Lessons About Living Life as Taught by Cats

Owning cats has taught me a few things about life. First Alley, my beloved orange tabby, taught me each of the nine lessons that follow. Then Jack, the tuxedo domestic longhair who came to me as a kitten, re-enforced it all as time went on. Alley is gone now, but Jack keeps reminding me how right she was in her teaching. So, what can a cat teach you about living life?

Slow Down

Yes this sounds obvious to many, but it wasn't to me. Cats will tend to take things calmly and sometimes very slowly. A lesson I learned is that being hectic and rushing around tends to bring shorter days and often confusion. Cats are never confused. Both Alley and Jack taught me that if you sit back, be patient, and not rush the day life will take care of itself and won't seem so stressful.

Enjoy Being Who You Are

Another of the lessons about living life from my cats is to just like being who you are. Cats have a way of "hanging out" and being comfortable in their own skin. Jack does now what Alley did when she was here; convey the reality of "this is where we are, let's sit back and enjoy the view". Cats never seem to care what others think of what they are doing.

Boredom Happens, Deal With It

Cats get bored, believe it or not. Usually they sit there and wait until it passes; at least my cats do. They don't desperately try to find something to occupy themselves or mope around complaining about it. One of the lessons about living life is that boredom is normal and passes like every other moment of the day.

Keep a Clean and Neat House

Another of the lessons about living life I learned from my cats is that cleanliness is everything. Cats are very neat and clean about most things. You find this out the day you forget to clean the litterbox or don't pick up the mail from the counter. Hint: it usually ends up on the floor by morning. Also, dirty dishes in the sink tend to attract cats who think they can lick off the plates. And anything on the floor becomes fair game for a toy or resting spot. Which brings up the next lesson.

Everything Can be Used For Something Other Than the Original Purpose

This is one of the lessons about living life which I continue to learn, both from Jack and my newest family member Bandit. Both use boxes and plastic bags for a variety of uses from pillows to hiding spots to toys. Mail is a useful scratching item as are magazines. Laundry baskets are good for the spur of the moment nap, as are plastic bins. Computers become observations posts. Whatever the item is, it always has a second and sometimes third use.

You Can Deal With Change

Cats hate change, as do many people. Try moving from one address to another with cats and you'll see this in action. Alley went through three residences, two floods, the addition of a dog, and another cat. There was also the roommate with her toddler for awhile. Alley taught me a major lesson about living life in this category being that, you won't like half of what happens in life, but if you're not dealing with it alone, it can be bearable and you will learn to adjust to it.

Pay Attention to What and Who is Around You

This last one is another of the lessons about living life which I ignored for years until Alley, and then Jack, showed me why this is so important. When you spend your days living in your own little world and ignoring anything around you things tend to not work in life. Alley reminded me of this every day she was in my life. If I was acting hectic and spaced out my orange tabby would find a way to make me stop by getting in the way or meowing really loud so I'd snap out of it. Bandit, the newest member of the clan does something similar. If I am frustrated or not handling a situation well, and showing it badly, Bandit will get up on the desk and give me a head butt and then calmly move so that I have to stop and pay attention to him for awhile. All of my cats have forced me to take breaks at the computer by hopping up on my lap or the keyboard to make me stop. Jack sticks his paw in my face repeatedly until I relax from working.

Cats are very good companions, and often excellent teachers. While it may not show at times, after thinking about it you will come to realize that they can teach many lessons about living life even when you don't feel like learning.