Information Overload. HELP!!!

In my efforts to be the best Cat Mom, and now the best Dedicated Feline Enthusiast, I am constantly researching, reading, watching videos and attending seminars and conferences about how I can provide all that my babies need to be happy and healthy. All of this can lead to information overload and a sense of not knowing where to begin. I find myself in this state almost daily. And if you have been following my blogs, you might also find yourself in this kind of mental state with all of the information that I have been sharing. Hopefully, this blog will help you process everything and decide where to start on your own journey with your cats.

Start Small

This was the biggest thing that I needed to learn, and still remember. I was taking in so much amazing information that I wanted to implement. And I wanted to implement it all NOW! The more that I learned, the more I felt myself getting overwhelmed. This new supplement will help keep them healthy. But how do I add it to their diets? This technique would help create harmony in my house. How do I add that to my already busy day? This cat tree would give my cats, who like higher places, what they need. Where would I put it? It was a lot, and I was started to get frustrated.

I had to take a step back and think about how I needed to approach it all. Taking small steps in the right direction is the way to success. There was no way I was going to be able to implement EVERYTHING that I was learning at one time. It was too much and I, contrary to popular belief, am not Superwoman. More like Catwoman, lol. I thought about what was most important to me, and my cats, at that time. That is where I started.

Lists of Information

I am a list maker, both professionally and personally. I love making lists. There is something so satisfying to me about checking things off of my lists. Of course, I started making lists of everything that I was learning and wanted to try, start or change in regard to my cats. I have lists everywhere. In notebooks, on pads, in my phone. Everywhere. And the lists get sorted into categories. Home, enrichment, health, food, behaviors and such.

This helped keep me mentally organized and I started to feel less overwhelmed. Because I am such a creature of routine, like my cats, it was easy for me to start implementing some of the smaller items on my lists. It really didn’t take too much time to add a new supplement to their meals when preparing them. Putting down an herb garden from Naturally Cats, so they could self-select what they needed to their well-being was easy enough. So, they got a couple of gardens around the house. (There will be an article of this on Thursday, so check back.) Starting small and checking those things off my lists helped to not feel overwhelmed.

Is It Working?

Starting small also helps you to monitor progress. Is that supplement really helping my cat? Are they benefitting from the herbs in this new garden? Is this a change in their poop after I switched proteins? Monitoring and observing how your cats are reacting to anything new that you introduce them to is important. You really need to make sure that whatever you are implementing is actually benefitting your cat. If not, it becomes a waste of time and money.

Start with one thing on your list and do it for a month. That will give you time to make it part of your routine and time to see if this is giving your cat what they need. If it does, great. If not, then move on. The next month you can add another thing on your list. And repeat the process.

Just Breathe

If you find yourself on information overload, and I apologize if I am the cause, just remember to breathe. Yes, it is a lot. Yes, you want to try new things to see if your cat will benefit from them. And you can. Just take it small and breathe when you are feeling overwhelmed. Remember cats are energetic beings and will pick up on any anxiety and stress that you are feeling. Then you will find yourself research how to calm an anxious cat, when you are the very reason they are anxious.

I do hope that this has helped in some way. I know that as cat parents, we all want to provide the very best care for our babies. Although it can seem overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be. Now, I am going to add some things to my lists and check off some other things. It is a constant process. But one with such great benefits.

“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.” – Terry Pratchett