WHAT LESSONS CAN CATS TEACH US?
Cats are simple creatures who are very fond of napping, snuggling, eating and being involved in anything interesting that is happening in their near vicinity. Each cat who's been part of our family has had his or her own distinct personality with little idiosyncrasies that I look back on now and smile about.
There are lessons to be learned if we observe cats a little more intentionally and I've chosen 13 different cat characteristics to apply to their human counterparts. I've dedicated a post to each lesson and there are links below. Some are silly, some state the obvious, and some are profound - I'll let you decide which is which!
THE 13 LIFE LESSONS FROM MY CAT
So, with that in mind, here are the links to some of the life lessons I've learned from our cats:
#1 Nap often
#2 Be curious andadventurous
#3 Avoid upsetsand drama
#4 Be affectionatebut not needy
#5 Be vocal whenyou need to be
#6 Be loyal
#7 Enjoy simplepleasures
#8 Be selfcontained
#9 Live in the moment
#10 Love and let go
#11 Dress forcomfort
#12 Don't letothers ignore you
#13 We're all different
I'll be keeping each post short and sweet so please pop over to as many as you find interesting, and let's have some fun looking at life through the eyes of a cat. And don't forget to hug a cat on June the 4th which is National Cat Day.
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Enjoy simple pleasures...that is exactly my take on life! Dogs have this too!
ReplyDeleteI think pets are so far ahead of us on this one Michelle - we definitely could take a leaf or two out of their book!
Delete30 cats? I wouldn't be able to breath. Since I'm allergic to cats, I've only had two, at most. Every one of those 13 observations is so true. I smile about # 2 because I have a "fraidy cat" who jumps at his own shadow and sometimes jumps at nothing, but that doesn't stop him from investigating.
ReplyDeletenot 30 cats Jen - 30 years :) and two is the maximum at any given time for us too - we call our second cat scaredy cat all the time because she freaks out over nothing.
DeleteI will be honest when I saw lessons from my cat I was expecting a poetic waxing on the benefits of owning a cat. I did not expect such useable, practical real life lessons. I never thought about cats this way but it all applies. Thank you for offering me a different perspective. Great list.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure Melissa - I don't see myself waxing lyrical over cat ownership (sometimes they are down right annoying!) but they do have some characteristics we could all benefit from :)
DeleteI love the way you use the cats to share life lessons. I'm a dog person myself, but you can always learn something from a cat!
ReplyDeleteI think dogs would have a manual we could all use too Carol - it's all to do with their simple enjoyment of life isn't it?
DeleteI've had cats and dogs all my life. Cats are very independent and I love that about them. Love your post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Brenda - hope you'll pop back to read a few of them as the month goes along :)
DeleteI have only had one cat - but he was ours for 15 years - and I learned so much from him. RIP Yoda!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great name! Was it to do with the size of his ears or was it his inherent wisdom?
DeleteI missed hug your cat day, but I'm a fan. I've always loved (and had) cats.
ReplyDeleteEstelle
It's never too late for Hug Your Cat Day Estelle - any cat would tell you that :)
DeleteI've had cats my whole life. We have 2 females - littermates named Bella and Chloe who look like twins. They are my babies. I look forward to your series.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy - my two come from the same breeder but are completely different (not a bad thing at times when you've been inundated with cat love from one and have the other who is more self contained!)
DeleteI love this! That quote is very cool, too! Meow!
ReplyDeleteThanks Terri - I kind of morphed the quote into one that applied to cats :)
DeleteIt's amazing what our pets can teach us. I learned many of the same lessons from our beloved dogs.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a pet "thing" Lois - they are just cruise through and are content within themselves.
DeleteI like the Nap Often one Leanne! I also love the way cats stretch. Our pets can teach us so much including love and friendship.
ReplyDeleteI think cats have napping down to a fine art Sue - I'm working on improving my style :)
DeleteI like number one too, In fact I just had a nap. I like all the other characteristics as well even though I don't presently have a cat and don't really want one. I did have one a few years back when I lived in a jungle and that beautiful cat caught all the mice that wanted to make me miserable, she was a real hero. No mouse was safe.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like a good nap is there Kathleen - and a mouser who knows how to nap would have been the perfect pet for living in the jungle (that sounds like a story I'd like to hear someday!)
DeleteThis coupled with some intense and loving kitty interaction over the weekend may just be nudging me toward being both a cat and a dog lady :-)
ReplyDeleteGo for it Carla - just imagine how much love you and your daughter would get from a kitten!
DeleteBeing a cat person, I love this. I think interval training is being cat like. Explode with an exercise or run and then walk or rest. Big MEOW to you!
ReplyDeleteGood point Haralee - ours have moments of energy bursts where they go crazy and then they're flat out asleep 2 minutes later!
Deletelove this, I think I will learn a little from your cats and nap more often too!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Rena - there is NOTHING like a nap on a Sunday afternoon :)
DeleteI needed that laugh!
ReplyDeletethanks Suzi - there's nothing like a laugh to keep you going is there?
DeleteVery good! Can I add #14 - Change your mind as often as you want.
ReplyDeletelol, yep!
DeleteMind changing is a fine art Bill :)
DeleteExcellent! I can add another one - show comfort and love to those who need it. When I was on chemo for cancer, every time I lay down, my cat arrived and snuggled next to me, purring and occasionally needing my back. Too precious!
ReplyDeleteThey are good at keeping us company aren't they Shirley - that warm purring body makes you feel loved and there has to be some healing included with that :)
DeleteThis is so clever Leanne! We have 3 cats and they are all so different to each other, but they all share these great cat traits like you say and we could learn from them! #WAYWOW
ReplyDeleteHi Mackenzie - long time since we chatted! Nice to know that you're a fellow cat lover and yes they are all their own little people with their own quirks, but with common traits too x
DeleteSounds like a great list to live by. Cats clearly have it sorted!
ReplyDeleteSally @ Life Loving
#LifeLovingLinkie
I'm not a cat person, for one I am allergic to them. But for some reason they freak me out a bit. And they always seem to know this. I have to laugh cause for some reason I am always the one that the cat seems to want to be by. They love to hang out and rub my legs when I am in a home with a cat. I do admire them for their independence and their personalities. And they really are gorgeous animals.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post with so many wonderful lessons here. My cat is an obese lump of stubbornness. But he's been with us for 1 years and he is indeed part of the family. Thanks for this post, Leanne. And I love seeing your cat pics!
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting and fun approach! Sorry I missed this post, before. I'll begin, now with the characteristics that resonate with me. xx Christina Daggett
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