Who wouldn't agree that having a cat is the best thing that has ever happened to you? Of course, raising them entails a great deal of responsibility and difficulty. These top three challenges and confessions as a cat owner have made us a better person and a better cat parent.
Mom Guilt
Cats are like children to us, and we want the best for them, whether it's the best food, litter, toys, or even the best veterinarian. There are times when there is no clear path to the best things in life, but it is a journey. Yes, there will be disappointments when you are unable to be the best parent you believe you can be, but that is okay. Cat parenting is, in fact, THE BEST THING EVER! Every day, our cats guide us to betterment, bring us joy, and support us through the worst days of our lives, not to mention the never-ending pandemic years. Yes, we're already doing our best here and the cats know it.
Save Lives
Let's face it: a cat lover will always be a cat lover. Whether it's taking pictures and videos of our cats on a daily basis, following and stalking cat accounts on Instagram, or even liking someone more when you know they're also a cat parent. It's a good feeling, but it hits us hard whenever we see cats on the streets, abandoned cats, cats on adoption websites, and, worst of all, cats being rolled over on the road.
We sometimes wish we could save all the cats, but we can't. In fact, every cat parent already contributes to their cat's well-being on a daily basis. For others, we can sympathize and offer assistance in any way we can, such as adopting instead of shopping, keeping cat food in our car trunk and feeding stray cats if we see them, donating to shelters, or even sharing cat parenting tips and knowledge with our family and friends. Kindness, they say is the power in humankind to do better for cats and other living beings.
Saying Goodbye
It's never easy to say goodbye to our furry family. All pet lives are shorter than human lives, and we all fear the day when we must say goodbye. The truth is that this is life, and there is life and death every day, and it is a life cycle that we cannot stop or pause. Some of us have been through this before, while others have not.
What has helped us is putting our cats' health first so that we can spend more time together. Cats can live for more than 15 years, so ensuring our financial health is also important for our cats' well-being and health. This includes vet visits, cat food, essentials and necessary upgrades throughout their life cycle.
Overall, we believe that these three challenges have helped us become better cat parents. We continue to strive to improve every day, and of course, making every moment count and enjoying the fruits of life with our cats is the BEST THING EVER.