Welcome, Refugees (Now with Shout-outs)

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(Update: Shout-outs to Lynn, Stephanie, Sheila, and Carolyn for their generous tips.)

By now, many of you have learned that Cute Overload has ceased publishing. Starting as a software test in 2006, C.O. grew into a beloved bright spot on the Web, and I’m proud and grateful to have been a part of it. I’ll be sad to see it go, as I’m sure will you.

But if it’s new cuteness that you crave, I invite you to join us here. Since last November, I’ve been keeping hope alive, with my peculiar blend of cute animal pictures and offbeat humor. Commenting is easier, too; you can respond to comments using a nested layout.

I can’t make a living writing this blog (that’s OK, I do other things too). But if you would like to help ease my way, here are some things you can do:

  • If you shop with Amazon.com, start your shopping by clicking the links in the right-hand sidebar, Amazon.com in the USA, Amazon.ca in Canada.
  • Use the tip function in the sidebar to leave a one-time donation, or set up a monthly subscription (which you can cancel at any time).
  • If you are using ad-blocking software, consider disabling it on this site.

So welcome and have fun! Follow me on Facebook and Twitter and never miss a post.

(Photo: sad pug, by hannahkrajewski, licensed under CC BY 2.0)

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73 thoughts on “Welcome, Refugees (Now with Shout-outs)

  1. Julie January 18, 2016 / 7:33 pm

    Seriously, the fact that this site exists is making the demise of CO easier for me to bear.

    Thanks, NTMTOM.

    • myiglets January 18, 2016 / 7:41 pm

      Uh, yeah! Cute Overload was my home page at work ever since the Great Recession. It helped to see something light and funny first thing in the morning and throughout the day. NTMTOM was always my favorite though, so when he left I left too. I’ve got a new home page at work and you’ll never guess what it is.

      I’m sad about CO, they helped me through a lot during those very difficult years.

      • allein January 18, 2016 / 7:57 pm

        I didn’t leave CO (not that I commented much there), but this place definitely has one other upside over CO – it’s not blocked at work! I’ll miss CO, though. I’ll take my cute wherever I can get it!

    • 6rabbits January 18, 2016 / 10:14 pm

      Same here, Julie. ?
      Serious thanks to you, NTMTOM!

  2. Julie January 18, 2016 / 7:33 pm

    Oh, and this pug is too cute.

  3. Tessamo January 18, 2016 / 7:38 pm

    Glad you’re here, NTMTOM!

  4. Birdcage January 18, 2016 / 7:39 pm

    Group hug?

    • Tinak January 18, 2016 / 8:58 pm

      Or is that groo-pug? Embrace the puns, however bad they might be.

      • bananabreadhead January 18, 2016 / 10:49 pm

        That was a good pun, Tinak!

  5. Meg Frost January 18, 2016 / 7:45 pm

    Mike, I whole-heartedly support your latest writing endeavors and love your site. It’s just as hilarious as your commentary and it’s thrilling to have a “spinoff!?” (Do they have those on the Web?) All the best to you, – Meg

    • Not That Mike The Other Mike January 18, 2016 / 7:47 pm

      Hi Meg! Welcome to the “Joanie Loves Chachi” of cute-animal websites! I’m really glad you stopped by to wish me well. It means a lot to me. Best to you and the fambly!

      • Kar January 18, 2016 / 8:18 pm

        Nah, this is more “The Jefferson” than “Joanie Loves Chachi.”

        More sass, less cover band performances.

    • dubravkamcvmd January 18, 2016 / 7:51 pm

      Thanks for your warm and comforting farewell. I’m really sorry to see the end of CO. I loved the site and visited more than once a day for almost all those years. Good luck to you and your family.

    • allein January 18, 2016 / 7:59 pm

      Sorry to see CO go 🙁 but best of luck to you all! 🙂

      • BB/VA January 19, 2016 / 9:19 pm

        Sorry to see CO go, but thanks for changing our world, Meg. You set the rules of cuteness and made a happy place on the web. Here’s hoping we hear from you and your family again soon.

        I’ve already said thanks to NTMTOM for this lovely refuge, but thanks again anyway. I don’t think I can say it enough. You are a warm light in a chilly world keeping the cute going for the rest of us.

  6. dubravkamcvmd January 18, 2016 / 7:48 pm

    I was put off by how the “downsizing” was handled, or rather, not handled, at least publicly, at CO, but I’m really sorry to see the end of it. Meg’s farewell is nice and I wish everyone there all good things. It was a source of real comfort and laughs for all those years. I guess I’ll REALLY have to treasure my World Peace Hamster T-shirt now.

    I don’t know how these things work. Will the site stay up or will all the content disappear?

    I’m very glad we have this site now.

