I have been an animal lover all my life.

I grew up with a pair of hunting dogs named Missy and Jane. Jane was the oldest of the two. She was an English Setter with a thick white coat. Her fur was so soft, I remember burying my face into it when I just wanted to cry. Missy, on the other hand, was feisty and wild. She loved to play with the neighborhood kids. She was a mix-breed of a Brittany Spaniel and an English Setter. She looked more Spaniel than Setter in my opinion.

As a child, I remember laying my head on their stomachs and staring up at the clouds on a warm afternoon. I would sneak them treats when I had the chance. I remember my mom telling me a story of how I snuck out of the house one winter morning, walked up to the dog pen, crawled into the dog house, and slept with Missy and Jane.

But the story about Missy and Jane will come another time. The story I want to tell you is about a little black and white cat named Clary.

The story begins on March 28. It was a Thursday and I was done with classes for the day. I had been looking for a companion for a few months but I had no idea that I was going to meet my future fur-baby that same day.

I drove to the local humane society, not even considering adopting, simply just looking around at my options. I stepped into the facility and browsed through the dozens of cats and kittens that were playing, sleeping, or meowing at the window.

Then, I saw her.

She was small and skinny, but very talkative. She was black and white with some flecks of white on her nose. She was pretty adorable. I waved my fingers at her and she responded by bumping her head against the glass. Her name was Addie, but she didn't look like an Addie to me. Something was drawing me to this cat but I had no idea what it was. Pushing those thoughts behind me, I made another round through the humane society. I walked through the area where the dogs were kept and grinned at all the happy faces that were hoping to be adopted.

Then, I approached Addie once more. Something was definitely going on here.

I did not stay long at her kitty condo. I made one more round through the facility but then I ended up standing in front of Addie again. I folded my arms across my chest and huffed. There was just something about this cat but I had no clue what it was.

I continued to stare at Addie and her yellow eyes stared back at me. She licked her paw and wiped her eyes. She sneezed which made me chuckle.

Then it hit me. After walking around the humane society three times, I always ended up back at this window. This was my sign. Whatever force was there, it was telling me that I had to adopt her.

Determined, I picked up an adoption application on my way out, called my mom, and confessed to her in tears that I had found a cat. My mom was thrilled and asked me dozens of questions. I told her about how I met this cat and my mom agreed that if I felt this strongly about her that I could adopt her.

I filled out the application right away and returned to the humane society the same day. I met with one of the adoption counselors and after going over my application I was asked if I wanted to play with her. Dumbstruck, I nodded my head and was led back into a room filled with toys and treats. I waited for a few minutes and the counselor returned with Addie in a little carrier. She was meowing loudly and pushing her head against the bars on the carrier.

When she was finally released, she stumbled out and immediately rushed over to me. I started to pet her and then I felt that same feeling I had felt before. It was love. She climbed on top of my knee and nudged her nose against my cheek. I thought I was going to burst into tears.

She's the one. She is definitely the one for me.

It was not until April Fools when I finally adopted my little girl. I changed her name to Clarissa Rey Furchild, but Clary for short. It has been almost six months since I adopted Clary and she has changed my life in so many ways.

To me, Clary is more than just a cat. She is my companion. My cuddle buddy. My therapy after a long day of classes. My playmate. My furchild. My fur-baby. My best friend.

She comforts me when I'm upset or stressed. She makes me laugh when she tackles one of her toy mice and starts batting it around. Or when she gets tangled in one of her strings. She meows when she wants food and won't stop if I don't feed her. She wakes me up every morning by jumping on the bed and then proceeding to climb on my chest.

While she may cause me a few headaches every now and then, I do not regret bringing her home for a second. To be honest, I could not ask for a better cat. I don't know if you want to call it fate or destiny, but I'm grateful that Clary wandered into my life. She has made it so much better for me and those I love.

Here's a fun fact, Clary's name means clear or bright. I can tell you that Clary lives up to that namesake. She has brought a new light into my life and I am so grateful to have this little fur-ball in my life.

Who knew that a cat could do so much for one person?