How Cats Can Help Me Understand My ADHD
The more I learn about my newly diagnosed ADHD, the more I realise just how much cats have helped me feel more like myself. They have helped me accept the parts of me that can sometimes feel a little chaotic, impulsive, emotional or hard to explain. In many ways, cats have their own beautifully complex personalities too, and that has made me look at both them and myself with a lot more kindness.
Cats can be impulsive, curious, neurotic, agreeable, confident, independent, affectionate, dominant, playful and sensitive, sometimes all in the same day. One minute they want attention, the next they need space. One minute they are full of energy, the next they are curled up somewhere quiet, recovering from the world. As someone learning more about ADHD, I find that strangely comforting. It reminds me that having different moods, needs and energy levels does not make you difficult. It just makes you individual.
Looking After Cats
Looking after a cat can also bring a gentle kind of structure. Feeding times, fresh water, litter checks, playtime and quiet moments together can all become small anchors in the day. For someone with ADHD, routines can sometimes feel hard to build, but caring for a cat gives those routines a reason. It is not just a task on a list; it is an act of care for a little life that depends on you.
Cats also have a way of bringing you back into the present moment. Stroking a cat, listening to them purr, watching them play or simply sitting beside them can feel grounding. When your mind is busy, racing or jumping from one thing to another, a cat can slow the moment down. They do not need you to be perfect. They just need you to be there.
Cat Personalities
This is something I have been thinking about even more through our Zoom Party Mini Series on Cat Personalities, which I am running with our guest speaker Elaine, a cat expert. Each week, we have been chatting with fellow cat lovers about their cats, sharing recommendations and exploring The Feline Five questionnaire, which looks at different cat personality traits.
We are only halfway through the series, but already we have learned so much. It has been lovely hearing people talk about their cats, recognising familiar behaviours and realising that every cat has their own mix of traits, quirks and needs. It has also helped us build a stronger little community of people who really understand how much cats mean to us.
On Reflection
For me, learning about cat personalities has also helped me reflect on my own. ADHD can sometimes make you feel like you are too much, too scattered, too sensitive or too inconsistent. But cats remind me that personality is not something to apologise for. It is something to understand.
Maybe that is one of the biggest gifts cats give us. They teach us patience, acceptance and unconditional love in their own quiet, funny and sometimes dramatic way. They remind us that we do not have to fit neatly into one box. We can be playful, sensitive, independent, affectionate, overwhelmed, curious and full of life.
Just like them.
