MSI Press Blog

  My cat has never billed a single hour, never drafted a motion, and certainly never attended a CLE. Yet somehow she has become the most influential mentor in my legal career. She runs a full continuing‑education program in this house, and I am—regrettably but undeniably—her star pupil. Lesson 1: Stealth is a litigation skill. She can cross a room without making a sound, materializing beside me like a furry apparition. I learned to do the same when slipping into court with a stack of last‑minute exhibits. A quiet entrance is sometimes the most strategic one. Lesson 2: Cross‑examination begins with curiosity. My cat interrogates every grocery bag, every closed door, every suspicious rustle. She does not assume; she investigates. I adopted her method: assume nothing, inspect everything, and never let a fact escape without being sniffed—metaphorically, of course. Lesson 3: Negotiation is 90% posture. When she wants something, she sits three feet away, fixes me with a steady g...

  Tomorrow is Carl's deathversry #5 -- and the approximate date (they both left in August) of Intrepid's deathversary #9.  Intrepid fit the name. Nothing scared him. Kamikaze leaps from halfway across the room to knock over another plant (a favorite activity) to stealing the cheese from a grocery bag and sneaking off to hide it in his favorite cubby hole. Trep could be found on tops of refrgerators, cabinets, and tall cat trees. For sure, the name fit. But Trep had another side. Evening and evening, he would lay across Carls' chest and sleep peacefully for hours. He was Carl's pal; Carl was his. When he died, Carl said, "I just lost my best buddy." He never got over it. All during his cancer treatments and struggles, Carl was alone with humans. The other cats were pals, but they were not best buddies like Intrepid. He missed him especially much those days. After Carl died, our son asked the cemetery manager to put Intrepid's ashes into Carl's vault, an...

  My cat didn’t set out to teach me anything. She simply lived her small, whiskered life with the intensity and precision that cats naturally possess. But somewhere between the midnight zoomies, the laser‑focused stare into corners I thought were empty, and the triumphant presentation of a “caught” moth, she ended up sharpening my own instincts about household pests more than any manual ever did. 1. She taught me that signs matter more than sightings. Cats notice patterns long before humans do. A shift in her patrol route told me more about ant entry points than any store‑bought detector. When she began lingering near the dishwasher, I learned to check for moisture issues. When she stared at the baseboards, I learned to listen for the faintest rustle. Her attention was the early-warning system I didn’t know I had. 2. She made me respect the ecosystem inside my home. Cats don’t see “pests”; they see moving parts in a territory. Watching her track a spider with the seriousness...

  Today we celebrate the creatures who rule our homes, our routines, and our hearts — cats. Whether they’re curled in a sunbeam, supervising your keyboard, or reminding you that dinner is late, they embody independence and affection in equal measure. International Cat Day honors not just their charm but their presence — the quiet companionship, the humor, the mystery. It’s a day to pause and appreciate how cats teach us balance: rest when you need to, play when you can, and always keep your dignity intact. So, give your feline companions an extra treat, a gentle brush, or a slow blink of love. They’ve earned it — every day, but especially today.] And if you can, please contribute to cats in war zones . They need it. Learn more about cats. See our many Caturday posts. Be entertained. See all our posts about cats . Be inspired. See posts by and about Sula , parish cat, and her books. Have a chuckle. Read posts by and about Jeremy Feig's award-winning book (book of the year finalist,...

Some topics in cat care are endlessly debated, and this one sits right at the top. Wet food or dry food — which is better, when, and for whom? The answer isn’t a single rule. It’s a constellation of needs, habits, health quirks, and feline opinions (which, as we know, can override all logic). Hydration: The Wet Food Advantage Cats are desert-evolved creatures with a famously low thirst drive. Many simply won’t drink enough water on their own. Wet food steps in as a hydration hero. Great for: Seniors Cats prone to urinary crystals or kidney disease Cats who rarely drink from a bowl Why it matters: Moisture-rich meals help keep urine dilute, kidneys supported, and hydration steady. For some cats, wet food isn’t just a preference — it’s a medical strategy. Dental Health & Convenience: The Dry Food Argument Dry food is often praised for convenience: easy to store, easy to measure, easy to leave out. It can also support dental health a little , though not nearly as much as people th...