I am a somewhat new cat owner. About a month and a half ago, I brought home my kitten, Fred (Weasley) and it has been a very interesting experience. Sometimes it’s been great, other times it’s been a real trial.

1. The Sleeping.

Having a kitten curled up sleeping with you is...the ultimate aesthetic dream. They’re warm, cuddly, cozy...and they wake up and trample all over you every time you move more than a centimeter.

2. The Playing.

Everything is a toy! It’s great! So much fun! Except that ‘everything’ includes your arms, fingers, ankles, toes, hair, and pretty much any other part of your body that moves.

3. The Meows.

Kitten noises are adorable, truly. The purring is amazing, the meows are so small and so cute. Sometimes it is hard to appreciate this, though when it’s happening at 2 am, or when you’re trying to write a paper.

4. They just love you so much!

They want to be around you all of the time! This can get dangerous though, as sometimes that does translate into them settling down right where you’re about to step. This has happened many times with paws, tails, and all other sensitive parts of the kitten.

5. They are so smart.

Maybe this isn’t universal, but it’s true for my kitten and my mom’s new kitten as well. They are honestly so clever and creative with the ways they think of getting into mischief. For example, I had to take a break for writing this article because Fred was ripping up every tissue in my tissue box, except that the tissue box wasn’t open before this.

Don’t take any of this the wrong way though, adopting Fred was an amazing decision and I love him more every day that I have him and I wouldn’t trade him for anything. Living with cats is always just such an interesting life, and they are the quirkiest animals you’ll ever meet. Our relationship means the world to me, and Fred is always there with that animal sixth sense of how I’m feeling and when I need extra love and comfort. No matter how frustrating these things may be every once in a while, it never takes away from the fact that he’s such a loving and wonderful companion.