Why Having a Cat in Dental School Is the Best

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From 0  to 25, I strictly wanted a dog.

Except for one hermit crab and a few fish, I never had a pet growing up. Remember those assignments in elementary school you’d do every year where you had to write a persuasive letter? Well, I always wrote mine addressed to my parents on Why We Should Get A Dog. It never worked even though I remember being sooo persuasive. The fact that both my dad and I were allergic to pretty much all mammals didn’t help. So, it seemed I couldn’t get my parents to budge on getting a pet, but I did end up getting weekly allergy shots throughout middle and high school in the hopes that my allergies would eventually be cured, or at least diminished. I told myself once grew up, I’d then finally get the dog of my dreams, allergies be damned.

Well, even when I did grow up, or at least get my first fulltime job, I didn’t get a dog. A puppy is a lot of work and I didn’t want to leave it home alone during work hours. To fulfill my animal, snuggle needs, I dog sat frequently, which was lovely, but obviously I’d always have to give the cuties back to their owners.

When Ben and I moved to Pittsburgh for me to start dental school, we talked about getting a puppy yet again. Despite our mutual adoration of dogs, we had the same hesitations now that we had when we were both working fulltime: we’d get poor sleep, the little baby would be all alone all day, we’d have no time for playing and training, etc. Yeah, of all times in my life, the four years of dental school would be some of the busiest. Not the best time to get a rambunctious pup.

How about a cat?

Ben suggested adopting a cat. Historically I’ve said I hate cats. These were the animals I was most allergic to growing up, sneezing, getting watery eyes, and wheezing. Honestly, even if I had wanted a cat as a kid, I think its mere presence would’ve practically killed me. At this point in my pet-less life, I was so desperate for a furry friend that I considered it.

We went to the animal shelter maybe four times to play with the cats and suss out their personalities. On October 18, 2019, we signed the papers for our little 5-month-old kitten, then named Snowman, now named Jam. We couldn’t take him home that day since he needed to stay for the weekend to get neutered and so his official Gotcha Day, the day our little baby furball came home with us, was October 20, 2019. He was a perfect black Halloween kitty!

To be honest, I was really nervous about taking Jam home. Firstly, I was worried about my allergies. All my life, cats gave me hell. I’m so glad that didn’t hold me back, though, because he doesn’t bother me at all. I’m telling you, my allergies used to be BAD, but I genuinely think the years of allergy shots minimized my symptoms almost to nonexistence. We try to keep our apartment meticulosity clean as to make sure there isn’t fur/dander buildup, but I can even smoosh my face into his little belly and I won’t feel the slightest of nose itches. Big fan of modern medicine and their snazzy immunotherapies 👍 I was also worried about balancing my current responsibilities with the added responsibility of taking care of another, tiny, adorable being. Luckily, Ben had cats growing up, so he knew the ins and outs of taking care of one, especially kittens. Even with his reassurance that cats are much more low maintenance than dogs, I was amazed at how perfect Jam is from day one in our little family.

So why is he—and other cats—pure perfection and ideal for any dental student? Let me count the many ways.

  1. He snuggles while I study. If I put a blanket on the table where I’m studying, he will hop up next to me and snooze the whole time I’m studying. He won’t move for hours. Having a little study buddy that can’t distract me makes studying so much more bearable.
  2. He snuggles while I relax. He’s a big cuddler and will take any opportunity to lay on my chest. If I’m on the couch for even a few minutes, he’ll curl up on me and boy does that make me feel loved.
  3. He encourages me to take meaningful study breaks. The absolute worst is when I take a 5 or 10 minute break and I just scroll on Instagram the whole time. It feels so unfulfilling. If I use my break to instead play with Jam and give him an opportunity to exercise or learn a trick, that break feels longer and more satisfying.
  4. He naps so much during the day that he stays up with me during late night cram sessions. Maybe he doesn’t even stay up with me. I think most of the time he’s napping during these moments, too. But having him so close is what counts.
  5. He reads my emotions so well. I’m amazed how Jam knows when I’m feeling sad and instantly comes over to comfort me. Ben and I joke that Jam’s just a freeloader, but he does have two jobs: killing bugs and cheering people up.
  6. He wakes me up in the morning. Most of the time, Jam doesn’t meow in the mornings for food, but many days I wake up with him laying directly on my neck. That happens to wake me up. On a few days, I’ve woken up to him chewing my hair. Idk don’t ask.
  7. He doesn’t need walks. Yes, my baby boy gets his daily exercise by running around the apartment and playing with his toys. But especially compared to my experiences dog sitting, he is so much easier to take care of!
  8. He poops in a box. Basically point 7b. Scooping his poop instead of having to take him outside means he gets to go whenever he needs to and I don’t have to go out in the cold/heat/rain/snow/dark/etc.
  9. He helps me make friends. I’ve had people in my class come over to my apartment just to meet Jam. It’s kinda intimidating to ask someone, “hey, wanna hang out?” but who would feel weird asking, “wanna see my adorable cat?”
  10. He IS my friend. Ok, Jam is my friend and my baby and my little cat son! His personality is so unique and he is simply a joy to be around.

Jam has brought immeasurable joy to my life and I truly believe he’s reduced the stress I feel each day. Bottom line is, baring students with cat allergies or allergy-related asthmas (and I guess those who don’t want cats ????????) all dental students should get a cat!

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