Living with cats has taught me something deeper than just personality differences.

Some cats love to climb.
Some cats love to hide in cozy spaces.

And for a long time, I thought those differences meant confidence vs. fear.

But what I’ve learned is this:

Both tree dwellers and bush dwellers can be confident —
 they just express it differently.

And the real shift happens when a cat moves into fear…
 into what I now understand as an “anti-dweller” state.

In this Diary of a Cat Mom podcast episode, I share what that looks like, and how I learned to support my kitty Maxie through it.

This is where I’ve gathered everything that helps me care for my cats and myself:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

What You’ll Learn in this Cat Podcast Episode

•  The difference between tree dwellers, bush dwellers, and fearful states 
•  Why hiding doesn’t always mean personality — it can mean fear 
•  How confident cats express themselves differently 
•  What happens when a cat shifts into survival mode 
•  How to support a fearful or sensitive cat without overwhelming them 
•  How your presence affects your cat’s sense of safety 

Timestamps & Chapters

00:00 Tree dwellers, bush dwellers, and anti-dwellers
 00:40 What confident cats actually look like
 01:40 Bush dwellers vs. tree dwellers (same confidence, different expression)
 02:40 What fear looks like: the “anti-dweller” state
 03:30 Maxie’s story and the challenge of care
 04:30 Understanding fear, mistrust, and sensitivity
 05:20 How I changed my approach
 06:00 Creating calm before interaction
 06:30 Final reflections

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

Help More Cat Parents. 🐾💕
Share your knowledge, experience, and story to help cat parents better understand their cats.
→ Learn More About Becoming a Guest
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-guest-package

Connect with Cat Parents. 🐾🐱
Reach an engaged community of cat parents and build trust in your brand.
→ Learn More About Sponsorship
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-sponsor-package

Life doesn’t just change for us—it changes for our cats, too.

In this episode of Diary of a Cat Mom, I share a personal reflection on how our emotions, stress, and energy directly affect our cats’ behavior. From anxiety and overwhelm to calm and balance, our inner world shapes theirs more than we realize.

If you’ve ever felt like everything spirals at once—your mood, your home, and your cat’s behavior—this episode will help you pause, reset, and reconnect.

This is where I’ve gathered everything that helps me care for my cats and myself:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

What You’ll Learn in this Cat Podcast Episode

•  How your emotional state affects your cat’s behavior 
•  Why anxious energy can create chaos at home 
•  A simple breathing technique to calm your nervous system 
•  How mindset shifts can reduce stress for both you and your cat 
•  Why “life is change” applies to your cats too 

Timestamps & Chapters

00:00 – Life is changing—for you and your cats
 00:18 – How your energy affects your cats
 00:48 – When stress creates chaos at home
 01:18 – Realization: your behavior impacts them
 01:48 – Learning to accept change
 02:15 – Staying calm and balanced
 02:35 – Real-life example: cat behavior & environment
 03:05 – Emotional reactions vs awareness
 03:40 – Breathing technique to regulate yourself
 04:05 – Creating calm for you and your cats
 04:20 – Final reflection and takeaway

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

Help More Cat Parents. 🐾💕
Share your knowledge, experience, and story to help cat parents better understand their cats.
→ Learn More About Becoming a Guest
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-guest-package

Connect with Cat Parents. 🐾🐱
Reach an engaged community of cat parents and build trust in your brand.
→ Learn More About Sponsorship
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-sponsor-package

This week felt heavy. Not just busy—but overwhelming in a way that affected everything… including my cats.

In this Diary of a Cat Mom podcast entry, I share what I noticed when my energy shifted—and how my cats responded in ways that made me pause, reflect, and reconnect.

Because being a cat mom isn’t just about care… it’s about energy.

