Have you ever found yourself wanting to get a pet, but you're not sure if it's a good idea? For instance, maybe you think it would be really cool to have one but you're not sure if you'll regret it later? That's how I felt before adopting my cat. Before I had a cat I didn't know exactly what they were like. Everyone meets that one cat, you know...the evil one. For me that was my grandma’s cat Spooky. Naturally, Spooky was the classic evil cat: old, cranky, total greaseball…basically super gross.  Her favorite game to play was the Pat-and-attack, a.k.a she lets people start petting her because they think she's being nice...and then she bites and scratches them. In a nutshell, I was a little weary of cats and the thought of getting one made me a little nervous. However, the cat my family got from the animal shelter was the farthest thing from Spooky. This cat ended up becoming a big part of our family. To think that we might not have adopted her makes me sad. I encourage everyone to think twice before writing off owning a pet. I feel truly loved and adored by my cat. She is a part of my family.

I remember it was some time in early September when my family and I adopted our cat. Our family had not owned a pet in many, many years. I was too little to remember our first cat, Shelby, but my parents’ memory of her was still alive. They got Shelby when she was a kitten. She was one of those little kitties that you end up buying unintentionally when you see it in the store window at the mall. Unfortunately, once they got her home they slowly started to realized that she was a devil tiger in a kitten's body, and after a while they had to get rid of her. After this experience we did not have a pet for a long time. When the time came to get another one, we were feeling super cautious. We did not want another Shelby! I remember once we got to the animal shelter and started looking inside cage after cage, we realized most of the cats were kittens. After a while of looking I started feeling depressed, “Are we ever going to find the perfect cat!?” I asked myself.  All this searching was getting tiring. I started to think maybe we wouldn't end up getting a cat afterall.Minutes after thinking this, my parents found a cage that contained a small, skinny, black and white cat, the kind of cat that most people would look over because she wasn't a “kitten” and was “boring old black” However, our family saw her and fell in love. We took her in one of the small “meeting” rooms to see if she was nice. The minute they put her in the room with us she started to rub on everyone in hopes of being petted. She seemed super comfortable with everyone, and seemed to be quite content there in that little room with us. At that moment we decided that she was definitely the cat for us.

Once we got our new little treasure home, we decided to name her Mittens because she had little white paws that looked like mittens in contrast with her black body. Like most new pets, we found that Mittens had some quirks, one of them being that she couldn't meow. Instead of meowing she would make a little squeaking noise that sounded a little weird at first. She would also throw up at least once a day (that took some getting used to). But even with all of her funny little quirks, she was a blessing to our family.  She loved everyone equally and made all of us feel special. I consider Mittens my friend. She is a  constant lap warmer, and she eats the food I drop on the floor.  Mittens is also a therapeutic presence with her warm, furry, purring body.  I think everyone should get to experience the kind of relationship I have with her.

I know that everyone has concerns about getting a pet, whether it's about the costs, the cleaning, or the needed care. But I implore you to give an animal a chance. There are a lot of homeless animals just like Mittens was, waiting for a home with an open heart and welcoming hands. Plus, owning a pet can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. I know I probably sound like an old cat lady, and maybe you don't even like cats. I understand that everyone one has different pet preferences; maybe you're more of a scales or feathers person. Your local shelter is stocked with many animals in need of homes. So, are you going to give one of those animals a chance? I know I have made one of those animals very happy and content in my home. Mittens is now 9 years old, weighs double the weight she did when she was adopted and lives a very pleasant, spoiled life. Even though she is very fat, and still squeaks and pukes, my family and I will always love our furry little companion.