I got my cat Bart at a time when I was feeling extremely lonely. Earlier that year, I had just gotten out of an inpatient care program for an Eating Disorder, and while my treatment had gone well, I felt a deep sense of loss in losing the constant companionship of my co-patients. But I wasn’t sure that getting a pet was the right option; after all, as a university student, I didn’t exactly have the funds to guarantee his every need would be met, especially in the case of an emergency. I did know, however, that the risk felt worth it; I could afford his daily needs, and in the case of an emergency, I had some savings with which to use to help him.
Since I have had cats all my life, I had a good idea of what I wanted and could manage from a cat during this period of my life. I wanted a young cat, aged 1-5, and I wanted them to be healthy without any prior medical history. I also wanted a cat that would be a companion to me during a transitional period in my life and therefore be able to go with me back and forth from Peterborough and Windsor, and be able to adapt well to moving around with me.
And so, on a Friday afternoon in late October, my Aunt and I set off to the Windsor Humane Society to choose out a cat for me, and I already had my heart set on a one: Winston. Winston had been turned into the humane society by his previous owners. He was fluffy and grey and I fell in love with his description, but in person, Winston was just a cat. I felt little to no connection with him to the extent that he wasn’t even one of the three cats I met in person.
Walking into the Humane Society, it was not Winston that stood out to be, but rather Bart, sound asleep in his cage while the other cats meowed around him. Even at the Humane Society, he had a level of self-assuredness that I knew I needed in my life, and so alongside an orange tabby, and a tiny black panther, I met Bart.
The first cat to enter the meeting room (where you get introduced to each cat individually) was the orange tabby, and when I say this cat didn’t choose me, I mean, he completely ignored me, turning to the door and howling at it. He was completely oblivious to me the entire time. Next, Bart entered, a short-haired grey tabby with a diamond-shaped nose. He was gorgeous, but he also showed immediate affection towards me, as though he was claiming me as his even after having just met. He immediately settled into my lap, and from there I was already his. But I still had one more cat to see, the tiny black panther, and… she was sweet, but I didn’t feel the connection I felt with Bart. I already belonged to another.
The next day Bart was welcomed home.