Meet Lulu. She’s my somewhat senile, 40 lb. cat who, until about a week ago, lived with my mom and stepdad, then just stepdad. Lulu joined my life in seventh grade and looking back it’s clear that she was an attempt to bribe me into spending more time at my mom’s house. Honestly, I’m a little surprised that it didn’t work because she was an adorable kitten and has grown to be quite an entertaining cat.
This past summer my mom passed away and one of the first things that crossed my mind was, “What happens to the cat?” She could stay with my stepdad. That didn’t present any problems. But for some reason I really wanted the cat. So without much eye to logistics, it was decided that Lulu would go to college.
The Car Ride
I’m sure that if you have a cat or have a friend who has a cat, you know that for the most part cats do not like cars. Lulu is no exception. My playlist of choice, “jammin,” was accompanied by shrieking meows and eventually a constant, grumbling growl. There might as well have been a skunk in the car for how bad the odor became. I can say without hesitation that for Lulu it was a horrifying drive up to Tufts.
The Move-In
As I unpacked and for a solid 24 hours after that, Lulu laid in the corner of my bathroom behind the shower curtains. No amount of feather-on-a-stick things and catnip could rally her. She remained in a state of powerful sulkiness and I questioned my decision to take a pet to school. What had I done? I live in an apartment that has people around all the time and here is this blob of a cat who won’t eat or drink or move and who very obviously hates me. Panic.
Adjusting
It’s now day six and my panic has dissipated into contentedness and a sense of laughable regret. What was I thinking bringing a live animal to school? Lulu seems to have figured out that I control her food so she follows me everywhere. At night she does the not-so-endearing cat thing where she lies down right on top of my face just in case I’ve forgotten that she’s there and needs my constant love and adoration. Yesterday she tried to eat the needle I was using to sew a dress. At least her appetite is back, right?
