Hey there!

I'm packing my bags and heading to BabyFurCon 2025! 🎉

I can’t wait to waddle into all the fun, fluff, and cuddly vibes with my favorite community of crinkly peeps!

This con is gonna be a blast, and I’m totally pumped to meet so many of you in person! I'll be bringing my signature Crinkle Cat energy, so expect lots of fun surprises, room parties, and definitely some squeaky cuddles! If you see me scampering around with a guitar, don’t be shy — come say hi!

So, who’s joining me at BFC 2025? Let me know in the comments, and let's start planning meetups! Can’t wait to see all your adorable faces there!

CC

Hey, fuzzbutts!

I’ve got some super exciting news to share — I’m officially headed to Furry Weekend Atlanta (FWA) this year! Mark your calendars for May 8 - 11, 2025, because I’ll be bouncing around the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, ready to soak up all the furry fun and meet as many of you awesome folks as I can!

This will be my first FWA, and my first con outside of California in nearly two decades. This year’s gonna be extra special. I’m so hyped to chat, crinkle, and hang out with all of you. I'll be floating around the con floor, popping into panels, and probably making a few too many trips to rooms that offer diaper changes. My goal? To meet and greet as many of you as possible! I’ll do my very best to carve out time for everyone who wants to say hi, swap hugs, or just chill for a bit. So don’t be shy — come find me! I might even have some little surprises up my sleeve for those who swing by.

Oh, and here’s a little teaser to sweeten the deal: I’ll be spilling some crinkly beans at FWA about my plans for BabyFurCon 2025, happening this September! I’ve been working on some ideas, and I can’t wait to share a sneak peek with you all in person. Want the first scoop? You’ll just have to track me down at FWA!

Keep an eye on my FA page or my socials closer to the date — I'll post updates about where I’ll be during the con so you can catch me in action. Whether it’s a quick wave, a chat about my latest stories, or a full-on hangout sesh, I’m here to make some memories with you all. Let’s make FWA 2025 a blast together!

Paws up, diapers on, and see you in Atlanta!

It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

I’m thrilled to announce that I’m returning to FurAffinity to share my stories with all of you once again. For those who don’t know me, I’m Crinkle Cat, an author who specializes in heartwarming, whimsical, and sometimes delightfully messy tales for the AB/DL community.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge the recent policy changes here on FurAffinity. It’s refreshing to see a platform making strides toward being more inclusive and respectful of our community. While I’m cautiously optimistic about these changes, I’m hopeful that this marks the beginning of a brighter, more welcoming space for all of us to share our creativity and connect with one another.

To celebrate my return, I’ll be publishing free stories here on FurAffinity for everyone to enjoy. These stories will be shorter, bite-sized pieces designed to give you a glimpse into the larger worlds I build. If you enjoy what you read and would like to support my work, I’d be incredibly grateful for any tips (or "shinies") you’re willing to send my way. Your generosity helps me keep creating and sharing these stories with the world.

For those who want even more Crinkle Cat content, I invite you to visit Crinkle Cat Tales, my website. For just $9.95 a month, you can subscribe to access longer, more immersive stories, complete with accompanying art that brings the characters and scenes to life. It’s a cozy little corner of the internet where the magic of AB/DL storytelling comes alive, and I’d love for you to be a part of it.

Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to my work, I’m so excited to share this new chapter with you. Let’s crinkle forward together!

CC

P.S. If you have any story ideas or themes you’d love to see, feel free to drop a comment or note. I’m always eager to hear from you!

I’ve been pondering something lately, and I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the matter. As some of you may know, I’ve been away from FurAffinity for a while, but I’m considering whether it’s time to resume posting my contenthere. However, I’m also curious about what the future might hold for platforms like FurAffinity when it comes to being more accommodating to our unique community.

So, here’s what I’d love to know from you:

Should I resume posting content on FurAffinity?

Do you think it’s a platform where my work would be appreciated and welcomed?

I value your input so much, and I want to make sure I’m making the best decisions for both my creative endeavors and our community. Whether you’re a long-time follower or someone who’s just discovering my work, your thoughts are incredibly important to me.

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below, or if you prefer, you can DM me privately. Let’s have an open and respectful conversation about this!

It's clear that FA doesn't support our community.

