticker scrapbook I adored when I was a kid.
I wanted a closer look and Noelle Brown at S&S sent me some sample images – some of these I want, like, right now, and so does my 8 year old self, despite not knowing what rrrrrrromantasy is.
I typically cross stitch and listen to audiobooks, but I could get into sticker books. I could get into them very easily, she said ominously. What a perfect marriage of low-stakes craft and high-grade nostalgia.
Currently my cross stitch project is this tarot card:
But I also have added shelving to my sewing area in the basement because I wanted to see all of my fabric instead of digging through different storage bins.
That’s a quilt I’m working on right now – I finished the top and am working on piecing the back.
Because of the weirdness of prices, especially on imported goods, I am determined to shop my own stash, given that I have a solid number of fat quarter bundles and yardage I bought on sale. And as we all know: acquiring the supplies and using the supplies are two different hobbies.
What about you? What crafts or hobbies or activities are you spending time with lately?
NB: I’ve enabled images in the comments so you can share pictures if you wish!
The cat distribution system knows exactly how to work itself out, even in a homeowners' association. More like hoMEOWners, am I right?
In true feline fashion, this story touches on the rather curious and persistent nature of the feline friends who live amongst us. They will do anything for some cuddles, pets, and Churus, so it only makes sense that the star of this story, Blue the cat, makes himself as known as possible to one homeowning family.
An HOA board explains that the "community cat" should be released back into the HOA's neighborhood. Fine. Once the cat claims a family to be their home base and takes walks with the dog pawrents and their canines, it's apparently a problem. Well, if they want to enforce a strict leash rule, they never said the dog parent had to be holding the leash. Scroll below to read about the howlarious meowlicious compliance that ensues…
If you've ever shared your home with a cat, you know purrsonal space is simply a hooman concept they choose to ignore. These furry little overlords seem to believe every square inch of your life belongs to them and they're not shy about claiming it. Trying to work? Expect a fluffy face in your Zoom meeting. Need to use the bathroom? Congratulations, you've now got an audience. Want to sleep peacefully? Forget it, your pillow is actually their throne, and your body is the purrfect mattress.
Cats have a magical ability to appear exactly where you least expect, and least need, them. From walking across your keyboard at the worst moment to perching on your chest like a loaf while you're gasping for air, they make it clear: your space is their space. But, we secretly love it. Because even though they trample all over our boundaries, they fill our lives with endless cuddles, head boops, and that special brand of chaotic charm only cats can deliver.
Cats at work are the ultimate mood, and these memes capture it purrfectly. Whether they're snoozing on the job, giving off "I'm so done with this meeting" energy, or just judging everyone from behind a laptop screen, these kitties remind us of ourselves on a Monday morning. We've all felt like that cat draped over the keyboard, wondering how much longer until lunch.
From cats loafing on paperwork like they're the boss to those giving serious "do not disturb" vibes during a nap on the printer, these furry coworkers bring major relatable energy. They perfectly embody the struggle of staying motivated, the joy of procrastination, and the art of looking busy while actually doing nothing at all.
No human could pull off the "I'm working hard" face quite like a cat dramatically staring at a screen. These memes remind us that sometimes, you just have to pawse, stretch out, and take that well-earned break (or three). After all, being this adorable at work is hard work!
Let's take a moment to appreciate one of the most purrfect parts of any kitty: their adorable little toe beans. Those tiny, squishy, jellybean-lookin' feet are simply too much. Pink, black, multicolored… every set is a masterpiece. Mini marshmallow paws? Yes, please. Little velvet pebbles of perfection? Don't mind if I do.
You haven't truly lived until you've witnessed the sacred stretch 'n flex when your cat extends their legs dramatically mid-nap, exposing all five floofy beans like it's an exclusive art exhibit titled "You May Look, But You May Not Touch." And yet... we touch. We always try to touch. Because who could possibly resist the temptation of a toe bean boop?
Sometimes they're tucked neatly under your cat like they're hiding precious treasures. Other times, they're sprawled out in full dramatic fashion, just begging for admiration. They may come with claws (and consequences), but the beans themselves are all softness, sass, and secret charm.
Toe beans: tiny pillows of chaos and joy. We're obsessed!
Cats are truly the masters of freeloading, and we let them get away with it every single day. These furry little moochers parade around like they're the landlords, lounging on our furniture and demanding room service without ever pitching in for rent, water, or even the Wi-Fi they're always sitting on mid-Zoom call. When has Mr. Whiskers ever paid rent for the luxury of sprawling in the best-lit corner of the house? Or tossed a few coins toward that gourmet kibble he sniffs once and ignores? Exactly, not once!
