Comic: THEM CATS in "Me First"
Self-Care Wisdom from Dad | THEM CATS is the Hot, New IFS Therapy Comic...don't cha know?
Full Transcript - English
Page 1
Title: THEM CATS in “ME FIRST” by T.McCarthy
Caption: At first I didn’t notice him...
Setting: @Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, Paris, 20er
Me Cat: “My dad appears as a fat crow to me. He drops lots of wisdom on me.”
Page 2
Therapist Cat: “What wisdom has he shed on you lately?”
Me Cat: “He always advises to put my oxygen mask on first.”
Therapist Cat: “Oh! So you first?”
Me Cat: “Yep. Me first.”
Dad Crow: “Ya needs ta have a full gas tank in yer tow truck!”
Small text:
“Hey babe”
Memorial text:
FOR DAD 3/24/1942 to 5/12/2021
Page 3
Title banner: Favorite Dad Quotes
Quote 1: “What good is a tow truck with no gas?” -Dad
Quote 2: “What good is a pencil without an eraser?” Also -Dad
Annotations:
Golf pencils? = Use less (No)
a pencil with an eraser = Good (Yes)
Therapist Cat: “Your dad, so wise!”
Me Cat: “A man of a few words too.”
Hey,
I’m missing my dad, as you can see!
Japanese Translation / 日本語翻訳
ページ1
タイトル: THEM CATS「私が先」T.マッカーシー作
キャプション: 最初は彼に気づかなかった...
場所: パリ、ペール・ラシェーズ墓地、20区
私猫: 「父は太ったカラスとして私の前に現れる。たくさんの知恵を授けてくれる。」
ページ2
セラピスト猫: 「最近どんな知恵を授けてくれたの?」
私猫: 「いつも、まず自分の酸素マスクをつけろって教えてくれる。」
セラピスト猫: 「ああ!つまり自分が先?」
私猫: 「そう。私が先。」
父カラス: 「レッカー車にはガソリン満タンが必要なんだよ!」
小さなテキスト: 「ヘイベイブ」
記念碑: FOR DAD 1942年3月24日〜2021年5月12日
ページ3
バナー: お気に入りの父の名言
名言1: 「ガソリンのないレッカー車に何の役に立つ?」-父
名言2: 「消しゴムのない鉛筆に何の役に立つ?」-父
注釈:
ゴルフ用鉛筆? = 使わない方が良い (ダメ)
消しゴム付き鉛筆 = 良い (イエス)
セラピスト猫: 「お父さん、とても賢いね!」
私猫: 「寡黙な人でもあったんだね。」
French Translation / Traduction Française
Page 1
Titre: THEM CATS dans “MOI D’ABORD” par T.McCarthy
Légende: Au début, je ne l’ai pas remarqué...
Lieu: @ Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, Paris, 20er
Chat Moi: “Mon père m’apparaît comme un gros corbeau. Il me donne beaucoup de sagesse.”
Page 2
Chat Thérapeute: “Quelle sagesse a-t-il partagée avec toi récemment?”
Chat Moi: “Il me conseille toujours de mettre mon masque à oxygène en premier.”
Chat Thérapeute: “Ah! Donc toi d’abord?”
Chat Moi: “Oui. Moi d’abord.”
Papa Corbeau: “Tu dois avoir un réservoir plein dans ta dépanneuse!”
Petit texte: “Hey bébé”
Texte commémoratif: FOR DAD 24/03/1942 au 12/05/2021
Page 3
Bannière: Citations préférées de Papa
Citation 1: “À quoi sert une dépanneuse sans essence?” -Papa
Citation 2: “À quoi sert un crayon sans gomme?” Aussi -Papa
Annotations:
Crayons de golf? = Moins utile (Non)
un crayon avec une gomme = Bon (Oui)
Chat Thérapeute: “Ton père, si sage!”
Chat Moi: “Un homme de peu de mots aussi.”
German Translation / Deutsche Übersetzung
Seite 1
Titel: THEM CATS in “ICH ZUERST” von T.McCarthy
Bildunterschrift: Zuerst habe ich ihn nicht bemerkt...
Ort: @ Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, Paris, 20er
Ich-Katze: “Mein Vater erscheint mir als fette Krähe. Er gibt mir viel Weisheit.”
Seite 2
Therapeuten-Katze: “Welche Weisheit hat er dir in letzter Zeit gegeben?”
Ich-Katze: “Er rät mir immer, zuerst meine Sauerstoffmaske aufzusetzen.”
Therapeuten-Katze: “Oh! Also du zuerst?”
Ich-Katze: “Ja. Ich zuerst.”
Papa-Krähe: “Du brauchst einen vollen Tank in deinem Abschleppwagen!”
Kleiner Text: “Hey Schatz”
Gedenktext: FOR DAD 24.03.1942 bis 12.05.2021
Seite 3
Banner: Lieblings-Zitate von Papa
Zitat 1: “Was nützt ein Abschleppwagen ohne Benzin?” -Papa
Zitat 2: “Was nützt ein Bleistift ohne Radiergummi?” Auch -Papa
Anmerkungen:
Golf-Bleistifte? = Weniger nützlich (Nein)
ein Bleistift mit Radiergummi = Gut (Ja)
Therapeuten-Katze: “Dein Vater, so weise!”