This is where I’ve gathered everything that helps me care for my cats and myself:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

What You’ll Learn in this Cat Podcast Episode

• Why cats respond to your emotional state
• How overwhelm shows up in your behavior (without noticing)
• The hidden connection between presence and your cat’s comfort
• A simple way to reset your energy with your cats
• Why slowing down changes everything

Timestamps & Chapters

00:00 – Feeling overwhelmed this week
 00:18 – When your thoughts and body feel heavy
 00:32 – How my cats reacted to my energy
 00:50 – Being physically there vs emotionally present
 01:05 – The deeper meaning of being a cat mom
 01:20 – Slowing down and reconnecting
 01:35 – The shift: calm, grounded, connected
 01:50 – Closing reflection & next entry

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

Help More Cat Parents. 🐾💕
Share your knowledge, experience, and story to help cat parents better understand their cats.
→ Learn More About Becoming a Guest
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-guest-package

Connect with Cat Parents. 🐾🐱
Reach an engaged community of cat parents and build trust in your brand.
→ Learn More About Sponsorship
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-sponsor-package

Self-care and cats are deeply connected — more than we often realize.

In this cat podcast episode, I share what my mornings look like as a cat mom, and how easily caring for the kitties can take over everything if I’m not conscious about caring for myself too.

From forgotten vitamins and cold tea to a wake-up call from my own health, this episode is a reminder that we can’t pour from an empty cup. When our nervous system is overwhelmed, our bodies inflamed, and our needs pushed aside, it eventually catches up with us.

This Diary of a Cat Mom entry is a gentle reflection on slowing down, creating small self-care rituals, and learning to put the oxygen mask on yourself first — so you can truly be present for the cats you love.

You’re not doing anything wrong if you feel stretched thin.
 You’re human. And you matter too.

This is where I’ve gathered everything that helps me care for my cats and myself:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

Help More Cat Parents. 🐾💕
Share your knowledge, experience, and story to help cat parents better understand their cats.
→ Learn More About Becoming a Guest
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-guest-package

Connect with Cat Parents. 🐾🐱
Reach an engaged community of cat parents and build trust in your brand.
→ Learn More About Sponsorship
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-sponsor-package

Cat mom guilt is something many of us carry quietly.

In this Diary of a Cat Mom entry, I share how guilt used to follow me every time I left the house — even for things I needed, like appointments or moments of care for myself. The worry. The imagining. The feeling that I was abandoning the ones I love most.

Over time, I learned that caring deeply doesn’t mean carrying fear.
 And that taking care of ourselves is part of taking care of our cats.

This cat podcast episode is a gentle reflection on easing guilt, creating calm before leaving the house, and learning to trust that our cats are safe, loved, and okay — even when we step outside for a while.

If you’ve ever felt heavy closing the door behind you, this one is for you.

You’re not alone.

This is where I’ve gathered everything that helps me care for my cats and myself:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

Help More Cat Parents. 🐾💕
Share your knowledge, experience, and story to help cat parents better understand their cats.
→ Learn More About Becoming a Guest
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-guest-package

Connect with Cat Parents. 🐾🐱
Reach an engaged community of cat parents and build trust in your brand.
→ Learn More About Sponsorship
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-sponsor-package

Why do so many of us choose cats as our soul companions — especially as we move through different seasons of life?

In this gentle entry of Diary of a Cat Mom, I share a quiet reflection on why cats bring a sense of peace, emotional steadiness, and unconditional presence into our lives. This is not about fixing anything or offering advice — it’s simply about noticing the comfort cats offer when life feels heavy, uncertain, or overwhelming.

Cats don’t ask us to perform.

•  They don’t expect explanations.
•  They simply stay.

If you’re craving calm, emotional balance, or a reminder of why your cat means so much to you, this cat podcast episode is for you.

Thank you for listening.
You’re not alone on this journey.

This is where I’ve gathered everything that helps me care for my cats and myself:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

Help More Cat Parents. 🐾💕
Share your knowledge, experience, and story to help cat parents better understand their cats.
→ Learn More About Becoming a Guest
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-guest-package

Connect with Cat Parents. 🐾🐱
Reach an engaged community of cat parents and build trust in your brand.
→ Learn More About Sponsorship
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-sponsor-package

Trust is not something we teach our pets with words.
It’s something we build quietly, over time.

