This I Believe
A creative writing piece written for my Advanced Composition class:
The best animal alive is the majestic
feline. Cats are independent, strong, feisty creatures that do not tolerate
being messed with but are always there for you as a friend. Since I was a
little girl, I have always owned furry, little creatures of my own. I believe cats
make amazing pets because of how easily they become a lovable part of your
family.
Cats are the only pets I would ever
own; I am definitely a cat lover—maybe even destined to be a crazy, cat lady. Some
may say that dogs are a man’s best friend, but they must not have experienced
the bond one can have with their cat. Through it all, your cat will cuddle up
next to you when you are having a bad day and follow you around meowing, just
craving your love and attention. I have always loved cats, but this became even
clearer when my childhood cat died last year.
On my ninth birthday, my mom and
stepdad took me to the SPCA to pick out a cat as my birthday present. I was
ecstatic that I was finally getting a cat of my own. After hours of searching
for the perfect cat, we found the one that would forever change my childhood—my
beloved cat, Gypsy. After going through a move and changing school districts
after my mom and stepdad divorced, I survived by having my cat to always play
with and to love me. Gypsy had a unique, frisky personality as a young cat but
grew to be fat. I always loved her playfulness and sweetness. She was my
everything as a little girl.
I have never felt such sadness before the
night she died. Gypsy had been sick with heart disease for a while and shrunk
down to six pounds from a fat fifteen pounds in less than two years, so we knew
that the inevitable was approaching. I was not there when she took her last
breath, but I was on the phone with my hysterical mom as she went through the
horrible pain of watching our cat have a seizure for over an hour then
eventually die. At this point, I realized how much I truly loved my cat. I
broke down the instant I saw her dead body lying rigid in her bed. I could not
stop thinking about how sad it would be to go home and never be greeted with
the sweet tune of her meow as I walked in the door, never be able to play
“ballie” with her, never be able to pet her soft fur, and never have her sleep
in my room again.
I felt like I lost a family member. I did lose a family member. I have not
ever lost a close family member, but the loss of my cat has truly made me
realize how much I should cherish those moments with the ones I love. After
going through her death, it was hard to continue to want another animal to
adore and love again. But my life would not be complete without owning a cat of
my own. Almost all of my childhood memories involve Gypsy, and I hope to treasure
those memories for years to come—even some new ones of my little kitten Lucy.
This is why I believe cats are the best creatures to own as a pet because of
the endless memories––full of love––by becoming a family.
—Adrienne (Salinas) Boyd