    • Elle January 18, 2016 / 7:58 pm

      DUBRAVKAMCVMD, I wholeheartedly agree with you; I too was put off by the way the whole CO thing was not handled and it colored my perception of that site to this day. And now this.
      I posted there and I’m posting here – there’s no reason why all the content CO received and sought out can’t come here, and perhaps we as a community can help that transfer happen. Responding to the original source sites with a comment and a link to NTMTOM might just get this place rockin’ as it so deserves to.

  7. Smartypants January 18, 2016 / 8:06 pm

    Welcome, CO’ers! I think you’ll love it here.

    • allein January 18, 2016 / 8:09 pm

      🙂

  8. Maya January 18, 2016 / 8:16 pm

    Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning for the cute….

    Thanks for taking us in. It was a sad day in cute land.

  9. debg January 18, 2016 / 8:16 pm

    NOMTOM, your hovertext captured my feelings perfectly. Thank god you’re here and open for business.

    • Elle January 18, 2016 / 9:05 pm

      Add Glenn Frey to that sad list and this has officially been the worst January in the history of Januaries….

      • Kar January 19, 2016 / 12:12 pm

        I was asking if there was a cholera epidemic that I wasn’t aware of, thus has been terrible!

  10. amyliz January 18, 2016 / 9:06 pm

    Thank goodness for you, NTMTOM!☺Trying not to be a baby over the of CO. Will now be a daily visitor here! Sorry it took me so long. I am a creature of habit!

      • amyliz January 18, 2016 / 9:22 pm

        Thanks, Mike! Oh and I just want to give that pug a hug and a cookie! ☺

  11. Jan January 18, 2016 / 9:22 pm

    I had to have my beloved kitty (link under my name) put to sleep today and then discovered the demise of CO.My vote is to cancel 2016 and start over with a clean slate. 🙁
    =^..^=

    • Laura January 18, 2016 / 9:49 pm

      I’m so sorry, Jan. Losing a beloved family member is always painful. I hope you had many happy years with your beloved Spectra, who was a beautiful, beautiful kitty!

    • bananabreadhead January 18, 2016 / 9:51 pm

      What a sad day for you, Jan — I’m so sorry about your kitty. Hang in there.

    • debg January 18, 2016 / 11:42 pm

      Hugs to you Jan. So sorry for your loss.

    • Mr. Max January 19, 2016 / 1:51 am

      I’m so sorry about your kitty! It is SO hard when they leave us, whatever the circumstances and whatever their ages. Peace and healing to you.

      I agree 2016 really sucks so far!

    • 6rabbits January 19, 2016 / 6:29 am

      Jan, I wish I had a magic wand for you. {{{hugs}}}

    • dubravkamcvmd January 19, 2016 / 7:31 am

      I euthanized my 22-year-old Minkette at the end of September and she was black with gold eyes like your baby. I know the hole you have in your heart.

    • amyliz January 19, 2016 / 7:50 am

      Oh Jan, I am so sorry! I hope the rest of 2016 has good things in store for you.

      I am still feeling sad about CO but it’s good to see familiar names posting comments! ☺

    • Faye January 19, 2016 / 8:27 am

      Oh my. Jan I am so sorry. What a stunning companion. I know the empty feeling of losing a dear pet. Let all the good memories flow into the void. Hugs.

    • Saffron January 19, 2016 / 8:57 am

      Jan I am so sorry for your loss. It huts like h*ll to see our dear friends cross over the Bridge.
      Am sending you lots of hugs…
      *hugs*
      *hugs*
      *hugs*

    • Jan January 19, 2016 / 10:14 am

      Thank you all. You and and this site have been a bright spot in a bleak time.
      *hugs*
      =^..^=

    • Blue Fairy January 19, 2016 / 10:54 am

      Jan I am TOTALLY on board with starting over. I had to put my little dog down the week after Christmas and last week got bad news on some tests for my big dog. Not shaping up to be a great year. Hugs to you and keep your memories close.

      • Faye January 19, 2016 / 3:39 pm

        Tough tough tough. So sorry.

    • Cat Fish January 19, 2016 / 3:03 pm

      so sorry. your beloved kitty will always be with you.

      • Not That Mike The Other Mike January 19, 2016 / 3:05 pm

        That’s a very good point, our loved ones are always with us. (By the way, I always welcome first commenters, so welcome to the site!)

  12. The Commenter Formerly Known as Ricky's Mom January 18, 2016 / 9:43 pm

    Jan, I am so sorry for your loss!

    Meg, thank you so much for your kindness in stopping by here to wish nice things to NTMTOM and all of us hanging out here. I will miss Cute Overload very, very much. But I am so glad to have NTMTOM, the site and the not-Mike behind it, to visit for my daily dose/s of Qte and fun.

