The House Came With a Cat—And He Stayed for My Heart
My house came with a cat. I’ve never had a cat, honestly didn’t even like cats but was kind of forced into cat ownership as El Gato Blanco (that’s what my son and I named him) here was left by the previous owner of my house.
Fast forward a few months he’s become my best friend and I can’t imagine not having this sweet boy around.
At first, I treated him like a very polite roommate I hadn’t agreed to. I kept my distance. He kept his. El Gato Blanco would sit at the edge of the room, observing me with that calm, unreadable cat expression, like he knew something I didn’t yet. I told everyone the same thing: “I’m not a cat person.” I said it confidently, as if repetition would make it true. But he never pushed. He didn’t demand affection or invade my space. He just existed quietly, padding through the house like he’d always belonged there. Then one evening, after a particularly long day, I sat down on the couch and let out a sigh. Without ceremony, he jumped up beside me. Not on me. Just next to me. Close enough that I could feel his warmth, far enough that it felt like a choice. After a few minutes, he leaned in—just a little. That was it. No dramatic purring performance. No over-the-top theatrics. Just steady presence.
Somewhere along the way, the house stopped feeling like “mine” and started feeling like “ours.” I began noticing his routines—the way he waits by the window in the afternoon, the soft chirp he makes when I open a can, the way he follows me from room to room without making it obvious. He greets me at the door now, tail up like a white flag of loyalty. I catch myself talking to him without realizing it, narrating my day like he’s the most attentive audience I’ve ever had. And maybe he is. El Gato Blanco wasn’t part of my plan. He came with the house like an unexpected clause in a contract. But months later, I can’t picture this place without the sound of his paws on the floor or the quiet comfort of him curled at the foot of the bed. Turns out, I didn’t need to be a “cat person.” I just needed this cat.
