We weren’t planning on getting a cat. Just the night before we found a stray kitten under our house, my partner and I had been talking about co-adopting a pair of rabbits with our neighbours. Having both had pet dogs as kids, we were also thinking of adopting a dog.
But from the moment we rescued that kitten, we swiftly became cat people.
We went on to foster numerous kittens and within a couple of years we’d kept one, making us a two cat household.
There are so many benefits to having a cat (or two, or three) that I can’t imagine life without a feline friend.
Constant Company
With indoor cats, my two are always around so I’m never short on company. Sometimes they sit in my home office with me, and in the evening they join my partner and I on the couch.
I talk to them and sometimes they even respond, but more often they just stare back at me (but I think they get what I’m saying).
Greater Feeling of Security
While the cats are hardly guard dogs due to the fact they can’t bark and they spend most of the day asleep, they do let me know when something is amiss. My male cat, the alpha, prowls the house at night, rushing from the back window to the front window to investigate any noises (usually possums). I know a visitor is approaching during the day as they’ll trot downstairs or their ears perk up way before mine do – quite an effective notification system.
Helping you feel Relaxed and Present
It’s incredibly relaxing petting a cat and listening to them purr in response. This act of stroking a pet has been linked to a decrease in your blood pressure and heart rate, which as a result can make you feel less anxious.
Cats also have an incredible knack at mindfulness – or catfulness – as they’re very much in the present moment.
Watching my cats while they’re snoozing, tails flickering or whiskers twitching, it’s impossible not to feel myself unwind as well.
You’ll Find your Tribe
I suspect not all of my friends are ‘cat people’, but once you’re a cat owner you’ll join a special club. From sending cat memes, cooing over photos of your pets, recommending toys they’ll actually like and sharing anecdotes, you’re sure to find your tribe.
