Behind every cat story is a cat purrson: Meet Mariel and Mia of I Can Has Cheezburger

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Sep 25, 2026 2:15 PM EDT

My cat found me when I needed her the most, and I can't imagine life without her. 

Mia, my beautiful, chonky, kind 11-year-old cat, changed my life, and I am forever thankful to her. One day, back when I was 17 years old, going through one of the worst periods of my life, this itty bitty kitten found me. It was Independence Day, it was dark out, she followed me home, and I wasn't planning on adopting a cat. But as every cat owner knows, cats adopt their humans, not the other way around, and Mia chose me. 

I've always been a cat person, but I did not grow up with pets, and neither did my parents. I never thought I had the knowledge or the skills to have a cat. But this little one believed in me, and she was not going to take no for an answer. The moment I adopted her, my life changed. Every day was suddenly a little brighter. There was always something to smile about. 

Living with an actual cat taught me so much - about cats, about myself. I've been with her nearly every day for the past 11 years. In fact, she's sitting next to me as I type this. She has been with me through everything. She was there for me when I was in high school, then university, when I moved out for the first time, when I met the love of my life, when I moved in with him, and when I got married. And although she will always be my first baby, hopefully, she'll be with me long enough to meet all of my future babies. 

I can confidently say that she is one of the best things that have ever happened to me, and I cannot imagine life without her. 

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  • It all started here. She was an itty bitty baby when she first came into my life. 

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  • The vet estimated her to be a few weeks old. She was so small she could fit in the palm of my hand. And she had far more energy than I thought cats could have. Shenanigans all day every day. 

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  • She was not chonky when she was a baby, but she gained weight fast. Right after she got spayed, she got slower, chiller and chonkier. 

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  • We've tried diets, and she's been on weight management food basically her whole life. At one point, the vet simply told me: “Some cats are just fat, and that's okay." Her weight doesn't stop her from committing crimes, appearing in random places in the house, or running across my stomach at full speed at midnight. She is living her best life. 

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  • She loves every box that is placed in front of her. 

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  • Even if the box is way too small for her. She fits, she sits. And even if she doesn't fits, she still sits. 

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  • No, seriously. 

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  • Her favorite sleeping position in the summer is with her belly fully out. 

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  • Her favorite sleeping spot in the winter is purritoed in her favorite blanket. 

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  • Or lying on mom's lap. 

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  • She loves jumping into the closet the second it's open. 

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  • Cupboards are acceptable as well. 

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  • She loves sinks. 

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  • She hates hats. 

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  • Although she did accept having this crown on her head for her 10th birthday. 

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  • She loves sun spots. 

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  • And snacks (especially in her box).

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  • She gives nose kisses. 

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  • Drinks from the tub. 

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  • Sometimes pees with her head outside of the litter box. 

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  • She's photogenic. 

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  • Except when she's really not. 

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  • She's my little derp. 

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  • My angel. My love. My Mia. 

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