It's time we move on.

https://crinklecattales.com/blog/fu.....byfur-content/

Hey everyone! 👋

It's been a minute.

First and foremost, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank my readers, followers and friends for the outpouring of love and support I've received the past few months. As some of you know, my mother passed away back in July after a lengthy illness, and everything has been surreal.

What people don't know is that I've dealt with the situation with my mother 24/7 for approximately two years, so the family and I endured an extraordinary amount of stress. And on top of that, I've been estranged from my mother for years due to her issues with addiction and mental health challenges. I loved her dearly, though. She was the only mom I have, and they don't exactly grow on trees. But at the same time, even by her own admission, she put me through a significant amount of physical and mental anguish. And unfortunately, at the tail end of all this, I was left without closure or a modicum of direction from her on how to handle her assets and affairs.

However, never once did I feel alone in my grief or suffering. Over the years, I carefully curated a support network of friends. Dare I say those friends became more than friends over time; they became my chosen family. There will always be my biological family, and they will always be the nucleus of my existence. But it's been my chosen family that constantly reminded me that it's okay to be me; that it's okay to be happy. None of the people closest to me have once tried to get me to acquiesce to what they define as happiness. They simply gave me the space and encouragement to find myself while I circumnavigate the new normal in my life.

There are certainly challenges that I'm working to overcome.

This year, I tried managing my stress by inundating my life with distractions. I wrote countless short stories, spent hours getting lost in VRChat, and even volunteered for three furry cons simultaneously while managing a full-time job. This wasn't the best idea, and I've burnt myself out a few times.

While all of that was happening, I experienced symptoms associated with Disassociative Identity Disorder. There would be gaps in time that I couldn't account for. I would be at work, for instance, and look at the clock. Then seemingly the next moment, several hours had passed. I had people writing me on Telegram seemingly randomly, expressing concern for my well-being. And when I'd ask them, "What happened?", they would be at a loss of words, as if they were surprised that I would ask that question. I would often find myself in sleepy-like dissociative states where I'd feel like someone or something wants to come out, and I'm being pulled back. If I gave into that impulse, I'd feel like I took a nap, with random smatterings of thoughts and desires that manifest in a subconscious state -- but those thoughts and desires aren't entirely my own.

I decided to pull back the veil and be transparent with you all because I know many of you remain concerned about my well-being. But I want to assure people that I am working through my issues. I hope to one day manage my DID more efficiently, and I've made progress lately. The truth is: I'm in a better place than I've been, but there remains a long road ahead to healing and processing everything.

Thank you for all your love and kindness! I will never forget it.

CC

Hey everyone!

Haven't posted in a hot minute. I wanted to let everyone know that I now have a SubscribeStar page, which you can find here: https://subscribestar.adult/crinklecat

I have two rewards posted and one more on the way!

Subscribe to my SubscribeStar starting at only $3/mo. Support a kinky lion who happens to write kinky things!

I may have some free stories on the horizon, so be on the lookout for those!

CC

FC 2024 was a fun experience, but I believe it would've been a little more fun if I was able to connect with more people one-on-one. Fortunately, I will be coming to BabyFurCon this year in September. Since I'm resting and isolating due to COVID-19, I figured now would be a great opportunity to re-introduce myself to the community. I will also be answering questions people at FC asked me.

Hi! My name is Leo.

I'm an AB/DL author who penned queer-centric AB/DL short stories for 20 years as LionStories. Currently writing under my penname CrinkleCat. I'm best known for my reality-based detailed kink fiction, a lot of which is actually derived from my personal experiences. I see myself as a dad and like to look after other crinkly critters. I can be wholesome. I can be kinky. But cuddles are mandatory.

I remember having those AB/DL feels at a very early, tender age when my parents had to give me "the talk." I was going to use the toilet from now on. No more diapers. I remember feeling absolutely crushed by this news because I loved wearing diapers. They were convenient. If I was cold, I knew I could get warm rather quickly and get a nice boost. And when I slept in a warm, wet diaper, I was able to sleep throughout the entire night. I missed those Pampers. I missed the soothing comfort and convenience they provided me.

