Cats and dogs–not always the same, in fact, rarely the same. Alyna learns about cat life when Bao moves in.
By Alyna Rei
Throughout my 16 years of life, I have had four dogs, one bunny, and a variety of fish. I always thought I was a dog person rather than a cat person. I thought dogs were way cuter and friendlier. From age 10-14, I had two golden retrievers named Lucy and Ethal. Unfortunately, my family and I were too busy to take care of the dogs, so we gave them to a cousin of mine. Through the years, as I became more responsible, I asked to bring Lucy and Ethal back. Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring them back because they were already comfortable with my cousins, so my family left the topic of pets alone. Just this past November, however, my family decided to look for a pet again. We wanted a pet that wasn’t too challenging to take care of. We decided to adopt Bao, a cat.
November 25, 2022
It was my dad’s birthday when we got Bao. We were so excited to take her home that we already had the things that we needed–such as her collar, bed, food, litter box, etc.. We met Bao back in October. It was after school, and my dad found someone on Craigslist who was selling kittens. Bao actually had a black-and-white sister. We were planning on taking both since getting two pets is smarter than one so that the two can bond and keep each other busy. In the end, though, we just decided on Bao since she liked me when we met (and she was cuter). We couldn’t adopt Bao right away. Bao had to stay with her mother until she was at least two months old.
Why the name Bao
My parents and I discussed a lot of cat names. There were three original prospective names: Chai, Rue, and Sipon (See-Pawn). My mom wanted to name Bao Sipon, but I was skeptical since Sipon translates to “snot” in Tagalog (my mom thought it was funny). But, then, I came up with the name Bao. The name makes me think of a dumpling or a pouch, and that was what Bao resembled when I first met her. She was small like a pouch.
Life with Bao
At first, it was easy to take care of Bao while she was still getting used to us. Now, she is six months old, and, it turns out, she can be a chore. There are times when Bao is really calm and sleeps most of the day and night. But, then, she turns really hyper, and I mean really hyper. She runs around the house as if someone is chasing her. It may seem like it’s not a big deal, but, when she runs around the house, she can bump into things. She can knock down anything: pillows, water bottles, toilet paper rolls, or anything dangling.
However, in truth, it is actually a lot easier to take care of a cat than a dog. You don’t have to walk a cat; they clean themselves; and they are litter-box trained (at least Bao was when we got her).
Fun facts about Bao
- Bao is a polydactyl cat. She has six toes in the front and five in the back. Apparently polydactyl cats are lucky and rare (halifaxvethospital.com).
- She enjoys sunlight a lot and likes to nap near the sun in her cat tree. She sunbathes at least an hour a day.
- Speaking of sun, she likes to watch the day out a window or an open door.
- The name Bao means something precious/rare. Which is perfect, since her paws are rare.
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