I was lying in bed just like any normal morning, waiting for my alarm to go off. I had heard my dad wake up and get ready for work already. He always had the same routine. I knew he had just left and therefore my alarm would be going off any minute. I took a deep breath and sighed, squeezing my eyes shut. I didn’t feel like getting out of bed. I stifled a yawn right as the radio started playing. I opened my tired eyes and tried to reach my nightstand. I put my arm out to hit the off button and yelped in shock. I had paws! I had golden fur, almost tawny colored. It reminded me of the color of an orange pop float, once the ice cream is mixed in and stirred.

I was taken aback. I reached out again and had to stand to reach the clock. My arms were too short, so I took a step closer and ended up having to stand on the bedside table to turn off the alarm. I looked around and saw my pets on the bed with me. My cats were giving me a look, and the dog seemed perplexed. I tried to talk, and at first all that came out was a high pitched wail. I focused hard and forced the words from my mouth. I struggled, as the question left my lips.

“What happened to me?”

My favorite cat, Eva, purred with amusement. She looked me in the eye and said,

“Remember all the days you wished you could be a cat so you could just sleep all day?”

I couldn’t believe it. I stretched my legs. Indeed, I was standing on all fours, instead of my normal two. I yawned and arched my back, standing on my tip toes…er, paws. I nimbly leapt from the bed and walked around the corner of it, towards my mirror. I hesitantly peeked around the edge of the bed. I was astounded. I was a beauty! Short cream colored hair, striking greenish gold eyes, slender legs, and perfectly groomed ears. A purr emanated from deep within my chest. That was a new feeling as well! So strange.

I thought about the problems I would soon face. What about my mother? What would she think of the fact that her daughter was transformed over night? Would she know it’s me? How would my friends think of me? Would I have to eat flavorless food?

I peeled my eyes away from my mirror and made my way to my door. How did I manage to close it last night? Oh, right. I was human then! I stared at the door knob. Sleek and black. A completely ridiculous design for someone who doesn’t have thumbs. I sat down and pondered how I would leave my room if I couldn’t get the door open. My tail flicked around in irritation. As I was staring intently at the crack under the door, I saw a shadow, and I recognized the footsteps. My mom was walking down the hall. Maybe if I asked her to open the door, she would!

I tried to speak. I attempted to ask her to open the door, but all that escaped my mouth was a coarse “mrrrrowww.” The footsteps stopped, and turned towards my door.

“Good morning sweetie. I’ll let you out now, don’t worry,” my mom crooned.

The knob turned and the squeaky door opened slowly. I looked up and saw the familiar face of my mom. There was something different though. She used to be really short, but now she was a giant! How did she get so tall? Oh. Yeah. I’m the short one now. The door creaked open all the way until the handle hit the wall with a thud. My mom leaned down and patted the top of my head. Without trying to, I pushed myself into her hand, and then wound myself around her legs. I was happy to see her. I hadn’t ever felt that way, at least not to that extent. My mind was wandering, and it was hard to focus on what I needed to do. I brushed my cheek over her shin.

My mom laughed and started walking to the kitchen, so I followed her. I found that I had a difficult time coordinating the movement of my legs. They were so long, and there were two more than I was used to. I clumsily moved my legs faster in order to keep up with my mom. I started to jog next to her. I got the hang of jogging, so I ran a circle around her in the kitchen. She laughed then reached into the cupboard. She got down a can of something, but I couldn’t read what it said. Suddenly though, I was over taken by a feeling of hunger. I wanted something with meat in it was all I knew. Ewww, who in their right mind wanted meat for breakfast?

My mom pulled the tab on the little can, and the pop of the broken seal sounded in the air. In the next second, a strange aroma filled the kitchen. My mouth watered and I purred loudly. My mom scraped the can into a little glass bowl and picked it up. She carried it over to the table and set it in my spot. I hungrily jumped into my chair and sat down. I looked into the bowl setting on the table.

Surprisingly, the goop and chunks in the bowl looked appetizing. The smell of chicken filled my sensitive nostrils. I thanked my mother the best I could, then I got to work scarfing down my breakfast. I finished the contents of the bowl within a few minutes, and then I jumped from my chair. I sat on the floor, in the early morning sunlight, with my tail wrapped around my legs. I slowly lifted a paw to my mouth and licked it. Without thinking too much about sticking a foot in my mouth, I groomed myself. I licked my paw, and then brushed it across my face. I got into a rhythm. After a little while of cleaning myself for the day, I figured it was probably time to get to school.

I walked over to my mom and she smiled down at me. She picked me up and carried me over to her coffee table, where she told me to stay and wait a moment. She had to grab her purse and keys. I sat like a good kid and waited patiently. I wondered what it would be like when I walked into school as something new. What would everyone think? How would I function? My mom came back and scooped me into her arms, and carried me out to the Jeep. I jumped into the back seat and waited anxiously to get to school.

The Jeep pulled up to the sidewalk in front of the school, and a small wave of shock and surprise passed through me. I saw other kids getting out of cars, and they were animals, too! I saw a hedgehog slowly walking up the edge of the sidewalk, and somehow I instantly recognized it as my best friend, Rachel. Next to Rachel, there was a small horse, a mini, and I was positive it was my other friend, Hannah. I gave my mom a nudge with my head before I bounded from my seat, and ran to catch up with my friends. I smiled and breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that every single person in my school was some sort of animal. I just knew that everything was going to be ok.

My day continued and I realized that I had always been this way, as this pretty little feline. Everyone knew me, and liked me. I was popular! I didn’t understand how I could be the topic of discussion. I told my friends about what had been going through my mind when I woke up, and they gasped. They reminded me about The Change.

I was confused at first, but slowly, the details of The Change came back to me. In our society, when a person reaches a certain age, they go through The Change. Everyone is born an animal, but when their bodies reach a certain point, they transform into a human, like their parents. The first step of The Change, is the dreams. The dreams are usually about being human, and experiencing human things. I was astounded. That would explain why I was so confused, and how I knew I needed thumbs to open my bedroom door.

I was suddenly excited! I wanted to be an adult. I couldn’t wait to tell my mom all that had happened. I had been waiting for this day my entire life, but even more recently. My boyfriend had just gone through the change, and I wanted nothing more than to be human along with him. My wish would finally come true. In a week, I would be a human girl, hopefully a pretty one.