First off, you are not my pet – you are my friend, my cuddler, my family member. We’ve been through so much. I don’t remember what life was like before you, nor do I want to remember.

Every day we’ve been together, you’ve greeted me with focused eyes and a warm heart. You spend your time as carefree as can be, running around, sniffing for food, sleeping – all things humans can learn.

Thank you for keeping me warm at night and giving me that sense of security when I heard things from outside my room. Thank you for always finding your way back home whenever you found a way out of the house.

Here I am, away from home, away from you, going to college. All I ever want to do is to be able to come home to you and procrastinate so hard while hugging you, playing with you, annoying you and scaring you while you sleep. You don’t know how many times I’ve thought about kidnapping you while Mom wasn’t looking.

I miss having a little furry creature walk to my door, only to look at me straight in the eye for five seconds then walk away. I miss picking you up and bringing you to a mirror to show you what you look like, only for you to be so distracted and not even look.

I miss hearing you say one thing and one thing only – “meow” or “woof” – what are you saying, why do you have such a limited vocabulary?

It kills me to look at old videos and photos of your sweet face with your floppy ears or your whiskers.

Just know that every time I’m driving home, you are the first thing I hope to see behind that door.

I can’t wait for us to be reunited, whenever that may be.

I just wish you loved it when I held you close and sang songs to you and tried dancing with you.