They lounge on our couches rent-free, knock over our stuff like they're testing gravity for science, and still expect us to serve them like the royalty they clearly believe they are. And don't get us started on the midnight zoomies. If we're losing sleep, they can at least help with the coffee fund!
But we wouldn't have it any other way. These furry freeloaders steal our hearts, our pillows, and sometimes our snacks. In return, they give us purrs, head boops, and the joy of being their forever unpaid butler. And somehow, that's the best deal ever.
Sometimes the best way to survive the chaos of the workweek is to simply paws. And what better way to do that than with a cozy dose of cat cuteness? Whether you're a full-time cat pawrent or just an admirer of all things floofy and purry, wholesome cat memes are here to gently push away your stress off the desk and replace it with pure feline joy.
Cats are natural masters of the vibe check. One second they're sitting in a sunbeam with their eyes half-closed like tiny monks of calm, and the next moment they're bringing you a sock as a sacred gift. Their purrs are healing. Their loaf positions are art. Their gentle headbutts are certified emotional support gestures.
So take a break, grab your favorite snack (and maybe share a bite with your cat), and scroll through some pawdorable moments of pure cat joy. You've earned it, you heary hooman cat pawrent. You have definitely earned it.
How are we all doing? Did anyone take part in the No Kings protest or any Pride festivities this past weekend? Boston had both on the same day. I loved seeing cities and towns, big and small, congregate in support of protecting their communities.
I’m not a big fan of the summer and it usually flies by in a bit of a haze, but I’m even more eager to get through it as my partner and I have some trips planned in fall and winter, plus an elopement on the horizon.
I hope you all have something to look forward to in the second half of 2025.
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To my fellow gamers, Date Everything released yesterday. It’s a visual novel dating game where your household items have come to life. It’s fully voice acted by well-known VAs. I’m really enjoying it so far and plan to do a deeper review on the site soon!
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From Alison: As someone who reads a lot of historicals (and their attempts to deal with contraception and STI prevention) I found it fascinating. Souvenir condoms!
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The IG algorithm served up Holy Duk’s account, where he entrusts a disposable camera with strangers about to fly out to different destinations from Incheon Airport in South Korea. My favorites are when flight attendants take him up on the camera offer.
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Wired has compiled half a dozen tools to help keep track of civil liberties in jeopardy.
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Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!
Not everyone is born a cat purrson, and that's okay. What's impurrtant is the willingness to accept that you are wrong and be ready for change. Because once a cat adopts you, there is no fighting it. Honestly, there's nothing to be afraid of! The only thing to be afraid of is falling too deeply in love with your new fluffy feline. But we get it - they can seem cold and emeowtionless, but in reality, they're purrfectly sweet and most of the time, just want you to feed them. And occasionally snuggle.
Cats also have this ameowzing ability to sense when people don't like them. And what do they do? They march straight up to that purrson and adopt them. That's what happened in the story below! One boyfriend had a "phobia" of cats, but his partner's cat had other thoughts about that. She adopted him and showed him that she's purrfectly sweet and that she is, in fact, the purrfect pet. Now she loves resting on his shoulders, and it's pawssibly the cutest thing we've ever seen. Scroll down to see it below!
Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett is $6.99! This is higher than the deals we feature, but this is the latest book in the Emily Wilde series and it just came out in February. No clue if we’ll see a steeper drop in price anytime soon.
Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen.
Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.
Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic-and Emily’s knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.
A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera is $2.99! This is book three in the Las Leonas historical romance series and it came out in February. Have you read this one?
He’s not like other dukes…
Paris, 1889
Physician Aurora Montalban Wright takes risks in her career, but never with her heart. Running an underground women’s clinic exposes her to certain dangers, but help arrives in the unexpected form of the infuriating Duke of Annan. Begrudgingly, Aurora accepts his protection, then promptly finds herself in his bed.
New to his role as a duke, Apollo César Sinclair Robles struggles to embrace his position. With half of society waiting for him to misstep and the other half looking to discredit him, Apollo never imagined that his enthralling bedmate would become his most trusted adviser. Soon, he realizes the rebellious doctor could be the perfect duchess for him. But Aurora won’t give up her independence, and her secrets make her unsuitable for the aristocracy.
When dangerous figures from their pasts return to threaten them, Apollo whisks Aurora away to the French Riviera. Far from the reproachful eye of Parisian society, can Apollo convince Aurora that their bond is stronger than the forces keeping them apart?
Shana: I would probably give Ana María and the Fox an A-. I loved everything about the main couple’s romance—the sexy banter, the delicious slow burn, the competency porn with real obstacles to overcome, and how their pairing made sense as they uncover everything they have in common.
A marriage of convenience between a Mexican heiress and a shrewd London politician makes for a scandalous Victorian bargain.
