I would be absolutely remiss and not myself to go an entire high school journalism career without confessing my love for cats, or at the very least, my cat. Out of all the opinions I have written on, this one by far lies closest to my heart. I will not be writing against dogs because, for one, the pet debate should not be watered down to cats vs dogs. No, rather both are great but cats deserve far more recognition than they get. But first, I feel like this needs some context:

I have a special feline in my life, his name is Snickers. I got Snickers when I was about five. So, as far as I am concerned, my entire memorable life I have had a furry body to go home and cry to. Now call me a crazy cat lady, but this is an important outlet to have in your life. Sure, Snickers has scratched me, and hissed at me, but I deserved it. Pets have yet to be so domesticated they lack all instincts of self defense, and if they did, well, we wouldn’t have pets. Instead, I learned boundaries. On the flip side, Snickers has also taken many naps with me, played often and even tolerated various costumes. He truly has been a part of many of my fondest memories. Call me a crazy cat lady, but my cat is my favorite person (yes person). 

All wild affection aside, my cat has served as crucial relief to high tensions within my family. When my brother and I were young and emotions escalated, Snickers was an easy release. My dad could personify him, “Snickers says you guys need to stop yelling” (as he sleeps soundly in a chair) and the tone would immediately shift from my raging fight with my brother to adoration and concern for the cat. Snickers became a person in our household, a blameless personality who could do no wrong. He was a genius mediator and he did absolutely nothing. Snickers’ list of roles only got longer. He would get an earful from me in elementary school and middle school (let’s be honest he still does) about how ridiculous my parents were, or how stupid my brother is, or even just how much I adore him. As any pet owner likely relates, (at least hopefully I don’t think I’m that crazy) I often berate my cat with love, kindness and affection. And yes, studies show that these acts of love and kindness can positively change one’s brain. Frankly, my cat (at least partly) taught me the reward of loving and caring unconditionally. To me, that’s an important lesson to learn.

I love my cat, if that isn’t obvious. Loving my cat, and learning to love my cat, I believe, has been a crucial lesson. Now, perhaps cats aren’t necessarily special in this respect, but my cat sure did a fantastic job. So thanks, Snickers. In conclusion, get a cat. They are pretty cool.