In 1994, I came across a little movie called The Lion King. I saw these majestic creatures, these lions speaking with such a firm command of their goals and ambitions. When I watched the movie the first time, I was absolutely mesmerized. Speechless. Didn't know how to process any of it. It felt like lightning struck. Then I had this weird feeling come over me. I felt in sync with the lion characters. I understood the need to be kind, strong, to lead and protect with purpose. I wanted to walk the jungles of Africa and walk among my pride of fellow lions and lionesses. But what did that mean exactly? I didn't know. I didn't try to understand. At the time, I was nine and highly impressionable, but lacked the intellectual curiosity to figure out the meaning behind these strange thoughts and desires I was having. When my dad cutely called me Simba after watching TLK with me in the theater, I felt more than human.

Three years later, my family was reeling over the loss of my grandmother. I remember housesitting her place, playing Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero on my PSX in her bedroom. Beside her television and dresser were several bags of Depend Fitted Briefs diapers. The term "Fitted Briefs" threw me off until I saw what was on the package. These were noisy, green six-tape diapers. Suddenly, I hit pause on the game, opened a bag and put a diaper on right then and there. I didn't think twice. I returned to the game with a diaper underneath my jeans. It didn't take long for me to wet. When I did, I hit pause and let my head empty. As I was wetting, there was a mantra that came to me: I belong in diapers. Once I was done, once I had the warmth that was now bunched up between my legs, I was relaxed enough to not worry about anything. I was no longer sad. I was simply at peace with myself.

In 1998, I stumbled upon the site Diaper Pail Friends. I was on AOL dial-up, searching "diapers" when I came across DPF. I saw photos of men proudly wearing diapers -- but not just ordinary diapers. Thick ones. They wanted people to know. They were actually proud to be wearing diapers. And some were sexually into that as well? WOW! There was wave after wave of affirmation. I wasn't alone. I wasn't a freak. People had similar interests to me. This was an active community that I could be involved in. I joined DPF immediately. At 14, I didn't know any better. Didn't know about DPF users who used the site's "TeenChat" feature to groom underage AB/DLs. After being stalked by one of those users, I decided to leave that site.

By then, I was exploring FurryMUCK and the alt.fan.furry newsgroup. I was starting to see some curious overlap between the AB/DL and furry communities. But what took me by surprise was the sheer dedication that furries curated with the characters and worlds they built for themselves. I read roleplay sessions that read like epic fantasy novels. There was an intensity and fire that inspired me to write. And so I started to roleplay with others. I was able to match my partner's commitment and get heavily into scenes. After one intense roleplay session, I found out my scene partner was actually a Creative Writing college professor. He encouraged me to take my writing to the next level and tap into my furry sexuality.

After graduating high school in 2003, I was introduced to Yiffy.net by Micah Coon, who was one of the co-administrators. I was addicted to that message board. I could participate in all of these extremely detailed and passionate roleplay sessions with other people. I was like a honeybee jumping from one thread to the next, robing and disrobing, engaging and disengaging. I could visualize the scenes so well that I was developing this phantom sense. Fur. Musk. The hot breath of my eager partner, breathing on my neckfur, wanting my body -- wanting to pin me up against the wall and...

Uh oh! Did I just cum?

Turned out my very first orgasm was from an extended roleplaying session on Yiffy.net.

Okay, so how do I elicit that kind of reaction from other people?

And so I started penning original short stories that appeared on Yiffy.net. To my pleasant surprise, people enjoyed reading my work! Several members gave me some excellent constructive feedback that significantly improved the quality of my work. Eventually, I developed my own writing style that focused heavily on tapping into the senses of every character. I developed techniques that helped readers achieve sexual curiosity or arousal by the way I vividly described things. I would collect experiences I had in real life and transpose them into my work, injecting realism that I often felt was missing. For instance, I felt that a lot of roleplayers were focused on what they thought sex was compared to what sex actually is. The more realistic I made that experience on paper, the easier it was for people to suspend their disbelief and commit to reading. I remember feeling a sense of accomplishment when readers began to emotionally connect with my characters like they were living beings; that motivated me to give my characters life and purpose. Giving characters a solid foundation makes the moment more spontaneous, emotional and magical. Readers were hooked. I remember churning out new chapters once a day until I moved.

