When I was young, I begged my mom to let me have a pet. Unlike most kids who always ask for puppies, I asked for anything. I wanted a dog, a cat, a bunny, even a turtle; as long as I could have a pet, I didn’t mind what it was. My mom has always been strict and apprehensive about the subject of pets, so the only thing I managed to have was a beta fish named Fishy. I know I wasn’t very original when it came to names, but I loved that fish and, surprisingly, he lived three strong years in the calmness of my room. Of course, my mom was the one who ended up taking care of him, which is why she refused to let me have any other pets; “children have pets and us parents are the ones who end up taking responsibility for them” she always said. As a child, I never agreed with her; now I definitely understand what she meant.
Although I never had any pets I could officially call mine, my house somehow managed to be very welcoming to cats. Stray cats always ended up making themselves at home, and before we knew it, we had five cats in our front door meowing for food every morning. I loved feeding them, playing with them, and getting to know them. My family and I got very attached to every single one of them and that made it extra painful whenever we lost one of our lovely kitties. Having pets outside, especially cats, means taking a terrible risk. People tend to be more accepting of dogs, but cats always get the short end of the stick; they get beaten, poisoned, and run over simply for being cats. Nothing will ever compare to the pain I felt when I found one of my cats, dead or hurt and the helplessness when I couldn’t ease their suffering. A couple months ago, we lost our last outdoor cat, and we were devastated. He was not only our friend; he’d been with us for years. He saw me off to school every morning, and he waited for me every afternoon. He did the same thing when I started college, and when I went out until late, he wouldn’t go to sleep until he knew I was back home. His departure broke my heart, and after his death I vowed to never have another outdoor cat again.
One year ago, my life changed completely, surprisingly, for the better. I found who would later become my dear baby. A cat had left her kittens at a lady’s house, and the lady repeated several times that she felt sorry for the poor animals, but that she wouldn’t keep them. One of them got lost, and the other was too scared to move anywhere. A kitten without his mom wouldn’t have a chance at nature’s mercy, so my bestie and I decided we would get him a safe home where he would get the care and love that he needed. We asked everyone we knew if they wanted our tabby angel, but no one could take him in. Desperate, I begged my mom to let me take him home; he had nowhere else to go and he would’ve died if we decided to abandon him. After many fights, she finally caved in; we adopted the kitten, who I named Vincent in honor of the talented painter, Van Gogh since the kitty was a ginger just like him, and my journey as a cat mom began.
One of the things I had to learn when I took him in, was responsibility. Having a pet, especially an indoor cat, is a lot of responsibility. I have to clean his litter box regularly, make sure to feed him every day at the right time, fix the messes he makes, and spend time with him. I’ve had to get home, tired and hungry, to clean his litter box and feed him. He taught me what it means to be fully responsible for a little being and having to organize my priorities; no more partying and shopping, I have to save money for his litter, food, and impromptu vet visits whenever there’s something wrong with him. When having a pet, it is extremely important to take them to the vet when they’re sick or hurt, or just for a checkup, and doing so is very expensive and exhausting; now I know what my mom felt like when she took me to the doctor and we had to wait hours at a bland office. My cat taught me to be organized and responsible, not only with my money but with him as well.
I’ve always been an animal lover, but cats are very special to me. When Vincent came into my life, I was going through a very difficult time, and I see his arrival as the universe’s way of telling me everything was going to be okay. It is scientifically proven that cats help ease the levels of anxiety of their owners, besides helping with depression, among other things. However, cats are highly spiritual animals as well, and they not only help with these things, they also absorb the negative energies of the house they live in and all the bad vibes that surround their owners, thus purifying their living space, which is why they’re tired most of the time. It is said that when a house is packed with negative energy, cats are drawn to it in order to rid the house of the bad energies. Although my situation is still not the best, I don’t know how I would have dealt with a lot of things life has thrown at me if Vincent hadn’t been by my side. He knows when I feel under the weather and cuddles up to me in an attempt to wash my worries away; he sees me walk into a room and starts purring, and he jumps into my arms for comfort whenever he hears thunder.
Having a pet is a lot of responsibility that not everyone can handle, and in order to give your pet a good life, it’s important to keep in mind that having a pet is just like having a child; they’re little beings who look up to you for everything and you are entirely responsible for them. However, the amount of happiness they bring into our lives is worth all the hours sitting at the vet’s waiting room, all the money we have to spent on them, and all the litter box messes we have to clean. Vincent is not only my cat, he’s part of my family, and I am immensely thankful for having had the opportunity of being his owner. Thanks to him I have healed from the pain of losing my previous pets, I’ve learned about responsibility, and have gotten through some very difficult moments. He has captured the hearts of many of my friends who have now gained the tittle of aunties, and every day, I tell him how much I love him. I only wish he knew how much he has helped me and how much he means to me. Rescuing my cat was the best decision I’ve ever made; it made me grow as a person, and I gained a very good friend in return.