The A Side ✔

4- Me And My Furry Friends

For any animal lovers, this chapter is for you!

In this part, I will be taking into perspective my love and admiration for my two furry friends who I love dearly. My two pet cats, formally rescue cats, we adopted them from the local animal shelter six years ago in 2010 but I never predicted just how important their roles were to be during my Anxiety struggles. The two cats are brother and sister and aged just six months old when they were rescued from their previous living quarters. In a city about two hours drive away from where I live. They arrived together and were revealed to be brother and sister. I'm an only child so I was very excited to have some siblings join the family but not in human form.

The female cat, let's call her J since her name starts with the letter J is the more friendly one. Taking one look at a guest, she sniffs the side of your wrist and rubs her head next to you, purring away contently. J knows when something is up, whether myself or a member of my family is unwell, when anyone is upset. She will jump next to you and stay with you until you feel better. She is also very good at spotting when I have a panic attack. I was home alone once and my parents had gone to the shops, I started to experience the all too familiar symptoms of a panic attack. With tears forming in my eyes, blurring my vision, I couldn't get up to grab a glass of water or something to eat. Instead, I felt something fluffy brush past my hand, letting out little mews. I looked down to see my cat J staring at me with wide eyes and a look of concern on her face. She stayed with me the whole time, even when my parents returned home from shopping.

But that's not all, whenever I've had a panic attack, she curls up next to me and as close to me as she can possibly get but not too close as to invade my personal space. As a little sister, she's a very brainy cat who really understands people's emotions and behaviours. Something I could never have predicted to find in a cat or any pet for that reason. On first sight at the local animal shelter, it was love at first sight and for how well she watches over me and keeps me company, I love her a lot.

My other cat let's call him S since his name starts with the letter S is a big softie at heart. A true mummy's boy, he bonded with mum at first sight and surprisingly isn't as confident as his sister J is. Although he prowls the back garden and the neighbours houses, he can get freaked out over the littlest thing. Because... He has Anxiety too. But the cat version of Anxiety. So, if he gets freaked out and starts running around at 200MPH like a total maniac, then I know that he is having a panic attack. Even if we are all upstairs in the family home, he sometimes come to the conclusion that no-one is around and starts howling like he is in pain or something spooked him. 

I tell you a funny thing that did happen. I came home from College one night in my first year in floods of tears. I had fallen into an argument with a teacher over my attendance which even though it was higher than it had ever been, she was having a really bad day and quite frankly took her anger out on everyone including myself. J saw that I was upset as I bawled my eyes out on the living room sofa and once again, jumped next to me to keep me warm. As she was cuddling up close, S ran into the living room and jumped on the window sill thinking that the big main window was open. It wasn't. His face went smack bang into the glass and he skidded backwards off the window sill and landed on the carpet, dazed but un-injured. I burst out laughing at how quick things had been for S. His response was to jump on me as well and snuggle up close until dinner time. My sadness for a time faded away.

I have discovered methods to keep S and his Anxiety under control. For example, taking my dressing gown. He loves going to sleep on it and roll onto his back with his fluffy tummy in the air. It's extremely cute. J just looks on in disbelief. I make sure to keep S away from visitors if more than one come to visit since his nerves often get the better of him. S hates loud, unexpected noises just like me. The telephone, the doorbell, the vacuum cleaner, the hair dryer. The number of times I've made a noise quite loud in his path and the speed he scurries down the garden path to get away from it is far too many to count up.

When I go away on holiday, I do feel a sense of nerves because the cats are looked after at home by my aunt. My aunt who used to have cats of her own does a good job at keeping them well fed and clean. I try and speak with my aunt every once in a while but when we do go away on a break, I always ask as the first question if the cats are OK or not. Neither of my cats like change but out of the two of them, S struggles with change the most. My aunt gives them plenty of treats and plays a ton of games with them but for me being miles away, my mind does constantly drift back to the cats.

I do worry for them when I am not around or when both cats are out and I'm indoors reading a book or watching TV. S came in today howling like he was injured but some quick thinking of... The dressing gown put his mind at rest.

Both cats are black and white. About their past heritage, we know little about. But one thing's for sure, I talk constantly and argue with the cats like they are my own human siblings. Talking to pets is actually good for your health and I've found myself to experience little loneliness when I am at home alone with them. I love them both and always will.