Ich-Katze: “Ein Mann der wenigen Worte auch.”
Spanish Translation / Traducción al Español
Página 1
Título: THEM CATS en “YO PRIMERO” por T.McCarthy
Leyenda: Al principio no lo noté...
Lugar: @ Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, París, 20er
Gato Yo: “Mi papá se me aparece como un cuervo gordo. Me da mucha sabiduría.”
Página 2
Gato Terapeuta: “¿Qué sabiduría ha compartido contigo últimamente?”
Gato Yo: “Siempre me aconseja ponerme mi máscara de oxígeno primero.”
Gato Terapeuta: “¡Ah! ¿Entonces tú primero?”
Gato Yo: “Sí. Yo primero.”
Papá Cuervo: “¡Necesitas tener el tanque lleno en tu grúa!”
Texto pequeño: “Hey cariño”
Texto conmemorativo: FOR DAD 24/03/1942 al 12/05/2021
Página 3
Banner: Citas favoritas de Papá
Cita 1: “¿De qué sirve una grúa sin gasolina?” -Papá
Cita 2: “¿De qué sirve un lápiz sin borrador?” También -Papá
Anotaciones:
¿Lápices de golf? = Menos útil (No)
un lápiz con borrador = Bueno (Sí)
Gato Terapeuta: “Tu papá, tan sabio!”
Gato Yo: “Un hombre de pocas palabras también.”
Put your oxygen masks on—and fill up your tank…
This episode beautifully captures how wisdom from loved ones stays with us, continuing to guide our self-care practices. Long live Daddy’s wisdom 🖤🧡💛
Weekly Resource: “Me First” Affirmations & Reframes
Why “Me First” Isn’t Selfish
My dad understood something critical: You can’t give what you don’t have. A tow truck with no gas can’t rescue anyone. A pencil without an eraser can’t fix mistakes. When you put yourself first, you’re not being selfish. But I thought he was selfish growing up.
He’d get up at the dawn of crack (I like saying it that way) at 5:00 a.m., then off to work by 5:30 a.m. to be there by 6, then home by 3:30 p.m. He’d go take a nap ASAP—which I didn’t like. Why couldn’t he play with us?
He was managing his inner resources. He was being responsible.
We say this all the time when talking about competing needs and personal boundaries, but: When flight attendants say “put your own oxygen mask on first,” they’re not encouraging selfishness. They’re teaching survival. If you pass out trying to help others first, now whoops! Everyone’s in trouble. But! Before we even get to an emergency state, filling up your tank is like taking a nap after a long day of work, and a bunch of kids asking you if you can take them someplace.
Quittin’ is fer quitters, Tess.
I mean, he used to say cute things like, “Quittin’ is for quitters.” My dad was from New England so I always do his accent like a New Yorker, by the way!
Daily Affirmations That Honor Self-Care
Instead of: “I should put others first because I take care of others”
Try: “I put my oxygen mask on first so I can help others breathe”
Instead of: “Taking time for myself is selfish and self-centered”
Try: “I keep my gas tank full so I can go the distance”
Instead of: “I don’t deserve rest when others need me”
Try: “Rest is how I recharge my ability to care”
Instead of: “My needs can wait”
Try: “Meeting my needs NOW prevents emergencies later”
Instead of: “I’m being selfish or rude if I say no”
Try: “I’m being honest about my capacity”
Instead of: “I should be able to do it all”
Try: “Even pencils need erasers—I’m allowed to make corrections”
Instead of: “People will think I’m self-centered”
Try: “People who love me want me to thrive, not just survive”
The Post Script
VISUAL LIQUID MEGAZINE is a feminist forward lifestyle & poetry/art/photography publication. Its mission is to elucidate the work of the world’s most creative outliers. We celebrate rebels, renaissance women/femmes, BIPOC, Queer/LGBTQIA, disabled & aged creative forces
HOME TO THEM CATS & at https://www.themcats.com.
The therapeutic comic about two nameless, non-binary cats in therapy sessions. Born from a nightmare in April 2020, these cats have become have become absolutely dreamy to me—to others!
New THEM CATS comics publish every Thursday at 6 AM PST on Visual Liquid Megazine barring a full Beaver Supermoon in Taurus.
© 2025 T. McCarthy / THEM CATS™ Visual Liquid Media. All rights reserved worldwide. THEM CATS: A COMIC ABOUT MY THERAPY.
The Post-Post Script
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Remember: A tow truck with no gas can’t rescue anyone. Fill your tank first. 🚛⛽
This was equal parts touching, wise, and just plain soul-restoring. I love how you capture the real roots of self-care—and the ways our parents’ quiet wisdom lingers even after they’re gone. “Put your own oxygen mask on first” hits different when it comes from your dad and having it delivered via a therapy cat and a fat crow makes it all the more memorable. Thank you for reminding us that “me first” isn’t selfish—sometimes, it’s the most responsible thing you can do. Your dad’s metaphors about tow trucks and pencils are genius; they stick with you long after reading. Grateful for this comic (and your words) today. Long live that good dad wisdom. 🖤🧡💛
I love the affirmations that honest self care! Always love to see Them Cats, Tess. 😊