MSI Press Blog

  Today we remember the ones who walked beside us, slept near us, and loved us with a purity that only animals can offer. Their paws may no longer echo in our homes, but their spirits remain stitched into our lives. 🕊️ Murjan, our gentle warrior, defied lymphoma for 3.5 years—nearly reaching age 19. His quiet strength and enduring presence were a daily grace. 🕊️ Intrepid, his brave pal, was struck by the same cruel disease at the same time. He fought fiercely for three months before joining his beloved staff, Carl, in rest—both taken by cancer, both remembered for their boldness and joy. Intrepid left us at just 11, but his legacy of fun and fearlessness lives on. 🕊️ Snyezhka, radiant and resilient, battled four kinds of cancer before a sudden saddle thrombus took her in the night at age 7. Her absence was felt deeply by her devoted companion, Happy Cat, who searched for her daily until his own passing from a brain tumor a year later. 🕊️ And Bobolink—our long-haired black beaut...

  Some cats choose their humans. Some cats create them. Intrepid did both. He entered our lives in late 2005, a tiny tabby-mau kitten rescued from the grass outside a professor’s home in Jordan, where we were living and working at the time. Fearless from the start—hence his name—Intrepid ate like a creature possessed, sleeping curled beside the food bowl as if it might vanish. Once he realized food was a permanent fixture, he turned his attention to the rest of the house… and the laws of physics. Kamikaze leaps across the living room, potted plants as landing pads, chaos as his calling card. He was our smallest cat, but the bravest. He bonded instantly with Murjan , our alpha male, who mothered him with nightly snuggles. Murjan’s paws wrapped protectively around Intrepid in a feline embrace of pure love. I left Jordan to return to the States six months before Carl did. Murjan came with me. Intrepid stayed behind with Carl. And that’s when the real magic happened. Carl and Intr...

  The late great  Bobolink  (very missed) would have wished everyone a happy international cat day.  In celebration of these sweet furry critters, please see our many blog posts on  cats  and our  Caturday  posts. To purchase copies of any MSI Press book at 25% discount, use code FF25 at  MSI Press webstore . Want to buy an MSI Press book and not have to pay for it? Ask your local library to purchase and shelve it. VISIT OUR  WEBSITE  TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OUR AUTHORS AND TITLES. Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date) Check out  recent issues .     Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book ,  Pinterest ,  Bluesky , and  Instagram .     Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC?   Check out information on  how to submit a proposal .    ...

  Happy Caturday , friends! Today’s topic may not get purrs of approval from your feline companions, but it’s an important one: trimming your cat’s claws. Whether you’ve got a mellow muffin or a wriggly whirlwind, claw trimming is a skill every cat person should at least understand—even if it’s just to know when to call in a pro. Let’s talk about the why , the if , and the all-important how of trimming cat claws. 🐱 WHY Trim Your Cat’s Claws? You might be wondering—cats in the wild don’t get pedicures, so why should your living-room lion? Here’s why: Preventing pain and injury : Indoor cats, especially seniors, can suffer from overgrown claws that curve into the paw pad. It’s painful and can lead to infection. Protecting your stuff (and yourself) : Those tiny daggers can shred furniture, snag curtains, and accidentally scratch human skin during a cuddle or panic leap. Better traction : Blunt claws still allow cats to climb, stretch, and scratch—but with less destructive fo...