The first pet I really remember is a cat I named Tiger. I had her in the third grade. She used to sleep on my bed with me. I loved her and was very sad when I came home from school one day to find that my dad had gotten rid of her for attacking the bird cage.

Fast forward 3 or 4 years, and I had moved to a different state. I was lying in bed one night, just settling in, and I felt something jump up onto my bed. It reminded me of how it felt when my cat Tiger used to jump up on my bed. I couldn’t see anything, and I felt pretty scared. I laid very still and asked, “Are you my cat Tiger? If you are, touch my leg.” I felt a touch on my leg. I was very surprised, I didn’t really expect that, but I relaxed and went to sleep.