So is #CatsOfMastodon a thing??

@shadysdad Absolutely. I follow the hashtag, so I get to see many cat pictures. Welcome to Mastodon.

@shadysdad very much so

@shadysdad
Yep. I'm not a cat fan myself, I'm a dog person, but there's #caturday!

@KarenDorman @shadysdad But you're still a good person.

@shadysdad

Absolutely! You're definitely more likely to get your fuzzbut shared if you add alt text. You can even add it after the fact by hitting edit.

Something simple like:
A calico and white cat with an adorable pink nose draped over the edge of a tweed cat bed

@gwync @shadysdad
Lol. Thanks. I like to think so. I'm allergic to cats, so I've never had a relationship with any. But dogs are awesome. I appreciate that they like and need people and so I can feel their love.

@KarenDorman @shadysdad I was fortunate enough to actually grow out of a very severe cat allergy, so I feel your pain.

@deirdrebeth thank you! I’ll do that. I’m very new to Mastodon so still learning the ropes.

@shadysdad Feel free to start one. #CatsOfMastodon This is Merry

@shadysdad

It's overall such a gentle place compared to much of social media. As a newbie I recommend following everyone you interact with, or interacts with you to fill up your feed - then later you can unfollow or get more picky
You can also follow hashtags just like people so things like # IceHockey, or # CatDad (without the space) can lead you to other people who share your interests!
Welcome

@shadysdad
Welcome.

@TheOldGuy What a beautiful cat Merry is. Thank you for the share.

@deirdrebeth I’ll definitely do that. Appreciate the advice. It’s all a bit overwhelming at the moment. What the trick to picking the best server?

@pitd thank you! I’m starting the think I made a very good decision with Mastodon!

@shadysdad leading off with a cat post was a great decision. An introduction post helps a lot also.

@shadysdad

#caturday is the best day, but every day is Caturday on Mastodon! Glad you’re here, and thanks for the cute cat pic!

@shadysdad

I picked one totally randomly and have been really happy with it. Picking one where you already know an IRL life can be good. I lean towards not recommending the one you're on currently because it's so huge the moderation can be...lacking.
If you're punny beige.party may be filled with your people. If you're a writer then wandering.shop might be.
You can totally move servers. @FediTips can be a useful follow too.

@deirdrebeth @shadysdad

If this is any use, I run a website highlighting well-run reliable servers at https://fedi.garden

By the way, welcome to Mastodon ShadysDad

Feel free to ask if you want help with using this place, and there's also lots of help for new people on the website at https://fedi.tips

@shadysdad Very much a thing; there are a ton of cat people here. Glad to have you join us!