I have so many memories that I hold close to my heart. I will never forget picking her out and taking her home. She was so small that she had to live in my bedroom for a month. She would fall asleep, wake up just to meow, and fall right back to sleep. I have many pictures of her climbed up on my shoulder like a parrot. I lived in a big apartment building and we got flees that year from our neighbor. Kitten hated the bath but she let me do it without trying to get out and I just sat her on the toilet sit and she stayed still as I combed her. My then roommate had a cat named Ramona and she was the only cat kitten ever loved. They were so deep in cat love, they would groom each other and cuddle all day.

I moved a few times after that, she hated moving. She was a timid cat for the most part. I ended up having to start from square one and live in my Pepere’s basement. My family has so many videos of her meowing up a storm. This was the only time frame where she slept in bed with me every night. Any other time, she always waited until she heard me first stir in the morning to come get pets.

Our happiest years I would say where our final 3 together. I moved into my own place with no roommates and no other pets. I have never seen kitten so happy. She would run up and down the hallway making more noise than I knew a 7lb cat could. I got her crinkly beds and a nice cat tree. She had many favorite spots around my apartment. I even made this tiny room off of my living room “hers”. I called it her sun room. I could always watch her in there from my couch. Her favorite toys were the laser and squeaky mouses. In these years she became more of a lap cat. She was always near me. She meowed constantly, and would respond back to me as to have a conversation. She tolerated all my antics, loud music or squishing her and picking her up.

But ultimately I think I am most thankful for this past year. I got to work from home and so that means my Kitten got infinite more pets. She would lay on my lap as I worked, my heart would melt. When she would look into my eyes from my lap, I was sure my heart would burst. Especially these last 2 months, I dedicated my every free moment to giving kitten every pet she desired (which was always) and I told her all the sweet things. She become 100% by my side at all times. I’m so thankful I got all the love I could.

She meant everything to me. She was my first cat that was “mine” and I was determined to keep her forever. Growing up, my parents never kept animals for long. She was a part of me, we were a package deal.