Hint: it’s more than just a fashion statement — I’d bet that most cat lovers have owned, or at least known, a cat called Socks. In fact, there’s even been one very famous cat named Socks — none other than Socks Clinton, the former First Cat of the United States of America!

Most of us are pretty damn fulfilled — I’m not evangelical about my lifestyle as a childfree woman. Either you want kids or you don’t; it’s a personal decision. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about some parents. I’m tired of seeing the same untruths about childfree people perpetuated by those who want to discourage people from living…

Always buy the mortadella — People say that 17 is a good innings for a cat, but it’s cruelly short for one as precious as Petal. I wouldn’t have tired of her company in another 17 years, or another 17 after that. I didn’t meet this sweet soul until she was 13, but when I…

Thin privilege is real, but skinny-shaming is NOT okay — I didn’t take the photo above to celebrate my weight loss. It was to celebrate my weight gain. After 15 years of trying, I finally put on a stone; all it took was a global pandemic and three successive lockdowns. I went from a UK size 6 to a size…

Putting an end to the debate once and for all — How many times should you clap for an article? It’s the topic of endless debate. I’ve seen people postulate that we should clap the full 50 times for every article because someone “made the effort to write it”. Interesting from the generation that also bemoans ‘participation trophies’, but I digress. …

When you couldn’t give a toss about the Queen — Bollocks to bunting, street parties and queuing on the Mall in the soggy British summer. Only Brexit voters wave the flag around and whose idea of fun is eating finger sandwiches with the neighbours you don’t speak to the other 364 days a year? However, just because watching the Trooping…

It’s surprisingly good news — Yesterday I read a Medium scare story, claiming that if you went two weeks without publishing, you would fall off the face of the platform, lose all your followers and never earn a cent again. That’s bollocks. I’ve just returned from a two-month hiatus, and while yes, my stats are…

It doesn’t matter whether you think she’s lying. Here’s why. — Here’s an unpopular opinion that really, really shouldn’t be unpopular: if you’re laughing at Amber Heard tearfully recounting her alleged sexual abuse, you’re a garbage person. No ifs, no buts, take yourself down to the kerb with the rest of the rubbish. Amber versus Johnny A little backstory, for those of you who…

They walk among us and I’m terrified — Strange creatures surround us. They walk our streets, they live in our homes. We’re deep in the uncanny valley and no one seems to notice or care except me. First, what is the Uncanny Valley? The Uncanny Valley phenomenon has been described as “the eerie or unsettling feeling that some people experience in response to not-quite-human…