Kittens are a Migraine Gal’s best friend

You remember how I got a kitten a few months ago? And how I was hoping that having her in my life would make me feel more comforted and at ease, especially in the midst of a migraine?

Well, it’s working. I’m not getting fewer migraines because of her, and I’m not going to claim that she’s making me physically healthier. But having her around helps a lot.

At times I go to feed her and realize that I myself have gone a long time without eating. Having her reminds me it’s time to snack.

She is so danged cute that I often interrupt my 12- and 15-hour workdays to play with her and her toys—I look at the clock and realize it’s been hours since I got up from my desk. Having her to play with reminds me that I need to play, too.

Once in awhile, I’ll be working at the computer and she’ll nestle right beside me (as she’s doing now), placing one of her soft little paws on my forearm. I stop, take a minute to pet her, and can feel myself happy and smiling. Having this adorable little animal next to me, looking into my eyes and begging to be pet, reminds me to take a little break, take a deep breath, and do something that relaxes me.

And just now—just this moment, really!—she knocked my to-do list off the couch and started batting it around the floor. A less than subtle reminder that it’s 9:10 PM and I’ve been working since 7:45 AM. Maybe it’s time to just take a break, she seems to suggest as she bats the to-do list under the couch.

Of course I’m being partly playful when I outline all the ways in which she reminds me to take note of the little things. Wally can’t know what in particular I’m working on, nor can she understand the pain I am going through during a migraine. But animals like her are intelligent, and she can sense when the energy has shifted. She is a sweet, affectionate companion, and she does provide me with so much comfort when I am lonely or tired or just plain overwhelmed.