MSI Press Blog

  Confidence Dogs will perform silly little tricks to earn affection from their masters. Cats will never stoop to that level. So, while my childhood cocker spaniel would happily present his paw for me, Shelly would roll her eyes at what an idiot I was for even asking for it. We're not all born with an innate sense of confidence and self-worth. So, think like a cat, and don't do things that are beneath you. You're better than that. Just because someone tells you to dance doesn't mean you should bust out the Macarena.   There's no reason to kiss up to your boss, praising his genius for every pointless idea he suggests. Unless you're a ninja at brown-nosing, it'll be obvious what you're doing. It won't make you look good, either. You'll just seem like someone who lacks the confidence to say what he really believes. Think in the same terms for your relationships. If your girlfriend blames you for something that went wrong, that doesn't me

  A Few Licks Go a Long Way  Cat Tale: It was starting to get dark on a Saturday night. As Shelly sat nearby licking herself, I was preparing to go out and hit the bars. I wanted to spend as little time as possible to get ready. The way I looked at it, if it took more than ten minutes to make myself presentable, I was doing it wrong. I put on my favorite collared shirt, hoping no one would notice the detergent stain on the back or the hole near the armpit. I dragged a brush through my hair a single time. I slipped on my pre-tied, 4-year-old sneakers, the ones with the bottoms of the soles coming off. That’s right, I was stylin’. As I headed for the door, I noticed that Shelly was still in the same spot, still licking herself. She hadn’t stopped grooming the entire time. She didn’t even have plans that night. Either she cared too much about personal appearances or I didn’t care enough. I looked in the mirror. The problem was me.  Cat Lesson: Grooming is important. You do

  The Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards competition has selected How My Cat Made Me a Better Man by Jeremy Feig as its legacy award winner in the category of humor, and we are happy to be able to announce it on Caturday! This is the second major award for this book. The book was also selected as a finalist in the Book of the Year competition when it was first published. For more information about Jeremy's book, click HERE . For posts about Jeremy and his book, click HERE .

Fear  You Can’t Always Hide behind the Toilet  Cat Tale: Shelly lived in a lot of different places: upstate New York, Manhattan, Los Angeles, and even a brief stint in New Mexico. Every time she moved someplace new, she’d be utterly terrified. I signed a lease for a great new apartment in Santa Monica, California. The place seemed ideal for a cat. It had a long layout she could race through, a few steps for jumping fun, and ample sunbeam access. I knew Shelly would love it.  As soon as I got the keys to the empty apartment, I took her over to check it out. I figured she’d enjoy exploring her new digs, especially since there was no pesky furniture to get in the way, but from the moment I turned her loose, she was scared to death, darting out of sight almost immediately.  Of course, it’s easy to find a cat in an apartment with no furniture. She was hiding in the bathroom, wedged behind the toilet. I tried to coax her out with some treats, but she wouldn’t budge. I stepped away

  In honor of Caturday, we are posting another except from How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , a Book of the Year finalist. Fear of Failure You're not perfect. You'll fail at many things, sometimes in mind-blowingly spectacular fashion. Don't let that stop you from going after your goals because if you don't make an effort, you've already failed. On one of Shelly's exciting trips down the hallway of my apartment building, she got confused. She'd gone up a flight of stairs, then walked to the apartment directly above mine, which looked exactly the same. She sat patiently in front of the door and waited for me to let her in. Of course, I didn't since it wasn't my apartment. Thankfully, my upstairs neighbor didn't open his door since it would've been awkward explaining why my cat and I were hanging out on his welcome mat. Shelly's sense of direction had failed her, but even though she couldn't successfully find her way home, she still enjo

  MSI Press authors are located all over the world. Getting to know the authors can also mean getting to know a new part of the world. We will be sharing this information on a regular basis. Follow us and map our authors' locations. Jeremy Feig, author of the award-winning, terrifically amusing, fun and easy to read, and insightful book, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man, moved recently from Santa Monica, California to Cascais, Portugal.  Here is some information about Cascais.  Cascais began as a traditional fishing port. But in the 19th century, Portugal’s King Luís I added a touch of glamour by taking up residence in the town each September. Today, Cascais feels more like an elegant version of St Tropez, with 19th-century villas covered in azulejos, and bougainvillea draping over the garden walls. There is an emphasis on outdoor living for most of the year, especially cycling, running or golf, while the short winter months are rather windy and humid. For more beautiful informatio

