At 22 years old, I’ve spent more than half of my life with a pet cat. Needless to say, I’ve become accustomed to the fascinating ways cats express themselves. I’d be lying if I said every single day was an exciting one, but the truth is that sometimes cats are so laid-back that it’s easy to forget you even own one. With that being said, there are also days where cats are so insanely needy that you’d think you owned a small child instead. Just like humans, each has his or her own personality that takes some getting used to. To outsiders, they can often seem like more trouble than they’re worth, but with all of the ups and downs, I wouldn’t trade my furry friend for the world.

If you’ve ever lived with one of these crazy creatures, you can definitely relate to these constant struggles us cat owners face in our daily lives:

1. Food, Food, And More Food

I really believe that my cat eats more than I do. From the minute I wake up until the minute I go to sleep, I have my own tiny shadow meowing at me until I enter the kitchen and pull out some treats. I’m endlessly intrigued by dog owners and the way they use treats to train their pets and award them for a job well done. Instead, my cat gets a treat just to shut him up or to award him because he's extra lovable that day. He’s even learned that if I’m sitting at the dinner table then it means it’s time for food not just for me, but for him, too. This has done nothing but make him adorably chubby and annoyingly persistent when he’s looking to chow down on his favorite tuna flavored snack.

2. Anti-social Nature

To be honest, I’m pretty thankful my cat isn’t a people person for the most part. Not because this just goes to show he's me in feline form, but because it shows he can be independent and that I don't have to worry about him being alone if I go out. It also makes me feel all the more special when my cat does decide he wants human contact and plops down right on my lap to do nothing other be pet for a little bit and maybe pass out. Although, I never hear the end of it from my guests. They always try to pick him up or play with him to no avail. If you’re lucky, and I mean really lucky, he might rub against your leg. Don’t get too excited though, he’s probably just hoping you’ll feed him.

3. Claws

Owning an animal that could probably claw you to death if they really wanted seems a bit risky, but it’s kind of badass. It’s only truly terrifying when your cat gets in a playful mood and decides to swat at you and unintentionally ends up with their claws in your skin. It’s even more terrifying when you’ve angered them and they do it on purpose. It’s not a pleasant feeling to be on a kitty hit list. It took me several years to learn how to approach cats and determine if they’re in a good enough mood to be touched. It’s why I won’t let my friends go near him without me being there, as they don’t understand his moods and can’t possibly know if they’re about to be torn apart. I learned the hard way and have the physical and emotional scarring to prove it.

4. THE ZOOMIES

I only recently learned about the zoomies being a common thing amongst cats. For years, I wondered which person in my family dropped my cat on his head to make him so psychotic, but it turns out it’s normal! The zoomies are basically when your cat goes from being totally quiet and relaxed to suddenly doing laps around your house while making the ungodliest of noises. Sometimes my cat stops to look around, maybe stare at me for a minute or two, and then goes back to flying up the stairs like a cat bat out of hell. It occurs for a number of reasons, one of them simply being stored up energy from sleeping and lounging around all the time. It's even more wild when it happens out of the blue late at night. It's something that needs to be seen to be believed.

5. Dog Owners

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I feel like I need a FAQ sheet plastered on my refrigerator sometimes. Other than questions about my education and love life, I can't keep up with how many people question why I prefer cats over dogs. Listen, I love dogs. I really do! I just don't have the energy to take care of one, and I respect the fact that you do. I don't enter your home and immediately stare at you in confusion, wondering what could possibly drive you to pick an animal that needs to be consistently walked and barks at anything that moves. To each his own, as they say. Now let me live in peace with my fat, devilish pet I'm convinced is plotting to take over the world.