Let me say upfront. I’m an animal lover. I can’t imagine a household without one (or two or three). Commercials showing abused animals make me want to cry. Watching animals in the wild gives me joy. Videos posted online of animals doing an array of silly actions always make me smile and feel good inside.
I’m guilty of all of the above and proud of it.
My husband and I came into our marriage with 2 cats each and gave loving homes to multiple ones through the years. Currently, we are the proud owner of 5 purring furballs — Toby (14), Gomez (11), Stewie (10), Pickles (3) and Mowghli (9 months).
This kitty number has varied through the years (though we never went above 5). Our little fur balls have all been shelter cats or strays.
These little guys ARE family members and we cherish the unconditional love and companionship that they give us every day. They truly play an integral role in our family life.
And they can teach us a thing or two about life. Read on!
Enjoy the simple pleasures in life.
Kitties seem to get joy and pleasure from the simplest things. A warm cozy spot to relax, sun on their back, hugging a friend…
They don’t care about buying the next high tech gadget or expensive clothes nor do they need these material things to fulfill them or give them some sort of purpose in life.
Don’t hold a grudge.
It is inevitable that if you have multiple cats, at some point they will be involved in some sort of confrontation amongst each other. No different from family members living together, right?
Our furry friends may hiss and swipe at each other. They may even take to a full on “roll around the floor” fight.
But in the end, most of the time anyway, they will retreat to their corners or pillows, forget about what just happened and get on with the more important things in life like…
Getting enough sleep is really important.
Cats know the importance of getting enough shut eye. Of course, this gives them the energy to do the more important things like hanging with their humans, play “hunting” and watching birds and squirrels outside their windows.
Since most of us seem to be deficient in this area, these kitties may be on to something!
Friendship and companionship gives us purpose.
Cats typically enjoy the companionship of others, whether they be furry or human.
Many say cats are aloof, indifferent and independent. I disagree completely. Like humans, they choose who they want to spend time with, when and for how long. That’s not aloofness. That’s pure intelligence!
And most importantly, when they form that bond, it’s for a lifetime.
Sharing mealtimes with family is important.
My husband and I have always made it a priority to eat meals together as a family, especially dinner. Unfortunately, this simple social interaction has been on the decline for decades. Between differing work, school, sports etc.. schedules, families rarely eat together on a regular basis.
“Breaking bread” on a regular basis reinforces our family bond, whether it be feline or human.
Enjoy nature and the outdoors.
Take a moment and enjoy what’s around you. Slow down and take the time to appreciate the many things that life has to offer.
The beauty of the sky, the smell of freshly mowed grass or in Momo’s case, his first snow! Getting outside, taking a walk and breathing fresh air is so important.
Learn to relax and chill.
Our society is always “on the go.” We work all day. Our kids are over scheduled. We are stressed and anxious like never before.
Take it from Pickles… sometimes, it’s important to just be.
Spend quality time with our older family members.
Animals have an innate understanding of hierarchy within their species and family. They respect those that are older and typically bigger than them.
Momo and Toby’s relationship exemplifies this. From the time we brought Momo into our home in April 2020, Toby, our 14 year old Tabby, wanted to be with him. And the feeling was mutual for Momo. Nine months later, there continues to be a love and respect that is quite touching.
Nurturing relationships with the older generation benefits all involved.
Stay active.
Kitties always find the time to have their morning or evening “crazies” no matter what the age. Blowing off steam and getting the blood going is important.
And lastly, but perhaps most importantly…
Trust isn’t given, it’s earned.
In life, finding those who we can love and completely trust with every bit of our soul is so important. Cats are no different in wanting this.
While there are those who find cats aloof and possibly difficult to trust, I find them to be more like humans. Cats don’t just dive right in and trust you immediately.. in most cases anyway. Your relationship with them must be nurtured. Their trust and love is earned over time.
************************************
Charles Dickens said it best:
“What greater gift than the love of a cat.”
