The month long sale on my ebooks is still going, but will be ending at the end of this month. Don’t forget to check it out. Click the link below to see all of my ebooks..
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CynthiaBaileyRug
Or, if you prefer print books, you can use code CREATOR10 at checkout until July 23, 2021. Click the link below to see my print books…
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
My publisher is offering 15% off all of my print books until July 16, 2021. Simply use code SUMMER15 at checkout.
Click the link below to see all of my print books..
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
From July 1-31, 2021, my publisher is offering 25% off all of my ebooks. It’s a great time to buy any of them you have been thinking about getting for a low price!
You can find all of my ebooks at the link below:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CynthiaBaileyRug
If you prefer print, there is a sale going on now until July 2, 2021 for 15% off! Use code SHELFCARE15 at checkout. They can be found at the link below:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
My publisher is offering 10% off all print books until May 28. Simply use code SELLDIRECT10 at checkout.
My books can be found at the following link:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
One of my cats, a handsome orange tabby guy named Punkin, has feline PTSD. I didn’t know this when we adopted him, or rather when he adopted us. He seemed a bit skittish but pretty normal. Then one day with no provocation, he attacked our American Eskimo dog, Dixie. Shocked, my husband & I hollered his name. He stopped what he was doing, looked around then shook his head & ran off. I realized he looked like I felt when I’ve had a flashback. Thankfully, that attack was a one time incident, but even so, his symptoms aren’t always well managed. He tries, but like a human with PTSD, sometimes trying isn’t enough to keep symptoms at bay.
One day a few years ago, Punkin was running around playing & doing weird kitty energy jag things. Another of our cats, Grace, got in on the fun with him. They ran around & played for a few minutes as they often do. They stopped playing & a minute later, she sneaked up on him. Grace gently bumped into Punkin’s side as if to say “Boo!”. He didn’t see it coming & apparently his fight, flight, freeze or fawn instincts kicked in. Poor Punkin froze. He crouched low & his eyes got HUGE & he wouldn’t move. He was frozen in place. I honestly thought at first he might be having an aneurysm or heart attack. I quickly went to him to decide if we had to go to the emergency vet. I reassured & talked to him for a minute when he finally started to come out of it. He looked like he has when he’s come out of a flashback.
Something unusual happened at that point. He wanted me to hold him & he purred. These are two things that almost never happen with Punkin. When he wanted me to put him down a few minutes later, Grace meekly approached him. She checked on him then gave him a big head bonk. Her apology, I think, although she didn’t mean to upset him. She has been Punkin’s volunteer service cat since she was a kitten, always offering him love, help or anything she can when his PTSD flares up, so naturally she felt terrible for upsetting her buddy.
I’m sharing this because I know many of you who follow my work also love animals. And, like me, you seem to be drawn to those with some sort of special needs. In a cruel world, this means the chances of you adopting an animal with PTSD are fairly good. If this happens, please don’t give up on your skittish or even aggressive furbaby! Animals like this need someone who understands & is patient, who can help them cope with what is happening.
If you wonder if your furbaby has PTSD, there are some signs…
Nightmares are common. If your furbaby twitches dramatically in his sleep, this is often the sign of a nightmare. Gently pet him & talk to him. That can help stop it. If not, wake him up.
Being skittish or jumpy. This is the animal equivalent of hyper-vigilance. Try not to make sudden moves around your furbaby. Keep a calm, quiet environment as much as possible.
Anxiety. Some signs of anxiety are restlessness, lack of or too big of an appetite, being destructive or pottying in unacceptable places. Along with keeping a calm environment at home, try to maintain a consistent schedule. Medication may be helpful too. Talk to your veterinarian about this option if you think it may help.
Flashbacks can be hard to recognize in animals but they do have them. Punkin attacking Dixie was a pretty obvious one, but other signs of flashbacks are sudden abnormal behavior. Our late dog, Bear, also had PTSD, & I believe his former owner caused it by being abusive. The man wore heavy leather gloves for work, & whenever Bear saw me put gloves on, he would attack my hands. If your furbaby has obvious triggers like Bear did, avoid those triggers as much as possible. Also, flashbacks can take a lot out of an animal, so don’t be surprised if your little one takes a long nap after or even drags a bit for a day or two.
