Part 2: The patience, responsibility, and quiet loyalty of cats

When Oreo first came home, the learning curve was steep — but manageable.

What no one talks about enough is what happens after that.

Once the house is already scratched.
Once routines are no longer flexible.
Once responsibility stops feeling new.

This is the part of cat ownership that doesn’t fit neatly into Instagram reels — and the part that truly defines whether you were ready for it.

Patience, Tested Daily

Oreo has energy. A lot of it.

He runs through the house at full speed, knocking objects off surfaces — shelves, sinks, places that didn’t even seem reachable. What begins as humour eventually becomes a test of patience.

Cats don’t respond to discipline the way people expect. You can’t reason with them. You adapt instead.

Living with a cat requires tolerance for chaos — and the humility to accept that control is mostly an illusion.

The Things That Still Feel Uncertain

Even now, there are questions without answers.

Should Oreo ever be allowed to free roam and return safely?
Is the risk worth the freedom?

And perhaps the biggest question of all — how will Oreo adapt to the arrival of Kanishk, the baby?

Introductions have to be thoughtful. Boundaries carefully set. Trust slowly built. These aren’t small decisions — they shape the safety and emotional health of everyone involved.

The Unspoken Work

There are parts of cat care that don’t get talked about enough.

Shedding — everywhere.
Scratches — accidental and otherwise.
External grooming — far more important than expected.

These aren’t dealbreakers, but they are realities. Ones that require consistency and effort long after the novelty wears off.

Still, he doesn’t believe people underestimate the responsibility of cats.

“Cat parents are never by accident,” he says.

What He’d Do Differently

If he could go back, there’s only one real regret.

He would have adopted two cats instead of one.

Cats, he believes now, thrive on companionship. Having another cat wouldn’t just have benefited Oreo — it would have eased boredom, reduced destructive behaviour, and provided emotional balance.

It’s a quiet lesson learned too late, but one he shares openly with anyone considering their first cat.

So, Should You Get a Cat?

His advice is simple.

If you’re considering it — and you’ve thought it through — it’s a no-brainer.

Cats don’t demand your constant presence. They don’t overwhelm. They coexist.

But they also require patience, observation, and respect for their independence.

They don’t attach themselves to whoever feeds them.
They don’t trust instantly.
They don’t love loudly.

And that’s exactly what makes it meaningful.

One Honest Sentence About Cat Ownership

If he had to describe living with a cat in one sentence, it would be this:

“Cats are more loyal than dogs — it’s counterintuitive, but it’s true.”

Cats don’t perform loyalty.
They practice it — quietly, consistently, and on their own terms.

And once they choose you, they stay.