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.Â
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 cafĂ© 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.Â
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.Â
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. Â
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. Â
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. Â
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. Â
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. Â
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.