My Soul Cat is Gone

In the early morning hours of November 1st, 2025, my world shifted forever. My soul cat, my sweet baby boy Widget, lost his brave battle with GI lymphoma, just two weeks after his diagnosis.

Everything happened so fast that it still feels like a blur. Two weeks isn’t enough time to process, let alone prepare for, a loss of this magnitude. One day you’re navigating a frightening new medical reality, and the next you are facing a quiet house and a devastatingly empty space in your heart.

I cannot keep writing about it. My life is darker and I want to burn this whole damn world down.

Why My Cats Rule the House (and Probably the World)

Let’s be honest: I think I own four cats. But deep down, I know the truth. I’m just a well-trained, food-dispensing, tent-building minion to a furry feline cabal. Around here, cats rule the house, specifically Widget, Fern, Ash, and Toadie. They run the show, and when they’re not napping in sunbeams, I’m pretty sure they’re plotting global domination.

Widget: The Soft-Pawed Puppet Master

Don’t be fooled by Widget’s wide-eyed innocence or his tendency to hide when he thinks anyone is coming to visit. This brownish tabby is the emotional manipulator of the crew. He’s a certified Mama’s Boy, which means he has mastered the art of guilt-tripping me into getting up early to give him his breakfast. He will cuddle up next to me while I’m sleeping, purr with the loudest motor you’ve ever heard, and then make biscuits on my face.

Despite being scared of knocks at our door, the thought of getting flea meds put on the back of his neck, and the cat carrier, Widget’s influence is mighty. He’s the emotional glue of the operation, the quiet schemer. If there’s a a piece of fabric or laundry to lay on, Widget is on it, strategically maintaining morale (mine) while keeping tabs on the other three.

Fern: Apex Predator, Parkour Enthusiast, Chaos Agent

Fern is sleek, black, and 100% chaos with claws. She is the house panther, the ninja-in-residence, the “hold my crunchies, I’m doing something reckless” kind of girl. While I’m clinging to the arm of the couch watching her scale the living room curtain with Olympic confidence, Fern is silently calculating her next mission: perhaps leaping from the fridge to the pantry in pursuit of a sky raisin.

She’s also ridiculously sweet, until she goes full jungle mode and takes down what’s left of her felt Santa Clause toy like she’s on National Geographic. Honestly, if Fern decided to lead a revolution, I’d probably just step aside and offer her Churus for the cause.

Ash: The Sleepy Enforcer With Kitty Kankles

Ash is our long-haired white and grey cloud of fluff. A daddy’s girl through and through, she pretends to be athletic like Fern but… how do I put this gently… she doesn’t always stick the landing. She aims for “graceful jungle cat” and lands squarely in “pillow-shaped beanbag.” And yet, she tries. We love her for that.

She spends a good 80% of the day napping. And her chubby little kitty ankles are illegal levels of cute. Ash is the velvet-gloved enforcer of the house, quiet and cozy but fully capable of asserting control when needed.

Toadie: Tortitude in a Chunky Package

Toadie came to us under tough circumstances when my mom passed in November 2022. She has what cat people respectfully call tortitude, which means she’s spicy, opinionated, and unafraid to issue a formal hiss for anything she doesn’t like or agree with, which is just about anything and everything.

But here’s the thing Toadie doesn’t want you to know: she loves living with us. No, really. She actually enjoys having cat siblings, at times. She plays with them. She naps with Mike. She maintains her tough exterior, but the moment she curls up for a nap near the others, you know she’s fully integrated into this furry cult of personality.

I’m Just the Staff

You know how every secret organization has a powerless but useful assistant? That’s me. I scoop the litter. I distribute the licky treats. I referee the early morning play fights and late night zoomie Olympics. My phone is full of blurry cat photos I took while whispering “look at your little face” like a complete fool.

These four cats rule the house, quietly, sneakily, with toe beans and whiskers. Widget pulls heartstrings. Fern keeps things spicy. Ash runs on naps, Churus, and Daddy-lovins. Toadie keeps us all humble. And together, they’ve probably already formed a secret government and are just waiting for the lasers to be installed on the Roomba.

