Getting a pet isn’t a lighthearted decision, as they will probably be with you for the next decade. And especially not in college, where students can barely care for themselves. Or so I thought. I’ve had cats in my household since I was born, the latest being an orange Maine coon mix named Honey. He was my best friend and feline companion for twelve years, a big fluff ball that gave me the incentive to go visit home. Then came June 2022, when his kidneys started giving up. We had to put him to sleep a few days later, one of the hardest things I’ve witnessed. I held his paws until the very last moment and now have an imprint of his little paw on my desk. Summer passed by and as I started packing for my sophomore year of college, the thought of getting a kitten became more consistent in my mind. I visited the Houston SPCA on a Saturday afternoon with my boyfriend and found the perfect little guy: Harold. Harold (now named Cookie) was a fourth-month-old brown and white tabby mix with hints of orange around his eyes. I paid $75 and took him home in a cardboard box.Â
Now, there were certainly sleepless nights and battle scars in the form of little bites and scratches for the first couple of weeks. Nonetheless, brought him to Austin once he had adjusted to me as his new mom and my boyfriend as his dad. Cookie is now much bigger, more playful, and loves to sleep in the bathroom sink. He loves hair ties and making biscuits on my mushroom-patterned blanket. Cookie is a companion I didn’t even know would make such a difference in my life. He accompanies me at night by sleeping under covers like a human, will let me cry and use him as tissues if needed, gives me massages, and has improved my mental health. I’ve always been a very maternal person, and having something to take care of (though not as time-consuming as a dog) makes every day a great day. Knowing that there’s a little ball of fluff who relies on me for food, love, and shelter gives me some sort of purpose. He’s also a great study buddy who likes to sit on my laptop.Â
Much like me, he is independent, yet loves cuddles and attention.Â
His purring reminds me that the most beautiful things in life are often the smallest, the things that go unnoticed.