You would think having a cute, fuzzy cuddle buddy every night would be an amazing experience, right? Well you’re wrong. It’s purr-fect for cold nights but when it gets to around 10 pm, you want to flail your arms and pout.

Smokey is almost 10 years old and he still sits in your lap, eats your yogurt and cries to go outside. Sure, he’s my best friend and an excellent heater on bitter winter mornings, but sometimes, he acts like a brat on a sugar rush. He’s been through my appendicitis, broken bones, burning my hand and losing friends over the years. He’s always been my therapy dog, well cat.

I can’t tell you how many times I wake up to him chewing on my nose of laying on my face. At 15 pounds, he isn’t a great face mask. He steals my pillows, vintage 1960’s suitcases, blankets, clean laundry and even my lanyard. We can’t eat ice cream or our favourite Domino’s pizza around him or it will be all over his little grey face. Being 10 years old doesn’t mean a thing to him. He’ll still want to go for car rides to Sailorville for a nice swim or he’ll want to sleep outside on top of the dog house in the summer sun. Adopting him with a coupon 10 years ago was the best choice an 8 year old girl could ever made.