Ways my cat helps me to be an adult

People say that having children makes you more of an adult. And its true, most of the time. My brother might be the possible exception (love you, bro). I don’t have children, but in the last year I have acquired a cat, and she has made me more adult (and has been practice for someday having children). Here are some ways:

1. She doesn’t let me sleep in. At approximate 5:30 a.m. every morning my cat decides its time to wake up and do one of the following: scratch the brand new chair in the bedroom, sit on my chest and hit me in the nose with her paw, push the books off my dresser/nightstand/etc, climb behind the wooden blinds making them clack, or play with anything fragile I happen to have in the bedroom. One of these usually brings me to consciousness, at least long enough to yell at her.
2. She requires play. My cat requires a certain amount of playtime every day. I can’t just drift into my own world when I get home. And she makes it quite obvious if I’m not playing with her and she wants me to. (See above list re: knocking things over)
3. She never leaves me alone for long. I do not have one of those aloof cats that could care less if you’re around as long as she has food. My cat has to be where I am and doesn’t understand why she’s not the center of attention when I’m washing dishes, or working on the computer, or making dinner.
4. She is helping me learn how to not spoil a child. I admit that my cat is fairly spoiled. She has definite ways of making her wants and desires known. And she’s so darn cute that sometimes I want to give her treats just because… but in order to keep my own sanity I am learning how to not give in to everything she “asks” for.