But I hit my stride once I was referred to Yiffstar in 2005 by Toumal. Toumal showed me his site and told me how I could combine my writing and the things that turned me on. Wow, what a concept! At this point, I was writing at a furious pace under the nickname AlexCross (later changed to Rock). I pumped out new content twice a week, never bothering once to promote myself. I just wrote and published what I wanted to write and publish. I curated a following of readers interested in diapers and watersports. My readership was going twice a week for about a year. I created a FurAffinity account and tripled my readership by the time I landed at my first furry con.

It was 2008. I attended Further Confusion with some local furs. Though I was staff, I was a nobody. Not a popufur. Never desired to be one. Just a face in the crowd. One of thousands of furries roaming the con space. I was left to my own devices to explore the space, manage a few panels here and there, and help with con operations. When I hosted a panel about character development, the meeting room was full within minutes. People showed up on time and piled in. No seats were left. Here I was trying to act all cool like a teacher while fumbling through my notes and humbled by the attendance. I was overjoyed to hear attendees discussing and asking questions about my stories. There was an incredible amount of validation I got for about an hour and a half. It was one thing to get a +follow or a friend request, but it was another thing entirely for all these people to show up and express their appreciation.

Later at the con, I went to a cub party attended by Karis and Proxima. I was surrounded by people who were casually talking to each other and having drinks while wearing diapers. I remember being super nervous while Karis and Proxima were very nonchalant about it. Oh, you like diapers? We do too! See, we're wearing ours! Oh, you want to wear one? Let's get that taken care of, kiddo! I remember how small I felt. I remember Karis taking me by the hand, leading me into the bathroom to diaper me. I never had another person diaper me before, so I did everything I could to capture that intimate moment in a bottle. I took that experience and expounded upon it in fiction. This inspired me to seek out more experiences and encounters that I could document and rehash into my work.

FC 2024 was like a huge reset button. I was back to zero. Barely anyone knew or recognized me except for the con veterans. There was a new generation. People who were born during the time I started writing stories were roaming around in their dresses, colorful pacifiers, and cute diapers, being comfortable with themselves -- reaching a level of self-acceptance I didn't have at their age. It felt like the babyfur community had passed me by, but I was happy to see people coming together as their true selves without having to wrestle with years of self-loathing and self-doubt. Bittersweet but beautiful.

I'm still here!

CC

Hope everyone is having a happy, festive and safe Christmas!

When you're done opening presents, check out my latest story, "Team Urinal" on SoFurry! Available for free:
https://www.sofurry.com/view/2059003

CC

"The Tutor," my first story commission in two years, is now online and available to read for free on SoFurry!

https://www.sofurry.com/view/2047886

You were a good cat. One of the best, even. One of my favorite felines to grace the fandom. Great sense of humor. He was a caring person. Loved his friends and family. This is a devastating loss. I will miss you forever and always.

CC

I will no longer be updating this page.

Updates will be posted on cohost. Currently reworking Patreon to better fit my schedule and circumstances.

CC

Hey everyone!

Crinkle Cat here.

I'm opening the vault!

There are many, many stories I haven't released yet, but I hadn't found the time to edit and publish. Luckily, I've found some time here and there to give some of my unreleased work a bit of polish.

Can't say I've written a whole lot of new content lately. Though my physical health has improved, I've struggled with my mental health. Been taking care of someone who's been sick for a while with preventable conditions. They require 24/7 care for an undetermined period. Combine that with the usual daily stress of staying financially afloat and you got yourself a busy, tired lion.

Adulting sucks. 0/10 would not recommend.

CC

A Note

Hi all!

I wanted to share an experience I had this morning. On my Telegram, I got a private message from someone who obviously read a lot of my stories over the years. They sent me a private message at three in the morning my time, so I was asleep when the message was originally sent. This person complained that I wasn't "cool" anymore because I had stepped away from publishing stories for free and that I haven't published regularly enough for their liking. This person grew increasingly irate that I wasn't responding to them, despite the fact I was sleeping. Unfortunately, despite my attempts to be transparent and candid with my readers about issues happening in my life, complaints like this have appeared in my inbox more frequently.

Here's the deal.

When I started writing anthropomorphic erotica fiction back in '07-08, I wrote as a way to explore my sexuality while I was going through a lot of craziness in my life. I was trying to figure out what I was and what made me tick. And now, I know what I am, but I'm still dealing with personal matters that distract me from writing. Most people understand this, but a vocal minority does not.

