International Cat Day

It's not always easy, being the owner of a cat.
Unlike a dog, a cat will always make you work for their affection - never giving any guarantee of how long they will show that affection for, or when, or why.

This is Elwood.

It's been 4 years since he came to live with me and in that time we have certainly had our differences of opinion. He can be a cruel and unusual housemate. We have had many arguments about where he can wee and what time is a suitable time to get up on a Sunday morning.

Still, knowing Elwood has changed my life - for the better.

He's made me a far more patient person, which is important because patience (or lack of it) is probably the one trait that I struggle with most in life. When you own a cat though, all you can be is patient, because you are working to their schedule -
not the other way around. Frustration, anger, bullying - none of these will work in trying to win affection. Similarly, they cannot be used to try and establish dominance. Cats are going to be cats... and they are going to punish you for your short-comings if you don't appreciate their unique character quirks. So, having Elwood around has taught me to reconsider the things that are worth getting angry about and also the value of earning love and companionship.

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Additionally, Elwood has taught me concern and empathy. Since he moved in, he's been my constant companion and, while we might not always get along, having him around me has been a comfort. Living alone can be exceptionally isolating, while lack of close friends is tantamount to torture at times. When I met Elwood, the impact of solitary life had really gotten me down, to say I felt my isolation keenly would be an understatement, but in the last while I've been far less lonely, far more upbeat and (slowly), I've become a more positive, approachable and generally contented person.

So, I guess I'll always owe him for that.

I can't imagine how Elwood feels about me. Possible he finds me as obnoxious to live with as I often find him - but that's okay. He is a cat after all and therefore, impossible to please.

For all of you out there that find yourself sharing a home with one cat (or many), I hope you take a moment today to consider the way that they have enriched your lives. I know that lots of people don't care for feline pets, certainly I never used to, but I'm not too proud to say that I was wrong in that assumption.

I'd love to hear your own cat stories and see your cat pictures in the comments. Since celebrating International Cat Day would no doubt be 'below' the sensibilities of these creatures who wander in and out of our lives, we will be left, I expect, to celebrate it with each other and on their behalf.

Racheal

I'm honoring Elwood on all my blogs today - hence our robot friend finding similar content elsewhere. It's all my writing. They're all my blogs. Do feel free to follow along.