Lora Lee 
Summer break is almost over. My couple of months of being a stay-at-home Cat Mom is sadly coming to an end. The end of summer break is always hard for me. Gone are the lazy days of summer. Of not having to wake up to an alarm clock. Being able to use the bathroom whenever I want will no longer be a luxury. Having lunch when I am hungry and not when the bell rings for lunch period will take some getting used to again. Putting on “real” clothes and actually doing my hair and makeup will be a struggle. All of those are going to be difficult, but the hardest part will be not being able to spend all day, every day with my babies. Going back to reality will be an adjustment not only for me, but for them as well.
Back to Routine
We all know that cats like routine. They are creatures of habit who thrive on daily routine. It helps them feel safe and confident. During the school year, my cats are on a very strict schedule. We don’t have the luxury of time in the mornings. So, they know that they have a certain amount of time to eat their breakfast before I have to pick up their bowls. Over the summer, our time schedules are little more relaxed. Breakfast time comes a little bit later during the summer. It takes them a little bit to realize that breakfast may be a little later than usual. I really try to keep them as close to their normal feeding times as possible. But I am not waking up at 6 am during the summer and they quickly realize this.
This past week I went to school to work a couple of days. Helping pass out student schedules and taking some time to get my classroom set back up. For 2 days, I was back to waking up at 6 am and doing my normal school year morning routine. To say that the cats were slightly confused is an understatement. The first morning, they really struggled with eating their breakfast in their allotted time. They were waiting by the front door for their screen porch time. A look of disappointment and confusion were on their faces as I said my goodbyes and walked out of the door, locking it behind me. However, cats are very quick to learn and remember. On the second morning, they were ready for breakfast as soon as the alarm went off and finished it way before I needed to leave. Really smart kitties.
Harder On Me
I do believe that those 2 days were harder on me than them. They, probably, did not miss me as much as I missed them. I am sure that they missed, mainly because I am the one with thumbs that can open doors and play with the wand toys with them. But I could tell that they missed our snuggle times as well. They all tried to get pets and snuggles as soon as I got home. However, I know that I missed all of those things more than them. I was able to watch them on our security cameras during the day. After a few moments of watching and wondering if I was coming back into the house, they went about their business doing their own cat things. Franklin and Sloopy went back to their favorite sleeping spots. Emmet and Hemingway went to munch on some of the freeze dried raw that I leave out for them. Bodie watched the kittens, Lily and Cactus, run and play as kittens do. Eventually, everyone settled down for the one of many naps that they will take throughout the day.
They seemed to have adjusted just fine to me being gone all day again. I, however, was not fine. I missed my babies. The random, impromptu, right here, right now snuggles from Hemingway. The demanding meows from Emmet when he wants a treat. Playing and training Cactus and Lily and laughing at their kitten shenanigans. Not having Bodie as my bathroom chaperone. And having Sloopy and Franklin catnapping beside me. It was hard not being able to pet and snuggle them whenever I wanted. Cats are great for our mental health. And mine help keep me grounded and happy. I will definitely miss the all-day purr therapy sessions once school starts.
One Day…
The day will come when I am able to be a full time stay at home Cat Mom. When I am able to write and create content while my furry cowriters nap beside me. I have worked hard over this summer taking workshops, learning ways to help keep my cats happy and healthy, writing blogs sharing all the information I have learned and creating content and building my social media presence. I have started taking training courses in a new cat related field that will allow me to help not only my own cats, but other cats in need, as well as cat parents (more about this to come). There is, also, a book in the making for the future. I have a lot going on in my effort to be able to stay at home with my babies. Many balls in the air. It is going to be hard to keep all those balls in the air once school starts, but it will be worth it when it all pays off. And it will soon!
“I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.” – Jean Cocteau
