Blue the Therapist: How She Keeps Me Sane While Working From Home

Hi, I’m Amanda! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Blue, my fluffy fire point Himalayan-Persian cat.

Blue is more than a companion to me. I should probably have her on the payroll for the time and energy she spends listening to me babble throughout the day. She is my tiny, fluffy therapist whose superpower is lending an ear.

A little preface to this title is probably necessary for you to understand the context a bit better:

My husband recently took a day off for himself. Since I work from home, he vowed to keep to himself and away from the space designated solely for getting down to business. No interruptions unless I initiated them. I sound lovely, I know, but a girl’s gotta focus. During his hours of rest, he thought I spent most of the day in meetings because my voice carried throughout our house, almost like I had no breaks. When he asked me how my day and the abundance of Zoom chats had gone, I was confused, knowing I had spent zero time on calls. This is the first time I realized that maybe not everyone talks out loud to themselves when they are alone.

Quiet Queen

I prefer to believe that my situation is different. It may appear I am talking to myself, but Blue is always here. Ready for a session when it starts to bubble out of my mouth. Cats are exceptional listeners. Blue especially. She sticks by me, never interrupts, and rarely gets up to leave mid-monologue. She is truly masterful at her profession.

Then, there are days when her voice fills my cubby with sound. Sitting patiently chair-side,  she requests that I swivel towards her so she can use me as a bridge to her bed positioned on the table behind me. Other times, this process is reversed. From the table, she pleads for me to turn so my legs can help her down instead of having to travel three feet straight to the floor. I get it. It must be hard on the joints, and I don’t mind being the gateway to more effortless mobility.

If I were to estimate the ratio of who talks more, Blue would graciously hover around 10%, and I selfishly take full advantage of the remaining 90%. Another reason she makes a great therapist. Several times, I have mentioned how Blue and I are the perfect pair as work-from-home colleagues in my articles, and here we are again. I’m singing her praise for being an absolute gem of a cat associate.

Remotely Unbothered

I would never trade my spot for anything else. I am incredibly lucky to work remotely, but work-from-home jobs can be tricky sometimes. Most people poke fun at the mundane water cooler chats or the brief small talk you have in passing while in an office setting but being by yourself the majority of the week can make the sanest of people a little loopy from time to time. So, although she cannot offer any words of wisdom or help me navigate my thoughts with open-ended questions, I appreciate Blue being my daytime emotional support animal. I can usually come to a resolution on my own, anyway. Most of the jargon exiting my mouth doesn’t make much sense unless you’re in my head, so there’s that.

Do other cat owners talk out loud when it’s just you and your cat at home? If so, please share! I’d be happy to learn there is a community of people who confide in their cat therapists, too.