If You Give A Girl A Cat
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

If You Give A Girl A Cat

You give them a lifelong best friend.

16
If You Give A Girl A Cat
Wordpress

When I was three years old, my parents had to get rid of my puppy. She was too rambunctious for a house with a three year old, and she chewed up everything. So they contacted a woman interested in a puppy. I was devastated that I was losing my precious doggy. But, that same night, my mom came home late from work, with something very special: a kitten.

He was this little black kitten, who was about eight weeks old, and I instantly fell madly in love with him. I named him Bullseye, after the horse in Toy Story 2. He was loud, and crazy. And when my baby brother was born, he was my best friend. With a new baby in the house, I was not getting as much attention as I thought I should be from my mom and dad. But Bullseye gave me all the attention I needed. He slept with my in my bedroom every night.

He was with me through my family's move three hours away from my hometown when I was 8. It was my job to feed him and clean his litter box, and in return, he was my cuddle bug. He slept with me every night. He sat on my lap while I read the Harry Potter books for the first time.

In July 2010, my family packed up a Penske truck and moved 2,000 miles from Southern California, to Muncie, Indiana. A four day trip that took me further and further from everything I had ever known. And that whole move, Bullseye sat on my lap in the front seat of that big Penske truck.

The move was hard on me. I felt really detached from where we were, since I didn't know anyone. But I did have my one connection to home. I had my cat. I had my baby. The cat that had been with me for almost 9 years at this point. On my first day at my new school, I came home and was greeted by Bullseye howling at me that he wanted food and love.

Throughout my middle school years, I had some battles with depression because I was still attempting to cope with living across the country from my home. But through all that, Bullseye was there. When I had my first boyfriend, and I went on my first date, he was there when I came home. He also was there when I laid in bed crying because my first boyfriend broke my heart.

He was there when I met my fiance, and he loved my fiance. Around my sophomore year of high school, Bullseye started slowing down. He was 11 after all. He started moving around less and just laying around more. He started losing teeth, shortly after we got a new kitten. The vet said him losing teeth was just from the stress of the new kitten.

But then, sadly, in October of 2014, my junior year of high school, Bullseye got very sick. He couldn't even stand, he just laid behind our couch, howling at us. We picked him up and when he tried to walk, he took a few steps, and then stopped, almost as if to rest. My whole family was worried sick, and we tried our hardest to take care of him and love him.

Two days later, on October 18, we woke up for school and tried to feed Bullseye, since he hadn't eaten much. He ignored the food, and collapsed on the kitchen floor, struggling to breathe. My mom and I started crying, and called my dad at work and asked him to come home, so we could take Bullseye to the vet to be put to sleep.

I lost my best friend that day. Even though I knew animals couldn't live forever, in my mind, Bullseye would. I was three years old the day my mom brought him home, and I was 16 the day he was brought home for the last time, to be buried in our backyard.

Many people don't quite understand the heartache that comes with losing a pet, especially one you grew up with. Losing a pet that has been with you through all of the good and bad times, for me it was like losing a piece of who I was. It felt so strange to come home from school in the weeks following his passing and not hear him yowling for me. Losing a pet is losing a piece of your family.

I still have Bullseye's tag on my wallet, and I carry it with me every where I go. I have his paw print tattooed on my outer thigh, because that is where he would often set his paw when he laid on my lap. Bullseye will always be a huge part of who I am and will always be one of the things I remember most about my childhood. When you give a kid a pet, you give them a lifelong best friend.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

59090
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

38163
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959645
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

196669
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments