It has been an extremely difficult year for us, so here goes…
This may come at no surprise to you, but I’m not terribly consistent with blog posts here at The Meow Place. While my passion is and always will be cat care, it’s been difficult to sit down and type for quite some time now, so I thought I would give you all a little update.
Depression and anxiety are a beast. My family and friends are all very familiar with my mental health struggles, but it’s not something I’ve been super keen to highlight when posting here. I guess that’s mostly because I want this to be a place of positivity and happiness, a place where readers can come to escape the BS of the world. Here, there are no politics. There is no religion. There is simply a love for cats and a desire to educate others on how to care for them (and yourself!).
I have, however, struggled to take care of myself. Sitting down to write a blog post has been difficult because of my anxiety and depression. I have seen viewership and interest in this blog plummet because I’m unable to keep uploading content at a reasonable rate, and paying for the hosting of this site won’t be possible for much longer.
I have put my heart and soul into every blog post I’ve typed on here. I have tried my best to keep the blog alive, and I still intend to do so, but I’m not sure how to keep going financially. I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t renew my hosting for this site next year.
Many bloggers out there utilize affiliate income and ad placement to earn a passive income. Affiliate links I can do, but one of the things I pride myself on is using the bare minimum of ads or banners on this blog. I want to provide a user experience that doesn’t have pop-up windows and ads every other sentence. It’s something I hate seeing myself, and I would feel like a major sell-out if I stooped to that. So where does that leave me?
I’m going to give this consistency thing one more shot. A lot of maintenance goes into blogging. It’s not just typing a blog post and hitting “Publish.” I won’t bore you with the details, but it’s… a lot. My fellow pet bloggers out there will understand.
I will also, however, be posting more affiliate-heavy content than I usually do. While it doesn’t cost you anything extra to click or buy through the affiliate links found on this blog, it does earn me a small commission, and that will help cover the cost of running the blog. I will still be posting cat care tips as the majority of my content because that is what this blog is truly about: caring for our furry felines.
Overcoming anxiety and depression, among many other mental health issues, is still going to be a major struggle for me. But I care too deeply about this blog and its mission to go down without a fight. I want to empower first-time cat parents with all the knowledge I wish I had when I first started. That’s where you guys can help!
If you want to continue to see cat care (and other) content on The Meow Place, here are some ways you can help:
- Follow us on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram
- Comment below with content you would like to see (post ideas, questions about cat care)
- Consider purchasing some of the items we’ve listed in our blog posts
- Share posts with family and friends on social media
Please bear with me in the coming months as I attempt to get back on my feet. I appreciate all the love and support you guys have shown this blog so far, and I look forward to posting more for you all.
Live long and pawspurr,
Amber
The Meow Place
I am so sorry to hear about your depression and anxiety – I hope suffered from that for many years and Ii can take a huge toll on you. During that time my cat, Sadie, was my biggest comfort. I will pray for you to be able to manage these obstacles until hopefully one they will be gone. Sadie just turned five and she was feral when we adopted her at eight weeks. She is a lover and cuddler with me and my husband but she is still very skittish. I suppose the most important things to me are the ones that will enable her to have a very long life.
Thank you so much for your kind words. :’) It has been a huge struggle, but I’m trying to keep my spirits up and remind myself that even if I have bad days, there are good days where I can get things done. And as you said, the kitties are a huge comfort!
You’re officially being followed, I’ve invited friends and I’ll begin hunting for things I can buy! I’m so sorry to hear of your struggles personally and with the blog. I can definitely relate. I’m bipolar among other neuroses. Depression and anxiety comes with it so I know how stifling it can be and difficult to discuss with others. Even family. My biggest reason for getting out of bed everyday is my 9 year old ginger cat Herbie. I love him more than anything in the world and he’s genuinely made my life happier. I’m always reading and watching videos about cats and their behavior, what they like and don’t like, new toys, veterinary concerns, etc. I’m so grateful for his company and I want to give him the best possible life just as he has done for me. Thanks to people like you, I can stay informed and hopefully do just that. Keep up the good work. You are special and what you’re doing is more important than you know! Take care.
Thank you so much! I will do my best to continue to provide informational content that helps cat owners everywhere. 🙂
Dear Amber
VERY sorry to learn about your struggles with depression; I’ll be sending you a separate e-mail to your gmail address about this topic.
I came across your website when I was looking to find ways to use excess cat hair from my darling fluffy moggie – for which, grateful thanks. Have passed the link on to a few people who, like me, wish to recycle and find new ways to utilise what we already have – instead of always having to buy new stuff – most of which nowadays comes with a ‘built-in obsolescence button’.
Even though I loathe Social Media with a vengeance – I ‘liked’ your FB page.
Take care,
Inga Brereton
PS I’m from the UK, so our spelling is sometimes different.. 🙂
Thank you so much, Inga. And I’m glad The Meow Place helped you find a use for all that shed cat hair!