I'm a strong independent cat lady. I don’t need a man.

Just kidding. But cats can make you feel this way, I know my cat does.

I'll be real, I originally hated cats. I wasn't quite sure why, I just knew it was not a dog and therefore, could not be trusted. Technically this is still true -cats are still shady little devils- but I love my cat so much that I mind so little that he is literally the spawn of Satan.

So, how did I end up with the seed of Satan although I had an unreasonable hate for cats? Well, my apartment complex's cat (yes, the entire apartment takes care of a single cat) had a litter of kittens right on the living room floor of my neighbor's apartment.. My neighbor asked me to just give the kittens a look because she could not keep them all and didn't have the heart to take them to a shelter. I am a sucker for animal shelter commercials, so I came running even though I knew I didn't need another pet. My cat, Kitty- yes that is his name, laid down on my foot, looked deeply into my eyes, and meowed.

I was hypnotized. I have a son now. This is my child.

I. Am. A. Mother.

I am adulting.

Like I said, I am a sucker. I had no clue my cat would have such a positive effect on me over time, throughout all of the shenanigans that came with owning a cat.

Let's get down to brass tax.

While this is not a fully obtained virtue of mine, I have learned patience from my cat. Kittens get into everything. I have always been told that I am an understanding person and getting a kitten made me more understanding. I recall coming home to a whole pack of toilet paper being ripped up over my one bedroom apartment. I just took a deep breath and said. This is a child, this is what children do. It was almost like an immediate response. I put this thought into everyday life so I can be understanding of other people.

Cats allow me to be alone but never feel lonely.

I can not have a roommate ever again. Period. I had an extremely bad experience with my first. Prior to adopting my cat, I nearly gave into my loneliness and got a roommate. I am so happy I gave into him that day.

Kitty will come and go, love me when I need to be loved then, hiss, bite and swipe my face when he needs to be alone. Balance. We have balance.

I learned to love my sober moments of peace and sanity.

Yes, my cat eats everything in sight, occasionally poop in the tub, shred my damn curtains, sharpen his claws on my two-hundred-dollar rug, rip up toilet paper, throw up on my LSAT study guides, attack my guests, steal my socks, and lay on my face while I’m sleeping

But.

In the moments where he is sleeping, staring out a window or just plain spacing out, I think to myself, "I want to achieve that level of blissed-out peace."

So I will relax, read a nice book and daydream into relaxation. I enjoy peace and I learned from a crazy cat.

My cat gives me inspiration. Just great inspiration from ordinary things. My cat is simple. He wants to be fed, loved and talked to. My cat wants to be happy. I learned to simplify my life by seeking the least complicated routes to happiness. Among other things.

One a more serious note, my cat has helped with my PTSD. I was told once before by a friend who also suffered PTSD to get a cat, I hated cats at the time. I never feel as afraid and being able to hold and pet him calms me.

On a more comical note, noises and creaks around my house won’t send me into shock anymore. Now that I have a cat, those noises are usually followed by a loud crash, bang or glass breaking, then a really guilty meow.

My cat has given me the opportunity to love myself and grow myself. I miss my cat when I'm away from home, but what I really miss is enjoying time with myself while my cat purrs happily in my lap. I have time to reflect on my accomplishments. I also have time to reflect on my mistakes and improve myself. I don’t feel like I'm missing anything because I am rushing home to my cat rather than rushing to the bar with my friends, like I did once before. I have time to myself for myself because of my cat.

My cat is teaching me to manage my time well.

Because my cat is cute.

He could literally take an entire day from me. I have learned to apply the rules of being at home with my cat to everyday life. I can’t point a laser at my cat all day, just like I can’t spend time with my friends all day and ditch work. I imagine that everyone is my cat and my responsibilities are all homework. I know I sound like a really lonely person with no social life but I am actually a really happy cat lady who is learning just to enjoy herself.

My cat has saved my life and still is.