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A quick note before we start: this isn’t about shame or guilt. I’m sharing my story so you don’t have to learn these lessons the hard way, like I did.
It’s been almost three years since my first cat, Gigasaurus — “Jigga” — crossed the rainbow bridge. She’d just turned 10. The American Association of Feline Practitioners considers cats seniors at 10, but she wasn’t old — indoor cats routinely live 20 years or more. And I can’t shake the feeling that she might have, if I’d known then what I know now.
How I “Killed” My Cat
Let me be clear: I didn’t actually kill my cat. What took Jigga was a far nastier C-word than “Chaddy” — cancer. I spent a year and nearly $30,000 fighting it. But looking back on our decade together, I can’t help wondering whether a better-informed version of me could have changed the odds.
I’ll never know — which is exactly why I don’t let myself dwell there for long. What I can do is make sure her story spares another cat the same fate.
Knowledge Is Power
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” — Maya Angelou
For most of Jigga’s life, I simply didn’t know better. It wasn’t until her diagnosis that I became obsessed with feline wellness — and by then, the lessons came too late for her. A cat’s longevity comes down to two things: genetics (nature) and environment (nurture). We don’t get a say in the DNA. But their environment — everything from whether they go outside to what we feed them — is almost entirely on us.
3 Mistakes That Quietly Shorten a Cat’s Life
If I wanted to beat myself up, the list would be long. Instead, here are the three that actually matter — the ones I got wrong with Jigga. (I’ll frame them as a how-not-to. You’ll get the idea.)
1. Never Play With Them
Want a bored, under-stimulated cat? Skip daily play. Scatter a few toy mice on the floor, maybe a crumpled paper ball, and trust them to entertain themselves. They won’t — not the way they need. Real interactive play is how a cat runs its hunting instinct, burns energy, and stays mentally sharp. Without it, boredom and its fallout move in.
2. Feed Dry Food Only (Bonus Points for Free-Feeding)
Kibble is the feline equivalent of fast food: cheap, shelf-stable, engineered to taste irresistible. It’s also, by definition, dry — which makes it tough on a cat’s kidneys and a contributor to obesity and diabetes. Want to really pile on the risk? Leave a heaping bowl out 24/7. Free-feeding all but guarantees a overweight cat and a shorter life.
3. Keep a Single Cat — and Leave Them Alone a Lot
If play isn’t part of the daily routine, a solo cat home alone all day is a recipe for chronic boredom. Sure, two cats are more work than one — but a bonded companion provides exercise, entertainment, and a friend for the hours you can’t be there. I learned this one the hard way too.
How to NOT Kill Your Cat
So much for what I did wrong. Here’s the flip side — three simple things, done consistently, that genuinely add quality years. I do all three now with my two girls, Arya and Fawn.
Play With Them Daily — Ideally More Than Once
If I had to name the single best thing you can do for your cat, it’s this. Interactive play — the hands-on kind — covers physical exercise, mental stimulation, and instinctual fulfillment in one shot, and it deepens your bond like nothing else. New to it? Start with how to play with your cat.
Feed Primarily Wet (or Fresh) Food — Plus Clean Water
Dry food has its place — the convenience is hard to beat — just don’t make it the foundation of the diet. Lead with a high-quality wet or fresh food (we feed Smalls), skip free-feeding, and always offer fresh water — ideally multiple bowls or fountains, especially in a multi-cat home.
Adopt in Pairs When You Can
It isn’t always possible — adding a cat to an established “only cat” can be tricky — but in most cases a feline companion is hugely beneficial. The foster I adopted my two from won’t even allow single-cat adoptions except in special cases. That’s how much it matters. And you’ll be saving a second life in the process.
For Jigga
No one’s perfect, and we often learn the most from our hardest moments. Watching Jigga suffer was the wake-up call that changed everything for me. I’ll never know how her life might have gone if I’d done things differently — but I made her a promise that her suffering wouldn’t be wasted.
A few months later, thecatchaddy.com was born. Our cats give us everything; the least we can do is a few simple things well, every day. It adds up to more — and better — time together.
This post — this entire blog — is dedicated to my first furry love, Gigasaurus. You taught me how to live. For that, I’m forever grateful.