It is said that you cannot teach a cat much of anything. Cats do what they want, when they want and only if they really want to. To teach a cat a trick takes patience, more patience and a good slab of tuna as a bribe.
Cats seldom look stressed and are seen most of the time in a horizontal position.
What is it that cats know that we do not?
Why do cats seem calm, cool and collected, when we wander about feeling stressed, upset and sometimes just plain cranky?
Granted cats do not have to go out and earn a living, pay the bills and tend to all the household chores most of us have to deal with. They do not have a "bully boss" or nasty co-workers to ruin their day.
Yes, they do seem to have a life of ease, but they have a unique way of looking at life that we could learn from.
Cats have learned that they do not have to please everyone, actually they only have to please themselves and that is lesson number one for us to learn.
I have been told that there is no better person to be nice to than you. Who cares more about you than you? We know this intellectually, but do we practice it?
No! Why not?
Simply because we think it is selfish to do so. We have been brainwashed, trained or forced to believe that in order to become a "good person" we have to bend over backwards to please other people.
Dogs have a genetic wiring that almost compels them to be people pleasers cats do not.
So let us for a moment think like a cat. It is dinnertime, the phone rings and what do we do? We get up to answer it and let the dinner get cold.
What would your cat do, if it was eating dinner and the phone rang?
A cat considers mealtime a time to enjoy what it is eating. A cat will eat slowly enjoying every mouth full. Cats do not have indigestion or stressed caused ulcers. If the phone rang and a cat could answer it during mealtime, what would it do? Simply let the machine answer it and deal with it later.
Now why do we not do the same thing?
Cats do not live by the clock. Okay, we have to, to a certain point. Work, children and life demands we live in a timely world, but there are some things we can do to take away some of that stress.
Cats only eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. Just because the clock says it is lunchtime does not necessarily mean we "have to eat" especially if we are not hungry, but how many times do we do it anyway? Eat when hungry and stop when full, what a great idea.
I realize that you cannot follow that rule 100% of the time, but try it once in awhile and see how free you feel.
Sleep is another thing cats do at will. When they are sleepy they sleep. Once again I know we live in the real world, but how many times have you had an opportunity to take a nap and you really wanted to and didn't?
Cats have another great idea. Sometimes they want to just get away from everyone and everything. They find a nice quiet out of the way corner to either nap or just to sit and think. You could call it a type of "cat meditation."
Find a quiet spot and take a moment to breathe deeply or to sit quietly for a minute or two in order to calm your mind and regroup your thoughts. Closing your eyes and shutting down your mind for even a moment or two will do you, the situation and your body much benefit.
Learn to relax and let go. Your body will love it
Cats love to stretch. There is nothing like a good scratching post or a tree to claw and stretch those muscles. It feels good and is great for relieving "stress."
If we could learn to take time to stretch if only for a moment every time we feel the tension of the day creep through our bodies, we would feel so much better. Stress causes our bodies to tense up, muscles get tight, our neck or shoulders will start to burn or ache, we may get a headache, but do we stop to take a moment to stretch and release that tension?
Of course not, we just plod on. A cat knows better. A good stretch loosens their muscles and lessens the tension and they are ready for any "fight or flight" occasion.
Be silly. Cats enjoy chasing imaginary mice and playing with a ball of yarn. I am not suggesting that you do either, but take a moment out of your day to do something silly, just for you. Sing a song when you are in the car alone, dance in the living room by yourself to some favorite music or eat the last bit of ice cream that is in the freezer. Do it just for you.
Take time to cuddle and purr. Cats love laps to sit on and gentle back rubs. Take some time to curl up with your loved one (your cat if necessary) and spend a few minutes enjoying each other's company. Whisper sweet nothings to each other. You really can make time for that. Try it!
Take time to smell the roses, look at the sunset or listen to the wind and birds. Take in the world around you. Your cat does.
I realize we cannot live the life of a cat, but we can learn from Miss or Mr. Kitty. Watch your cat; notice how it relaxes.
Take time to pet your cat. Five minutes petting your cat can lower your blood pressure for almost 24 hours. Stroking kitty's fur can relieve your tension headache, listening to your cat's purr will help you breathe easier as it has a great calming effect.
Cats really know how to live life; they have mastered the plan, now it is up to us to learn from them.
Watch, learn and live.
I have learned a lot from watching my cats. They have taught me that sitting in the afternoon sun, watching the butterflies flit from flower to flower is constructive and good for my mind. Watching the lizards hunt for bugs is also a worthwhile occupation. The pay is rather poor, but it does wonders for your soul. Learning to relax is an art and cats have mastered it. Learn from them, relax and be happy. Once you have relaxed come and visit me at http://cats-and-dogs-on-the-web.com
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