My Cat Acts Like a Toddler

This evening my cat got her head stuck in a plastic bag she stole from the garbage. As I was chasing her down to extricate her from her mess, I realized that in some ways cats are like toddlers. Obviously, cats are waaaaaay less work than an actual toddler, but there are undeniable similarities.

People with toddlers baby-proof the house so the kids don't get into things that are dangerous or messy, and I've had to do the same thing. All over the house, things that used to be stored out in the open are now tucked away into drawers and other non-cat accessible areas. We haven't had to put those baby locks on the cupboard doors (yet), but we no longer get take for granted that anything we leave out will be in the same place when we come back for it. It doesn't help that I crochet, so there is a lot of yarn that used to just be laying around. Now it's all tucked away so that the dumb animal doesn't eat it and mess up her guts.

Then there's the whole toilet issue. Again, I'm not comparing litter box maintenance with changing diapers, but I am dealing with the animal's poop on at least a daily basis. Also, I swear that she finds us and situates herself as close to use as she can before she passes gas. I have lived with cats before, but I had no idea that their farts smelled so bad until Thud came around.

Christmas is another thing that presents similar challenges to people with cats in the house as it does for those with toddlers. Earlier this week I decorated my Christmas tree, mostly with delicate glass ornaments. I distributed them with an eye towards balance and beauty, and the tree looked lovely. I'm glad I took a picture when I was done, because the next day half the tree was re-organized. I had to remove all the ornaments from the bottom branches because the cat was attacking them rather vigorously, and I was afraid she was going to bring down the whole tree. Now that there aren't any shiny things that she can reach and destroy, she's started chewing on the tree itself. I haven't lived with a toddler in a while, do they do that too?

I never get too exasperated with the fuzzy-faced critter, though, because she's sure to do something adorable before too long. And as soon as she does, I'm whipping out my camera like a sucker, trying to capture the moment of cute before she goes back to being a terror. I have a feeling that many parents of toddlers feel the same way.