I've always wanted a cat, although I wasn't a "cat person" from the beginning. The idea slowly grew on me as I found myself endlessly scrolling through videos of British Shorthairs. Eventually, I decided to finally get one after graduating from college.
I joined a waitlist at a British Shorthair cattery, and that’s how I welcomed my first cat into my life on Christmas day.
Naming
As a first-time cat owner, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to name my cat after my favorite virtual assistant at the time: Siri.
What I didn’t realize was that both Siri the assistant and Siri the cat would respond… entirely based on their mood.
Sometimes my iPhone confidently carries out commands like “Siri, turn on the lights” while my cat stares at me in complete confusion. Other times, my cat responds, but my phone stays silent. It’s chaotic, a little ridiculous, and honestly pretty funny.
Still, I do regret the name a bit, because I can’t help but imagine that years from now, “Siri” might only wake up my phone, not my cat.
Spaying Experience
About two months after bringing Siri home, I scheduled her spay surgery on Valentine’s Day.
I figured it could count as a Valentine’s gift. I’m not entirely sure she appreciated it, but technically… she did get a gift.
The whole experience was more stressful for me than for her. Dropping her off that morning felt a lot harder than I expected, and I kept checking the time, waiting for the call to pick her up. When I finally got to the clinic, the vet tech was calmly explaining that Siri would be quiet and drowsy for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, inside the carrier, Siri was doing the exact opposite. She was loudly protesting, throwing herself against the sides of the carrier, and aggressively trying to escape her cone.
Seeing her like that made me question my “gift-giving choices,” but she recovered quickly over the next few days.
She didn’t love the Valentine’s Day surprise… but in the long run, it was probably the best gift I could give her.
Routines matter
Siri thrives on routine. She’s so used to my schedule that she’s basically my living alarm clock.
If I don’t get into bed by 9 PM, she becomes incredibly vocal-meowing nonstop until I give in. And if I’m not out of the house by 7:45 AM, she makes sure I know I’m running late.
It’s equal parts adorable and demanding, but I guess that’s life with a cat.
To be continued...