A Day In The Life: Struggles That Only Cat Owners Understand

Owning a cat, or should we say being owned by a cat, is rewarding in so many ways. The way they curl up in your lap on a cold winter’s night. Seeing their little faces in the window when you pull into the driveway. The crazy antics that can’t help but make you laugh, like stalking their reflection in a mirror, or chasing after a toy or laser pointer.

There’s no doubt that the benefits of sharing your home with a cat far outweigh any negatives, but there are definitely some quirky behaviors that can drive cat owners crazy.

Here are three types of cats — and their annoyingly adorable behaviors — that deliver those everyday “you-gotta-love-them” moments.

The Alarm Clock Cat

On Monday, you set your alarm for 6:00 a.m. Your cat decides that 5:45 a.m. is the perfect time to attack your feet. On Tuesday, your alarm is set for 7:00 a.m. At around 6:30 a.m., your cat takes a flying leap and crash lands on your head. How on earth do our feline family members know when our alarms are set for, and to wreak havoc minutes before? If you feed your cats first thing in the morning, they have likely picked up on the pattern and will lay in wait near your bed when they sense that you’re about to wake up. While there is no explanation for the accuracy of their wake up calls, there are things you can do to prevent the kitty alarm clock.

Although many cat families enjoy allowing their four-legged friends access to the human beds at night, shutting the door and creating another space for them to sleep in your home may help to put a halt to the early morning wake ups. If you’re not going to do that, put thick, lightproof curtains in your bedroom and hallways so that your whole sleeping area is totally dark at night. Also, don’t feed your cats as soon as you get out of bed. You may want to get them fed and calm them down as soon as your feet hit the floor, but this only fuels the early morning begging. If you respond to your cat’s 5:45 a.m. demands, next you will find yourself being woken up at 5:30 a.m., then 5:15 a.m., and so on. Wake up, get yourself ready, have a nice cup of coffee, and then put their food out.

The Night Owl

You’ve just settled into bed for the night, the lights are out, you’re snuggled into your blankets and just drifting off to sleep. You’re jolted out of your almost sleep by your cat who has begun to tear around the house like his tail is on fire. Why on earth do cats decide this is the perfect time to go bananas? Start by learning a little more about their sleep habits. Cats are nocturnal, and naturally tend towards late night activity. But, there are things you can do to help them avoid the “midnight crazies” and acclimate to your schedule a bit more.

Make sure your cats get plenty of activity. Provide a variety of toys and take time to play with them every day. Getting them to be more active during the day will help them to be a little calmer at night. Also, feed them a protein-rich diet in the evening. If you don’t currently feed them wet food, you may want to put a small can out for their evening meal. They’ll feel fuller and be ready for a nice post-dinner snooze.

The Work Distractor

You fire up your laptop, and your cat comes over and sprawls out along the length of the keyboard. Or walks across it, leaving you with sentence after sentence of gibberish. Cats use keyboards as pillows, lay their paws across them, rub their faces against them, or swat at your fingers as you type. What is this feline obsession with computers, and what can you do so you can enjoy the internet or get some work done? Why do cats lie on everything?

Your cat probably sees how much attention your computer gets, and just wants in on some of that love. There’s also the fact that laptops tend to get a little warm, and what cat doesn’t love a warm place to curl up and nap? Try setting up your workspace so that you can type away and still have your cat on your lap. Surfing the web and cuddling at the same time? That’s a win-win! Also, give your cat a little one-on-one time before and after you use your computer. This shows her that she is just as important as that thing you spend so much time clicking away on.

Living with a cat — the struggle is real. But everyday annoyances are far outweighed by the love and companionship our pets bring!