7 Terrific Life Lessons I Learned from My Cat

August 27, 2021 /

Let’s get one thing straight. I’m a newbie when it comes to owning a cat. I am a dog lover. I grew up in a house filled with dogs. My siblings and I would wake up with the sound of dogs. Our days and nights were happily filled with petting, hugging, playing and sleeping with dogs. I didn’t know that despite being so different, having cats and dogs as pets would be equally rewarding. Dogs are straight out adorable. They are in-your-face loving and demonstrative. Cats on the other hand, are stand-offish and cold, in my opinion. Therefore, nobody was more surprised than I was, when I came to love and admire a cat!

It all started last year when the hubby brought home a scrawny kitten he found in a trash heap. There was no mother cat in sight. She was tiny and struggling without food or water. The hubby decided to bring her home first. The plan was to nurse her back to health and then put her up for adoption. Well… that was the plan….

One stressful day of working from home, my daughter put the kitten in a basket and planted her in front of me. It was my daughter’s thoughtful way of calming me down. I looked at the messy fur-covered thing staring up at me. It looked more frazzled than I was! I reached over and absentmindedly began stroking her with one hand, while typing away with the other. And magically, my stress began to ebb away. From then on, highlights of my work day suddenly included moments with the kitten. Just looking at her or getting a bit distracted by her antics was a welcome break.

A year later, Bean (because she was tiny like a bean when she arrived) is a full-grown cat who is still described as ugly by the hubby and kids. But to me, she is lovely. You know what they say: all kids are beautiful in their mothers’ eyes and Bean is no exception.

Because of her, fifty-year-old me discovered and learned a lot of things about myself and about how life should be lived:

LIFE LESSON #1 Napping isn't a waste of time.

Taking a catnap was never my thing.

But seeing Bean spend so much time sleeping influenced me to try it.

I’m so glad I did!

After a nap, I wake up refreshed and recharged.

To think, all this time, I thought I’d be missing out and be unproductive if I nap.

Ironically, by pausing and resting, I end up accomplishing more.

Because of this simple adjustment to my routine, I have more energy to be there for others too.

Self-care greatly improves our quality of life.

LIFE LESSON #2 Walk towards, not away from new experiences.

At my age, life is too precious to waste on biases and self-imposed limits.

If I kept to my beliefs, I wouldn’t have experienced the delights of playing tag with a cat!

I also wouldn’t have known how relaxing it is to watch a cat sleep.

LIFE LESSON #3 Never stop being curious.

No matter what their age, cats never stop being curious. You see them trying to catch the light, peering into a paper bag, exploring all four corners of a box that they can barely fit into. For cats, excitement is just around the corner – sometimes, it is found on your keyboard!

Why should cats have all the fun? The way I see it, asking questions, trying something new, reading up on things that interest you make each day fun and full of surprises.

LIFE LESSON #4 You discover so many things when you observe and stay still.

Cats have this habit of staying very still and staring. When I see Bean in that state, my eyes are usually drawn to what she is staring at. One day, I followed her lead and stayed still too. I was able to relax and drown out all distractions. Because of her, I found myself taking note of things around me that I barely paid attention to before.

We gain insights and see the world differently when we open ourselves up to the experience of meditation, observation and staying still.

LIFE LESSON #5 If it is worth doing, then it is worth the time.

All of us say we are busy. But how exactly are we using the hours given to us?

I look for Bean and spend a few minutes with her every chance I get – before and after meetings, emails, cooking, work out. Those moments are a great way to come up for air from work and chores. The secret is to spend time on what is important to you.

LIFE LESSON #6 Some things (most things) can’t be forced.

Whenever I settle next to Bean, there is a fifty-fifty chance that she will move away.

So when she stays by my side, I can’t help but feel delighted,

knowing it was her choice to spend time with me.

We expect people to act or react a certain way and when they fall short,

we get frustrated.

I realize that those expectations are our way of trying to control outcomes and people. Once you free yourself from it, everything that happens becomes a gift.

LIFE LESSON #7 Be your own person – strange, odd, weird are relative terms.

Embrace and own your quirks, likes and dislikes.

Bean has some unusual traits (more on that on a different blog!) and I find myself being the one adjusting to her – the kids find that hilarious and say I spoil her. But Bean’s uniqueness is part of her charm.

From my acceptance of Bean I learned that once you trust yourself to be authentic, you will attract people who will love you for who you are.