I used to be skeptical about owning a cat and didn’t see the appeal. I thought cats were distant and not affectionate based on stereotypes and my limited experience. Growing up, we didn’t have cats. I rarely saw one inside our house.
Pet dogs are a different story. Having had several since my world began, I believed dogs were loyal and formed deep bonds with their owners, while cats appeared aloof and uninterested in forming connections. I didn’t want a pet that would only tolerate me without showing genuine affection.
Am I to be blamed for having reservations about the cleanliness and upkeep involved in owning a cat?
My mother and only brother were wheezers. The idea of handling cat fur, cleaning litter boxes, and the possibility of allergies brought uncertainty about having them as pets. I initially preferred a pet that required less maintenance, or at least I thought so.
My viewpoint started to shift when a colleague in the government welcomed a cat into their home.
Back in 2016, I observed a new aspect of having a feline companion that hadn’t crossed my mind previously. This cat displayed affection, playfulness, and sincere love towards its owner. I witnessed how the cat offered solace and companionship, particularly during challenging moments.
One day in 2017, my daughter came home from school with an orange kitten – we guessed he was five months old. He was a “puspin” (short for pusang Pinoy or Pinoy cat) with a short coat that had lost its kitten fluff. The puspin had followed her from the condo gate like a child afraid of getting lost.
Driven by my curiosity, I yielded to the temptation and chose to dedicate some time to interact with my daughter’s cat we named Sam. To my astonishment, I formed a strong connection with the feline in a short period. Sam’s tender purrs, lively behavior, and instances of cozying up disarmed the skeptic in me. It also dawned on me that cats could provide companionship and a distinct form of love that, although different from dogs, held an equally significant worth.
American novelist Ernest Hemingway’s “One cat just leads to another” quote is spot on.
More than five years after adopting Sam, we now share the house with nine other “puspins.” In time, I uncovered the cats’ diverse personalities. It is wrong to say that all cats exhibit independence and are reserved because they, too, are sociable and yearn for human interaction.
It took more than five decades for me to realize that cats can forge profound connections with their owners, thereby transforming them into loyal companions.
Together with my children, the responsibilities of litter box maintenance, grooming, and maintaining a cat-friendly home became part of our daily routine.
We join other cat parents and feline enthusiasts across the globe on August 8 in celebrating one of man’s most common and ancient pets. International Cat Day, created by the International Fund for Animal Welfare in 2002, is an annual occasion that commemorates cats, advocates for their well-being, and promotes responsible pet ownership.
In emphasizing the importance and worth of these remarkable companions in our lives, we discovered our other roles by respecting and communicating with the cat world.