Adopting my first cat was a big step in my life that included a lot of responsibility, patience and time.
Why I adopted
Last year when I lived in the dorms, most of the time I came back to an empty room. I always felt like something was missing. In the back of my mind, I kept thinking it would be so much better living on campus with a cat. Unfortunately, Ohio State does not allow animals in the dorms unless they are an emotional support animal. Luckily, this year, I live off campus in an apartment that allows cats and dogs.
The Process
During the summer, I was discussing with my parents how I would like to get a cat for my apartment. They agreed I could get one if I paid for the expenses. Therefore, I decided to start looking for a cat as the summer started to wind down. My mom mentioned it would be a good idea if I were to look for a cat that needs rehomed due to their owner passing away or moving into assisted living. I thought this was a great idea, but we did not have any luck. Later on, I was having a conversation with my aunt because she just recently adopted a puppy. She was telling me that I should look into the humane society that is near me.
The humane society was a great place to find my first cat. The staff was very friendly and let me stay there as long as I needed to find which cat I would like to take home. As much as I hate to say this, I was in between three very different cats. Once my sister brought in the carrier, the cat I was wanting to adopt, completely changed her personality. She was interacting with us more and even went up and hit the carrier, pretty much saying, “that’s for me.” I realized she was the one and I was excited to start this new journey.
Bringing Her Home
After I decided to adopt Amber, I was unsure how the rest of our journey was going to look. When she got into the car, she was very interested in the world around her including the passing cars. The drive was about 20 minutes from the humane society, and she only meowed once every few minutes.
We finally got home, and I realized I did not do my research on how to introduce Amber to my other pets at home. Typically, if my family brought home animals, we just let them roam and hope for the best. For Amber, I kept her in her carrier for a few minutes while she met my other cat, Luna. There was a lot of hissing which worried me. I asked my brother for advice, and he said to just let Amber out and let her explore. I did so, and she circled around the first floor a few times while Luna was right behind her the whole time.
She quickly got used to her surroundings and did not hide or act like she was scared of being at my parent’s home. She slept with me during the night and each time I moved, she would come up to me and lick my nose. The next day, my sister decided to adopt a puppy — that’s another story. Amber still does not like the puppy.
My Cat History
Growing up, my family had cats that lived to be 15 to 17-years-old and were strictly outdoor cats. But we also had indoor-outdoor cats that would run away after only having them for a short time. After this happened a few times, I was nervous on what I should do for Amber. She is technically the first cat I have full responsibility for, so it is my decision on what I would like to do. I decided to keep Amber as an indoor cat until I have my own home and can build her a cat patio. This way she can enjoy the outdoors safely.
How it’s going
It has been a little over a month since I adopted Amber, and I would like to say it has been a wonderful journey. My roommates love having her around and she makes the apartment feel like home.
