There are between 74 and 96 million pet cats in the United States, with 30-39% of U.S. households owning at least one cat. 29% of cats were adopted from shelters and 35% were taken in as strays.
Regardless of where your cat came from, anyone who has ever owned a cat understands the struggle of accommodating the furry four-legged companion. Cats are largely loving and affectionate, but sometimes they're aggressive and spastic. The joy of living with cats is waking up and never knowing which side of them you'll see.
Below are 14 things anyone who lives with cats has experienced.
1. Cats are unpredictable.
One minute they're cuddling up to you, the next they can't get away fast enough.
2. Cats are really unpredictable.
3. If you have more than one cat, you are very familiar with the picture below.
They aren't always fighting, but when they do, it's at 3AM and they are so loud they wake everyone in your house up.
4. But you're also familiar with scenes like this:
Because cats are u n p r e d i c t a b l e.
5. Cats are jerks.
It doesn't matter what it is; if there's a pile of something sitting near the edge of a counter or table, they'll find it and push it onto the floor (and then pretend they did nothing wrong).
6. They never stop knocking things over.
And if you have more than one cat living in your house, there are even more furry culprits to continuously break your belongings.
7. Ever.
It makes it especially frustrating when you have to clean up after them over and over again.
8. But sometimes they throw you off.
Every now and then you're reminded of why you adopted a cat in the first place.
9. And sometimes they're not knocking things over.
We've all stopped to watch our cats brush themselves; nothing beats the sense of satisfaction on their faces.
10. And then they get needy.
11. There is nothing you can do that will deter them from spending time with you.
They may not always want to cuddle, but when they do, you're expected to stop everything you're doing to snuggle up with them.
12. They will bug you.
13. And when you're finally able to spend time with them...
14. They're back to being jerks again.
It's a never-ending cycle, but you've accepted it. Your cat isn't perfect, but that's what makes them so lovable. You've accepted their individual personalities and quirks, and would not trade them for any other cat in the world.
While it is difficult to determine how many homeless cats live in the U.S., the ASPCA estimates there are around 70 million. If you're interested in adopting a cat from your local shelter, check out the ASPCA's website here for more information (owning a cat is easier than you think).
