5 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE TAKING IN A STRAY KITTEN

MEET SUKI ↴

1. "ZOOMIES" ARE A THING

If you didn't know, cats do this thing that cat-lovers everywhere have dubbed "the zoomies." According to the internet, it is defined as "periods of hyperactivity where you may notice your cat moving around the house rapidly, perhaps in laps or up and down the stairs."

It happens at the most random times. Actually, as I am writing this at 1am, my Suki is running laps - going in a circle on top of my bed, to the bathroom, in my closet, and on my desk all in around 10 seconds. She doesn't care what's in her way either! She will step on it and mess up my already messy room! I thought this was a myth at first as how could my little, normally very calm kitten do that? I was quickly proven wrong.

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2. THEY'RE EXPENSIVE (and you may always think something is wrong with them, but 98% of the time they are just being dramatic)

First things first, I had to get her checked at the vet to make sure she was healthy and to see if she had to microchip. Thankfully, Suki was 100% healthy (except for having fleas which is expected from being a stray cat and all.) She did not have a microchip, so... it was official, Suki was going to be my little girl.

Of course, I got her flea medication to help her be more comfortable and, obviously, to not have fleas in my apartment.

Now, here is where all the money comes out -- it was time to get her spayed. I wanted her to have the best care so I paid a premium price for that. (Side note - isn't it pretty messed up that you have to pay more to know your pet is having the best care? Weird.) I also opted to get her the E-collar (AKA the "cone of shame") so she would not irritate her surgical scar. When she got home, it was so funny to me because she was so loopy and high (see to the left - an adorable photo of Suki being very confused.) A day later, I was looking for E-collar alternatives as it was hard for her to move around, eat and drink, and go to the litter box. I found something called a Suitical, which is basically like a baby onesie that covers the incision to ensure a swift, healthy recovery. I thought this was perfect! Long story short, she hated it. She would tremble and twitch with it on. Honestly, this next part is on me and my new-found cat mom ___. I hadn't heard about other cats reacting this way to the Suitcal so I thought she was having bad reactions to the surgery or the pain medications. I took her to two $200 vet appointments for the vet to come and say she was just being dramatic with the onesie. Thanks Suki....

I ended up switching her to a padded E-collar that allowed more mobility and provided her with more comfort. She also looked like the most adorable little flower (see first photo in this blog post.)

In hindsight, I was being a bit of a drama queen as well. But, I don't mind paying for peace of mind and ensuring my girl is 100% okay and healthy.

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3. THEY WILL WAKE YOU UP AT 6AM... EVERY MORNING

Didn't sleep until 4am? Your cat doesn't care! They will wake you up when they want you to be up! I don't know if they have this crazy accurate internal clock or if they just wake up when the sun does, but Suki does not fail to wake me up at 6am on the dot every morning.

I will admit, I do get a little annoyed when she does that. But the second I look at her little face and huge eyes, how could I ever be mad?

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4. IF YOU SHARE A BATHROOM WITH THEM, BEWARE OF STRAY LITTER EVERYWHERE

When your kitty goes to the bathroom, they have this innate thing they do where they kick and dig the litter before and after they're done with their business. Obviously, some litter is going to make it out of the box. Not going to lie, there is nothing worse than getting litter stuck to your feet when you go to your bathroom in the morning. There are litter mats you can buy to trap the litter as well, but honestly it's not too much of a hassle to sweep up the stray litter -- it is a bit annoying, though.

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5. YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU COULD LOVE SOMETHING SO MUCH

Let me tell you a story --

One day, my parents found a tiny stray kitten in our backyard. I have always been a dog person so when they told me, I honestly was not that interested. I figured, the house dog is mine and the kitten is my sister’s. But Suki, was being very affectionate and wanting to be loved by everyone in the house kept coming up to me. She was constantly cuddling and meowing at me and before a full 48 hours, Suki was my little girl -- I felt like I would anything for her. I had to move back to San Diego for school and I registered her as my emotional support animal and now she happily lives with me in my apartment.

There is nothing specific that let me to initially believe what I felt about cats. No traumatic cat attack when I was child or anything -- I simply just preferred dogs. The only thing I can think of was that I thought all cats were mean, did not like cuddles, and always wanted to be alone. Suki quickly changed my perception about cats. I was wrong to generalize cats in that way.

Once I had the realization that I was wrong, I felt so bad for not instantly being excited and loving to Lisa when she first became apart of the family. I learned to never generalize a whole population because of the actions of a few. In conclusion, I am now a proud cat mommy.

Suki never fails to make me smile. Whenever I've had a particularly bad day or a long day at school, when I open my apartment door to her little face and her soft meows begging me to show her attention, I can't help but to feel that everything is okay -- because she loves me and I love her.

Kittens grow so darn fast, so I always cherish the moments I have with her while she still a goofy, 5 pound baby. I can't wait to grow up with her.