Over the span of the last 18 years I have owned six dogs, and not one cat. When our cat, Anakin, came into our lives I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I am used to being greeted by an excited dog when I enter my room, not a glare from a cat who is across of the room. But for the sake of my roommate, I gave it a try. For those like me, here are some things that will happen when you take your precious feline friend home.

This sums up my week.

Your bed is now their bed

As I am typing this, Anakin is on my bed and won’t let me get on. He makes my dorm room bed seem so much more comfortable than it really is.

You WILL cuddle with them at 3 AM

Unlike dogs, who like to cuddle and play all day, cats will only allow you to cuddle with them once a day—at three in the morning. When you have an 8am class, you know you can count on somebody to wake you up early enough for you to have enough time to cry about how much you wish you had gotten a dog.

You will have a peer editor when you’re working on a paper

For the strangest reason, cats think that the best time to sit on your lap is when you’re working on your 5-page paper that is due in three hours (which you probably haven’t started). It can get bothersome, but it’s a good way to keep your lap warm.

You will always have someone to talk to

Unlike dogs, who ¾ of the time just want to play and slobber on your face, cats will just watch and listen to you. I have rapped Hamilton and told Anakin my life story, and in both instances Anakin has just watched me as if I had a treat on my head.

I am still a dog lover, and I will probably always be. Before Anakin, I assumed that cats would never have a place in my heart-- I was wrong. Even though he can be a brat, he is our brat. I have learned to love every part of him, even the part that wakes me up in the middle of the night looking for a cuddle.