It’s a pretty well-known fact these days that pets are good for you — the health benefits range from lowering your blood pressure and lessening anxiety to helping increase your physical activity — but let’s not forget how dramatically your life changes when you get one. If you think owning a cat, for example, will fill your world with fuzzy, adorable joy… well, you’re not wrong, but BuzzFeed’s “Before vs. After Getting a Cat” video gives you a better picture of what else will change along with Mittens’ arrival in your home.
I have two cats, both rescues; I gained one when I moved in with my boyfriend during the summer of 2013, and we ended up adopting a second a few months after that. Cat Number 1 tolerates me, but doesn’t tend to bug me too often — I’m the Other Woman as far as she’s concerned, so it’s to be expected. Cat Number 2, however? Hoo boy. If she wants food, cuddles, or playtime, there is no stopping her. Every single one of the things in this video happened when we adopted her, and what’s more, they’re still facts of life on a day-to-day basis now. I’m pretty sure every other cat owner in the world is with me here. Am I right, or am I right?
Here’s just a taste of the things that change when you get a cat:
Waking Up:
In life BC (before cat), you can feel free to hit the snooze button and grab another five minutes of shuteye (or 10, or 20, or…).
In life AC (after cat), however, a small, furry, and very insistent creature will begin crawling all over you as soon as the sun comes up. If she wants food, she will meow loudly. If she wants to play, she will whack you in the face with her paw. No matter what she wants, she will not stop until she gets it.
Décor:
Cat-free homes are sleek and stylish; neat-o Escher prints hang from the walls.
Cat-run homes, on the other hand, have toys spread all over the floor and cat-shaped tchotchkes cluttering up your surfaces; tacky cat prints hang from the halls.
Working from Home:
Without a cat, you’re able to stay focused and on-task in a mercifully quiet and distraction-free environment.
With a cat, you will never get anything productive accomplished ever again.
Bathroom Time:
Bathroom time in a cat-less home is generally uneventful and often used as Internet browsing time.
Bathroom time in a home with a cat, however, is… shall we say, an adventure. Seriously, you guys. One of mine head-butts the door open if you don’t let her in with you before hand. Yes, it's weird. And yes, I put up with it, because for all their weirdness? Cats are awesome.
Watch the whole video below for four more hilarious before-and-after situations:
Images: BuzzFeedVideo/YouTube (8)
