I have a black-gray shorthair cat with white mittens and a little button on his chin named Charcoal. I like to tell people, ‘I wish that dot on his chin was an off-button.’

I don’t know exactly how much he weighs (probably about 12-15 pounds); all I know for sure is that his paunch (the chunky gut area of the belly) is holdable and nearly foldable, and when he jumps on top of my ribcage, it feels like I might be dying.

He’s the kind of cat who refuses to go anywhere near me when I want him to, but the minute I start typing on my laptop, he swoops in to lay on my hands or stand in the way of the monitor.

Right before bed he jumps on top of my chest, takes way too long to find a comfy place to sit and eventually plops his fat body down, his big fluffy butt right in my face.

If he’s feeling especially maniacal, he’ll wave his fuzzy, black tail back and forth, tickling my nose.

He’s also the kind of cat who will literally lock himself in a room by accidentally closing the door, trying to grab some small toy in the space underneath it.

Charcoal’s precocious and affectionate personality reassures me that while he may not love me the way I love him, he still considers me a good friend.

He may be a fluffy pooping machine, but he’s also reliable; he never tries to sneak out of the house and he never (intentionally) hurts me physically.

All in all, even though he can’t speak English (maybe that’s for the best), he is still a great companion to have, and considering this is the first experience I’ve had living away from home, he helps comfort me when I get homesick.

Fellow college students, if you’ve been thinking about it and your landlords approve, I would highly recommend adopting a cat.

For one, you’ll be rescuing a beautiful creature that, despite conventional assumptions, does have feelings of its own.

You’ll also be taking on a new friend.

This is just an extra tidbit: I absolutely love my cat, if I didn’t make that clear already. If you’re feeling down and you really just need a cute cat picture to brighten up your day, email me. I will not hesitate to send you pictures of Charcoal.

Logan Raschke is a junior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or at lrraschke@eiu.edu.