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Milton, formerly on my lap as I was writing, dozes off in a narrow beam of sunlight on my living room’s cat tree. Winston, who had been screaming at me for pets, curls up and falls into deep kitten-sleep on the couch.
Before Milton closes his eyes atop the tree, the despot surveys his kingdom: my roommate cooking, a faux bamboo tree’s leaves adorned by little bite marks and me on my laptop. It’s a monumental change from months earlier, when he and Winston lived in a room of kittens about the size of my laundry room.
They’ve been in my home for around a month and are already keystones of my life. They’ve assisted my rotting-in-bed over the weekends, knocked cups and other things over, watched “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Game of Thrones” and listened to my roommates and I’s music.
It’s hard to imagine life without Milton and Winston at this point. I wasn’t sure I’d be a good pet parent, entering the co-editor-in-chief position at the Indiana Daily Student and completing my final year at IU.
There have certainly been days when I’ve been upset, they’ve torn down a tapestry in my room, or days I’ve come home late. My roommates have been wonderful on those days, playing with the “tyrants” (as they refer to my little angels) and giving them attention when I’m gone too long.
It’s all worth it in the end, when you go to bed with two curled-up pets who will be there for you when you’re sick, happy or in pain.
***
There was a point over the summer when the shelter was at a “breaking point,” described in a heartwrenching Facebook post.
“Our team shows up every day ready to love, care for, and advocate for the animals who depend on us,” that post read. “But when the number of animals coming in keeps growing, but the resources we need just aren’t there, we are left to make decisions that no one in animal welfare ever wants to make.”
The shelter takes a quality-of-life approach toward euthanasia, holding all animals for at least five days after taking them in. If an animal meets certain criteria, for example, being too sick, aggressive or injured, the shelter considers euthanasia — believing it’s the most humane alternative to existence in pain and suffering in cages.
The night before I read that, I was looking through the shelter’s website as I had many times before. I saw a few kittens who looked quite cute, told myself I’d get one or two after I settled down somewhere after college and went to bed. I had helped raise kittens before and generally loved cats and their mischief. If you ask my parents, they’ll tell you their cats helped raise me after I was born.
I read the shelter’s post the next morning while interning at The Herald-Times here in Bloomington. The post’s implications devastated the newsroom. Something in me knew the time had come, and my editor graciously gave me a few hours off work to adopt.
I got Milton that day, and Winston later in the summer. I feel I don’t need to hammer the point in too hard to get across that this was a good decision.
***
Allow me a brief refrain to write about humanity’s nature. We’ve had a few millennia-long group projects: the cultivation of beer, wine, agriculture, philosophy, reasoning, literature, I could go on. Perhaps one of the most important projects has been our relationship with animals.
It’s almost like our symbiotic relationship with animals was meant to happen; one of God’s best moves was to make much of the animal kingdom, mammals in particular, enjoy being pet.
But our species’ group project in cultivating companion animals has been complicated. Humans have caused swelling populations, abandonment and abuse. If we are able to see the solution as a collective effort, perhaps we can all find our roles.
Some will be able to donate to the shelter’s fundraiser (which closes Sept. 21), to help with its medical fund. Some will be able to assist people who are no longer able to take care of their pets. Some can foster. Some can apply to volunteer at the shelter. Some can adopt.
I don’t want you to adopt if your life is in flux or you can’t reliably take care of another living being. Nor if you’re not sure you can afford it. But I do if you’ve been considering it, if the mental blocks in your head are really just hurdles like mine were. Talk it through with someone. If you can, I encourage you to adopt. It could change your life.
You’ll have less freedom and more companionship, Director of Animal Care and Control Virgil Sauder told me over email. You’ll need to plan ahead if your life is entering uncertain waters.
If you do adopt, please spay or neuter whoever you pick up if they haven't already been.
More information on how you can help is available on the shelter’s website.
***
After adopting, I was concerned about moving and being away for long periods of time, due to my upcoming job at the IDS. My mom counseled that I would be giving them a better life, no matter what. She was, and still is, right.
Milton’s still sleeping atop the cat tree. Without my noticing, Winston teleported up there and is now sleeping beside him. Soon, they’ll both transform into velociraptors and zoom around the house.
I’m grateful, and I’m sure they are too, that they have the space to do so.
Every night, I pray they don’t decide to turn my room into their personal racetrack. When I see them look out the window at birds or at a moonlit sky, or cuddle up after a long day, I almost want to cry. Every morning, I wake up and hope they’ll stay with me for years and years, at my side, no matter what happens or where I go.
I feel proud to have played a small part. I know many of you can help as well. I hope you will.
Andrew Miller (he/him) is a senior studying journalism and history.
