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 especially for cat moms 35+ in multi‑cat homes 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
Why Do I Want So Badly That My Cats Love Me? | Cat Mom Life | Ep. 95
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Have you ever wished your cat would choose your lap, seek more affection, or show love in the way you hoped?
In this episode of the Diary of a Cat Mom podcast, I reflect on my first cat, Sheiba, a confident Russian Blue who taught me one of the most important lessons I've learned as a cat mom.
For years, I wanted proof that she loved me. I wanted cuddles, attention, and reassurance. But Sheiba had her own way of showing love.
Looking back, I realize that love isn't always expressed the way we expect—especially when it comes to cats.
Sometimes love looks like trust.
Sometimes love looks like safety.
And sometimes love simply looks like feeling at home.
What You'll Learn in This Cat Podcast Episode
- Why many cat parents seek reassurance from their cats
- How cats often express love differently than humans do
- What Sheiba taught me about trust and emotional security
- Why independence doesn't mean a cat loves you less
- How our expectations can affect the way we interpret feline behavior
- The deeper meaning behind the bond we share with our cats
Timestamps & Chapters
00:00 Why Do I Want So Badly That My Cats Love Me?
00:40 My Expectations After Adopting Sheiba
01:40 The Russian Blue Diva
02:28 The Lesson She Taught Me Before She Passed
03:20 How Cats Show Love Differently
04:03 Love, Trust, Safety, and Home
04:37 Final Thoughts
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 personal cat podcast created by Dagmar Gatell, sharing real moments from life with cats. 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.
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Diary of a cat mum. Why do I want so badly that my cats love me? This is diary of a cat mum. Before I became a cat mom, I didn't think much about whether a cat loved me or not. Like if I visited a friend who had a cat, I thought, cute, the cat came over, I petted the cat, and that was it. But something changed after I adopted my first cat, Shibi. Suddenly, I wanted something from her. I wanted her to come to me. I wanted her to choose me. I wanted her to enjoy being petted. And when she didn't, I felt strangely disappointed. Why did I want so badly for my cat to love me? When I rescued Shibi from the shelter, I imagined all those sweet cat moments. The cuddles, the purring, the cat choosing my lap over every other place in the house. But Chibi, she had very different plans. When I walked toward her, she often just walked away. When she showed me her belly, I thought, huh, she wants a belly rub. She immediately rolled over to her feet. And when she came into the living room where I was sitting and rubbing her cheeks against my furniture and I leaned down to pet her, she looked at me and then she headed in the opposite direction. So at that time I kept wondering, does she even like me? Like what I'm doing wrong. Why doesn't she want attention and love from me? And looking back now, I realized something important. She be, she knew she was loved. She simply didn't need to prove anything. She was confident, self-assured, independent. She was a beautiful little Russian plume diva. After she arrived, I rescued a cat boy because I thought she needed company, but she let not push him around. She stayed true to herself her entire life. I was the servant, she was the queen. And she was perfectly happy with that arrangement. The biggest lesson for me came really years later, a few weeks before she passed away. Something changed. She became softer. She wanted to lay close to me. She wanted to be held. And she wanted extra pets and snuggles. And when it was finally time for her to leave this world, she left being held and loved and comforted. That experience taught me something I wish I would have understood much earlier. Because love isn't always shown in the way we expect, especially not by cats. For humans we love hugs and attention and words. But for cats, love can look completely different. Like a cat sleeping peacefully in your home is love. A cat turning their back toward us is love. A cat slowly blinking at us is love. A cat feeling safe enough to be themselves around us is love. And a cat trusting that we will still be there tomorrow is love. Love can be safety. Love can be trust. Love can be security. Love can simply be feeling we're at home. So when I look back now, I realize my desire to love Shibi was more about me as about her. I wanted reassurance and I wanted proof and I wanted her love to look the way I imagined how love should look. But Shibi she really taught me something much wiser. Real love doesn't need performance. Real love doesn't need constantly proving itself. Shibi, she never became the cuddle cat I envisioned as I rescued her. Instead, she became exactly what she was supposed to be. And because of that, she taught me one of the craziest lessons a cat can teach its mama. Love isn't measured by how often someone comes to sit on your lap. Love is measured by trying. Love is measured by feeling safe. Love is knowing you belong. Love is home. And in her own wonderfully stubborn diva way, she loved me all along. Thank you for being here with me at Diarrhea of a Cat Mom. Don't miss the next episode. There's always another little moment, another lesson, another story waiting to be shared. I will talk to you in the next entry. Diarrhea of a Cat Mom.