Press Pawse: 24 Hours with Hannah & Norman

Hi! I’m Hannah, a 30-something writer, consultant, and cat lady living in Brooklyn, New York. I’m also Norman’s mom, something I routinely inform people of within two minutes of meeting them. I can’t help it, he’s so freaking cute!

Norman came into my life last summer and he’s my third Sphynx baby. He’s technically a mix between a Sphynx (a hairless cat) and a Devon Rex (a wavy-coated cat), although to me he looks more like a mischievous bat than anything else. Either way, he’s the proverbial prince of his neighborhood, guarding the windows against rogue pigeons, dazzling the neighbors with his toy-hunting acrobatics, and reminding my boyfriend and I that it’s his world and we’re just living in it.

Although I never have two days that look the same — such is the life of a full-time freelancer — I love knowing that my kitty is always at home to snuggle. His days are also pretty jam-packed with activities, from belly rubs and naps to scampering around the apartment like a maniac. Here’s what a day in the life of Norman — aka Norm, Normski, Normikins, Normandy, Bubs, Bubbaloo, Bean, Baby Bat — looks like.

• 6:45 am:

  Norm hears a rustling down the hall in the bedroom and scampers through the door and onto our bed. I’m not a morning person, so he wisely crawls all over my boyfriend’s face until he wakes up to feed him. He likes to stick to a schedule with his meals while I tend to eat around my ever-changing calendar.

• 7:00 am:

  As soon as Norm’s dad decides he can’t sleep with a bat (lovingly) attacking his face, Norman weaves in and out of his legs and meows loudly, guiding him towards the kitchen and the refrigerator, where his morning Smalls breakfast awaits.

• 7:05 am:

  Some cats are picky eaters, but not Norman. He scarfs down his wet food and immediately embarks on his morning zoomies around the apartment.

• 7:30 am:

  Once he wears off some energy, Baby Bat decides it’s time to snuggle with me until my alarm goes off. He either worms his way under my chin and rests his head directly on my neck or in the crook of my arms to take a nap. It’s unbelievably adorable.

• 9:00 am:

  I’m a freelancer so I get to sleep late. My alarm goes off and I snooze it twice so I can have some extra cuddles with the bat, and obviously take lots of selfies of the two of us. He’s also a big fan of giving kisses throughout the day so I make sure he has no leftover food on his mouth and nose. (Just because Smalls is human grade doesn’t mean I want it all over me!)

• 9:15 am:

  After I wake up, I traipse to the kitchen to make coffee and a smoothie. Norman follows me, hoping for some extra food. He gives me his best sad face but I know better, so he amuses himself by rubbing on the kitchen mat in the sunshine.

• 9:30 am:

  I shower, complete my skincare routine, and head to my home office to begin answering emails while Norman curls up in his fuzzy nest by the window. He has a great view of the street, and in the winter, the radiator turns on so he stays extra toasty. Like his parents, he enjoys the finer things in life.

• 11:00 am:

  I don’t like to stay in one spot while I’m working so I move to the living room chair for a change of scenery. This is obviously an invitation for Norm to curl up in my lap while I take client calls.

• 12:00 - 4:00 pm:

  I usually have meetings and events in the city in the afternoon so Norm stays home to watch the apartment from his various nap spots. He doesn’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone, but I had better be back by 5:00 to feed him his dinner.

• 5:00 pm:

  Again, Norm is highly food motivated and starts whining for dinner around 4:30 if I’m home. But we like to keep him on a schedule so he has to at least try to be patient. I feed him Smalls Smooth Bird & Fish Dish and a half cup of dry food with a pump of omega-3 oil to keep his skin and coat feeling silky soft.

• 5:05 pm:

  This is when the bat decides to become a little naughty. He climbs on the bookshelves and loves to knock over anything small, like AirPod cases and spare lip balms (I work in beauty so there are a lot of those around the apartment). Hair ties and bottle caps are his go-to toys to hide under the couch and beneath the closet doors.

• 5:30 pm:

  He’s newly obsessed with his Smalls drumstick catnip toy so he flops around his favorite chair doing his best impression of a tiger. I can’t help but take a million photos of him to send to my family and cat-obsessed friends.

• 6:00 pm:

  I’m trying to be better about eating earlier in the evening so while I cook — a spicy sesame noodle dish with ginger and chives is my go-to — Norm usually finds another spot to lounge. Lately, he’s really been into my Pendleton blanket in the office, which also has a solid view of the trees outside the living room windows. Those birds aren’t going to watch themselves!

• 7:00 - 10:00 pm:

  If we’re just hanging out at home reading or watching a movie, Norm likes to alternate between my lap and my boyfriend’s chest. He’s super snuggly if you couldn’t already tell! He also enjoys flopping over backwards (like a bat) to stretch. He’s a Gemini so it's a way for him to gain even more of our attention. I’m a Leo so I understand his desire to be in the spotlight.

• 11:00 pm:

  That kitten energy is still very much present with Norman (he’s only one year old) so he has to play again after I finish my nighttime skincare routine and before we go to sleep. He loves leaping after his wand and mouse toy in bed so he has a soft landing. Sometimes I can’t believe how high he can jump — it’s actually very impressive. It’s also helpful that most of the time he lands on his feet.

• 11:30:

  Norm tucks himself back into his nest or in the crack of the couch cushions to snooze since there’s not much room in the bed with two people. I give him one more kiss goodnight and get into bed to read for half an hour, but I know he’ll be back as soon as he hears us stir in the morning for breakfast and more snuggles–his two favorite things.

• There’s never a dull moment when you live with a rambunctious baby bat but I wouldn’t have it any other way. And as a certified life-long cat lady, I can’t imagine my busy days and nights without him. Take it from me, everyone deserves a Norman in their lives :)