Diary of a Cat Mom
Diary of a Cat Mom is a reflective cat podcast created and hosted by Dagmar Gatell about understanding cats more deeply — and creating a calmer, more connected life for both you and your cats.
Based on real experiences caring for over 50 cats throughout her life, each episode shares quiet observations, emotional moments, caregiving reflections, and gentle insights from everyday life with cats. From routines, behavior, and emotional wellbeing to grief, gratitude, overstimulation, trust, and the small meaningful moments many people overlook — this is not a traditional “how-to” podcast, but a space for understanding, awareness, and lived experience.
Beyond cat care itself, Diary of a Cat Mom also explores our connection to nature, emotional presence, personal growth, and the way our inner state can influence the animals who share our lives. Because living with cats is never only about feeding and routines — it’s also about energy, safety, trust, patience, and how we show up emotionally in the spaces we create together.
Created for cat lovers who see their cats as family, this podcast offers companionship, reassurance, perspective, and emotional support during seasons of caregiving, uncertainty, healing, change, and letting go.
Diary of a Cat Mom is a personal storytelling podcast and does not replace professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and medical or behavioral concerns should always be discussed with a trusted veterinarian or qualified professional.
You’re not alone on this journey.
We’re learning, loving, and growing together — one paw print at a time.
Diary of a Cat Mom
Ep. 63 - Why Your Cat Swats You 🐾💥
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One moment your cat seems loving and affectionate. The next moment, they swat your hand away.
As a cat mom, that can feel confusing and even a little hurtful.
In this Diary of a Cat Mom podcast entry, I share the story of my cat Baby, a sweet gray domestic long-hair cat who taught me that swatting isn't always rejection. Sometimes it is overstimulation, irritation, frustration, or even discomfort.
By paying closer attention to his body language, I learned how to recognize his mood shifts before the swat happened.
What You'll Learn in this Cat Podcast Episode
- Why cats sometimes swat people they love
- Signs your cat may be overstimulated
- How body language can reveal an approaching swat
- Why swatting is not always personal
- Simple ways to redirect your cat's energy safely
Timestamps & Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:20 When Baby Started Swatting Me
01:00 Looking for the Cause
01:45 Watching Baby Interact with Other Cats
02:15 Understanding Overstimulation and Irritation
02:45 Reading Body Language Signals
03:05 Redirecting the Energy
03:20 The Lesson Baby Taught Me
This is where I’ve gathered everything that supports me and my cats:
https://diaryofacatmom.com/cat-care-resources/
About the Diary of a Cat Mom Podcast
Diary of a Cat Mom is a quiet, personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments, emotions, and experiences from life with cats.
This space is meant for connection, comfort, and companionship. Everything shared comes from lived experience as a cat mom and is not intended as professional veterinary advice. Every cat is unique, and for health concerns, it’s always best to consult your trusted veterinarian.
Most of all, please remember:
You’re not alone on this journey. We’re learning, loving, and growing together — one paw print at a time.
Diary of a catmom Today's diary entry Why does your cat sweat you? You're listening to Diary of a Cat My Cat Baby, grey domestic long hair could be the sweetest cat one second and then suddenly sweat me the next. He would lay on the bed looking calm and friendly and loving, and when I come close to pet him, his paw would fly toward me out of nowhere. Sometimes one of his nails could catch my skin and it hurt physically, but honestly it hurt emotionally too because we want to be loved. And because he's such a loving cat otherwise I did not understand why this kept happening. At first I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. Maybe I startled him, maybe he was in pain. Maybe he suddenly didn't want affection anymore. Then one day I watched him while he was eating. And another cat walked up to him gently and rubbed against him, and Baby immediately sweated the other cat. Then another time his little girlfriend was just laying peacefully on her bed, just looking at him. And he went over and he sweated her too. That's when I realized something important wasn't personal. Baby just seemed to get irritated totally easily on certain moments, and then sweating was his reaction when he felt overstimulated or bothered. After that I started paying closer attention to his body language, like I noticed his eyes changing before he sweated. His pupils didn't become thin lines like with some cats. Instead he got this fierce look in his eyes that told me he was already emotionally charged and ready to go. So instead of following my instinct and reaching out to pet him, I started bringing kick toys with me and catnip. When I noticed he was in that mood, I would show a toy instead of touching him and redirecting the energy. I also started keeping his nails short so that he wouldn't scratch me or another member of our cat. Sometimes cats they're not rejecting us. Sometimes they are just simply overstimulated, irritated, emotionally full, and even sometimes could deal with pain in that exact moment. So when we stop taking it personally, we start understanding them better. Baby he taught me that love and irritation can exist in the same cat at the same time. And sometimes the kind thing we can do is notice the mood shift before the SWAT happens. Thank you for being here with me. This is Diary of a Cat Mom. There's always another little moment, another lesson, another story waiting to be shared. I will talk to you in the next Anthony.