When I started my Patreon, my initial goal was to monetize my work to increase its value. Readers were expecting me to churn out free stories that I would spend several weeks working on, so I was feeling some pressure to prioritize quantity over quality. I decided to go the other way. To a certain extent, that worked. I've had moderate success in maintaining consistent subscriber rates, but I haven't been able to increase them. In order to bring more subscribers, I sought corroborations from at least four artists who agreed to illustrate scenes from my work for comics and potentially graphic novels. I paid two of those artists to do work. Sadly, none of the artists I reached out to fulfilled their end of their agreement. One of them I had to contact PayPal to get a refund for services that weren't rendered.

Last year, I wrote for two AB/DL-themed anthologies and struck agreements to get paid. One of those anthologies promised to pair me up with an artist to illustrate one of the scenes in my story. I had set aside hundreds of dollars for a promotional budget in anticipation of these anthologies being released. Neither of those anthologies were ever released. I wasn't compensated for my work. Because I wasn't able to promote any published work, I haven't met the subscriber goals I initially had hoped to achieve.

If I'm being honest, I'm not having fun writing these stories anymore. Don't get me wrong. I love writing stories. I love writing in general. But AB/DL stories are not as personally fulfilling for me as they used to be. Oftentimes, it feels like I'm writing into some sort of empty void. People may appreciate my work and tell me so, but a lot of people are already onto the next story, and they want the next story to be released for free. My standalone stories don't generate much fanfare or interest. And I sometimes find myself writing to appease others as opposed to writing for myself. That's wrong.

The good news is I'm feeling better and I'm more productive than I've ever been. But I have a hard time seeing a path forward when it comes to publishing erotica and NSFW content. Still weighing everything out. No decision has been set in stone. But when I decide what the future is for Crinkle Cat, my readers will certainly know.

CC

Personal Update

It's been a rather hectic couple of months. I'm one of those people who has stayed in almost complete lockdown mode due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The main reason for that is my family members are immunocompromised. They're vaccinated and boosted, but I still don't want them to get sick. This has been a rather lengthy and mentally draining sacrifice. In addition to my own health issues, which I've been managing okay, it's been a real grind. So if I'm not actively responding to messages on here or Telegram, don't take it personally. I'm just tuckered out. Hopefully when COVID-19 cases go down again and I can, you know, socialize and have a more balanced life, I should return to my goofy lion self.

However, I am continuing to work on stories, but I'm incorporating them with a larger work plan. I have two novels in the works: one with anthro characters and one without. More details coming soon!

Looking for Artists

Right now, I'm looking for AB/DL artists to commission and illustrate scenes from my Patreon stories. I've had a lot of requests from readers who want to see my stories visualized. That's understandable. I publish a lot of text. People want to see me take the next evolutionary step and turn it into art. I had this grand vision last year of seeing my stories turn into comics, and I've reached out to a few artists who were interested in taking that on. However, they ultimately fell to the wayside due to personal matters happening in their lives.

So if you're an artist, like my work, and want to get paid for drawing a scene you enjoy, shoot me a note or a PM on Telegram. Let's make something happen.

Advice Column

One of my favorite fuzzy beings is Papabear. He rightly lays claim to being the first advice columnist written for furries. I can't top what he does and I'm not going to try. A furry friend of mine reached out to me recently. We wrote for hours back and forth on Telegram. He was going through some things and I was more than happy to help him sort everything out. He was such a sweetheart and offered to donate money for my time, which I passed on. He countered with an interesting pitch: I should start a furry advice column. Right now, I'm interested in doing that. Would anyone like to see something like that? Let me know!

Lion Stories is back!

Enjoy the classics? Lion Stories is back online! The account is an archive of my older work.

Readers have asked me to reactivate the account for a while. Thanks to FurAffinity, I was not only able to recover the account but also get all my older content back online.

Patreon Rewards to Free Release Window

One question I get asked a lot is, "When will your Patreon rewards become free to read?"