In this entry of Diary of a Cat Mom, I reflect on the importance of trust between pets and the people who care for them — how it’s shaped in everyday moments, how easily it can be shaken, and how gently it can be rebuilt.

This is a personal reflection from life with my cats — about safety, patience, emotional awareness, and learning to move at their pace instead of mine.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your pet truly trusts you — or how to protect that trust when care, fear, or difficult moments arise — this episode is for you.

This cat podcast is created for connection, comfort, and companionship.
 It is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice.

You’re not alone on this journey.
 We’re learning, loving, and growing together — one paw print at a time.

This is where I’ve gathered everything that helps me care for my cats and myself:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

Help More Cat Parents. 🐾💕
Share your knowledge, experience, and story to help cat parents better understand their cats.
→ Learn More About Becoming a Guest
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-guest-package

Connect with Cat Parents. 🐾🐱
Reach an engaged community of cat parents and build trust in your brand.
→ Learn More About Sponsorship
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-sponsor-package

Today in this Diary of a Cat Mom entry, I’m sharing something tender and heavy.

My experience visiting Max during intensive vet care — seeing him in a sterile cage, surrounded by machines, learning about insulin, feeding tubes, and slow healing.

It’s a moment that changed how I see caregiving, faith, fear, and what it really means to stay present when you feel overwhelmed.

This cat podcast episode is not medical advice.
 It’s a diary entry.
 A quiet reflection from a cat mom doing her best.

If you’ve ever sat in a vet hospital room, questioned your decisions, or learned to trust yourself one step at a time — this episode is for you.

This is where I’ve gathered everything that helps me care for my cats and myself:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

Help More Cat Parents. 🐾💕
Share your knowledge, experience, and story to help cat parents better understand their cats.
→ Learn More About Becoming a Guest
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-guest-package

Connect with Cat Parents. 🐾🐱
Reach an engaged community of cat parents and build trust in your brand.
→ Learn More About Sponsorship
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-sponsor-package

Free feeding felt like the kindest choice when I first started my cat journey.
Food was always available. No rules. No pressure.

But over time, my cats showed me something I didn’t expect.

The shy ones waited.
The confident ones moved freely.
And slowly, their bodies — and their behavior — began to change in opposite ways.

This Diary of a Cat Mom entry is a quiet reflection on what I noticed when I shifted from free feeding to controlled feeding. Not as a rule. Not as advice. But as an experiment born from watching my cats closely and wanting them to feel safe, healthy, and at ease with one another.

It surprised me how much structure changed not just their weight, but their confidence, their calm, and how they related to each other.

This is simply my experience — shared gently in this cat podcast, for any cat parent who has ever wondered if small changes can make a big difference.

This is where I’ve gathered everything that helps me care for my cats and myself:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

Help More Cat Parents. 🐾💕
Share your knowledge, experience, and story to help cat parents better understand their cats.
→ Learn More About Becoming a Guest
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-guest-package

Connect with Cat Parents. 🐾🐱
Reach an engaged community of cat parents and build trust in your brand.
→ Learn More About Sponsorship
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-sponsor-package

Some guilt shows up later — when we look back and imagine what we could have done differently.

This Diary of a Cat Mom entry is a quiet reflection on letting go of the past, feeling gratitude for the kitties who were part of it, and being fully present with the cats who are here now.

This is where I’ve gathered everything that helps me care for my cats and myself:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

Diary of a Cat Mom is a gentle, diary-style cat podcast about everyday life with cats—created especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes who see their cats as family.

Resources for Cat Parents
Everything I use for my cats is here: https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/

About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast

Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom, not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, always consult your trusted veterinarian.

Help More Cat Parents. 🐾💕
Share your knowledge, experience, and story to help cat parents better understand their cats.
→ Learn More About Becoming a Guest
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-guest-package

Connect with Cat Parents. 🐾🐱
Reach an engaged community of cat parents and build trust in your brand.
→ Learn More About Sponsorship
https://stan.store/fromhereai/p/podcast-sponsor-package