  Jeremy Feig, MSI Press author of the award-winning book, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , inspired by his silky black and highly pragmatic late cat, Shelly, wrote recently that he and his family (wife and young daughter) had moved from Santa Monica, California to Cascais, Portugal in December. Say what? That is what I imagine Shelly would say. They pulled up roots and moved half a world away. Now, for a cat, that is a bit distressing. They don't like to change their habitats, and Shelly certainly was complete owner of her habitat in Santa Monica. However, Santa Monica is on the coast, and so is Cascais. Just perhaps Shelly could have found some way to feel at home in the new location. "We were looking to shake up our lives up a bit," Jeremy wrote. Very likely, Shelly would have agreed that he had succeeded. Nothing like moving to another geographic location, where everything looks different, the language is different, and you are now the minority. Still, Shelly would h

  In honor of Caturday, here is an excerpt for the award-winning book, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man by Jeremy Feig. Overcoming Roadblocks  I’d grown tired of the hard laminate floor in my living room. So, I bought a thick shag rug and laid it in front of the couch. While my feet loved the cushy, retro carpeting, Shelly did not. In fact, she was intimidated by it. She would cautiously walk around it, fearful it might come alive and devour her. She even stayed off the couch to avoid getting too close.  This went on for a few days until Shelly’s desire to lay on the couch overcame her hatred of the rug. I watched as she put a tentative paw on the carpeted edge. Noticing that it didn’t try to swallow her, she put another paw on it. Pretty soon, all four paws were on the rug, and Shelly was still in one piece. Success!  After that, Shelly and the shag rug became pals. She’d scamper across it with ease and slumber in its soft tendrils. While she was nervous during her early encounters, s

Shelly is the subject of Jeremy's book, How My Cat Taught Me to Be a Better Man . Her antics are delightful and the book is beautifully illustrated by the late Russian artist, Zhenya Yanovich. (The book was selected as a Book of the Year finalist.) Read more about the book in which Shelly stars HERE . Read more about the cats of MSI Press, including Shelly, HERE .

In honor of Caturday, we are sharing photos of the cats who own MSI Press authors, starting with Sula, pictured above, who is herself an MSI Press author. Click HERE  to see Sula's works. Simon is owned by Joanna Charnas, author of chronic illness support books and A Movie Lover's Search for  Romance , who says he is her "foster failure." Click HERE to see Joanna's works. Jeremy Feig was owned by Shelly. He wrote a book about her, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , that won a book of the year award. Click HERE   to read about Shelly, including excerpts from the book. Carl and Betty Lou Leaver are owned by Intrepid about whom they wrote a book, stuffed with illustrations, and five other cats. Click HERE to see Intrepid . In the picture, Happy (black & white) and Murjan (red & white) share a cat bed. Cindy McKinley Alder is owned by Watson, shown here wrapped in a ribbon. So cute! Click HERE to see Cindy's contributions to the field of teaching, parenting

SHELLY Shelly starred in the book, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , by Jeremy Feig -- and that book placed as finalist in the Book of the Year award. For more posts about Shelly and the book she inspired, click HERE . INTREPID Intrepid is a memoir and love story written by grieving owners when he died at age 11, far too young, of cancer. For more posts about Intrepid, click HERE . SULA Sula is perhaps the most famous cat of MSI Press. She has written six books.        For evidence of Sula's Internet fame, click HERE . For more posts about Sula and her books, click HERE .