I've given this a lot of thought. This year, I dealt with a slew of health issues that sidelined me for a while and kept me from releasing new Patreon rewards on a consistent basis. I've been backlogged on new releases for about 2-3 months give or take. I want to make sure the rewards are exclusive to Patreon for as long as possible so that my patrons can reap the benefits I promised them. Starting this summer, I'd like to start uploading older Patreon rewards for free around four months after they're initially released. I anticipate that I will be completely caught up with my original work by then.

If you haven't already subscribed...

At only $5/mo., subscribing to my Patreon has never been easier. But if you haven't subscribed, can you comment on this journal below with a suggested perk that would make you change your mind? I'm currently gathering feedback.

Patreon Rewards

I'm delighted to announce that Patreon rewards are back to being delivered regularly. No more quiet months. Be sure to check out WETMAN and THE CONVENTION, which are now available exclusively on Patreon. Just wanted to remind everyone that there will be no more free stories for the foreseeable future. Because my health hasn't been the best the past year, I haven't maintained a consistent release schedule on Patreon. I owe it to my wonderful patrons to give them what they deserve and more.

While this news may sound disappointing, consider the fact that you will have access to my Patreon content for the cost of a cup of coffee per month ($5/mo). Due to global economic uncertainty, inflation and financial hardship associated with COVID-19, I will not be raising prices until Fall 2022. When I do raise prices, there will be additional perks including exclusive access to art featuring scenes from my stories. And hopefully, by that time, I will be able to turn some of my stories into comics and graphic novels.

Commissions

Story commissions will be open around the end of March. I'm currently wrapping up three story commissions.

Pricing on commissions and inquiry submission has changed. Base rate for commissions will be (0.05 cents/word or $100 for 2,000 words). Many of my Patreon reward stories average around 9,000-10,000 words these days. So if you want the full Crinkle Cat experience, that will be $450-500. However, my rates can be negotiated down if you want to retain my services for an ongoing series or become a benefactor.

Coming Soon

Later this year, I plan to launch a "normie" author account. Name to be announced. The goal is to ultimately expand into anthropomorphic fiction, screenplays and graphic novels for general/adult audiences. I'm currently shopping a novel to a few furry publishing companies and have acquired a literary agent. Things are moving quickly. Will update on progress.

Hey everyone,

Hope you liked the two free stories I released on FA. "Crinkle Cruising" and "Adopted" were written shortly after I started feeling under the weather. Wanted to finish editing them and release to the public.

There were a few Patreon subscribers who looked at these stories and thought, "Wait. What about our Patreon exclusives?" They're still coming this month and in the future. I just wanted to assure my FA followers that I'm still out there. I'm also encouraging free readers to subscribe to my Patreon. $5/mo. to start is a great deal!

That said, since I need to make up for lost time, I will be turning my attention to Patreon full-time and giving my subscribers what they're owed. Now that the floodgates of content have opened, I will be releasing content more regularly on there (finally!).

I'm back!

CC

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to check in and say this will be my last health update on FA. The announcement is nothing ominous. I'm working through my issues and will continue to do so privately from this point forward.

It's crazy how you're able to do certain things with ease and without the slightest care in the world. Then after a while, you have a hard time doing them. It's confusing, frightening and depressing. During this pandemic, I've struggled to find adequate medical care to help treat my issues. Been on a cocktail of medications, went through several procedures and tests. I've been diagnosed with conditions that I don't actually have. Doctors are so overworked, they barely have the attention span to hear patients like me out for five minutes. Need to go to the hospital? Sorry. Lots of unvaccinated COVID-19 patients there. Better hit up a clinic. The clinics are overwhelmed too with nurse practitioners playing guesswork instead of relying on lab work to make the necessary diagnoses or referrals to specialized care.

And yet, I persevere. Somehow. Maybe it's because my positivity is my primary coping mechanism. Despair and darkness are draining. Being optimistic is less labor-intensive and more goal-oriented. So things will work out eventually. Don't know how. But in any event, I'm going to find a path forward.

CC

Hey everyone!

For the past week, I was hit with some unfortunate news. I know exactly what's wrong with me now. Instead of ambiguously referring to my symptoms, I can now confirm that I have Type 1 Diabetes. Every crazy health issue I've had the past year is all linked to this particular diagnosis. Doctors say this is life-altering or lifelong. But having done a ton of research on this due to family members having the same issues, I can say it's not going to weigh me down. If anything, this is the kick in the ass I need to eat better, get more exercise, and be more active. The pandemic has caused me to reduce the amount of daily exercise I had before. Now I need to step up.