    Thanks, NTMTOM. So grateful you are here. It certainly has been a tough January all round.

  13. Carol Hackler January 18, 2016 / 9:48 pm

    A new safe place…thank goodness.

  14. Emmberrann January 18, 2016 / 10:32 pm

    Thank you, NTMTOM, for continuing to lighten my world, and maybe one day the coffee table book will come to pass.
    I’ll look forward to seeing you here in the meantime.

  15. Ellie's Maid January 18, 2016 / 11:40 pm

    I was a big fan of CO though I never posted. NTMTOM was always my fav commentator so I was excited to find the link to this site on the CO comments.

    I need all the cute I can get, so thanks, Mike!

  16. Theresa Muir January 19, 2016 / 7:28 am

    Oh my stinkin’ gosh! I am so kerfloozled.

  17. Faye January 19, 2016 / 8:31 am

    Here’s hoping NTMTOM will be given access to his CO content. Then maybe he could have a retrospective here. Or THE COFFEE TABLE BOOK.

    • Beemoused January 19, 2016 / 8:50 am

      Excellent idea!!!

  18. Grannie January 19, 2016 / 8:36 am

    I’ll be watching, as I watched and loved CO since their beginning!

  19. fluffernugget January 19, 2016 / 9:06 am

    I am having serious CO withdrawal! It was my happy place for about 9 years. I was probably on that site 5-6 times a day now where do I go for Ferret Friday and Wombat Wednesday? Thank you NOMTOM for carrying on and keeping us in the cute.

      • Ellie's Maid January 19, 2016 / 9:29 am

        Oooo! Don’t forget those cute little dumbo octopus thingies! And kittens! We need lots of kittens! And what about the Blue Footed Boobies? And birds!! The Titmouse and the Chickadee are my favs but I’ll take any birds. And . . . and . . .

        Oh, sorry. I got a little carried away there. I’m just happy to be here.

        And chipmunks!!!!!!

        😀

        • AJ January 19, 2016 / 12:18 pm

          And goats! Don’t forget about goats in sweaters. And PJs! And baby sheepsies. I think it was a video on baby goats in PJs, jumping around that led me to CO in the first place. But then again, any animal will do, they’re all so ridunkously cute.

          • Amy January 19, 2016 / 1:00 pm

            And Maru and Maymo and Magilla Glub Glub, and…. 😀

          • Beemoused January 19, 2016 / 1:18 pm

            Jan, many, many hugs to you! I had to let my furbaby Stashy cross the rainbow bridge last year and she’s left a giant hole in my heart. I am so sorry for your loss.

  20. Annamaria January 19, 2016 / 10:42 am

    Hallo everyone…site people and refugees
    I’m so sad, but I hope to find here some cuteness for closing the day in a safe cozy hilarious place before sleep; C.O. was useful for forgetting the harsh moments and having nice dreams..
    Otters! don’t forget the otters, please!

  21. Terila January 19, 2016 / 11:09 am

    Thank you for being here, NTMTOM! I can’t go on without the cute!

  22. cheshirekittehkat January 19, 2016 / 11:48 am

    Thanx NOMTOM for your website & all the cheering-up of us that you do every day…
    the QTE is so important, especially for those of us who rlly need it….. sumtiems a laff or two (or three) may be just what we require during our day to lift our spirits and make life a little easier to cope with….;

    • Ellie's Maid January 19, 2016 / 12:30 pm

      And all the people say “Amen!”

      • Emmberrann January 20, 2016 / 9:12 am

        Amen.

  23. Anne Eagles Johnson January 19, 2016 / 5:07 pm

    OMG thank you NTMTOM… It is like coming home. By he way..this is me kittyadventures. Hugs and waves. To everyone. I have been tearing up over the loss of CO since i found out. This makes things better.

    • Not That Mike The Other Mike January 19, 2016 / 5:10 pm

      Welcome to the site, kittyadventures, and I’m glad to be able to do this for you.

  24. viola1000 January 20, 2016 / 9:34 am

    Thank you NTMTOM! I cannot live without the qte and the loss of CO is a hard blow. I am so glad that you are keeping it up. There can never be enough heffalumps playing in mud 🙂 The qte is the best medicine for the heart & soul.

    • Not That Mike The Other Mike January 20, 2016 / 9:58 am

      Welcome to the site, Viola! I love elephants too, so there’ll be more on the way!

  25. Lynn January 20, 2016 / 7:21 pm

    Hey Mike! Thanks for the shoutout! It’s the least I can do, as I have been following you on CO for so many years, and now your own site. You have been literally (and I don’t use that term loosely) making me laugh out loud just about every day…
    May your site continue to thrive and make everyone’s day just a little better 🙂

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