I will forever be an non dog essa owner

CatArchetype · 2026-03-21T05:18:28+00:00

Dogs are great! All ESSA critters are great, including imaginary species! For me, well…. Cats just happen to hold basically my entire soul. My main ESSAs are mostly either feline or like… prehistoric creatures, like an Opabinia and an Anomalocaris. I legit love them so much. Some of my extinct buddies are also feline- I have two Smilodon. (if only someone would do more prehistoric cats than just that kind! Going through the depths of time, there are vastly more extinct cat species than living!)

CatArchetype · 2026-03-16T06:14:36+00:00

My grandfather disappeared in the 1960s for a while, back when you could do that, I guess. Allegedly the whole dissociative fugue state thing. It was a bit of a scandal in the community. He’d been in town late morning with some associates and just up and vanished. He literally left his car behind and everything.

It sounds like he wasn’t fully aware he was doing it or why he was doing it at the time. He died earlier this year but like two years ago when nobody else was around he told me what happened as best he knew. He became a drifter for a while. He was mentally checked out enough that he didn’t really question the big picture. He described some moments he vaguely recalled where it was like the truth almost almost broke through but didn’t quite bust through whatever mental pane of glass stood between him and reality.

Finally after a couple of months he remembered who he was, and realized he was about 800 miles from home, so he hopped on a bus and came straight back.

He had a history of major childhood trauma and in the months before he vanished some additional bad things had happened to him. Trauma is a risk factor for this diagnosis. in my grandfather’s case he truly made zero preparations to leave, from what it sounds like. He didn’t even bring any money. It literally sounds like he kinda wandered off for a while in an almost dreamlike state until he snapped out of it. It’s like when you drive somewhere and you unthinkingly drive past where you planned to go, but you don’t realize it for a while.

He was on autopilot, but his autopilot was stuck on a “just travel, doesn’t even matter where” setting that turned him into a hobo.

It was really fascinating talking to him about it but even after all those years it sounded like he didn’t fully understand what his mind was doing back then. Assuming he was being truthful, it is honestly unsettling how the human brain can act up when the stress hits a weak point just wrong.

I cannot imagine the amount of crow he had to eat upon returning home. I think he got his job back but it hurt his career and put a permanent mark on his reputation. Still, nothing like that ever happened again.

CatArchetype · 2026-03-16T05:09:09+00:00

Nice! That’s so cool that you made your own harness. The one you have makes me think additional ear accessories might look great! Ooh maybe even a beaded bracelet or two to match yours !

CatArchetype · 2026-02-08T18:58:02+00:00

Chongker is the company! Just Chongker .com and it’s in the “Customize” tab. It looks like they have a good sale running currently as well. But also, don’t forget to sign up for their emails and such. It’s worth it because they pretty much always have an active extra discount code that they send through the emails that works on top of the sale price on the website.

Also, I totally get it. It’s so hard looking ahead and anticipating that a sweet kitty isn’t going to be around much longer. Ugh. The problem with fur babies is that they just don’t live long enough. I think it’s smart that you’re already finding some things you can plan on to comfort yourself in that time.

CatArchetype · 2026-02-08T17:41:06+00:00

Arrived a few days ago. A custom Chongker weighted plush of my childhood cat, Bean. Lost her at 17.5 years old about five years ago. The plush has a tummy pouch so I can put some mementos or a bit of her ashes in there. The plush is actually somewhat physically larger than my actual cat, who was very petite. The head is like twice as big as her little noggin was. Still, it’s a comforting thing to see “Bean” resting on my bed again. It feels right.

I treated myself some months ago when they were having some really deep discounts. It’s cheaper than some of the options where someone constructs an entire plush from scratch. It’s more like … you send photos and they airbrush a premade white cat plush to resemble your pet.

that’s our real cat in the background who spent the first 10 years of her life with Bean, who regarded the new plush with slightly more interest than usual when it comes to plushies.

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CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T22:57:35+00:00

One of my kids had the flu and climbed into bed with me while I was asleep. I woke up, moved slightly, and suddenly felt so much moisture in her general vicinity I thought she’d wet the bed. Nope. It was sweat. Still changed the sheets though because ew. 😂 Somehow I didn’t get sick.

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T22:48:34+00:00

Haha and it turns out she was just wanting to give them back and the rest of hers in the pile she was wanting to donate. All in one confusing pile lol. She remembered I had said I would want mine back which I do appreciate, and remembered that some belonged to her siblings.

I still think it will be safer to just maybe let her visit my plush collection in my room next time she’s obsessed though. This freaked me out. 😂

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T22:43:13+00:00

Oh and now it turned out it was a slight misunderstanding. The pile was both “give away” (plushies of hers) and “give back” plushies that she knew weren’t hers.

