After putting it together, I had my doubts about whether or not she would actually use it. My husband commented that I probably needed to put catnip on it so she would like it. That concerned me because I wasn’t exactly sure where I had put the catnip. But I wasn’t going to be overly worried about it until later. Alia never ventures out of her hiding space until after the kids go to bed, so I had a while to wait.
She didn’t need any encouragement. From the moment she spotted it, she jumped up on it, curled up in the house, played with the mouse toy, and stared down at the dogs with contempt. She seemed so excited and happy, which, in turn, made me ecstatic.
Watching her on her tree made me think about how we all need a space that makes us feel totally safe and happy. We can always adapt and make do, but when we find that place where we can let go and become totally vulnerable, without having to worry about being vulnerable, that’s amazing. That’s when you get to be yourself. That’s when you get to let everything go.
These moments and having this space is so important. Without it, the world is just an awful place. For me, my haven (my cat tree) is at home. It’s where I can finally unwind from a busy day, pull my hair up, and put on my sweats. I don’t have to be “on.” I don’t have to worry about work. Granted, it’s not always a paradise, but it’s where I feel safe. And, like the cat, it gives me a perfect perch to look upon the world.
