No One Understands How Much I Love My Cat

George Eliot once wrote, “Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms.”

It is this lack of judgment and never-ending devotion that makes my therapy cat, Daisy, so special to me.

I am fighting a daily battle against several mental illnesses, and although I rescued Daisy, it definitely feels like she has rescued me.

As a kitten, Daisy was dumped behind a cubby house with her two brothers and left to fend for herself. Luckily, she was found by a wonderful local cat rescue, who then cared for her until she was old enough to be put up for adoption. In the days before I adopted her, my life had hit a significantly low point. I didn’t feel like I had a purpose and found even the simplest of things, like talking to other people, extremely difficult. Life felt pointless.

All of this changed when Daisy came into my life.

I found that I could almost relate to her in many ways, as she too was nervous and very skittish. I felt hopeless at first and was somewhat terrified at the prospect of caring for a tiny little kitten, who would only eat if you hand fed her and wouldn’t sleep unless you were holding her. However, it turns out that another thing she and I had in common, was that we were the solution to both of our problems. We both needed some love.

I spent every hour I could petting her and playing with her, and even slept on the floor with my arms around her, because for a while that was the only way she would sleep. I cannot describe the joy I felt when she finally started to make progress - I almost cried when I woke up one morning, after deciding to leave her sleeping on the floor, to find her cuddled next to me on my bed.

One year on, she is in many ways a completely different cat to the tiny nervy kitten I adopted. She loves to cuddle anyone she meets, plays happily with our dog, and still makes me smile on a daily basis. One year on, I am also somewhat of a different person to the isolated and lonely girl I was before I adopted her. I am able to smile, laugh and talk to people… and when I smile, laugh and talk to people, I am usually talking about Daisy.

I know that when I am sad or anxious, I can count on her to snuggle into my lap, or pat my arm until I play with her. I know that even in the most difficult of social situations, if someone is talking about animals, I can chat passionately about Daisy for as long as anyone will allow me. I have found a purpose in nurturing a little life, and in turn I am being nurtured. We are growing together.

I am often left staring at puzzled faces when I try to explain this love I have for my cat to other people and I can be almost certain that they have internally labelled me as a ‘crazy cat lady’. I have come to accept that no one will ever understand how much I love my pet, but it definitely won’t stop me trying to enlighten them, or you.

Daisy is my life-saver, and I like to think I am hers.

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