Why Cats Make Better Mentors Than Dogs  1) Pet’s goal in life: Dog: Please his master. Cat: Please herself. Point: Cat 2) How pet gets what it wants: Dog: Begging for it. Cat: Taking it. Point: Cat 3)  How pet endears itself to humans: Dog: Demeaning tricks. Cat: Being herself. Point: Cat 4) Pet’s favorite activity: Dog: Long, repetitive walks. Cat: Sleeping. Point: Cat 5) Likelihood pet will eat its own vomit: Dog: Extremely high. Cat: Pretty unlikely. Point: Cat Read more excerpts HERE , along with information about the author and book. Check out the book page for How My Cat Made Me a Better Man at the MSI Press website.

I moved to Los Angeles a year after graduating college. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot going for me. I worked intermittently at a series of terrible jobs. My studio apartment was the size of a large shoebox. Money was so tight that ramen noodles were a luxury. And I was completely alone. Who knew that being broke, underemployed, and living in a glorified closet wouldn’t appeal to the ladies? I felt pretty down. I was alone in the world and didn’t see a way to lift myself up into a better situation. So, I thought carefully about all my options. Should I empower myself with a self-help book? No, those are for chicks (or so I told myself). Could I talk things over with my friends? Doubtful. Sharing my feelings with a group of guys didn’t appeal to me because, well, I’m a guy. I briefly toyed with the idea of seeing a life coach. But that wouldn’t work because who in their right mind sees a life coach? I couldn’t come up with any other options. So, where could I go to get my life

Jeremy Feig is originally from a small town in slightly upstate New York. After graduating from New Paltz College, he moved to Los Angeles for TV and film production work before stumbling into a career in digital marketing. Jeremy spends much of his time working on creative projects, usually involving comedy. He’s written numerous screenplays and TV scripts, created original cartoons, and directed quirky short films. Jeremy lives in Santa Monica with his wife, young daughter, and large cat.  His book,  How My Cat Made Me a Better Man , has captivated men and women alike. Jeremy's book placed as a finalist in the 2016 Book of the Year award, and it has not lost its appeal since. 5 stars from Reader's Favorites Highly recommended by US Review of Books. Teena in Toronto says, "Of all the self-help books out there, this was an interesting twist." Cat blogs LOVE this book! US Review of Books calls it "fun-filled" and "novel."

Use Your Cat to Your Advantage: The Cat Lift Cats like sitting in bags. Some think it’s a fun ride when you pick up the bag while they’re in it. So, the next time your bag has a cat inside, lift it up and down as a workout. Not only will you tone your arms, your cat will have the time of her life. Other excerpts from  How My Cat Made Me a Better Man (Code FF25 for 25% discount at MSI Press webstore) Also available on  Kindle Find more cat lessons from the book! Jeremy Feig is originally from a small town in slightly upstate New York. After graduating from New Paltz College, he moved to Los Angeles for TV and film production work before stumbling into a career in digital marketing. Jeremy spends much of his time working on creative projects, usually involving comedy. He’s written numerous screenplays and TV scripts, created original cartoons, and directed quirky short films. Jeremy lives in Santa Monica with his wife, young daughter, and large cat.

"Feig’s conversational style is witty and disarming. His self-deprecating humor lends charm and vulnerability to his ideas and opinions on becoming a better individual. Rooted firmly in a young, often single man’s outlook, he nevertheless manages to address aspects of life relevant to people of all ages. If you enjoy humor and love cats—the f ormer being a prerequisite for the latter—chances are you’ll also be attracted to this fun-filled homage to felines." Read the rest of the review at US Review of Books HERE .

From Midwest Book Review Synopsis: Jeremy Feig was at rock bottom - broke, alone, and living in a shoebox-sized apartment. At the same time, his cat was perfectly content. What was her secret? She couldn't say it out loud, but it was clear she had all the answers to living a good life. How My Cat Made Me a Better Man is a hilarious self-help book for guys, based on the lessons of an edgy cat named Shelly. It's packed with useful advice on topics like relationships, dealing with stress, and even grooming habits. If you feel like your life is spinning out of control, this book will help you set things right - and keep you laughing along the way. Critique: Witty, whimsical, and featuring life-changing "Cat Lessons", How My Cat Made Me a Better Man is filled with everything from dating tips to coping with anxiety and pursuing life goals. Although written with a spry dash of feline humor, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man is a genuine self-help book filled with nine l