I Raised a Part-Wild Cat During My Last Semester at USC
By Lauren Brose ‘15
Everyone said I was crazy for getting a cat and it was totally unexpected of me. I’ve always wanted to have a pet and raise a kitten or puppy at a young age. I considered waiting off until the end of my last semester, but I thought about my upcoming summer. I thought the perfect time to get a pet was when I finish school and have to transition to the rest of my entire life aka the real world. So a week after spring graduation, I got King George.
Through my 7 months of cat owner-ship, I’ve noticed interesting things when it comes to cats. For example, kittens are absolute bullies. They hunt you, scratch you, bite you, jump on your face when you’re sleeping–– stuff like that. King George did all of this to me when he began teething. Bengal cats are known for having biting problems if not properly trained. I knew I couldn’t neglect my duties as his owner so I had to make a few changes in my everyday life. While I felt like I never had a free moment last semester, I spent a lot of time bonding with my fur child. : )
Going out of town wasn’t as easy anymore
Now that I had responsibilities as caregiver for my cat, I found myself turning down spontaneous trips to Vegas and feeling a bit guilty when I don’t spend a lot of time with my cat. I liked staying in, playing with King George, and being low-key. I also liked seeing my friends on weekends when we all go out so I had to learn to balance the two.
Training my particular breed of cat had its ups and downs
Bengal cats are known for having a forever kitten personality which means sometimes his temperament becomes a bit primitive. He’ll stalk you and silently creep over and around down in the pre-pounce position, eyes locked onto you. And then with full speed and strength he will launch himself at you. He’s scratches and bites me like no other. My roommate, Brianna, is also close with King George and she falls victim to his attacks too. He’s also incredibly affectionate. He has many times recognized when I wasn’t feeling well or I was feeling sad . He walks over and cuddles up right next to me, purring. Whenever I come home, he runs over to me and meows. It’s great. : )
Balancing work, school, being a pet parent and maintaining my social life was a challenge
If I had homework on the weekends, I did it on Sunday. Knowing that, I knew that I couldn’t have my cat nudging at me while I was trying to do work. I’d normally shut him out of my room or go to a coffee shop for an afternoon to work.
Inviting friends over became entertainment within itself
King George will come over and check out the people who are chilling in a room. He’s super young still so he typically gets overwhelmed when there are more than 2 people in a room. When that happens he might try to pounce on one of the guests–– he will most likely pounce on me. Sometimes I have to separate him so he can chill out. KG also hates men. I think he hates men because with me living with 2 female roommates, he is the man of the house. And we all agree that he runs the house too. He’s gotten territorial and goes after male visitors. I know three guys out of all visitors everyone in my apartment has had that my cat was pretty cool with. Pretty nuts.
Keeping a house cat inside the house at all times is impossible
My apartment would have a lot of friends come over and hang out frequently on the weekends. My cat loves exploring the outdoor world and will find ways to get out. If a friend leaves the door open, my cat will try to get out. He’s been successful many times. He’s broken out of screens on windows as well. Finding him is really irritating because he will hide out under the house with stray cats. Ew. I bring out cat food to lure him out and then grab him. Other times, I have to use a clicker that makes specific sounds that really catches their attention.
It’s an expense— but nothing like having a child
Because my cat is an exotic breed, I have to attend to his dietary needs which includes large quantities of high protein wet food and grain free dry food. I buy him things like cat trees and water fountains so he has his things and feels comfortable at home, so that becomes an expense. I swear I spend more money on King George than I do on myself sometimes. Still, I am glad his expenses are manageable and we can both eat well.
The best company to have during this unpredictable time of my life <3
The main reason why I wanted to get a bengal kitten as a graduation gift to myself (lol) was due to the changes I knew my life would be experiencing. In September I verbally committed to staying on as a full-time employee at the company I was interning at and by mid-November I had committed to working at Oracle. The craziest part was that instead of moving to the west side to work in Santa Monica, I am now preparing to move to the San Francisco to work at Oracles Redwood Shores location. I’ll have some really great friends working and living in the bay area, but it’s comforting knowing that if I someday spontaneously pick up and move to London, I will at least have King George by my side to keep me company. Studies have also shown that petting a cat or dog reduces stress, depression and anxiety symptoms. Whenever i’m home and am feeling wound up, I take a break to grab a snack and play with King George. He’ll most likely get a snack too.
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