If you have PTSD or C-PTSD, you have an advantage for helping your furbaby. You know what helps you when symptoms get bad. Chances are, those same things will help your little one.
If you don’t know how to help, just watch your furbaby. Animals tell humans what they want & need from us. With Punkin, often he wants to be left alone when things get bad. I watch him from a distance during those times. Other times, he obviously wants snuggles, so I give him all the snuggles he wants. Follow your furbaby’s lead to help the most. PTSD in animals is sad of course, but it can be managed, just like it can with people. Love, understanding & patience will go a long way in helping your furbaby life a happy life in spite of the disorder.
This is Punkin with his buddy, Grace.
Filed under Animals
If you have been interested in getting the print version of any of my books, now is a good time! My publisher is offering 15% off when using code SPRING15 at checkout until May 7, 2021.
My print books can be found at the link below…
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
My publisher is having another sale on all of my print books. Use code SELL15 at checkout & get 15% off until April 23 , 2021
Books are available at the link below:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
This time, my publisher is offering 15% off all print books. Simply use code READER15 at checkout until March 26, 2021 to take advantage of the sale. Visit the link below to see my books…
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
This time, my publisher is offering 10% off all print books until March 19, 2021 when you use code SELL10 at checkout.
Check out my print books at the link below…
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
If you prefer ebooks, those are also availble at the link below…
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CynthiaBaileyRug
My publisher is offering a sale on all of my print books. Use code ORDER15 at checkout.
My books can be found at the link below:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
Don’t forget…
My publish is having their “Read An Ebook Week” sale from March 7 until March 13. This means that all of my ebooks will be 25% off!
Ebooks are the most affordable way to buy my books. Why not take advantage of the extra 25% off?
Come check them out!
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CynthiaBaileyRug
My publish is having their “Read An Ebook Week” sale from March 7 until March 13. This means that all of my ebooks will be 25% off! Come check them out!
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CynthiaBaileyRug
Use code SHOP15 at checkout when you buy any of my print books & get 15% off until January 15, 2021!
Books can be found on my website at: https://www.CynthiaBaileyRug.com or visit my publisher’s site directly at: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/CynthiaBaileyRug
I just got a email from one of the publishers I use. They will be making some changes that will affect my free ebooks, which has gotten me to do some thinking….
I’ve been considering retiring all of them & republishing with the other publisher I use to gain more exposure. Due to the changes, I plan to do just this.
Since I need to redo the ebooks anyway, I’m going to add more to them & they’ll no longer be free. Probably I’ll only ask a little for them, like maybe $.99 since I don’t plan to add a lot to them.
While these books won’t be free, my website, this blog, my YouTube channel & podcasts all still will be. There is plenty of information on these sources. While I’m glad to share all of the information I can, I need some more balance. I need to start charging for some of it. Helping people is great & I love it, but it also doesn’t pay the bills either!
I’ll retire my free ebooks by January 31, 2021. In the meantime, you can find them at this link:
https://cynthiabaileyrug.com/home/free-e-books/
You can find all of the other links I’ve mentioned on my website at this link:
Thank you for understanding! God bless you!
Many of my ebooks are on sale until January 1, 2021! Use code WINTER30 at checkout. See my books at the following link:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CynthiaBaileyRug
All of my print books are 10% off until December 11, 2020 with code FESTIVE10 at checkout.
Find my books at the following link:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
I’ve always loved cats deeply. Unlike my human family, my cats are kind, gentle, love unconditionally, offer support when I need it & so much more.
I realize not every person feels this way about cats. The good part of that is most of those people offer no judgment. They simply agree to disagree with me. They also like animals, & many don’t have any pets because they realize they don’t have the time, money or energy to devote to being a good pet parent. I completely respect these people.
Those I don’t respect are the people who blatantly hate animals & have no problem showing it.
It’s a known fact in the psychological community that many who hate animals may one day turn their hatred on people. Jeffrey Dahmer tortured cats & other small animals & collected their corpses as a child. Most everyone knows what atrocities he did in his adult life.
I have found through my own experiences & those of others I’ve spoken with that many narcissists, although not serial killers, dislike animals, & often in particular cats. I have no scientific evidence to confirm this, but in my observations, I came up with a few ideas why this happens.
