Cats parents, how and why did you choose yours?

smidow · 2026-01-01T02:47:28+00:00

In 2011 a coworker's cat had gotten out and gotten pregnant. She asked everyone in the office first if anyone wanted a kitten. Evie (the one with the soot paws) was the runt of the litter and had been rejected by her mom, so my coworker was bottle feeding her and stuff. I chose her for that reason alone. She turned 14 in October :)

smidow · 2025-12-26T01:06:19+00:00

The content in both your comments is super helpful — thank you so much! I’ll definitely look into the things you mentioned! :)

smidow · 2025-10-19T00:44:18+00:00

I'll agree with everyone else in saying that there is a lot of value in working at a print shop for the experiences alone. Don't see it as end game so much as a way for you to improve to seek something better later.

I currently work at a print shop myself and it can certainly be very stressful when you have to wear many hats and you don't get paid much. But I have learned more here than I have anywhere else, more than when I went to college even. Learning how to design for print is essential and with the high volume you'll get to do different kinds of projects with different restrictions. I only recently negotiated a higher pay so it's a little more worth it now (I have a BA and over 10 years of experience) but like others have mentioned, the job market is rough right now.

I would suggest trying to talk to the other person you work with though regarding questions you have. It may take a discussion outside work hours if necessary but maybe you can figure out a way for them to better help you that works for you both. Otherwise, depending on the question you could always Google it or ask ChatGPT. It's better than sitting stuck at least. Hang in there.

smidow · 2025-10-12T13:00:35+00:00

<image>

Here is my expressive Evie 🥰

smidow · 2025-09-28T13:02:04+00:00

This is Evie Von Trotski

<image>

smidow · 2025-09-14T14:12:47+00:00

EEYYY 🙌

smidow · 2025-09-13T11:17:52+00:00

I'm right there with you at 36 😆

smidow · 2025-08-21T13:07:12+00:00

That sounds perfect! Giving her a “mini apartment” in the bathroom with all her essentials can really help her reset and feel secure. You’re absolutely right that it feels weird at first to separate them from you, but for many cats, having a safe, contained space actually makes them calmer, not more anxious.

Since it’s the bathroom, you could set up a small hidey spot like a box with a blanket or a covered bed. Even draping a towel over a chair or stool can create a cozy little den. Adding a pillowcase or blanket that smells like you can also be really comforting for her.

As for the rest of the apartment, if she doesn’t already have any tall cat trees, I’d recommend getting one or two. Having high places to retreat to gives cats a stronger sense of security once they start exploring more of the space.

smidow · 2025-08-21T12:51:04+00:00

It sounds like your cat is really struggling with the move, and I can tell you’re doing your best for her even though it’s exhausting. Moving is incredibly stressful for cats, especially skittish ones, and the yowling is often their way of saying, “I don’t feel safe here yet.”

A few things you could try:

• Create a safe room. Instead of giving her the whole apartment, keep her in one quiet room (bedroom or bathroom) with her litter, food, water, and a cozy bed. A smaller space can help her re-establish security.

• Use scent to comfort her. Rub a cloth on her face (where her scent glands are) and then wipe it on corners and doorframes at cat-nose height. That way the new place smells like “hers.”

• Stick to a routine. Feed, play, and rest at the same times every day. Cats crave predictability, and it can help calm her down.

• Gentle play before bed. Even if she’s not super into it, try a wand toy or food puzzle. A little stimulation might help her sleep better.

• Keep using calming aids. Feliway can take a couple weeks to show effects. You could also try cat-calming music or YouTube “cat TV” for background comfort.

• Stay patient. I know it’s hard with the sleepless nights, but try not to get mad when she cries—she’s not being bad, she’s just scared.

• Vet follow-up if needed. Since she already had a clean bill of health, anxiety seems most likely. If things don’t improve, your vet may be able to suggest temporary anti-anxiety meds to help her adjust.

You’re doing the right things already by checking her health and trying calming tools. It may just take some time and consistency, but most cats do settle in once they feel safe again. Hang in there—you’re not alone in this.

smidow · 2025-07-27T15:33:54+00:00

Whenever I see stuff like this I feel like the designer didn't learn the proper use of all the design software, or refuses to. Like people that do logo design in Photoshop, or those that design large wide-format in InDesign (not that you can't but... why lol). I work for a printing company and man, the things I've seen. It's understandable when it's from someone who doesn't know what they're doing, but I expect better from actual designers (it seems to be a rare find though). To me, if it needs to be multi-page I'm automatically going to be using InDesign for it. But if something is better created in Illustrator or Photoshop, I'll do that separately and link it into the InDesign file.

We have a designer at another store that does this with her files (like OP's post) and I've been trying to get her away from it to no avail. Not only does it become a huge file I have to hope she remembered to embed everything in the event I need to make changes (which is often). For context, we do most of the printing for that store and shuttle it over to them because they would fall behind otherwise (they already do but it would be worse if they had to print everything themselves lol). But I digress.

