Parkinsonian and Cats: The Strange Relationship
When You Have Parkinson’s… and a Cat
In a world full of emotional support animals, mine took the idea and ran with it. Literally.
While I wrestle with spoons and gravity, my cat has declared himself king of the house. He doesn’t fetch, doesn’t comfort, and certainly doesn’t help. He’s here for one thing only: to benefit from my tremors.
Every time I drop something, he takes it as divine providence. I shake; he eats. It’s a perfect symbiosis — for him.
The Rise of Feline Supervisors
It began one morning when I tried to butter toast. A little tremor, one slippery knife, and splat — half the butter hit the floor. Before I could bend down, my cat — Sir Whiskers, the furry opportunist — had already claimed it.
He looked up at me as if to say,
“Ah yes, Parkinson’s brunch. My favorite.”
Now he stations himself near the counter, tail swishing in anticipation, ready for the next culinary “accident.” To him, I’m not a person with Parkinson’s. I’m a human Pez dispenser with irregular timing.
The Secret Ingredient: Opportunism
They say cats bring calm to a home. Mine brings judgment.
He watches me cook like a celebrity chef in purgatory, silently grading my every move. If I spill milk, he nods approvingly. If I manage to pour without spilling, he yawns, disappointed by the lack of entertainment.
He’s turned my tremors into his favorite game: How fast can I get underfoot before something falls? Spoiler: he always wins.
Support Animal or Supervisor?
They told me a cat could help reduce stress. They didn’t mention the part where he’d become my emotional accountant.
He tracks every mistake like he’s auditing my life:
Dropped fork? +1 snack.
Spilled soup? Bonus round.
Full-blown milkquake? Jackpot.
When I finally sit down to rest, he jumps on my lap. Not for love — for control.
“You weren’t going to move anyway,” his eyes say.
And he’s right. Because I can’t.
Behind the Shakes: The Odd Partnership
Behind every tremor is a tiny act of teamwork. I shake; he takes. It’s not cruelty. It’s strategy.
He knows I’ll eventually lose the standoff with gravity, and he’s there to reap the rewards. Once, I tried to shoo him off the counter mid-tremor — he didn’t even flinch. He blinked slowly, like a king watching a peasant trip over his own crown.
But despite the mockery, there’s affection buried under the chaos. When I freeze mid-motion, he sometimes curls up beside me, purring like a tiny engine. Not out of empathy — just because he knows I’m staying still long enough to make a decent mattress.
Food Critics or Freeloaders?
Some people think cats are intuitive healers. Mine’s more of a freeloader with great reflexes.
Yet somehow, he keeps me laughing. He turns every spill into slapstick, every misfire into a comedy sketch. When you live with Parkinson’s, laughter becomes survival — and my cat is both my tormentor and my muse.
He doesn’t just remind me that life’s messy. He celebrates it. And that’s a lesson worth keeping — even if it comes from a creature who uses my neurological disorder as a catering service.
The Future of Our Partnership
As time goes on, our roles are clear. He’s the opportunist; I’m the provider. He expects tremors; I expect theft. We’ve become a well-oiled (and occasionally butter-splattered) machine.
Our sitcom writes itself: “Shakes & Whiskers.” Each episode ends the same — me cleaning, him eating, both of us pretending not to notice.
Maybe that’s the beauty of it. You can’t control Parkinson’s, but you can control whether you find it funny. And sometimes, laughter really is the best medicine… especially when your pharmacist has whiskers and no conscience.
🐱 Final Thought
Maybe he thinks I exist to feed him. Maybe I think he exists to make me laugh. And maybe — just maybe — between the tremors and the tuna, we’ve both found our own weird rhythm.
