Becoming a Cat dad

All my life, I have been a dog person. My family always had little dogs. Maybe that was the Hispanic in us since we were all short people. Dogs are the perfect companion. They cuddle with you, they like to play, and they could be silly. They sense when things are off with us. I always told my wife that we get a dog whenever we get married. That was non-negotiable. We haven’t gotten a dog yet; that is because something has changed.

In 2005, my parents got my siblings and me a dog. We had to travel to New Jersey to pick him up. He is a Pomeranian Chihuahua mix. He had helped me through my teenage years before I moved away for college. So I will always be a dog person.

Although I had my stipulation with my wife to get a dog, she had her own. So I had to adopt her cat as my own if we got married. Now, I was thinking, do I want to get married now. Cat versus potential wife was something I had to reflect on. Finally, I decided that my love for my wife was more important than a cat.

September 2020, I got married, and after our honeymoon, we brought home the cat. This beautiful Siamese cat with an attitude. Maybe it was because she didn’t know me as well. I gave the attitude right back. I was going to show my dominance. All of that changed.

I am sitting on the couch trying to play my video game, and I feel this pressure on my thighs and realize that this cat that I didn’t approve of was sitting on my lap. Regardless of approval, that was the day everything would change.

Meila (the cat’s name) and I would become best friends, inseparable, close to the hip. Maybe lap since she likes to lay on laps. Part of me felt that my wife was regretting having the cat. Perhaps she was ecstatic because she turned a dog man into a cat guy.

During my time bonding with Meila, I learned a couple of things that I started to appreciate about cats so far.

1. Cats are self-independent.

Although cats can be vocal and needy, they do need no one. They do not need to be taken outside to use the restroom; you don’t even need to make sure you feed them at a particular time. You leave them a clean litter and a whole bowl of water and food, and you are good to go. They will be waiting for you when you get home to say hi. They like to be left alone and do their own thing. Sometimes that can be a plus.

2. They are good comfort animals.

Just like dogs, cats do make comfort animals. When I struggled with depression, Meila knew precisely when I needed her. I don’t know if all cats do that, but Meila has been heaven-sent. I can’t help it that I am a sucker for her big blue eyes.

I just never knew I would have a bone in my body that I would appreciate cats. Maybe it’s a Siamese thing. Perhaps it’s a personality thing. I am still figuring it out, but I can’t imagine not having her in my life. She just makes daily life easier to deal with besides wanting to cuddle or lay on us.

I have been trying to convince my wife to get another cat. You heard me another cat and not a dog. It’s not working, but I think Meila has planned my conversion for a while now. I think it’s working.