Our Little Problem Solver

My family moved from one small town to another in the summer of 2010. My mom had a new job and the 30 minute commute from our old house wasn't sustainable for us. I was excited for the new house, but sad to leave my friends behind.

None of us expected the mice.

They were in the walls of the house and would come out under the sink. I never actually saw any, but my parents and my older sister had. The house we were renting didn't allow pets, which left us to buy traps.

It became clear that these mice were either smart or there were simply a lot of them, because the traps weren't very effective. I have no idea when or how my parents figured out how to get a cat, but after about a month, my dad took us to the animal shelter in town.

The cat we got was a stray that had been rescued from the streets. They didn't know how old she was, or really much of anything about her. We all guessed that she was maybe a year old; she was fully grown but still very active.

I wanted to name her Snowball, because she's pure white and it made sense. I was horribly outvoted and we named her Diamond. My siblings and I were so excited that we would watch her eat and were constantly wanting to play with her. We didn't have as bad a mice problem as we did before.

I do remember my dad complaining that some brave mice still ventured out and about. He would call her a lazy cat, say we spoiled her, but we all loved her the same.

It's been roughly 10 years now and she's still in perfect health. We've moved around with her, gotten some dogs, and she now leaves the house as she pleases. My older sister is allergic to cats, but she pampers Diamond the most. She's had to call off work because her allergy gets so severe.

I hope Diamond continues to live on this earth for another 10 long years, because I don't know what my older sister would do if she passed. Diamond may be the family cat, but my older sister is the closest to her. All of the cat's food, water, toys, and bed are in her room. She often asks me to brush her and use a dry shampoo to keep her clean, since she really can't. She defends the cat when anyone says something mean about her and gets scared when she throws up too many times in a week.

My older sister went out of state for college for a bit. I think that time was hard for her because she was so far away from the cat. She would call me and my younger brother everyday asking to see Diamond, or have us send her pictures of how she was doing.

My mom said she looked jaundiced once and my older panicked. She rushed the cat to the vet and spent $200 just to learn that there's absolutely nothing wrong with her. I'm sure she'd get the cat chipped if she could, so she could find her if she needed to.

I know that, despite how much my family complains about Diamond meowing to be let out or how she throws up on the floor, we're all very happy to have her. We would all be devastated if something happened to her, my older sister more so than anyone else. She's a part of our family as much as anyone else.

Cats are often misunderstood and labeled as mean, standoffish, or 'devils'. Honestly, they aren't. Diamond does enjoy her space but she will curl up next to us if we're on the couch and loves a good chin scratch. I think many people forget that many cats are social creatures, just not in the same way dogs are. They form bonds with their humans, just like dogs, and look after their humans when and where they can.

If anyone reading this is considering adopting, I definitely think a cat can bring happiness to your home. Just be sure you learn how they show their love before assuming they hate you. And please, don't give up your cat. They deserve love and a forever home too.