The good news is that treatment is already working. I still have my not-so-great days. But my good days are becoming really good days.

And I'm getting closer to a point where I can resume writing and write on a more regular basis. One day at a time.

Looking forward to returning to form. See you all soon!

CC

Hey everyone!

It's around 1:00 a.m. my time. Stayed awake so I wasn't bombarded with fireworks while asleep. Just wanted to say that I hope everyone will have a safe and Happy New Year!

CC

Hey everyone!

Since my last journal, I've had a couple of medical setbacks. As a result, I will be entering therapy to cope with my condition starting next year.

Though I won't comment on specifics about my condition, I will say that therapy will be a productive step in getting both the counseling and medication I need to push through. Due to the lack of qualified medical professionals in my area, this is currently my best option.

However, regardless of this decision, I have resumed writing. I will do this until I simply can't anymore.

That's all for now! Take care!

CC

Hey everyone!

Hope you are all doing well. If not well, then safe! The COVID-19 Omicron variant is here. It's unclear how widespread that variant will be. Hopefully it doesn't become a significant issue.

As some of you know, I've been battling health issues. It's not COVID-19 and it's not serious, but it continues to affect my creative and thought processes. While I'd love to vent about the medical issues, that won't change the circumstances. What I can say, however, is that I'm continuing to look for a specialist to provide care as opposed to everyone else I've seen this year who either dismissed me outright like, "I'm not going to even bother evaluating you, but will keep scheduling appointments in an infinite loop that accomplish nothing," or "You have [insert condition here]. We'll get you treated, but you're going to need to take antibiotics that only don't work, but also have bad side effects." The lack of quality medical care in my area is profound.

Should my condition not improve by the beginning of next year, I will retire from Crinkle Cat.

Fact of the matter is my condition started suddenly in January. I will have lived with it for a full year with no proven trajectory of progress. Haven't gotten significantly better, but I'm not doing worse. A couple of doctors said my condition would worsen, but that didn't happen. It's just there. It's static noise. I will have days when I struggle to communicate with anyone on any platform and people think, "He doesn't want to talk to me." I'm a social animal by nature, but I will have such a severe mental block that it's impossible for me to think before I write. And when I write something, I'm second-guessing my coherence. When I have moments of lucidity, I will put pen to paper and hit the ground running. I'm writing this journal because I found a brief respite.

But it's clear I can't keep doing this and continue providing the quality work I've been known to provide. Stories take longer to write. I keep missing my one story a month goal on Patreon, working to overcompensate the second month, and then I blow myself out. I have all these story ideas and characters swirling around in my head. But when I start writing, I keep wondering, "What am I doing? Did I mean what I wrote?" and I lose my place in the story. I've had stories with a lot of continuity issues that led me to rewrite a bunch of times. When people give me specific details for their commissions, I struggle to remember what those details are even when I've saved their comments for reference and know exactly where I've stored them.

Writing furry stories has always been a fun escape and distraction for me. Writing has also happened me flesh out my sexuality and appreciate my evolution of what I accept and what gets me going. Had a lot of fun making friends and followers for over a decade. It seems like yesterday when I first started uploading stories on Yiffstar, not expecting to generate the readership I have now. I feel more connected with the fandom that I've ever felt before. Ironically, I've never felt so disconnected from my work -- and it's not from not being able to enjoy it.

I'm hoping, really hoping, for my luck to change. Wish me luck. But after 12 years of writing furry stories, I am finally prepared to say goodbye if and when I need to.

CC

Greetings!

I want to thank everyone who has checked in with me on social media. Apologies for not responding in a timely manner.

Being in the furry fandom has led to curating some bad habits. One of them is oversharing on personal and health issues. As much as I'd love to vent about everything under the sun, I have an obligation to maintain privacy and be cognizant of the fact that everyone is going through hardships right now.

That said, I can provide a general overview on my situation as it pertains to my work. Hopefully this should answer a few questions.

I have my good days and not-so-good days. Still working on original stories for Patreon and commissions, but at a slower pace than usual. Thank you for your patience!

CC