My Life as a Cat

A few years ago, I caught myself calling my two cats as I call my children. I was slightly embarrassed. All of a sudden I began asking myself: If I am able to like these furry and adorable animals the way I love my children, what am I? A cat-mom, I suppose.
And please forget that real-life feline moms may leave their kittens when they are just 12 weeks old. I couldn't do that with my babies - human or kitten babies, I mean.

There are a few advantages of being a cat. They don't have to dress up nor dress down. They can sleep as much as they want, and, ultimately, they don't need a daily shower.  If they are lucky and cute they may be able to find a good home where they are to be treated so well and will never ever have to hunt for food. Moreover, they don't need words. Their ears, eyes and tail can tell it all.

Juju, my only "daughter", 10 years of companionship

It would be great to have a day or two being a real cat. I was taking a nap with my white Turkish Angora close to my feet and  black Egyptian goddess over my right arm. I was blissful. I felt as if I had furry ears and a big tail. But then I woke up and kind of became human again.

Then, I remembered my mom - who had raised four children and 7 cats telling me that I had to make sure my two cats are aware that I am not a cat. That cats which live with us should understand that I can't be "kneaded" in the middle of the night or understand why they purr while clawing my scalp. Then there's another point of view well described in this article by Gwen Dewar, PhD, considering differences in between the two parenting styles.

And I recalled a polemic piece by writer Susan Maushart, saying that pet moms are not moms.  And other articles disagreeing with that. They might have their point I believe. But maybe... the concept of pet-parenthood should be just addressed as a way of taking care of your pet with the same responsibility as you would raise a child. Having or not a child, I mean.

I grew up in the beginning of the 70s believing that talking to dogs was something that just old senile ladies would do, and people who would address their pets as their mom or dad were just plain cuckoo. Then I adopted my two cats - and later I had my own children. And I kept calling all of them my babies.

Dada. my 13-something Turkish Angora. Always on my side.

Pet parenting is, as defined by a Smithsonian magazine article, actually a brand new concept that tries to define a label for this kind of relationship. The comfortable zone of having pets is that they will not talk back to you. They will bark or maybe hiss. Nut eventually will agree that you know best how to raise them, feed them, and ultimately love them. Being a mom of a 7 and 9-year-old (human) boys I am not sure this is so easy for humans.

Modern Psychology had found its ways o explain why we feel more humanely when we have a helping hand of animals. They know that the bond in between pets and their humans make both healthier and happier. I am happy about this, and  I feel good about my role as a cat mom. And then I embrace my cats and all concepts that connect us to wild nature one way or the other.  And it doesn't matter how we call it: pet parenthood, ownership or friendship.