Postgrad Pets

Meet Ophelia...

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF, YOUR COURSE OF STUDY, AND YOUR FURRY FRIEND.

My name is Yhonet Garcia and I’m studying for an MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. My furry friend is Ophelia, our cat.

WHERE ARE YOU BASED?

In Bristol and I live with three other women- Ophelia belongs to one of my housemates but she sleeps with all of us.

WHAT BREED IS OPHELIA?

She’s a tortoiseshell.

HOW OLD IS OPHELIA AND HOW LONG HAS SHE BEEN A PART OF THE FAMILY?

12- she’s an old lady! She’s been part of the family since we moved here together in February 2020 and my housemate brought her along.

HAVE YOU HAD HER FROM A KITTEN OR DID YOU RESCUE HER?

My housemate has had her since she was a kitten.

HOW HAS OPHELIA HELPED YOU DURING THE PANDEMIC?

She has helped a lot. She gives me lots of cuddles and comes to me when I’m sad - she’s very good at knowing when my housemates and I are sad. She sometimes sits on my lap whilst I’m eating which is very cute. Ophelia also helps by just being around when something is happening- she’s like another housemate and great company too.

WHAT IS OPHELIA'S CHARACTER LIKE?

She’s the laziest cat ever- I’ve never known such a lazy cat! She gets out of bed to eat and that’s it - haha. She’s also quite chubby and likes someone else to open the door for her rather than use the cat flap! She’s super cuddly but as with every cat, she also likes her own space and doesn’t like being held! She’s also quite skitty- she hates the vacuum and hides every time. She can be very shy around lots of people. She’s dealt well though with moving in with us compared to just living with my housemate in a flat. You can tell by her face when she gets grumpy- she frowns!

DOES OPHELIA LIKE YOU BEING AT HOME MORE OFTEN?

Yes, she doesn’t like being by herself. Most of us work from home which she likes. She gets grumpy when she’s not had something to eat or had company for a while. If she could, she would live with her head in the bowl! If my housemate goes away for more than one day, she gets grumpy and misses her.

HAS OPHELIA EVER MADE AN APPEARANCE IN A LECTURE OR SEMINAR?

She’s knocked on the door before but she hasn’t jumped on my lap. She just likes to check in on me and have a sniff around before going again.

YOU MENTIONED YOU’RE STUDYING FOR AN MA IN CREATIVE WRITING. HAS OPHELIA EVER PROVIDED INSPIRATION FOR A STORY OR POEM?

Not yet- I’ve thought of it but nothing has appeared on paper. Perhaps in the future.

IS OPHELIA HELPFUL OR A HINDRANCE TO YOU WHILST YOU'RE WORKING?

Helpful! Her company is a blessing in the house.

AND FINALLY, ARE YOU OPHELIA’S FAVOURITE HUMAN?

I don’t think so- I think we have a close connection but her human is my housemate, her original owner. We definitely have that close relationship as she often sleeps on my bed and on my lap as you can see from the pictures!

Yhonet, MA Creative Writing Student, and her furry friend, Ophelia

Have a furry study buddy that’s been keeping you company during the pandemic? Let us know at studentcomms@bathspa.ac.uk and you and your pet could be featured here in the next issue!