Day 12 — My Cat Changed My Life.
I want to share my experience of having a cat this year.
My life has changed a lot since the pandemic. I don’t have to go to the office every day, and I don’t get to travel as much as I used to. But when it comes to the most significant change, it should be that for the first time in my life, I have a cute kitty. He changed my life.
When I was a kid, my mom wouldn’t let me have furry pets, so I didn’t have the opportunity to have a cat or dog except for a small turtle and a parrot. But I had a relative who had a puppy, and every time I had the chance to visit my relative’s house, I would play with the puppy. So I always thought I was a dog lover until I met my kitty, Macaron.
How I met Macaron
As you all know, most houses in Japan don’t allow pets, so I had to go to pet stores often to check out the little dogs and cats, but every time I went, I just looked, never thinking I would meet the cat I fell in love with at first sight.
This year, on January 24, I went to the pet store I always go to every time I take my evening walk. And I ended up meeting little Macaron. It was a feeling like no other, and I just felt like I would regret it if I didn’t pick him up and bring him home. But I had never owned a cat before and was afraid I wouldn’t be able to take care of him, so I told the owner if I could have 30 minutes to think about it. I wandered in front of the store alone for 30 minutes in winter, thinking about how to do keep him sound when I traveled, how to protect him when any disasters happened, and so on. After considering all the situations where I could not be at home and take care of him— I finally made up my mind to take him home.
Since then, he has become a part of my life. We eat together, sleep together, and he stays with me when I work. Working from home alone every day is a very dull and stressful thing, but with Macaron, I have become a lot happier and love staying at home.
Some small tips on cat ownership
Since becoming a cat mom, I have looked up a lot of information on how to raise a cat well.
1. Cat bowls and cat food
Ceramic Cat bowls are recommended, cat food should be grain-free, no artificial additives, high protein (more than 30%). The nutrients needed are different at different ages, so paying attention to the choice is essential.
2. Cat litter box, cat litter
An open cat litter box that is easy for kittens to get into. As the kitten grows, you can change to a larger toilet. Once they get used to one cat litter, the cat will stop going to the litter box if you change it to another. So, you need to choose your cat litter carefully.
3. Take time to play with your cat every day
Ten minutes each time, more than twice a day will make the cat flexible and healthy.
4. Get your cat vaccinations
Be sure to get your cat vaccinated on time and avoid contact with cats that have not been vaccinated. (If you don’t know whether or not other cats got vaccinated, avoid letting your cat get close to them)
5. Cats are susceptible to temperature.
Kittens especially! one should pay attention to keep them warm, remember to turn on the heater in winter when you feel cold.
Due to space limitations, I’ll share this much with you this time. I’ll continue to write more stories about me and my kitty, Macaron, whenever I get a chance, so please look forward to it!
This article is part of the 2021 HENNGE Advent Calendar. An Advent calendar is a special calendar used for counting down the days till Christmas. 2021 HENNGE Advent Calendar presents one article by one HENNGE member per day for 25 days until Christmas, 2021
