Breaking the Cycle
May 28, 2014
Often we are met with reoccurring events which become patterns. Patterns exist and can be dealt with only when we realize that they are patterns. If we like those patterns, it’s okay but what if we don’t like those patterns? What then?
The first step to breaking a cycle or unwanted pattern is realizing it is a pattern. The second step of course is dealing with it.
About 13 years ago, I was in the market for an acreage I joked to my friends that I was going to buy an acreage and become one of those single cat ladies who has cats all over the place. I was not very successful in the dating scene I reflected so I thought this was the ticket to being alone. Turns out I didn’t buy an acreage by myself. I got married and didn’t need to become a cat lady.
After my husband died last year I suddenly began attracting cats. What? It didn’t really sink in as a potential problem until I purchased an acreage and guess what? I also purchased some feral cats to go along with the place. These little ladies were not your typical house cats and of course being the typical feral cats that they were, they both had kittens. I had a dilemma. I wanted to get rid of all of the cats but they did not want to get rid of me.
Luckily after they gave birth my wonderful son heard the kittens mewing and we easily removed them from under the front deck. We made them a kitty house in one of the sheds complete with warm blankie, tall-sided box, food and water, an opening for the mother cats to leap in and out without being able to remove kittens and of course a litter box.
My son and I handle the kittens every day breaking the cycle of feral cats that are running around here. I also tell the mother cats out loud (because they do not like to share much of anything with me) that we are breaking the cycle. After their kittens are weaned they will have the opportunity to be tame cats who will enjoy the love of a human and will not be running scared all over the place. And also thanks to the organization Little Cats Lost, the mother cats will be fixed and returned to me where they can enjoy the rest of their lives here but not have to continually procreate. It’s a win-win situation. I am working on breaking this cycle.
Often we are met with reoccurring events which become patterns. Patterns exist and can be dealt with only when we realize that they are patterns. If we like those patterns, it’s okay but what if we don’t like those patterns? What then?
The first step to breaking a cycle or unwanted pattern is realizing it is a pattern. The second step of course is dealing with it.
About 13 years ago, I was in the market for an acreage I joked to my friends that I was going to buy an acreage and become one of those single cat ladies who has cats all over the place. I was not very successful in the dating scene I reflected so I thought this was the ticket to being alone. Turns out I didn’t buy an acreage by myself. I got married and didn’t need to become a cat lady.
After my husband died last year I suddenly began attracting cats. What? It didn’t really sink in as a potential problem until I purchased an acreage and guess what? I also purchased some feral cats to go along with the place. These little ladies were not your typical house cats and of course being the typical feral cats that they were, they both had kittens. I had a dilemma. I wanted to get rid of all of the cats but they did not want to get rid of me.
Luckily after they gave birth my wonderful son heard the kittens mewing and we easily removed them from under the front deck. We made them a kitty house in one of the sheds complete with warm blankie, tall-sided box, food and water, an opening for the mother cats to leap in and out without being able to remove kittens and of course a litter box.
My son and I handle the kittens every day breaking the cycle of feral cats that are running around here. I also tell the mother cats out loud (because they do not like to share much of anything with me) that we are breaking the cycle. After their kittens are weaned they will have the opportunity to be tame cats who will enjoy the love of a human and will not be running scared all over the place. And also thanks to the organization Little Cats Lost, the mother cats will be fixed and returned to me where they can enjoy the rest of their lives here but not have to continually procreate. It’s a win-win situation. I am working on breaking this cycle.