My cat, Silvia, is a sassy little cat with a black coat, piercing green eyes, and a fluffy tail. She’s still a baby, less than a year old, but she’s mastered the art of getting what she wants. And despite my allergies, she makes it worth it.

She’s super chatty, meowing back like we’re having a conversation. It’s like she actually understands what I’m saying, just selective of what to respond to. Food is her favorite thing, and she’ll lead me straight to the bowl even if she’s already been fed. It’s like her only goal in cat life, to convince me that it’s constantly feeding time. If I’m going somewhere, she’ll think I’m going to feed her, she’ll run ahead and constantly look back. Almost like she’s making sure I’m going in the right direction.

Hyper bursts? Check. One minute she’s lounging, sleeping, the next she’s zooming around like a tiny fur bullet, jumping on chairs, running across the couch like a maniac, and scratching at chairs with those razor-sharp nails of hers. I couldn’t count the amount of times I’ve bled because of her, yet she won’t let me cut those nails. She’s a thing where she lays down and stretches out like a tiny yoga master, sometimes even rolling around, basically forcing me to pet her. She’ll look back up at me when I stop petting her like I’m crazy? Every night, she acts up, jumping onto countertops and tables, just to lay next to me like she’s supposed to be there.

An attempt to try and shut her in her room? No chance. She’ll claw and meow at the door until I let her out, because she knows she’ll win eventually. A daily occurrence forced to be reckoned with and she’s got a 100% success rate at getting what she wants. When she’s feeling clingy or curious, she would follow me around the house. If I wanted to be in my room or the bathroom, she’d just camp around the door with occasional meows. When she’s got her mind set on something, I can’t stop her.