Cats’ brains are similar to human brains. They often are able to sense manipulation & abusers quickly, & they ardently avoid abusers. It must be incredibly frustrating for a narcissist that they can rule some people completely, yet they can’t conquer a 10 pound animal. How insulting that must be to a narcissist!
Some people don’t believe this, but cats understand civility. Many times, my parents would be getting along fine with one of my cats, then they would say something insulting either to me or the cat. That cat would either leave the room or scratch my parent. Every time, they were stunned. They never understood that cats want civility & basic respect for themselves & their parents. Not receiving those things or seeing their parent mistreated makes them rightfully angry, & they can act out.
Cats come across as aloof & as if they don’t need people. Cat parents know this is only how they may appear… they love & depend on their parents a great deal yet aren’t often friendly to many others. Narcissists often take this behavior as a personal insult rather than a cat simply being a cat. How dare this cat not shower them with affection! Something clearly must be wrong with that cat!
If you’re a cat parent & wondering if someone in your life is an unsafe person or even a narcissist, let your cat help you figure it out!
Anyone who comes into your home & insults your cat knowing how much you love him or her is unsafe. A normal person would keep their negative thoughts to themselves because they wouldn’t want to hurt or offend you.
Anyone who comes into your home & complains because you allow your cat on your sofa or bed is showing signs of control issues. It’s your home- why would anyone care what your cat does within it? What happens in your home doesn’t affect them so it’s really no one’s business what happens there. Control freaks think what they want to happen is all that matters, even in someone else’s home.
Some people ask cat parents to lock their cats in another room while they visit. To me, this is the epitome of selfish & entitled behavior. The equivalent to this is asking a parent to lock up their human child in a room while visiting. Most people would agree that would be completely unacceptable & offensive. Why would it be ok to do this regarding an animal yet not a human? It isn’t. It’s a sign of selfishness & someone who wants to be in control.
I firmly believe that how someone treats animals can be a very good indicator of that person’s true character.
Filed under Animals, Mental Health, Narcissism
My publisher is having a really good sale on print books. 30% off!! To take advantage, use code BFCM30 at checkout.
My books can be found at the link below:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
My publisher is having yet another sale on print books. 10% off until November 20, 2020. Use code SELFPUBLISH10 at checkout
My books can be found at this link:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
My publisher is offering another sale on my print books. This one is good for 10% off all print products until November 13, 2020. Use code READ10 at checkout.
Here is the link where you can find my print books:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
Use code FRIENDS15 & get 15% off any of my print books until November 6. All of the print versions are available at this link:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
My publisher is offering 10% off on my print books until October 30, 2020. Just use code SPOOKY10 at checkout.
Here is the link to my author spotlight on my publisher’s site:
https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
I have debated quite a bit about sharing this post since it’s so unusual, but feel like it may be a good thing to share. I hope it encourages others who have lost their beloved pets.
Years ago, I wrote a book called, “Pawprints On Our Hearts”. I wrote it after realizing just how much my wonderful pets have taught me over the years. Losing them also has been a learning experience for me. Mostly it taught me they still love us & think of us even after passing on.
Some of you know, we lost one of our cats in the early hours on June 24. Fergus was just under 4 years old & healthy. He had spent much of his final day chasing his favorite laser pointer, in fact. His sudden & unexpected death came as a total shock to all of us.
Losing a beloved pet is always a huge struggle for me. My pets are my kids, & are more family to me than my human family. Somehow, losing Fergus was even harder than usual. So hard, I couldn’t even face his death at first because it hurt too much. For someone like me who believes in facing pain head on to deal with it, that is highly unusual & confusing. To cope, I did a lot of praying as I was able to.
Last week, I couldn’t stop crying one evening & in the midst of that, God told me some wonderful things.
Fergus always knew somehow that he wouldn’t have a long life. That is why he was so passionate & playful- he wanted to enjoy every possible moment of whatever time he had.
Also, he died of a stroke as I suspected. I was confused at first, because my late snowshoe girl, Jasmine, had her first stroke at 13 yet survived with minimal problems. God told me that Fergus’ stroke was different. He would have been paralyzed if he survived, so God felt it kinder to take him rather than let him live in a state that would’ve made Fergus miserable. I had to agree.
