About Retired With Cats

My mom retired from our local bank at 67. For decades her days had been full of people: customers she knew by name, neighbors stopping by her window, the steady business of a community branch.

Then the weekdays went quiet. Her kids, me included, had long since moved away and started families of our own. Her grandchildren were growing up, and with middle school and high school schedules, the visits she always looked forward to came less often. My dad had his own projects. By mid-morning, the house was very still.

A year later, she brought home a kitten named Cleo. She’d pictured quiet evenings with a cat curled up in her lap.

Cleo had other plans. She grew into an independent cat who doesn’t like being held. Every so often she settles into Mom’s lap, but only on the understanding that nobody pets her. Mom likes to joke that Cleo can’t stand either of them unless she wants something. She adores her anyway.

Cleo still changed her days. Mom drinks her morning tea while Cleo watches the yard from the window. Later, Cleo gets a few minutes out on the deck to lie in the sun. In the afternoon, Mom tells her it’s nap time, and Cleo follows her upstairs and settles at the foot of the bed.

Along the way, Mom ran into questions that nobody seemed to answer for someone her age. Which cat suits a quieter household? What does good vet care cost on a fixed income? Who looks after the cat when you visit the grandkids? She also learned something nobody had told her: a kitten is a guess. An adult cat’s personality is already settled, and you can meet her before you bring her home.

Retired With Cats is the site I wish she’d had. It’s written for women like her: practical, careful with money, and not interested in being talked down to.

Who’s behind it

I write here as Charlie. I’m her son, not a retired woman myself, and this site grew out of watching my mom find her way through this stage of life.

Each post is researched carefully and shaped by our family’s own experience with cats. I use AI tools to help with research and drafting, and I read, check and edit every post myself before it goes up. I’d rather you know that up front.

Nothing here is medical advice. I’m not a vet, and when a health question comes up, the right answer is always to ask yours.