Soldier Coming Home and being helped by dogs compilation Veterans Day. Thank you to all the veterans that have served, continue to serve, and especially to the heroes that have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Thank you to all who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice!

Why Doesn’t My Cat Like To Be Picked Up Or Held?
You just want to express your love to your feline fur baby, so why don’t they like being picked up for cuddles? Here are a few reasons your cat might not enjoy being picked up or held.

Imagine a creature about ten times bigger than you picking you up off the ground and holding you. It can be terrifying for a cat, especially one who easily gets startled or scared, to be picked up by a human.

If your cat gets spooked by loud noises, quick movements, or sudden changes in their territory, then it’s quite possible that they’re simply fearful of you holding them.

Let them approach you on their own terms to avoid causing more fear.
They May Feel Disrespected

Most cats like to perch up high to keep an eye over their domain, but many of them like to do it their way and don’t appreciate you lifting them up. After all, they descend from wild cats who climb just fine on their own.

They may feel disrespected if you’re doing the work for them.

If your cat doesn’t like you picking them up, try placing some perches or accessible high places around so they can get to your eye level by themselves.

You can get a great cat tree for your cat here or a nice window perch here if your kitty likes to watch the birds outside.

They May Not Like You Restraining Them

A loving embrace is still a form of restraint for cats, as they can’t get away or move freely. Even many human toddlers don’t like to be held when they’re running around playing.

The restricted movement may make your cat feel like they don’t have control or that you’re trapping them. Most cats need their independence.

This can be especially true for cats who were strays and need to have freedom of movement to feel safe.

They May Have Had Bad Experiences

If you’ve adopted a cat, you may have no idea what a previous pet parent did to them or what their past experiences might be. Certainly a history of abuse could make a cat fearful of being picked up.

However, that fear might not even come from such a sinister place. Stressful trips to the vet or groomers may cause your cat to associate being held with anxiety.

You can try reteaching your cat to enjoy being held by associating being picked up with positive experiences, but it may take a very long time or not even happen at all.

It’s Not A Natural Greeting For Cats

Cats don’t greet other cats by picking them up. They approach cautiously, sniff, lick, rub against each other, or bonk heads.

In fact, being picked up may make a cat feel like they’re being taken by a predator. It isn’t natural for a cat, so even though you have friendly intentions, it may not come off that way.

Try other forms of greetings, and learn to read cues that your kitty is giving you. Earn their trust.

They Could Have A Painful Injury Or Medical Condition

If your cat used to like being picked up but hates it now, then it might be time for a trip to the vet to check for injuries or medical conditions that could be causing pain.

If your vet gives you a prescription, you should see if you can fill it at Chewy’s online pharmacy and have the medication delivered.

Even after the condition is treated, it’s possible your cat will still avoid allowing you to pick them up. They associate it with feeling hurt.

Past injuries could be the cause of your cat refusing to be picked up. With that in mind, you should respect your kitty’s comfort.

What other reasons would a cat have for hating to be picked up? Does your cat love being held, or would they prefer to stay on solid ground? Let us know in the comments below!

St. Nicholas Day – December 6, 2021

St. Nicholas Day on December 6 celebrates of course carries some connection to Christmas and Santa Clause, but there is much more to this holiday and St. Nicholas than that.  Although St. Nicholas partially inspired the Christmas and Santa Clause that we all know and love, St. Nicholas actually derives from a different kind of tale. Let’s learn about St. Nicholas and what this day is truly about.

HISTORY OF ST. NICHOLAS DAY

St. Nicholas derived from Nicholas of Myra and was a bishop in 4th century Greece. He was known for selling off his own items and then giving the money to the poor. He would commonly leave coins in people’s shoes and dedicated his entire life to serving people who were sick and suffering. This is how he gained his saint status, and is what inspired St. Nicholas Day (also commonly known as Feast Day or the Feast of St. Nicholas).

One well-known story of St. Nicholas involves a dowry for a father’s three daughters. In the third century, it was common for fathers to offer money to prospective husbands. However, one poor father with three daughters did not have money to do this. St. Nicholas paid for all three daughters’ dowries by leaving gold in their shoes.

As time passed St. Nicholas Day began in different ways. In Italy, this day was celebrated with feasts, gift-giving, and festivals. In other European countries like Germany and the Netherlands, children would leave their shoes or special St. Nicholas boot in front of the fireplace or front door at night and find presents in them in the morning. The history of St. Nicholas and his good deeds was part of the inspiration of the modern-day Santa Claus and Father Christmas, which is why there are some current traditions of leaving gifts in people’s boots or shoes (or stockings).

Ничто не сравнится со спуском, когда ветер бьет тебе в лицо.

Victor Nizovtsev, 1965 | Magic Realism painter

Виктор Низовцев is a Russian painter, a master of whimsical and narrative art. Subjects include fantasy landscapes, russian folklore, theatre, and mermaids. I've been on the hunt for Nizovtsev's mermaids for a while now, and in total I have found 9 of them on the internet. I know there are more. He does them so well, and with such care, I imagine his studio overrun with them.

Speech: “All the world’s a stage”
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
(from As You Like It, spoken by Jaques)

                                        All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

ONE language, THREE accents - UK vs. USA vs. AUS English! (+ Free PDF)