What You Learn as a Cat Mom
No one is questioning how important a mother’s role is in their children’s lives. However, what is often overlooked is the difficult, demanding, and gloriously blessed job of being a cat mom. The experience is unique to each individual person and cat, but there are certain constancies we see across the board.
Here are five things you’ll learn as a cat mom:
- Waking up at 3 in the morning is not something reserved for parents of newborns.
Your cat is needy and wants priority over your REM sleep. He doesn’t care that you have an exam tomorrow morning, he needs the lovins’ right now and he will get them. This will usually involve loud yowling, messing with your blinds, and more often than not, directly pawing you in the face.
- Avoid carpeted homes at all costs.
Your cat will love the feeling of freshly vacuumed carpet ripping beneath his paws, and will rest easy knowing that you’ll never get your deposit back. He doesn’t care about things like that: he’s a cat.
- Your windows will be perpetually smudged.
There is so much to see in the outside world, and your cat lives vicariously through the squirrels and people he sees outside. The windows in your home will be one of his favorite places to be, and will be covered with nose smears. No matter how often you try to clean your windows, he will unfailingly dirty them immediately after. Don’t bother. Embrace the smudge.
- Forget wearing black clothing, or invest in a lint roller.
Cat hair is something you’ll grow used to, and won’t even notice until you’re out shopping one day and someone says, “You have a cat, don’t you?” after noticing the thick matting of cat hair clinging to the back of your shirt. The same applies to carpet and furniture, and you’ll see the true extent of your cat’s shedding skills when your vacuum cleaner clogs after one use.
- Although your cat radiates the “strong independent woman who don’t need no man” mentality, he needs you.
On top of feeding and changing his litter box, your cat also depends on you for social interaction and affection. Your cat will greet you with a meow when you come home, and you’ll feel loved by another living being, which is priceless. Give him a good scratch between the ears and let him know that you care about him just as much as he cares about you.
If you’re a cat mom, congratulations on having one of the most annoying and rewarding jobs. It isn’t always easy, and it sure isn’t glamorous, but it’s a wonderful experience all the same.
And if you don’t have a cat…what are you doing with your life?