Why You Should Have A Cat

Life gets too taxing sometimes and I am glad that we get to find things to divert our attention and energy so as to not overwork our minds.

You can bingewatch a new show or movie on Netflix.

You can cook or learn to bake your favourite dishes and pastries.

One that is not so healthy but very effective is “retail therapy” where you would buy stuff that you need (sometimes you don’t need but so what? They are cute and serotonin inducing) for self-care.

You can also discover new hobbies like knitting, playing video games, crafting, vlogging, creating Tiktok videos (whatever floats your boat tbh)

Oh, I am guilty of some of those things.

But what I love spending time the most is tending to my pet cats.

It is so cathartic (pun not intended but it fits, yeah?)

So, why cats?

I just think they are domesticated and self-sustaining. Grumpy, sometimes but generally peaceful to have. (Well, except when they are hungry)

Cats apparently can lower your stress level since they don’t require as much effort as dogs or any other pets. Having them makes me generally calm.

Cats are low maintenance, independent and quiet. Cats tend to meow when they’re hungry, but they don’t ask for too much attention. They are perfect for co-existing. A cat will be there for you when you need them (you can opt for a big hug or a tummy rub) but they’re also perfectly capable of entertaining themselves.

Cats keep your house pest-free and they offer it to their fur-parents as “gifts”. I just remembered my cat giving me a dead bird one time. Eh... not exactly sweet but rats are almost non-existent in their presence in the house.

The most difficult stage of having a pet is parting with our lovely companion. But cats have long lifespan, there’s even a myth of them having nine lives. I had my good ol companion, Gingerbell for most of my university years and early young adulthood before he crossed the rainbow road at 8/9 years.

I’ve had Jon Snowbell next and now I currently have three named Jingle Bell, Viktree Bell and Silver Bell.

They are all potty trained except for Silver who occasionally still pees inside our home. They love to consume a mix of wet and dry food though it may get too costly but it’s definitely worth it.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF HAVING A CAT

There are also some health benefits of having cats:

• They can lower stress and anxiety.

• They can prevent allergies especially when we are exposed to cats younger as we are more likely to develop an immune system that fights off not only cat allergies but other kinds of allergens as well.

• They can improve our cardiovascular health as studies say that car owners have been reported to carry a lower risk for heart disease and stroke.

• Lastly they can lessen feelings of loneliness as these companions (having pets in general, to be perfectly honest) offer an unconditional love that can be equal to (or sometimes even greater than) many human friends and confidants.

If you are deciding to have one (or two) cat companion/s, this is your sign. I am telling you, you’re not going to regret it.