Happy National Pet Day (or if you aren't reading this on February 20, then happy whatever day it is at the time you are reading this)!
My husband, Mark has been relentlessly pitching blog ideas surrounding our cat, Stella, so what better day to grant his wish?!
Okay, I know this is where some of you are probably rolling your eyes, like, "Her cat? She wrote a blog....about her cat..."
Yes. Yes I did.
Here's something you need to know about Mark and me: we love our cat. We love our cat a lot.
When Mark first moved out to North Dakota, he didn't know anyone, and it was a little lonely, so he started thinking about adopting a pet. I asked him what kind of pet he was considering.
Spoiler alert: it was a cat.
I'd never had a cat before, and I didn't really know what to think about them. In fact, I'd always considered myself a "dog person" (plot twist, you can be both). Mark grew up with cats and dogs, and had determined a cat would be the best fit for #apartmentlife.
The more Mark filled me in on the magic of cats, the more I wanted one - hey, if there's a fluffy animal involved, it doesn't take much to persuade (or shall I say puuurrrrrrrrsuade) me.
Mark held off on adopting the cat until I moved out to North Dakota. One warm August day, we made our way over to the Circle of Friends Humane Society (Commence Operation Cat).
Before we walked into the humane society, Mark gave me this pep talk in the car about how we were just going to ~look~ (LOL as if) and not make any decisions. However, as we walked into the room where they kept the kittens, Mark immediately walked up to Stella's cage and said, "This is her. This is our cat." I don't know, he just has a sixth sense for these things. In fact, if he were a superhero, his name would be "Catdaddy."
Mark insisted we adopt Stella. She was chilling in her cage, watching the other kittens jump and meow and bat at each other with their tiny kitten paws. "She's just so calm and chill, and she's the one."
So I trusted his instincts.
Mark definitely picked the right cat, and he will gladly jump at any opportunity to remind me of that - in fact, it is perhaps what he considers to be his greatest personal achievement. A couple weeks after meeting Stella, I returned to bring her back to my apartment. When I picked her up, the woman at the animal shelter said Stella was the sweetest kitten she'd ever met. Well, let me tell you, our friend at the animal shelter WAS NOT WRONG.
Adopting Stella has been one of the greatest things that ever happened in Markelly history. I know that sounds like a massive exaggeration, but let us live our truth, okaaaay?
Stella reminds us to slow down, enjoy life, and be still. She reminds us to disconnect from technology and reconnect to our surroundings (she seriously will bat our phones out of our hands if we're staring at them for too long). But I digress. If you aren't sold on this whole cat person thing, here are 3 reasons you might want to consider adopting a cat:
1. They're pretty easy to care for
Cats are so low maintenance, and it is by far one of their most underrated qualities. If you live in an apartment, live in a climate with long/cold winters, work inconsistent hours, or if you're a frequent traveler, this is GOLD.
Now, if you're becoming a pet owner, you should hopefully be fully prepared to go above and beyond to care for your furry friend, but cats make it soooooo easy! Think about it:
They bathe themselves
You don't have to let them outside to use the bathroom:
Imagine never having to hurry back from a social event or work to let your animal outside to use the bathroom! This is also key if you live in an apartment complex - Mark and I are on the top floor, and we don't have to run up and down the stairs whenever Stella needs a bathroom break. We just clean her litter box (correction: MARK cleans her litter box, bless his heart).
They do not need to take walks
This is HUGE if you live in a subzero temperatures for a solid chunk of the year (I'm looking at you, North Dakota).
They do not need a yard/a lot of space
You can leave them home alone for a couple days
Cats are pretty self-sufficient, so you have the freedom of going away for the weekend without taking them to a kennel or paying someone to watch them for you. As long as you're only going to be gone for a few days, you can just leave out some extra food and water, and they'll be fine!
2. They're pretty quiet
Ah yes, another reason these delightful animals make great pets for apartment-dwellers. You'll never have a noise complaint from one of your neighbors, because outside of meowing and purring, they're pretty quiet (but watch out, if they're feeling playful, they might just channel their stealth secret agent vibes to sneak up on you and scare you half to death).
3. They can be really sweet
Stella is my little shadow - she sits next to me when I write and read, and sleeps on our bed. She wakes us up by tapping us on the face with her paw, and she sits on Mark's chest when he stretches himself across the couch to watch sports.
Cats have a way of sensing when you've had a bad day, or just need some love. Sometimes I wonder if Stella has a bat signal (or cat signal?) alerting her whenever I'm sad or disappointed, because she will saunter over to wherever I'm sitting, and make herself comfortable in my lap.
They also do this blink that I whole heartedly believe to mean "I love you."
Mark and Stella exchange these big, slow blinks on a daily basis, and it's disgustingly adorable.
Well, those are my reasons. I am going to stop myself from adding anything else, because the level of my love for my cat is honestly a little embarrassing, and I'm trying to play it cool. I'm so grateful Mark talked me into the idea of adopting a cat, and I'm so thankful the humane society helped us bring such a perfect fur baby into our family.
So maybe get a cat - I'm almost pawsitive you won't regret it (unless you're allergic like our BFFs Ken and Scott).
Sincerely,
Kelly
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