The story of a cat that saved me when I was at my worst

Before I brought my cat home,
I was a self-proclaimed "good-for-nothing."

My days were just a commute between work and home.
I had no particular hobbies,
and I was just working to fill the time.

Even when I got home, I didn't want to do anything.
I would scroll on my phone or fall asleep right there.
On my days off, I would realize I had spent the whole day in bed.

While thinking, "Is it okay to keep living like this?"
I lacked the energy to change.

It was in the midst of that life that I met
the cat I live with now.

Honestly, it was love at first sight at the pet shop.

But at the same time,
I also felt, "Can someone like me really make this cat happy?"

Wouldn't it be better to give up for this cat's sake?
There were days I thought that, and

No, I want to make this cat happy no matter what.
I want to protect this cat for the rest of its life.

Those feelings were constantly crossing paths.

I agonized over it for a month.
But in the end, I decided to take responsibility and bring the cat home.

――
From the day I brought this cat home,
my life began to change little by little.

Every day, I now had a "reason" to go home.
I wanted to get home early, so my work efficiency improved a little.

In a life that had nothing,
love began to grow little by little.

When I first brought the cat home, it was only three months old,
so I would make softened food for it.

I didn't know if I was doing it right,
so I would research, worry, and use trial and error every day.

Even so, I cherished even that time.

Above all,
it was enough just for the cat to be there.

Even on days when I couldn't get anything done,
or days when things didn't go well,

the cat would stay by my side just the same.

That alone saved me.

――

Actually,
I had been living with the thought of ending my life when I turned 24.

But after bringing this cat home,
I found a "reason to live."

I still have tough days even now.

Even so, I can think that I'll do my best because this cat is here.
Because I decided to protect it for the rest of its life.

If it weren't for that cat,
I probably wouldn't be here today.

I'm not exaggerating,
I truly believe that.

The existence that quietly, but surely, saved me
when I was at my worst.

That is my cat.