I WAS JUDGEMENTAL UNTIL…

By: Jessica Breazeale

It all started with a rescue cat from Hattiesburg. She changed my perspective. I’m so

glad she did because I was judgmental until she changed me.

I was judgmental of people who had indoor pets.

I thought, “How people let their pet inside their home was beyond me”. Pets are never

clean enough, constantly shedding their filth, bad for asthmatic people, and trigger

PTSD with all the barking. Isn’t that just common sense, a nonnegotiable that pets

should be outside where they belong?”

I figured most people were scared of dogs, annoyed by cats, and hated the smells that

came with pet ownership. I was judgmental until TiDo came along.

Yes, I realize our princess has a boy's name, but our son named her TiDo. We don’t

know why. I don’t think he was familiar with the Jackson 5. I think Walker just probably

made up a name, and it was his birthday present, so it was only right that Walker got to

name his cat.

TiDo was a quick decision that became a huge blessing in disguise.

My sister asked if she could get Walker a cat for his birthday. She said they found an

amazing cat at a cat café that needed a home. Well, she caught me at the perfect time

as I was busy working and not fully processing the information.

At this time, I was also in the middle of a hot flash because I was in the very thick of

menopause. I was dealing with extreme emotional changes from the change of life, so I

was all over the place mentally, physically, and psychologically.

So, when my sister asked, “Can I get Walker a rescue cat from the Hattiesburg cat café

for his birthday?” Lo and behold, I said “sure,” which was very uncharacteristic of me. I

don’t typically make huge decisions quickly, I never liked indoor pets, and I’ve never

liked to be pressured, either.

I had been judgmental of indoor pets my whole life. Why on this certain day did

everything change?

My sister asked if the cat could be an inside pet. I requested the details to which she

replied, “She’s already bathed, spayed, and fully vaxxed”.

I guess my sister thought she’d sweeten the deal, because she added, “I will buy her

litter box, starter litter, starter food, and a carrying backpack to get her there.”

The stars must have been aligned just right; I jokingly tell people when recounting this

story. The truth is, God sent her to us in a time of need.

I really didn’t give it much thought, which had to have been a God-moment to save me

from a judgmental mind.

I said to my sister, “Yeah, that sounds fine.”

I’m laughing out loud as I type this because that is not me at all, but it is the new me.

Fast forward two years:

TiDo is a beautiful princess. Is she perfect? NO. She can be bad sometimes, tearing up

furniture, eating food that she’s not supposed to eat, etc. She has learned the art of

persuasion by going to everyone to beg for treats – the reason she is a little plump.

TiDo is truly a part of our family. She aspires to be a top-tier salescat when she grows

up, as she’s learned how to play on heartstrings to get what she wants. She’s not

perfect, but she is amazing.

Over the span of my life, we’ve had lots of animals, but they’ve all been outdoor animals who had to fend for themselves. We fed them regularly but had them at arm's length, so, now looking back, they weren’t truly “pets”. I firmly believe God sent TiDo at a very pivotal time in our lives.

God knew something was coming down the pipeline, something that we didn’t know,

and that we would need this pet to serve as a little bit of therapy.

Now, we all have Tito to cuddle with, swap kisses with, play with, take care of, and

nurture, and we didn’t know that we were going to need TiDo the way that we do.

Thank God! I was judgmental until…I was not judgmental anymore.

I think my point is that we go through all these things to learn lessons, and if we’re not

really learning our lessons, then what are we doing? We’re wasting our time. I’ve

learned my lesson. I don’t think others’ pets will always trigger PTSD or asthma. I now

understand the healing, therapeutic side of pet ownership – something I hadn’t

understood until now.

Meet TiDo, the princess of the house. She lives like royalty, she wants for nothing as

she’s waited on hand and foot. She’s spoiled, and I cannot get her to help around the

house and do chores. However, her cuddles and therapeutic kisses help lower my blood pressure, and I’ve learned to just squirt her with a water bottle if she tries to scratch up furniture.

She’s learning…but so are we!

- Not the end.

(TiDo is very much in the middle of her story…or just the beginning.)

Walker Breazeale and his cat, TiDo. Walker is an only child. These two are truly like brother and sister. Walker Breazeale and his cat, TiDo

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