From litterbox training to helping a cat learn it can scratch its post but not the arm of the couch, there are many things cat owners teach their felines. But, have you ever thought about how much you can learn from cats just by watching their everyday mannerisms?
Whether you have a cat at home or just like to watch your friend’s cat when she goes on business trips, you may be surprised just how many timeless lessons cats teach us, probably without even realizing it. Keep reading to learn more about the lessons that can be learned from cats when we take care to pay attention.
How To Live In The Moment
Many people quickly become lost in their own thoughts, perhaps due to stress, boredom or a lack of direction; however, cats usually don’t like it if they’re not the focal point of a given moment. When you’re wrapped up in something and letting a daydream fill your head, don’t be surprised if a cat is the first thing that makes you jolt back to reality.
Whether the animal does it by gently kneading a blanket on your lap or playfully batting a page of an open newspaper to get your attention, rest assured, the feline will make sure you pay attention to what’s going on in that given moment, rather than dwelling on the past or future.
What It’s Like To Be Loyal
Even the most faithful friends are prone to becoming distant, getting dramatic or just growing apart from you. In contrast, a cat will stick by your side through thick and thin, blissfully removed from the things that make life stressful, whether those factors are ex-boyfriends, demanding bosses or cranky kids.
Most cats characteristically show affection day in and day out, whether by rubbing against your legs as you read a book, or running to greet you at the door when you come home from work. That’s what it’s like to show loyalty, and we could all make improvements by following the lead of cats, even when humans make it hard sometimes.
How To Make Decisions Without Great Premeditation
Thinking things over is important if what you’re trying to work out is something like whether you should accept a promotion, how to surprise your husband for his 40th birthday or where to go on vacation this summer. But often, the more we mull things over, the murkier our thoughts become.
Have you ever noticed how cats seem to make nearly spontaneous decisions, but only rarely seem to end up in trouble? One moment, a cat’s on the ground at your feet, and the next moment, it’s leapt up onto a table to check out the basket of freshly laundered clothes from the dryer. Only a split second passed, yet the cat used it to decide it wanted to change its perspective and look at things from a higher view.
The next time you’re struggling to make sense of life’s challenges, ask yourself if perhaps you need to take a step back and trust your heart rather than sorting through options for days in your head.
Don’t Sacrifice Sleep
When life gets crazy, it can be so easy to tell yourself you’ll just double up on your usual daily intake of coffee and force yourself to stay up a few hours past your usual bedtime, all in the name of meeting deadlines. It often seems like cats spend more of their days sleeping than doing anything else.
Your schedule likely doesn’t allow for adopting the same sleeping pattern as your favorite feline, but that doesn’t mean you should force yourself to keep going on limited slumber. Cats savor sleep, and we can do well by at least trying to have the same mindset about our down time.
So, there you have it, several of many lessons you can learn by watching the habits of cats. Felines may not teach you in the same way as a parent or a professor, but it’s undeniable that they teach us valuable things in their own ways.
