When I was in kindergarten, my beautiful black lab, Charlotte, was put down. She had cancer and there was nothing else the veterinarians could do for her, except help her pass peacefully. After the loss of my dear dog, I wished upon every shooting star hoping for another dog that would help fill the void in my childhood where a pet belonged.
Honestly, now I don’t even really remember Charlotte. I have no memories of playing with her, her chasing her own tail or even petting her. All I have left are what I think are hazy false memories based off the stories my parents told me about her. Although for years, even though I scarcely remembered owning a dog, I still wanted one.
I begged. I pleaded. I think I even cried, but the answer was always no. “We’re not getting another dog! I’m allergic!” my dad would say to me. I held out hope for years that one day he would give in and grant me a cute, little, fluffy ball of fur. I asked for a puppy year after year on my Christmas list. A girl can dream. But it was to no avail. I was not getting another dog.
Enter: the cat. I never thought I would be a cat person. I never wanted to be associated with them. Dogs were these wonderful creatures that interacted with their owners and formed precious bonds. Cats slept, hissed and ignored their owners. But like it or not, my main pet for most of my childhood was a cat. When he was a kitten, he was a cute, little, fluffy ball of fur. It was just not exactly the ball of fur I had pictured.
Now nearly thirteen years later, the cat, fondly named Harry, has become a part of the family unit. He has been with me through it all. Harry has witnessed me using the kitchen tile as a dance floor and crying after heartbreak. Year after year, he has been there to cuddle. The loud meows and sniffly purrs have become a source of comfort and the sound of home.
I have slowly joined the dark side. I moved away from man’s best friend and have taken my place as a crazy cat lady. Yes, dogs are playful, fun, energetic, protective, and a whole lot of other words that are not often used to describe cats, but despite the overwhelming evidence of why dogs are superior to cats, I have formed a bond with my cat and love being a cat person.
Despite ending up being a dog or a cat lover, my cat taught me that life is what I make of it. Sure, I wanted a dog for years and held out hope for over a decade, even after I already had my cat, but I still learned to love my cat. Neither was he what I expected nor what I wanted at the time, but I dealt with what I was given. I learned the lesson that I had to find the best in any situation.
There’s always a silver lining in life. And this time, mine happened to come with an extremely loud meow.
