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It has been known and scientifically recognized that owning a pet has countless benefits, from providing a loyal companionship to improving your mental health. I, myself was grown up with a lot of cats and I have known from my own experience that when you give your pets the love, care, and protection they need, they will love you back and keep on loving you unconditionally. It’s just the way it is with pets.
I spent, however, almost 10 years of my adult life without owning a cat or any other pet for that matters. I was worried that I won’t be physically able to take good care of my cat when full-blown Meniere’s attacks would strike. Again.
The last couple of years, I had been struggling with the question of whether I should or shouldn’t own a pet when coping with my Meniere’s disease. Thankfully, I have always been able to take care of myself without any help, which means that I am also capable of and willing to take care of a pet, in particular, a cat..
Prior to adopting my cat from the local shelter back in November 2014, I compiled a check-list with the requirements, pros, cons of owning my future cat. Cats are generally more independent than, let say, dogs.
And just like dogs, cats do need their own structure and daily routines, especially when it comes to their feeding time. Having said that, my check-list also includes the following main requirements:
1. My cat needs to be an indoor cat
Two of my previous cats are killed in a road accident, which has left me with fear of losing my cat to the “cat’s outdoor world.” So, owning an indoor cat is one of the must-have requirements on my check-list.
I live downtown and don’t allow my cat to go outside without me. Surprisingly, he seems to be very content with his own “me time” looking at the birds and busy traffic through his windowsill. In fact, he doesn’t even seem to have the need to go further than our own balcony.
2. My cat needs to be a litter-free cat
There is no way around that providing a fresh, clean litter box comes with the daily responsibilities of owning a cat. However, it doesn’t have to be a “conventional” litter box and indeed, it doesn’t necessarily involve a cat litter at all. Scooping my cat’s poop and having Meniere’s attacks simply won’t do.
So, my cat followed his cat toilet training from day one using his Litter Kwitter. As expected, there were several setbacks and toilet accidents but with love, patience, praise and a lot of snacks, my cat already became a litter-free cat before he reached the age of 7 months old.
3. My cat needs to be able to feed himself
There are times – especially during and right after my Meniere’s attacks – when I am almost completely bound to my own bed. That’s why, it is vital that my cat is able and gets used to feed himself using his PetSafe’s pet feeder when needed.
Besides, setting the pet feeder’s timer at 04.00 o’clock in the morning enables my cat to have his early breakfast and it also allows me to sleep until about 06.00 o’clock.
My ginger cat and I have been together for almost 15 months. In contrast to what I have been saying about “owning a cat”, the fact is that my ginger cat owns me, and I love him to death for it.
So, my answer to the question of whether you should or shouldn’t own a pet when coping with Meniere’s disease is YES, provided that you are (still) capable of and willing to take good care of both yourself and your pet.
Do you own a pet when you are coping with Meniere’s disease yourself? Share your story in the comment section below. Thank you.
Bonus tips:
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