Why Adopting a Cat Was the Best Thing for Me
Last year was my first year in college, and I had a lot of trouble adjusting. I missed my family constantly and didn’t make any friends. I went home almost every weekend, and weekends I did spend in Austin were spent in my dorm room doing nothing. This year I decided to make a change, mostly because my family moved to Indiana so I couldn’t go home every weekend, but also because I didn’t want to be lonely anymore. This year I moved into an apartment and got two new roommates. My roommates and I became fast friends, so my first problem was solved, but I still missed my family terribly. The week after we moved in, Hurricane Harvey ripped through South Texas, and left Austin drenched. My roommates and I decided to go to Austin Animal Center to walk some dogs who weren’t getting outside because of the rain. Once there, we walked through the cat and small dog area, and immediately fell in love with 3 kittens. The kittens were sick with an upper respiratory infection, but we didn’t care, we knew we would be leaving the shelter with three new companions.
When I told my parents I had gotten a cat, they told me what a bad idea it was financially. They believed the cat would soon become a burden, and that I would be spending money I didn’t have. I told them the cat was the best thing for me to help me get over my homesickness. What they didn’t know was that the kitten would drastically improve my mood, and my sadness about not seeing my family.
Since adopting my cat, Luna, I have been much happier, and I don’t constantly think about the next time I’ll get to see my family. I still miss them of course, but Luna makes that homesickness bearable. Adopting a kitten did cost some money, but it did not break my bank, and I believe it was completely worth it.
I believe that animals, no matter what kind or if they’re trained or not, can be therapeutic. I also believe that it is important to adopt animals from shelters, rather than buying them from breeders. Adopting a cat may seem like too much responsibility, so make sure you are up for the challenge of caring for another life. For me, adopting a cat was the best thing that could have happened to me, and I’m glad I was able to go on this adventure with my new closest friends.