6 Signs Your Home Is Ruled by Cats

Now that you have chosen your pet (or they have chosen you), let's see what your home may look like once the newness has worn off. There’s a reason cat owners, as well as other animals, are sometimes referred to as “staff.” Cats have a way of burrowing in and taking over not only your heart, but your home too. Take a look at your house for these telltale signs that a cat is running the show. 

1. Random Litterbox Locations

Corner of the dining room, smack dab in the middle of the home office, in the master bathtub? Use to keep mine in the bathtub so the litter wouldn't get all over. Much easier to keep clean. Just lift it out when you're ready to take a shower or bath. Cat owners know it's easier to have it where the cats want it than to clean up a mess.

2. Cat Pillows

Your cat may find a favorite pillow they like on the couch, in a chair, or on the bed. You can tell by the indentation left by their body which one it will be. It will also collect an increasing amount of fur. Kirby has a favorite pillow on the couch that he always uses. Sunlight from the window will shine on him while he naps. Ah, such a life! Needless to say, Mom or I don't use that pillow anymore.

3. Limited Access to Technology

Some cats love to lie on a warm keyboard. Cat-ruled humans know that removing the cat from the keyboard sounds much easier than it is. Your cat will keep returning to claim his spot — or force you to abandon your computer. Mine have never liked to lie on the keyboard, but they will get up in my lap or stand on the desk looking at the monitor and do everything to get my attention.

4. Uncomfortable Sleeping Arrangements

When you walk into your bedroom at night and see a cat lying on your pillow, what do you do? Squeeze in somewhere else, of course! Cat owners know that nobody but the cat gets to sleep where and when they want. My two would lie on the side of the bed and eventually move me completely over during the night by gently "kneading" my side. When I would wake up in the morning, I would be hanging on to the edge of the bed for dear life! They were smack dab in the middle wondering what was wrong with me.

5. Sleeping Schedules That Aren't Your Own

Homes run by cats are those that rise early. If it's not the furry face staring at you, it's the incessant meowing, the blinds rattling, items falling off shelves or other disturbing noises the cat purposefully makes. No one sleeps through breakfast when cats are in charge. Kirby isn't too bad, but Sammy is pacing all over my computer desk, the night table, up in the window, jumping down on top of me, or anything else he can think of!

6. Shredded Cat Trees

The 10-year-old, shag-carpet-covered, shredded cat tree is the one the felines want, so it's what a cat-managed home has. And cat owners know this truth: Get rid of the favorite cat tree and put your furniture, rugs, windowsills and perhaps even your own body in peril. The one Sammy used was lying in pieces around the house before I finally got rid of it. He hasn't liked anything I've bought since, so I have to watch him pretty closely with his scratching.

Is yours a cat-managed home? Please tell us about some of your experiences with your cat/s.

Marion Lovato is the author of Sam, the Superkitty.  Her book describes an ordinary cat changing into a superhero to protect his family from things that go bump in the night.  Available on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle edition.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1604588667