Some students may consider junior Brooke Bauer to be slightly obsessed with her cat, Pounce. The technical term for what many would diagnose Bauer with is called ailurophilia – the love of cats. Bauer takes her cat Pounce on weekly photo shoots, typically taking place around her house. Bauer not only does this but she has created a birthday for her cat.

“Her birthday is April 4th. I chose April because it is in spring and four is my lucky number. It’s just a beautiful combination, when you say it, it just kinda rolls off the tongue,” Bauer explains,

“I felt that I needed to come up with a birthday for her because I couldn’t remember her exact date of birth because I was little when she was born.”

The story of Bauer’s acquiring of Pounce is one that is very long, she said

“I lived in Atlanta for seven years before moving to Chapin. My neighbors cat seemed like it was always having kittens, I enjoyed going and playing with the cats in their garage after school. I remember building them houses out of card board boxes for them to play in. My sister Ashley and I always begged my parents to let us get a kitten but they always said no. Once the last litter of kittens was born, my parents still said no. But after nobody came and got the last two kittens my parents finally decided to let me get a kitten, and the next day let Ashley get one too because she was upset.”

One might ask how such an interesting name could be thought up from the mind of a nine year old.

Bauer says, “I named her after my favorite stuffed animal, and my sister named her cat Sweetie.”

In addition to taking Pounce on weekly photo shoots around the house, Bauer only buys her canned food with gravy.

“She won’t eat the dry cat food, so we get her chicken, beef, or tuna. All with gravy.”

Bauer says.

Now, some students might see it fitting to entitle this article “CAT CRAZY” but junior Bauer disagrees with that statement

“No, not at all. I do not consider myself to be obsessed.”

Although Bauer may not consider herself to be obsessed, students are left to develop their own opinion on the subject.

“I don’t have to do anything to keep Pounce looking good. She’s all natural. All I do is take pictures.”