Am I a Crazy Cat Lady?

Today is (what I guesstimate to be) my cat’s birthday. Today Benchley is 5 years old!

Sorry if you don’t like cats…this is not the post for you – I hope you visit the blog again on Monday when I’ll be talking about something other than my pawesome cat.

In 2017, one day before my 27^th birthday I created an Instagram account for my cat. I never could have dreamed of how it would impact my life, the laughs I’d get from it, the tears I would shed, or the amazing friendships I would forge. I have built genuine friendships with cat lovers all over the world.

The accounts are for our cats, and we do speak for them. If you think that is weird – like my dad – you’re missing out. I haven’t really ever been big on social media so I was so excited when Benchley’s account had its first 15 followers. I am gobsmacked to share that as of this morning Benchley’s account (@benchleyparkbenchley) is followed by 3,765 amazing people. Last week some of our Reels started skyrocketing in viewership. I don’t know what numbers you have to hit to be considered viral, but the PSA Reel warning about the monster known as “vacoom” (with audio saved from @magnusthetherapydog) has hit 462k views.
I am stunned. I make no money from this cat account, I just do it for fun.

Aside from the friendships and fun, the IG account is also a great way for me to keep a record of photographs of Benchley. When my first cat crossed the rainbow bridge I scoured the family photographs to find pictures of her over the years. I adopted her for my 7^th birthday back in 1997 – when digital cameras were not a thing in my home, much less attached to a phone! Benchley’s IG will always be a record of his life, readily available to me.

So, to celebrate today I am sharing my favorite photos of Benchley, and some of our top “furriends” for you to follow if you love seeing pictures of cats each day.