I’ve never considered myself a cat person, and while I did like cats, I grew up with an amazing family dog. My view of cats was probably very similar to other dog people: cats are cute, but they are nowhere as playful and loving as a dog. I thought nothing could have compared to my dog, especially not a lazy cat. Sadly, a few years ago my dog passed away unexpectedly. It was heartbreaking for my entire family. The house felt empty for a long time, but we hadn’t planned on adopting another pet.
You may have heard about it; there’s this idea or joke that cats have a way of choosing their owner, a sort of cat distribution system. Well, on Aug. 26 the system chose me. As I was leaving volleyball practice, a tiny kitten stumbled out of the bushes. It was so small that it could barely walk or stand on its own. I scooped it up and looked for its mother or even more kittens, but there was no trace of other animals. I couldn’t just leave him there; he would freeze. I had to take him home.
My parents agreed to care for him until we were able to take him to the shelter. After lots of research and phone calls, we were able to get him fed and warm. From what we learned, he couldn’t have been more than three weeks old. He needed help going to the bathroom and was bottle-fed every three hours. He was smaller than my hand.
The first few nights he slept right on my chest and cuddled up against my neck. I was exhausted from his feeding schedule, but it was all worth it; the whole family had fallen in love. At this point, it was pretty clear that we were going to keep him. So it was decided: August Allen was the newest member of the family.
Flash forward to today, August is the most spoiled, weirdest, and playful cat I’ve ever met. He is no longer tiny, but he now weighs over fifteen pounds and is supposed to keep growing for another year. He loves to play and will chase you through the entire house. However, within minutes he will be asleep just about anywhere. Unlike other cats, he enjoys water, and you’ll often find him sitting in the sink. Any task you’re doing, Auggie will always be there to supervise. He still loves to cuddle and will even pet your face with his paw. He makes sure to greet us at the door, where he’ll then roll over until you pet his stomach.
August is the greatest and most unexpected blessing in my life. Whether I’m having a bad day or simply feeling lonely, he is always right there for me. While a dog may be a man’s best friend, I’ll forever choose August as mine.