INSERT COLUMN NAME HERE
I adopted my cat on April 3, 2023, the day before my 26th birthday. She is a tiny, partially blind, black cat named Dahlia, but has somehow gotten the nickname of “Shmoo,” which is the only thing she responds to. She is sweet, cuddly and everything you could want in a pet.
Shmoo is the first pet I ever adopted on my own. I was living on my own at the time — a first for me — and I was feeling rather lonely and sad.
My best friend Madalyn helped me to decide that I needed a cat. So, we went to Austin Pets Alive! off Cesar Chavez Street and looked around. I had previously looked at their website at adoptable cats and had found one that just tugged at my heartstrings. She was a black cat with unspecified eye issues, about a year old.
When I asked about that cat, the worker said that she had been adopted. I was disappointed, but still wanted to look around. The worker then said something like, “If you like partially blind black cats, I have just the cat for you,” and presented Shmoo.
I knew almost immediately that Shmoo was my cat. I went into the room and got her to come over to me and she instantly rolled over and showed me her belly to pet. She didn’t attack my hand when I pet her, which cats often do, but just purred and purred.
I was a little hesitant to adopt her right away, nervous that, even though I grew up with cats and knew how to take care of them, somehow I would mess it up. So, I signed up to be her foster parent, with the understanding that at any point I could adopt her officially.
It took about a week before I officially adopted her. She was skittish at first, hiding and running away. But once I sat on the ground and offered her some treats, she was the same sweet girl I met in the shelter. She would climb into my lap and just purr. She doesn’t quite meow, just makes little squeaking sounds, unless she thinks she’s alone. Then she lets loose and yells her head off.
Shmoo and I have been together for over a year and half, and I’m not sure where I would be without her. Surely, I would be very lonely and sad without her, but she’s also been a lesson in responsibility. I was the only person who was responsible for taking care of her and I had to make sure that she had food and water, that she was clean and happy.
Whenever I go through a time of struggling with my mental health and taking care of myself, I’m able to slowly get out of it by taking care of Shmoo. Even though I’m having a hard time, I have to remember to feed her, make sure she has water and everything. And honestly, I think she knows when I’m going through a tough time. She’ll cuddle me when I’m sad and always finds a way to entertain us both and make me laugh.
This holiday season, consider both the benefits and responsibilities before adopting a pet. Sometimes, people only focus on the benefits, rather than the whole picture. A pet is a life that’s with you for a lifetime. It’s not just a temporary thing where you get some joy and fun, it’s a commitment. Pets will be there for you through the good times and bad. They deserve for you to do the same.
Brown is a reporter for the Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch.
He can be reached via email at [email protected].
Mikey Brown
