Last week I adopted this little dude.

I know what almost all of you are thinking (especially those of you over the age of 50). You're in college. You don't have time for a cat. It's a lot of responsibility you know.

Yes, people, I do know. And believe it or not, this cat has lived with me for seven days (that's 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, 604,800 seconds).

Within that short period of time, I've learned so much about many facets of life, with the most important being:

I can keep a living thing alive. Mind blowing I know.

Aside from the miraculously obvious, however, I've learned a few more things along the way that I thought I'd share.

1. Cats are cute.

Really, though. Look at that little guy. Even though you cat-haters out there will swear that there's no such thing as a good-looking feline, that is one handsome dude.

2. They help you with your homework.

As surprising as this may sound, whenever I struggle with what word to use in my English essays or a translation in Spanish, this little buddy is quick to reach for a thesaurus or dictionary.

3. They take naps with you.

Whenever you need to catch up on some Zs, they're there to curl up next to you (or on you) — the perfect snuggle buddy for any occasion. Plus, they're naturally warm, so you'll never be cold in the middle of the night (or day).

4. They teach you responsibility.

Was he serious?

While I'm sure all college students have their lives completely together like me, adopting an animal will only strengthen our level of "adult."

Seriously, though. Within the past week, I've seen (on a small scale) what it means to have someone else completely depend on you. He relies on me to feed him, brush him and love him. He wakes me up every morning at 6:15 when he's hungry. He counts on me for anything and everything.

For example, just the other night he followed me into the bathtub. Not even exaggerating when I say that he jumped into a tub of warm water.

He wasn't too happy when he realized what he had done.

5. They love you unconditionally.

Whenever the stress of college has me down or worried about the future, my little man is always there, ready with a hug and some love. Although I'm a bit sleep deprived, I'm calmer and happier whenever he's around.

Adopting this little nugget changed my life for the better, and I'm so excited to spend many more days with him.