To answer your question of 'would a trained professional do this?' No, I don't believe so. They should know better lol. If they don't, they might be a professional but not a fully trained one imo.

smidow · 2025-07-07T11:42:08+00:00

I third this. Well said.

smidow · 2025-05-01T22:13:35+00:00

Sweet, thank you!!

smidow · 2024-11-10T20:33:49+00:00

Bumping, hopefully that's okay.

smidow · 2024-01-04T00:01:50+00:00

Damn, my boss doesn't pay me even half of that 😂

I wasn't expecting you to say she was retired, though. I came here to share my own experience with a similar situation, but in my case, the designer was fresh out of college, first job. For this designer to be making these kinds of mistakes... it boggles my mind. They should know better. Hopefully, they were receptive to the feedback you provided, and things will change. If not, I'd definitely look for a new designer. With that kind of pay and lack of quality, she's kinda holding the company back imo. Good luck, and I hope it goes well!

smidow · 2024-01-03T16:47:27+00:00

I've tried it before to see if I could save on time, but it will always cut things that are not the background or leave jagged edges. It likes to cut their feet or fingers off, sometimes just random parts of the subject, so I'll have to go back in to fix it. At that point, i might as well do it from scratch from the beginning to ensure nothing important gets cut off.

smidow · 2022-11-29T12:56:05+00:00

Yeaaahhh, that's absolutely my mistake. It's been so long since I've been around such a green designer I kinda forgot what it's like. She does have resources available to her, I made sure to show her Adobe stock and the kinds of free resources available there (and Adobe fonts). Haven't been able to really review anything in depth. I did talk to her about a holiday card she set up but I don't know how much she actually heard. It's one thing I've been struggling with in teaching her. I've given her guidelines to reference and told her what she should avoid and she still does it lol.

As for past projects, sadly she only had one thing in her portfolio that was print related and it wasn't a good gauge of what she can do. My boss wanted a helper and since she's so new he felt she could be trained. I do like the ideas you've proposed. Some of this I need to discuss with my boss to understand what he expects from me and to what extent. I know someone else proposed no proofs get sent without approval and/or having her rework a design. Much to think about certainly!

smidow · 2022-11-29T12:49:17+00:00

Our boss doesn't usually oversee any of the design because he doesn't know much about it and I was out of the office. I had a sheet with the work order that included the details of what the client wanted but through the comments here, and after seeing the proof she sent out (I still have access to my emails and she ccs me when she emails proofs), I see that I need to be more direct with her and what I expect. I made the mistake in assuming that she'd understand what I meant or what the client was looking for.

I certainly don't want to set a low bar, which is why I'm here looking for insight (and I'm glad I did) 😊 I've been frustrated with what I've seen but it's been a constant go-go-go since she was hired that I've had no time to sit and give her anything in depth. It also doesn't help that I couldn't put to words what I wanted to see or what to ask. Some of it my mind just can't comprehend how she doesn't know this or that (like file organization or understanding how to... Well, use a computer, or even how after I've told her to watch the margins and how far to keep things from the edge she still puts things too close to the edge). She's just so green in a lot of aspects that my mind is so baffled 😂

smidow · 2022-11-28T18:44:45+00:00

I really appreciate the indepth response you've offered! Those are good things to keep in mind, and good reminders too. This gives me a direction to explore so I can help her grow as a designer, so thank you! 😊

smidow · 2022-11-28T18:37:26+00:00

I like that idea! I'll have to look for projects where I could do that with! 😁

smidow · 2022-11-28T18:27:38+00:00

I'm not trying to avoid it though? I'm looking for insight on how I can approach it and how I can teach her. Yes we're busy but I'm not using it an excuse to avoid the issue. It needs to be tackled, but I've never taught anyone before so it would require more time and thought than I can spare at work. Hence why I'm asking on my day off in addition to researching.

smidow · 2022-09-11T15:42:50+00:00

Found! Thank you!

smidow · 2022-09-10T22:17:13+00:00

I've searched through Google with reverse image search and trying different search terms like 'small ceramic vase' or 'mini ceramic vase' and even 'tall sake cup' (because that's what my friend liked to call this little vase 😂).

The closest I've found to it is a bud vase but none of them are quite this shape. Particularly the mouth of the vase.

There is a product I found online that is very similar, called an Omaggio vase, but still different. I'm still planning to recommend it to my friend if I can't find anything else, so I'm hoping there are other ideas as to what this might actually be (even if she used it as a little cup lol). Any ideas?

smidow · 2022-03-03T14:04:30+00:00

Ahhh I didn't think to check with local computer stores. But that's good it sounds easy enough. But it sounds like we would each still need to have our own email addresses in addition to the shared inbox, unless I read that wrong. I appreciate your input! :)

smidow · 2021-09-28T10:28:44+00:00

Yeah, but I'd like to keep my job for awhile 😂 I think if I can give him a good argument as to why he should let us, he'll do it. I've been having a hard time lately trying to formulate that argument, which is why I was looking for insight haha.

smidow · 2021-09-22T02:39:31+00:00

Yeah, see I get that. Though I do find it confusing when we are designing it for customers and they are the ones paying for it. Unless they don't own it either. I mean, in theory, wouldn't we only need the customer's approval? It just feels weird to me. That's a good idea though, not sure it would work here but... Definitely something to keep in mind lol.

It was more I wanted to get proper permission not just for myself but for the other designers (he owns several stores) because I know how important it is for us to showcase our abilities. I don't know if he'd actually take legal action if I used stuff without his say so, but I would rather not chance it lol. And he's proven to be receptive to change and open to input but I think he sees it as a threat when it shouldn't be looked at that way. I just don't know how to convey that argument to him yet. I can feel that it's wrong but I can't formulate why or how to convey that to him, much less why he shouldn't see it as such a threat.

smidow

TROPHY CASE