What is good about having a pet?

Having a pet is one of those things everyone tells you is good for your mental health, and they’re right. Even if your pet happens to be a talking cat. Which mine is. His name is Clark. Yes, like that Clark. No, he does not wear glasses or work at a newspaper. The world is disappointing sometimes.

I grew up with dogs, so I always assumed we’d be a dog family. You know—tail wagging, loves everyone, emotionally supportive golden-retriever-type vibes. But then I married a wizard (as one does), and apparently wizards don’t get dogs. They get familiars. So now we have Clark, who is a cat with opinions, commentary, and the ability to perform minor household magic.

Minor examples include:

Finding my keys when I’ve definitely placed them “somewhere safe.” Opening child-proof locks, which is… helpful? Question mark? Narrating the day like he’s the sarcastic voiceover of a sitcom no one asked for.

But here’s the thing. For all the dramatic eye contact and smug whisker twitching, Clark is the steady in the storm.

When the kids are loudly discovering the full spectrum of their magical abilities (again), and I’m trying to stay calm by channeling every patient TV mom I’ve ever admired… Clark hops up beside me, curls into a loaf, and says something like:

“Deep breaths. No one’s on fire yet. This is progress.”

And suddenly, I laugh instead of cry. Which, frankly, is a win.

Pets, magical or not, have this way of anchoring you. They remind you:

Sit down for a minute. Drink some water. Not every mess is urgent. You are allowed to just exist.

And Clark? He’s also my companion in the sacred ritual of rewatching my favorite shows instead of starting new ones. I’ll quote entire scenes; he’ll critique character arcs. Our relationship is built on mutual judgement of fictional people, and I think that’s beautiful.

So what’s good about having a pet?

They know when you need company.

They know when you need space.

They make regular life—regular messy, chaotic, kid-sticky, laundry-pile life—feel like something you can handle.

Even if yours happens to talk back.