How a Cat Stole my Heart 😺 ❤️

Are Cats Evil?

I started out with not really liking cats. I don't know why I felt that way. I just felt that cats were evil. I really preferred dogs at the time because, growing up, I always felt dogs were that cheerful presence in your life and, you know, always happy to see you, so loyal and so perfect. Cats, on the other hand, didn’t care if you exist or not. And, I don't know, they just gave you this evil vibe all the time, like they could easily kill you in your sleep at night, so stay alert. I was not actually scared of them or anything, I just disliked them. A lot. Many of my friends had cats growing up, but I just steered clear of them all the time.

A guest that wouldn't leave

My whole opinion changed when I was staying with my roommate in college. She loved cats. She has always loved them and always had a pet cat in her home. And she was like, "We should get a cat." I said, "If you want to get one, sure, go ahead. But don't expect me to even come five feet near it."

We shared a tiny flat. It was a one-bedroom apartment. It was too tiny, but I did not mind it because whatever you say about cats, they are really easy to take care of. I would rather have a dog as a pet, but I know that would take a lot of work, and neither of us was equipped to handle that with our classes being full-time and going out with friends and all that. So a cat seemed like a better alternative if she wanted a pet. So we went to a pet shop and chose a really pretty cat. I did appreciate how cute and pretty cats are. So we chose one and brought her home. We named her "Zui".

Falling in love with Zui!

The first few days, I just watched from afar. My roommate used to feed her, groom her, play with her. I was just there, existing around this cat who took all the attention wherever we went because our friends came to our house to visit her, and they were cooing all over her. I was like, "Yeah, yeah, get it over with." But then one day, my roommate had to visit back home, and it fell on me to take care of her. So I was like, "Fine, let's do this." I don't know what happened—while feeding her, while cleaning up her litter box or something—but something changed. And then I sat down, and she curled up next to me. She was so cozy and cute and incredibly playful.

I have always been around cats who were really lazy and slept all the time. But this one, probably because she was just a kitten—like, a very recently born kitten—was very playful, and it was a hoot to play with her. And then, when my roommate came back, she was shocked to see this new relationship that we had developed. And from then on, it was perfect. We used to take her out to parks and stuff. And we had this little bag—it was a transparent bag where we would put her in and take her out with us. And it was really fun. I had finally found something to love about cats. But then, as things happened, our college ended, and we had to leave the apartment. Between the two of us, she was the one who took the cat back to her home with her because it was technically her cat, and it broke my heart. It really was very. But I asked for her pictures almost every week. She is happy and well with my roommate's family.

My second feline love

Then, the next furry love of my life is Ramesh's (@bighungrypanda) cat, Chikku. I mean, that little guy is a fluffball and so cute I could gobble him up. During our video calls, I never fail to talk to him and coo over him because ugh, he makes my day! He is a grown cat and quite lazy, but to be honest, I could just sit and look at him sleeping all day.

I have begged Ramesh time and again to bring Chikku to see me when we were in the same city, but he never did. Probably because he knew that I would run away with him. I feel so jealous that he gets to have that adorable little guy with him all the time! It's so unfair.

The verdict

Honestly I would love to have both, a cat and a dog. Dogs for their "Id die for you" energy and cats for their "I might not notice your death" energy. But, for this prompt, a gun to my head if I had to choose, I'll go with a cat.

P.S: All of Zui's pictures/videos were clicked using my old phone which left a lot to be desired when it came to camera quality. That paired with the snapchat filters I was obsessed with back then, have made for not so great photos but I don't mind because they are filled with great memories.