God also said Fergus is happy & playing lots. He also loves me, but is worried about me being so sad he’s gone. God told him this is what happens with humans when we lose someone we love. It’s normal & it will get better in time.
This was a lot to absorb, so I asked God to give me a sign if it was true. I was listening to music shuffling on my cell phone at the time. The song that came on immediately after asking for a sign was Queen’s “The Show Must Go On” & I knew in my heart, this was my sign. Fergus was very flamboyant, passionate, caring, intelligent & loving. This song is one of my favorites by Queen. It was written by the guitarist for the lead singer when he was dying. The lead singer, upon thinking about it, was quite similar to Fergus.
The reason I’m sharing this with you is because I hope to offer you comfort if you too have lost a beloved pet. Animals have souls, just like people. When they die, their souls move on just like people’s do. They also love deeply, & death doesn’t change that.
If you’re missing your beloved furbaby, then please, turn to God. He can & will be glad to give you what you need to help you cope. I have experienced that repeatedly! Fergus isn’t the first one of my cats to have a special song. Far from it! Jasmine’s is, “Angel” by Aerosmith. Georgie’s is, “Angel Eyes” by Steelheart. Vincent’s is “Someday We’ll Be Together” by the Supremes. There are others as well, but I don’t want to bore you with the long list. Anyway each time God told me that my loved ones wanted me to know about a special song, healing started. He may do the same for you or He may do something else to help you start to heal. Whatever happens, it will be what God knows will help you more than anything. It’ll bring you comfort & peace knowing that one day, you’ll see your sweet little furbaby again. In the meanwhile, God is caring for that little one.
And, just because I love showing off my furkids, here’s Fergus. Yes, that tail is orange tabby striped. No, it doesn’t look like it belongs on a white kitty. We are reasonably sure it held magical powers because everyone who saw Fergus fell in love with him.. lol
Filed under Animals, Christian Topics and Prayers
As I mentioned not long ago, I decided to stop creating YouTube videos in favor of podcasts. It’s easier for me to do podcasts & I am seriously focusing on making my life easier!
I decided to do one other thing.. I have made available on my website (www.CynthiaBaileyRug.com) my notes that I used in my podcasts & YouTube videos. Since some folks have issues with sensory processing or just prefer to read rather than watch a video or listen to a podcast, I thought I would do this for them. The notes are all on this link. Feel free to download as many as you like for your personal reference. As I add new podcasts in the future, I’ll naturally add the notes to this page. If you lose the link, simply visit www.CynthiaBaileyRug.com & look at the list of links at the top of the page. You’ll see it there.
Also, I added a search bar to my website, so you can find information on there easier now. Rather than read through lots of pages, you can simply type in your search critera & it will bring up results. Enjoy!
Thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging about the changes I’ve decided to make. I truly value your input. 💖
Just a friendly reminder that all of my ebooks are still 25% off until July 31, 2020. They can be found at this link:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CynthiaBaileyRug
My publisher is offering a 15% discount on all print books until July 3, 2020. You can find my books at the following link: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cynthiabaileyrug
My ebook publisher is offering a sale on all of my ebooks from July 1-31, 2020. They will be 25% off. They’re available on my website or use this link to go to the site directly: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CynthiaBaileyRug
I decided to try something new.. podcasts. The idea popped into my head recently, even though I know nothing of podcasts. It felt like God was leading me in a new direction, so I decided to give it a try.
To get started, I’ve decided to use the audio from my YouTubes. Yes, it’s a repeat of information having it on podcasts, YouTube & in this blog, but not everyone learns the same way. Some are visual learners & love YouTube. Some learn best from reading & others prefer learning audibly. I doubt many people will benefit from all three formats, so by doing them, it enables more people to (hopefully!!) learn from my work.
If you’d like to check them out, here is the link:
https://anchor.fm/cynthiabaileyrug
I only have a few out there at the moment, but I’ll add more as time goes on. I was hoping to get all of them done asap, but yanno something? I can’t get them done quickly. Not with my mental health. So, I hope you’ll be understanding & patient with me taking my time in adding more podcasts.
My ebooks are currently on sale until May 31, 2020. Check them out at the following link:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CynthiaBaileyRug
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