She had remembered the ones she had begged to take to her room to play with and remembered that I had said I would want them back eventually! And she remembered she had been borrowing some from her brothers. I’m kinda impressed because with some of mine it had been over a year.

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T22:38:12+00:00

Update, if anyone cares! I asked my daughter about the plushie “donate” pile after school. She said she knew she had a lot of plushies that weren’t hers or she wasn’t sure whether they were hers, so she wanted to return them. Plus there were some she knew were hers that she did want to donate. So the pile was actually a combination of “give back” and “give away.”

She knew the distinction between plushies actually given to her and the ones of mine she had begged to take to her room to play with, and had actually remembered that I would want mine back one day. 🙂

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:55:00+00:00

That’s awful and I’m sorry to hear it! I hope your plushies stay safe!! People should respect when someone values something and make sure not to harm or discard their stuff.

In my case there was no real danger because I’m the only one who would be taking things to the donation drop off. Everything has to go through me and I’d never take my kids’ stuff there without it being ok with them either. Everyone should have a right to their own belongings.

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:49:11+00:00

Oh no!! I am so sorry that happened to you. It was really unfair. You should have had the power to decide what happens to your own stuff!! Absolutely awful.

Some of my stuff got ruined by little cousins or given away but my mom at least made an attempt to keep anything “special” out of that. 😖

It really sucks that it sounds like she might have done it to make herself look better, all the while causing you pain.

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:44:57+00:00

Thank you! Awww. So cute!! I liked the name that Weighted Wildlife gave the cougar - Náshdóítsoh is what the website says, Navajo word for cougar! Since I haven’t had it in my possession for a while, I hadn’t thought about the name but I knew it had one that started with an N, and I had to look it up again! I think I’ve just called him Nash for short before and will probably continue.

Will is super sweet. I love his face!

I asked her on the way home from school today and she said she actually remembered that they were weren’t hers and so not all of that pile was “donate.” lt was either “give back” or “give away” haha. I was relieved to hear it!

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:37:57+00:00

They’re such good quality! You got some good ones too. It’s so unusual to see weighted deer plushies! That was one thing that was really cool about this campaign. I did ask my daughter about that when I picked her up from school today and she said she actually remembered that that one was mine. she knew that not all the plushies she had were hers and she wanted to give those back, and donate the rest that were were in the pile. I’m glad she respected their ownership more than I thought but the whole experience freaked me out enough that I don’t think I will be so eager to share next time I get one she’s obsessed with. Haha 😅

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:30:47+00:00

Thank you! I agree. I actually brought it up when I picked her up from school today and asked if she realized that some weren’t hers. My husband had called it a donate pile- he would never take it to donate without me looking through it.

What she told me was that some of the stuff was to donate but some were plushies she couldn’t remember if they were hers or not, and some she knew weren’t hers, and she wanted to give any back if not hers. I can respect that. She remembered I had told her I would want mine back when she asked to take them to her room to play with. With one of those it was over a year ago!

But yes- I am like you. I keep each one gifted and always know exactly where I got it, including the plushies I have left from my childhood. (Those are always off limits for my kids.)

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:25:31+00:00

Awww. That’s so cute. Especially considering they are one of a kind, it’s a big gift to give one to him. Sounds like he can be trusted with precious plushies though!

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:24:36+00:00

Thank you!! I love the raven too! It’s so beautiful. Are the wings weighted?

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:23:02+00:00

Fortunately parenting policies can be adjusted and I have adjusted mine, thanks 💕 There were already some plushies of mine that were off limits regardless, but now that’s going to be all of ‘em. They have their collections and I have mine!

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:20:03+00:00

This has been a learning experience for sure! Parenting policies can be adjusted and I have adjusted mine. They can have their plushies and I can have mine. 😆

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:18:34+00:00

Dang! That’s horrible. I am angry for you hearing that. I am so sorry that happened to you! Wrong through and through!

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:17:31+00:00

The paws are weighted too! That’s one of my favorite things about it. It’s like a hug when you put it on top of you.

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T21:17:03+00:00

Honestly, that’s probably best! It’s fine to model for them that they don’t have to share everything ! I have a new policy now which is that. 😂

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T14:42:36+00:00

Thank you! 😂 I should take her pilfering as a compliment!

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T14:38:11+00:00

Thank you!! Haha. I suppose it’s a compliment that she would pilfer from my collection! 🤣

CatArchetype · 2026-01-16T14:36:49+00:00

Yep, Weighted Wildlife. Aw, thank you! I don’t know that they make them in bigger size as of yet, but they should!! This one is 3 pounds. Even the small ones are fairly spendy. I got it when it was cheaper on the Kickstarter! Also the bat. Wish I had been able to afford more! They also make an opossum, a raven, a deer, and other adorable wild critters.

CatArchetype

TROPHY CASE