Long live the feline regime.

Things I’ve Learned After 20+ Years of Blogging

You know you’ve been blogging a long time when your first posts were written on a dial-up connection, you used “guestbooks,” and you thought “web rings” were a legitimate marketing strategy.

Yep. I’ve been blogging for over two decades. That’s longer than most influencers have been alive. Back when I started, blogs were basically online diaries that where complete with glittery GIFs, “mood” statuses, and autoplay music that would scare your soul right out of your body.

So, in honor of my internet longevity (and sheer stubbornness), here are some things I’ve learned along the way. Consider this a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a few hard truths and plenty of sarcasm.

Nobody Reads the First Post, Not Even You

Every blogger’s first post is the same: “Hi! I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m starting a blog! Yay!” It’s awkward, it’s adorable, and it ages like a banana left on the dashboard of a car in July. But it’s a rite of passage. You write it thinking the whole internet is watching. Spoiler: it isn’t.

Your Blog Design Will Never Be “Done”

I have changed my blog layout more times than I’ve changed my hairstyle, which really isn’t saying something because I’ve basically had the same hairstyle since high school. From sparkly sidebars to minimalist black-and-white themes, I’ve been through them all. You think, “This is it. This is the perfect design.” And then two weeks later, you’re scrolling downloadable WordPress themes at 2 a.m. with a new vision and a caffeine-induced need to redo everything.

Stats Are a Blessing and a Curse

Back in the day, I had a little counter at the bottom of my site that ticked up every time anyone visited. Now we have Google Analytics, which lets us overanalyze bounce rates and compare ourselves to people who “just started blogging last week and already have 50,000 followers.” Neat.

Some days you feel like a blogging rockstar. Other days, you swear your only visitor was a Russian bot trying to sell you knockoff Ray-Bans.

Comments Used to Be Gold

There was a time when comments were king. Readers actually left thoughtful replies, sometimes even full-on conversations. Now? You’re lucky if someone throws a “love this!” on Instagram, or better yet, just likes the post without reading it. Ah, the sweet sound of validation… replaced by an echoing void.

You Will Write Some Truly Cringe-Worthy Content

If you’ve been blogging as long as I have, it’s impossible not to have a graveyard of posts that make you wince. Old poetry, questionable opinions, or that post detailing your boring, but you thought it was so cool, daily life.

Blog Friends Are Real Friends

One of the best parts of blogging is the community. Over the years, I’ve “met” people through comment sections, emails, and shared love for cats, horror movies, or weird vintage fonts. Some of these friendships have lasted longer than actual IRL friendships. So yes, internet friends are very real, even if you’ve never seen them outside their blog header.

Trends Will Come and Go, and Come Back Again

Remember when “What’s in My Fridge?” posts were the peak of content? Or the obsession with blog awards and tags? Or when everyone was reviewing beauty boxes like their life depended on it? Everything old is new again, except now it’s on TikTok and I’m too tired to keep up.

Burnout Is Inevitable

There are going to be months (or, let’s be honest, years) when you don’t want to blog. Or you think you’ve outgrown it. Or you just… forget your password. That’s normal. Blogging has always been a slow burn not a sprint. And if you’re still showing up, even sporadically, you’re doing just fine.

Your Voice Matters. Even If It’s Just for You

At some point, you realize that even if nobody reads your posts, your blog is yours. Your space, your stories, your sarcasm. It’s a digital scrapbook of your life, thoughts, and weird obsessions. And that’s something to be proud of. Unfortunately, I lost all my old posts and am starting over.

You’re Basically a Blogging Dinosaur. And That’s Kinda Cool

Twenty-plus years in this ever-changing internet circus? That makes you vintage. You’ve seen trends rise and fall, platforms come and go, and you’re still here, typing away, maybe with a cat on your lap and a half-drunk cup of tea or coffee beside you.

You’re not just a blogger. You’re a relic of the golden blogging era. And if that doesn’t deserve a sparkly “Best Blogger Ever” badge, I don’t know what does.

Here’s to the next twenty years, assuming the world doesn’t implode by then.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to update my blog theme. Priorities.

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