The Crazy Cat Lady

It seems like everyone on the internet is on a dog craze. Don't get me wrong, dogs are freaking amazing. I'd like to get one eventually once my life isn't so hectic. But, as for right now, I'm a fur mom to four cats. You heard me, four.

I get called a crazy cat lady a lot. Even by my family. (Yet nobody says much to my husband, who's just as much at fault). But, let me tell you, I wouldn't trade them for the world.

Before I go on and tell you about the amazing blessing four cats is, let me tell you how I got here. Our first and oldest cat, Nami (named after a One Piece character for anyone interested), my husband had her as a kitten from the shelter before I met him. She's about five years old now and has a beautiful orange colour with accents of white. Next comes the "twins". My parents, when I still lived with them, were driving through Amish county and found a sign that said "Free Kittens". Living on a farm, they wanted more barn cats, so they grabbed two from the same litter, a boy and a girl. We named them Joshua and Lily. However, these cats never had a barn on their mind. They constantly tried to get into the house. Finally, when I moved in with my husband, we brought them with us. That's when we shortly found out that we had two sisters. My husband says we should call her Joshina now, but I just call her Josh. Lastly, we have a beautiful Blue Russian named Jupiter. We most certainly did not plan to get him. We didn't even want a fourth cat. But, I went to a shelter that my friend worked at to look at dogs. I didn't find any that really suited what I was looking for. She and I were chatting and killing time and she brought me to look at the other animals. They had a room for cats where they roamed freely. The minute I met Jupiter, I fell in love. Now, he's part of our family. He doesn't meow either, the best way I can describe it is that he chirps. So, that's all of my cats.

How is a bunch of furballs a blessing? Well, even though I have to pick things up daily that they love knocking down and throwing around; even though I have to wipe paw prints off of my stove every day when I get home because it's the easiest way to the window; even though there are tuffs of Lily's fur everywhere because it's just so dense; they have changed my life.

I have struggled with mental illness for at least six years now. But each cat seems to know exactly what I need when I need it. Nami is a stubborn cat that only wants to love on her terms (and typically she only wants my husband). But, when I'm in the worst moods, she comes and lays with me. She loves bumping her head against mine. If I'm endlessly scrolling through my timeline in a loop, she'll shove my phone out of the way to love on me more. Josh is the love of my life when it comes to our fur babies (but don't tell the others). If she's not playing with the others, she needs to be on or near me, usually on. The fact that this tiny, silly animal loves me with all of her heart warms me to the core. She makes me smile when nothing else can. Her sister, Lily, likes to join her. When I'm feeling down, it's safe to say that 90 percent of the time, Josh is laying on me. When Lily's done playing, she likes to cuddle up to me and Josh (typically doing something weird like half laying on Josh). Let me tell you, even in the worst moods, two warm cats laying on you is one of the most calming things on this planet. Last, but not least, Jupiter. I feel like his life before the shelter wasn't very ideal. He's very skittish, runs when there are fast movements, doesn't let my husband approach him (without running away at least), and he's not much for being held. But, when I'm down, he'll come talk to me. As I said before, he doesn't meow. He chirps and purrs and makes all kinds of other neat noises that make me smile. I'm his favorite person to talk to. He'll even hop up and lay next to me for a few minutes while talking.

With these cats in my life, I have never been happier. Sure, I still have depression and anxiety. It will always be there. But having my cats around me helps shift the mood faster than it ever would on its own. These cats are my lifesavers. These cats are my family; my furry, silly family. (Even when it sounds like horses are running in the hallway at 3 AM).