Growing up, I had always loved animals. I had a dog from the time I was four until I was sixteen. I was a dog person, inside and out. The only cats I knew were basement cats. The types of cats that hung around in the dark basements, hid under beds and hissed when you walked by. While I thought they were cute, I by no means ever intended to own one.

This all changed during Thanksgiving break of my junior year in high school. My sister texted me a picture of a kitten, “Don't tell mom and dad”. But, when she realized she was the only one to care for it, she had no choice but to bring it home for doctor’s appointments. I was excited to go play with the cute and cuddly kitten. Little did I know, he would become the most important part of my life.

The moment I stepped into her dorm room to sneak him out, I fell in love. He was so small. Three to four weeks old at that point. The size of a soda can, able to fit in the front pocket of a hoodie. I was head over heels for him. And that was a good thing, since his initial vet bill racked up around $200 and my broke college student of a sister couldn't pay for it. I helped front some of the money, under one condition- the kitten was now mine.

My dad was not happy, to say the least. I'm pretty sure he pretended the kitten wasn't there for the first month we had him. My dog did the same. After fourteen years, he had been the only animal in the house and now we bring in this fluffy, meowing, little thing? It all worked out in the end. They were buddies until the end.

But, how did all of this change my life? In so many ways.

I was undecided with what I wanted to do with my life. As a junior in high school, that was a little concerning. I remember watching Animal Cops: Philadelphia with this tiny kitten in my lap and thinking, this is what I want to do with my life. I want to care for dogs and cats, big and small, cuddly and scary. I want to help broke college students out when their heart is in the right place and they bring their new kitten in for its initial visit. Because of this little kitten, I figured out what I wanted to do with my life. I am forever thankful for him introducing me to the thought of veterinary medicine.

High school was a tough time for me. I had trouble adjusting at first. I started to become introverted and jaded. A real miserable teenage girl. But from the moment that I held this kitten in my hands, I was a better person for it. I felt a type of love that I could never put into words and had never felt before. I looked forward to waking up every morning, if only to see that little face staring back up at me. He slept in my bed every night until he became more adventurous and comfortable in our home.

The patience I learned while trying to teach him where the littler box was after multiple times missing it was patience I had never known. The responsibility I upheld while cleaning up after him and feeding him and making sure he wasn't lost somewhere in the house was a responsibility I never had before. The utter despair I felt the first time I thought he escaped the house was despair I had never felt, and hope to never feel again. I have become more diligent, more understanding, and most importantly, happier.

When people ask me if I'm a cat person or a dog person, I can never answer them straight forward. I have gotten the label of being a cat lady, a label I don't deny. But my answer to that question is simple; I'm a 'my cat' person. There are dogs I love more than certain cats, and other cats I love more than some dogs. But the truth is, I am a better person for allowing this kitten into my life. A kitten who is not a kitten anymore, but almost three years old. I have become a better person everyday for three years because of him.

When life gets tough, I get out of bed, go to class, study, and work hard all so I can give my cat a better life. The best life that he deserves (and a little more because, you know, he's kind of spoiled).