For most people, their furry friends are one of their most treasured companions. If you are like me, you consider your pets to be a part of your family. You talk to them and give them all the love they deserve. I love cats and dogs equally the same but, as the busy college student I am, having a cat as a pet comes with some perks.

For me, my furry friend is a 8.6-pound orange calico cat. She is the happiest and most friendly cat you will ever meet. Her name is Lilly because those are my favorite flowers. She loves to expose her belly so she can soak in as much love as she can get. Here are a few reasons I'm glad I decided to get a kitten, instead of a dog.

1. You don't have to take them on walks

For an extremely lazy person like myself, this is the biggest perk of them all. Some days I find it a struggle to pull myself out of my bed, so having my kitty to cuddle with makes it even harder.

2. Cats don't need to go outside

I don't have to worry about leaving her home for several hours at a time. When shes gotta go, she uses her litter box. Although she loves playing with it and getting her litter all over the house, I don't have to worry about coming home to stains on my carpet and furniture.

3. I don't have to worry about buying her endless amounts of expensive toys

She finds great pleasure in playing with simple and inexpensive objects. Her favorite is this bean bag I got from Target. She loves to roll around on it and that is where she takes most of her naps. She always finds that boxes are a great hiding spot. Oh, and I can't forget about taking a plain piece of paper, crumpling it up and watching her chase it around for hours. These "toys" are also great for my wallet, as the broke college student I am.

4. Cats clean themselves

The one time I had to give Lilly a bath was after she chewed through a paper cup with pop in it and was all sticky by the time I got home. This was probably the biggest struggle of my life. She cried and clawed my arm up. So, I am very glad I will never have to do that again. Plus, the special shampoos you have to buy for your pets can be really expensive! It's very refreshing knowing that she will clean herself as she needs to and if she smells, that's her way of telling me I need to change her litter.

5. She typically keeps to herself

Unless I am home of course. Typically a dog will bark and seek out all the attention it wants verbally. Lilly, and most cats, watch from afar. You can probably find them lounging on top of the fridge or under the bed. This is especially nice when I have guests over. No need to worry about excessive greetings and bouncing around like a dog would do. I also don't have to worry about my neighbor complaining that my cat's meows and purrs are keeping them awake.