“There are sacrifices I had to make, but I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”
This is Noodle, the beloved cat and emotional support animal (ESA) of Isabel Dawes ‘25. She was found at a cat shelter in Ohio and was brought to campus at the beginning of the semester.
Noodle is Dawes’ second ESA, after their first cat, Coda, sadly passed away from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) last September. They shared that having an ESA on campus has improved their college life immensely, saying that it’s “easier to take care of myself if I have something else to take care of.” (Not to mention, it’s a great point of conversation, too!)
When it comes to being babied, Noodle has no objections to it: she screams for food, sits on Dawes’ chest. and simply craves attention at all times. Noodle also isn’t afraid to take advantage of their space, often found sunbathing on her cat tower or darting between windows to chase a bird. “She’s my baby, I can't not love her,” Dawes said.
Rebecca Terry ‘25, one of Dawes’ roommates, mentioned that Noodle has two moods: lovey-dovey or “I’m going to bite your ankles.” But that doesn’t stop members of the house from loving her wholeheartedly. They, like Dawes, have also been benefiting from having an ESA in their dorm. “[Noodle] helps everyone’s mental health in the house,” Grace Buehler ‘25 said. “[She] makes the house feel more like a home,” Terry added.
What Dawes enjoys most is having someone to come back to at the end of the day – especially if it’s a particularly taxing one, as Noodle helps to put them in a better mood. “Look at her. She’s perfect.”
It can only be expected that Dawes and Noodle will continue to have more memorable days on campus as the new semester begins soon.