$500.
$220-adoption fee
$100 litterbox
$50 litter
$50 for water bowl, food bowl, 2 toys
$40 tower
$40 food
That’s how much this bitch took from me. Out the gate! it was already too much.
I remember it all so clearly, I was sitting at my old barista job in HubSpot, clutching a mason jar of hot water to poke some feeling back into my frozen fingers(there was no heat in the cafe -_-) when all of a sudden I realized. I live alone. I am an adult(20 at the time). I have money. I like cats. I want a cat. I CAN buy a cat. So bitch bet I WILL buy a cat. I opened my phone, found the nearest shelter near me and started scrolling through. My heart stopped on a little baby(1.3 years old) with black, white and brown fur named Patches. I had decided. Patches would be mine. But I decided to name her Yume instead, which means dream in Japanese. She was going to be my first little dream come true.
When I lifted her out of the cage to put her in the carry basket she meowed for what the vets said was the first time. It was a small, scared, and pitiful little yowl. In the car ride home she kept meowing so sadly like I was taking her to her grave instead of the stuffy warm “freedom” of domestic life. When we arrived home, I realized she’d thrown up in the carrier. Apparently cats get car sick. -.-
She immediately ran and hid under my bed for the first day with me. Only coming out occasionally to sniff at some food. It wasn’t until the second day I had her, when my boyfriend came to visit that she made her personality known. An attention whore. I dragged her from under the bed, blocked all escape routes and plopped her in my lap to force her to get used to me and also him. Within 20 minutes she was purring and rubbing her head all over him and I. She even tried to eat the weed we were rolling! It was the start of a beautiful and extremely annoying relationship.
Over the next few days she quickly got comfortable and over the next few months, her personality really started to shine through. Yume is a very friendly cat. She never hisses, she doesn’t scratch or bite(unless you start to fuck with her) and she’s definitely a lap cat. And a back cat. And a chest cat. She will sleep anywhere on my body that is warm and comfy for her, regardless of the literal awkward position it puts me in.
She is a black hole and a volcano at the same time. She’ll eat anything and everything. I’ve found hidden chicken bones under the couch, eggs, bread. She loves hot chocolate and spaghetti sauce, peppers but not carrots, lettuce and bacon. Spicy ramen. She’ll suck everything in and then explodes it out her ass on a regular basis. I’ve never had to clean up litter so damn much. Because if she feels like her litter box is too dirty, she’ll just make a new one. Either in my laundry basket, my underwear drawer, my bag drawer, or just on the floor. The disrespect is endless with this one.
Every morning she wakes me up if she feels she’s been waiting for food too long. Either by smacking her mouth near my face or by yowling louder than a banshee and scratching at the bottom of the door in attempts to open it. I had to make a water spray bottle punishment system because it got so damn annoying. She would also eat food out the kitchen sink if she wasn’t watched. She’s crazy. In order to deal with this abundance of energy I wasn’t prepared for I started giving her hour long recesses in the backyard. She stretches her legs, gets fresh air and explores around a little. Then when it’s time to come back in she waits by the door or comes running when I call. It’s kind of cute.
Yume is a wild and unruly little animal. But she’s also the best cuddle buddy and super fun to play with. Being a cat mom means responsibility, money, and patience. Even when I’m short on money, I can’t be short on the other two. She’s just another thing I’m grateful for that 2019 gave me.
If you want to get to know Yume a little better, enjoy this short debut video of her on my YouTube channel Maiadvice. :)