Dia dhui fellow thinkers...today I thought I would write about another responsibility that not only keeps me active, but provides comfort and well being...and that is the caregiving of another creature. In this case, I am speaking about my two kitties...a momma and one of her sons.
I volunteered at a cat rescue nonprofit while writing a thesis on Animal Assisted Therapy for my Masters degree...and I thought it only appropriate to practice what I preached...so I took in Adam and Eden.
Eden was a stray being fed by school children when they contacted the nonprofit...that specializes with kittens...to prevent more homeless cats on the streets. The mission of this nonprofit is a term called TNR, which stands for Trap Neuter Return...where the cats are captured...have an operation to prevent further propagation...and brought back to the colony. When a pregnant cat is captured however, they are provided a room at the Kitty Bungalow to nurse her kittens. The kittens are then found homes, with the mother being returned. However, since Eden did not show signs of being feral, it was decided that she would do well as a house cat, and I became the guardian of her and one of her offspring, Adam.
Cats are fairly independent, needing less attention than dogs, which are a great animal for daily movement (dog walks)...yet indoor cats still need to be fed, have their litter cleaned, groomed, and provided with affection. Not a whole lot to ask for when it comes to responsibilities...but enough to get one out of bed when they make it known their ready for their early morning breakfast.
Cleaning the litter is another daily activity...that gets me up and about...and picking up the 40 lbs bag of litter to fill up the litter box is an added bonus for muscle strengthening.
The best part is the affection...it is an awesome feeling to have a cat kneed and nuzzle while purring...very therapeutic...and being able to give back scratches, belly rubs, and hugs provides a comfort of being accepted and needed.
That being said, time to do some of my daily chores of maintaining a clean and safe environment for my fur babies. Annyeong til next time!