Adopting an animal is a decision that should never be taken lightly. It comes with a large, long-term financial responsibility and time commitment.
My sophomore year of college, I was able to finally convince my parents to allow me to adopt a cat of my own. They were hesitant for many reasons, one being that I was in college and taking care of a kitten is never easy. Their second reason was they were worried I wouldn't be home to take care of her -- that going out would be more important to me than staying home and taking care of her.
In late August my sister and I had traveled to St. Francis Animal Shelter in hopes I could find a cat that I could take home that day. Unfortunately, after meeting all of the cats, the only female cat available at the time had just been born not too long ago, so she was unable to go home for another four weeks. Sad that I couldn't take her home that day, it was almost better that way so I had time to prepare for her homecoming. I was able to collect all of the necessary things for my cat -- a litter box, toys, kitten food, and a bed.
Once the weekend had come that I was finally able to take my cat home, I was so excited that I showed up to the shelter exactly at 8 am. Taking Bella home was the start of a new adventure that I never knew was going to come. Before Bella came into my life, I would spend most weekdays and weekends away from my apartment, and I when I was home I would try my best to be there for a very limited time.
As Bella pranced her way in my life, literally, I never wanted to leave her. I started spending all of my time at home, and when I would go somewhere - even to dinner - I found myself just wanting to get home to play with her.
Although I was the one who saved Bella, she ultimately saved me. After adopting her, my grades increased greatly, time spent with my friends turned into time spent with my family, and spending time with Bella became one of my biggest priorities. She taught me the importance of budgeting. Not only do I have to continually add her into my budget for food and kitty litter, but also for unexpected visits to the vet. Although when adopting her, the fee included spaying, first year shots, and de-worming - you still need to stay up with yearly shots, and those can also get expensive.
Bella also taught me how to be more responsible. When I chose to adopt Bella, I chose to take on the responsibility of taking on the care of another living thing. She taught me the importance of putting other things before myself. I wanted to go out at times, but as a kitten she needed a lot of attention. Not only did she require a lot of time to be played with, she ended up with a bad urinary tract infection which required a long course of antibiotics, monitoring her almost around the clock, and comforting her.
Little do people know, cats can also help with anxiety and depression. Coming home to her every single day puts the biggest smile on my face. On my worst days after class, coming home to her instantly helps put me in a better mood. We have established a daily routine now. As I walk in the door, Bella greets me with a meow and rubs against me. We then race each other up the stairs and lay on my bed for at least 10 minutes a day to help distress me. Hearing her purr and having her knead on me is one of the most calming things. She reminds me every once in a while to take study breaks.
Adopting my fur baby was truly life changing. Still to this day I wake up and am so incredibly thankful that I took Bella in, because not only did I save her, but also she saved me.