Ana María Luna Valdés has strived to be the perfect daughter, the perfect niece, and the perfect representative of the powerful Luna familia. So, when Ana María is secretly sent to London with her sisters to seek refuge during the French occupation of Mexico, she experiences her first taste of freedom far from the judgmental eyes of her domineering father. If only she could ignore the piercing looks she receives across ballroom floors from the austere Mr. Fox.
Gideon Fox elevated himself from the London gutters by chasing his burning desire for more: more opportunities, more choices. For everyone. Now as a member of Parliament, Gideon’s on the cusp of securing the votes he needs to put forth a measure to abolish the Atlantic slave trade once and for all–a cause that is close to his heart as the grandson of a formerly enslaved woman. The charmingly vexing Ana María is a distraction he must ignore.
But when Ana María finds herself in the crosshairs of a nefarious nobleman with his own political agenda, Gideon knows he must offer his hand as protection…but will this Mexican heiress win his heart as well?
Single Player by Tara Tai is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! Dahlia mentioned this on her monthly Queer Romance Roundup. The main characters work in the video game industry.
Two video game creators go head-to-head in this delightful, queer enemies-to-lovers workplace romance debut.
Cat Li cares about two things: video games and swoony romances. The former means there hasn’t been much of the latter in her (real) life, but when she lands her dream job writing the love storylines for Compass Hollow—the next big thing in games—she knows it’s all been worth it. Then she meets her boss: the infamous Andi Zhang, who’s not only an arrogant hater of happily-ever-afters determined to keep Cat from doing her job but also impossibly, annoyingly hot.
As Compass Hollow’s narrative director, Andi couldn’t care less about love—in-game or out. After getting doxxed by internet trolls three years ago, Andi’s been trying to prove to the gaming world that they’re a serious gamedev. Their plan includes writing the best game possible, with zero lovey-dovey stuff. That is, until the man funding the game’s development insists Andi add romance in order to make the story “more appealing to female gamers.”
Forced to give Cat a chance, Andi begrudgingly realizes there’s more to Cat than romantic idealism and, okay, a cute smile. But admitting that would mean giving up the single-player life that has kept their heart safe for years. And when Cat uncovers a behind-the-scenes plan to destroy Andi’s career, the two will have to put their differences aside and find a way to work together before it’s game over.
If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section with exclusive content and events.
Everything you’re used to seeing at the Hot Pink Palace that is Smart Bitches Trashy Books will remain free as always, because we remain committed to fostering community among brilliant readers who love romance.
We don't know if you have noticed, but when it comes to naming our cats… we like having a little fun with it. People often give their cats hilarious names, like Box or Newspaper, or we give completely cringeworthy names to our cats, like Baby Jesus or Rue McClawdahand & Sal Minmeow. It's one of the two for cats - they either get a hilarious, unhinged, silly name… or we give our cats weirdly human names, like Sally or like Jason or… like Milo.
Either way, it's funny. And we never thought that it could cause any issues. Your cat has the name that it has, and whichever one it is, it does not affect anyone else. Right? Well, that's not what this person's friends think. Despite the fact that Milo the cat has had his name for four years, apparently, suddenly, because these friends decided to name their human baby Milo as well, the cat is not allowed to have that name anymore. According to these friends. We think that they are being ridiculous.
Is it just us, or are the days going by extra slowly this week? It's only Wednesday, but it feels like at least one hundred days have passed since last Monday. Too many things happening. Too many things happening too fast. We can't keep up, and we don't even know if we want to. What we want right now is to get through this week sane and as happy as we can, and at this point, everyone knows that there is only one thing that can consistently help us get that feeling of sanity - and that is some hissterical cat memes.
That's why we bring you so many silly cat memes every single day. Because you need them. Because laughing at funny cat memes first thing in the morning or as you're having your third cup of coffee at work is not only a good distraction, it is a healthy distraction. Because cat memes like these make us smile, and smiling is simply good for the soul.
Life's proverbial snacks can sometimes feel as though they are way out of our reach. Much like in our formative years when our parents cleverly stashed all the goodies that we wanted in a high up shelf, so do the desirable qualities of this life sit high up out of our regular reach. But that does not mean they are not for the taking, for you see all we need to get to the level at which we can enjoy these luxuries is to elevate our mood and as such our soul and spirit will rise up too. Elevating us to the point where all the sweet snacks of life are laid out in front of us to enjoy.
Much like a crafty catto who figured out an ingenious way to climb the kitchen cabinets from where he likes to lie and key and eye on his kingdom. So kick back and watch as your mood gets boosted into the sky, but if you find yourself still too close for comfort to the ground then check out these hilarious cattos for some more mood boosting motivation.
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Welcome back to Wednesday Links!
