From the time I was a teenager, I’ve struggled with my mental health. For most of my life, my emotions were unpredictable and my relationships with other people were unstable. Throughout my mental health journey, I tried several different medications and none of them could take my extreme emotions. Sure, I had learned several coping mechanisms that seemed to work for me but, when I got to college, I realized they weren’t enough.
During my sophomore year of college, I was sitting in my therapist’s office, talking about other options that could help me with my emotions. During our discussion, she mentioned how I could get an emotional support animal (ESA). I was intrigued, as I hadn’t heard much about service animals at the time. I discussed the idea with my parents, my coworkers, and my manager, who mentioned there was a cat café in my city that was also doing adoptions through the humane society. I decided it wouldn’t hurt to give the cafe a visit and scheduled an appointment.
On the day of, I took a Lyft ride to the cafe. I wasn’t expecting much from the visit as I was still deciding whether I wanted an ESA, or if it would help me at all. I did like cats, and I’ve never been to a cat café, so I wanted to see what it was all about. Eventually, my Lyft came to a stop, and I was greeted by a small building in a shopping complex with a colorful banner. A sense of excitement and nervousness filled my body as I stepped out of the car and thanked the driver. I walked to the building and opened the glass door with shaky hands, not anticipating what I was going to see next.
Nervousness still coursed through my body as I stepped closer into the room. I noticed two cats, snuggling together as they napped away. I didn’t want to wake them, so I moved slowly.
The room was bright and colorful with cat trees, toys, and water bowls scattered around. There were a few tables with chairs at the further end of the room and cat supplies were behind the receptionist’s desk. A tall woman came from around a corner and greeted me with a smile and asked me if I had an appointment. I nodded and gave her my name. She checked me in and told me I had a thirty-minute time limit and informed me about an “Adopt one, get one free” deal that the cat cafe was doing. I laughed to myself a bit — I wasn’t even sure if I wanted one cat, let alone two.
Nervousness still coursed through my body as I stepped closer into the room. I noticed two cats, snuggling together as they napped away. I didn’t want to wake them, so I moved slowly. The two cats didn’t hear me approaching, so I took this time to take a picture. Not knowing the flash was on, I ended up waking one of the cats— the orange one. The cat raised its head, giving me a mean glare. I tried my best not to laugh, but a snicker slipped out my mouth, waking the other cat, a black cat with a white patch of hair on their chest and toes.
I spent the entirety of my thirty minutes playing and petting the two —named Logan and Lacy respectively. I didn’t notice I was going over my time limit until my mother texted me, asking about my visit to the cat café. I gave the pair a last pet before heading out of the cafe. I didn’t want to leave them, but I knew my time was up and I had to go back to my apartment. I called my Lyft and thanked the woman for her time — but as I was leaving, I had an urge to stop and go back inside.
My Lyft was waiting, the five-minute timer before they left had already started, but I still couldn’t bring myself to leave. When I came back in, the woman greeted me with a smile and asked if I left something behind. I nodded and told her I wanted to adopt Logan and Lacy.
The next day, I found myself heading back to my apartment with two new kittens and two bags full of pet supplies. I was on cloud nine, I felt the happiest I had in an exceptionally long time. Once they were done eating and exploring my apartment, I took them to my bedroom, and we took our first nap together. Logan took his spot on my arm and quickly fell asleep. Lacy kept a bit of distance and slept at the opposite end of the bed. A sense of calm fell over me and I knew I had made the best decision I would ever make.
Two years later, Logan and Lacy are big and healthy cats with their own personalities. Logan is a rambunctious boy who is always getting into something but is a sucker for cuddles and kisses. Lacy is a shy girl who is wary of new people, but once she trusts you, she trusts you and demands pets all the time — and now, they’re my ESAs.
They make me get out of bed on the days when I feel like I can, they offer a shoulder (or belly) to cry on when I need it, and they make my day better by just being a sense of comfort for me.
In all honesty, I don’t know who or where I would be with these two. It may seem silly, but they have helped me so much with my mental health. Before having Logan and Lacy, I found myself unable to get out of bed and attend classes. I would barely eat and would often sleep all day and night. I did this because I had no reason or motivation to do any of these things.
My cats gave me a reason to get out of bed and eat because they needed me to get up and feed them. They gave me a reason to go to work and attend classes because I needed to earn money to take care of them. Having my cats has taught me how to take care of myself, so I can take care of them. They make me get out of bed on the days when I feel like I can, they offer a shoulder (or belly) to cry on when I need it, and they make my day better by just being a sense of comfort for me. After a hard and draining day, my day is made better by the fact that I get to go home and be greeted by my two fur babies.
For anyone struggling with their mental health, I would suggest thinking about getting an ESA or even just adopting a pet. You wouldn’t believe how aiding animals can be to your mental state.
If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.