The Feline’s Guide To Living Your Best Life
Ah, the good life. Don’t we all long for this elusive state?
To a “how are ya?” one might reply “Living my best life!” or wear a t-shirt with a similar sentiment.
But no matter how well we’re living our lives, it’s difficult to rival the master of best life-living, the kitty.
The domesticated house cat is perhaps the most elegant, indulgent of beasts. He knows how to make the most out of practically every single moment. He is a “here” and “now” virtuoso.
A maestro of “Joie de Vivre.”
They are artists when it comes to pleasure, living in the now, and celebrating yourself.
Let us, with awe and wonder, curl up beneath the whiskers of wisdom, and learn what we may from the cat.
9 Tips To Love Your Life- Tales From A Cat’s Life
- Don’t give up on your dreams
- Firm and thoughtful boundaries are necessary for every relationship
- Don’t underestimate the pleasure of a nice long bath
- Embrace your connection to the supernatural
- Soak up the sun
- Look at things from a high vantage point
- Sometimes you have to make your own fun
- Self-care is a non-negotiable for your happiness
- Choose your company well
#1
Never give up on your dreams
The indoor cat yearns to be an outdoor cat. Ideally an indoor/outdoor cat. To be inside for comfort, food, and fluffy pillows and outside to be one with nature, roam with freedom, and reconnect with his predatory instincts.
The cat knows to never give up on this desire to explore with abandon. He holds fast to his dream. No matter the screen doors, barricades, or house schedule, keeping him inside.
To live one’s best life is to pursue your hopes and desires.
He’ll never give up on trying to sneak out the front door when the groceries come in. He’ll never stop sitting on the window sill and offering his specialty meow to all the birds he’d like to murder.
He’ll never lose hope.
Intensely focus on your opening, wait for the right time, and bolt through the crack in the door.
Aggressively go after your dream.
And find your patch of scratchy grass to roll around on.
#2
Firm and thoughtful boundaries are a necessity for any relationship.
If you don’t like how you’re being petted, give a growl and a glare. If that’s not effective, a paw swipe and a bite should do the trick.
You know how you want to be petted.
Behind the ears, yes.
On the tummy… that’s for family.
#3
Don’t underestimate the pleasure of a nice long bath.
As an outsider, I can’t say I appreciate the 20-minute licking sessions that happen on my favorite rug. But, it’s a ritual for Indiana Jones and it brings him joy and probably a sense of tidiness and control. He looks very pleased with himself as he closes his eyes and wipes his freshly moistened paw over his ears and face. A yuck to me, but a moment of pampering for him.
So, grab your bath bombs and scrubby brush and get your booty to the bath.
#4
Embrace your connection to the supernatural.
Cats are exceedingly spiritual creatures. Just ask any ancient Egyptian.
While it does seem that some animals have some kind of sensory link to the other side, cats have an intuition that bridges both worlds. They know what’s up. Stay with me here.
Back in my yoga teaching days, I taught a chair yoga class at a memory care home for seniors (which I loved). And I learned of countless stories of the house kitty comforting those who were about to pass.
Turns out these types of stories are common. Just like Oscar the therapy cat, these in-tune felines, can sense when it’s time and they step in to bring comfort and love when it’s time to go. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_(therapy_cat)
I, a cat lover, think this is really special and fascinating, not creepy.
Whatever it is, cats appear to have some kind of tie to the spiritual realm.
So! Be like the kitty. And seek the spiritual side of life.
Be on the lookout for God, His messages, nudges and coincidences that can’t be explained. Use your spiritual connection to bring love and comfort.
Cats are so cool. And mysterious. Which, of course, adds to their allure.
(Kitty appreciation intermission)
#5
Soak up the sun. Literally.
You’ll notice every cat spends a moment basking in the warmth of the widow sunshine.
Nature, sun, and light are good for us.
They boost our mood and immunity. So put on your oversized hat and stride outdoors.
#6
Look at things from a high vantage point.
We’re often too close to our lives to see or understand it well. So climb your cat tower or get atop the refrigerator and view the room as a whole. When you stop, slow down, step back, and look at the larger picture, things tend to have a broader meaning and purpose.
#7
Sometimes you have to make your own fun.
Entertainment is an essential part of life.
Somewhere in our 30’s, once we have real-world bills and real-world responsibilities, we can lose our sense of play.
It’s not our fault really. It just happens as our time and energy shift to careers, chores, and keeping the fridge full.
Plus, most of our friends are in the same boat. The days of margaritas at noon, weeknight costume parties, and regular weekend getaways are harder to come by.
So we have to be more intentional about creating a sense of enjoyment and leisure both alone and with friends and family.
Take our friend the housecat. He’s busied himself with a day of constant rest. It’s 11 pm. And he’s bored. He longs for activity, exercise, and playtime.
But no one else is in the mood.
So, he does what any self-respecting cat would do.
He hides under the couch, waits for innocent feet to drift by, and takes a clawful swing at the ankles that pass him.
Rrrrawww! I gotcha. Now get mad and give me some hand to scratch as well! After midnight, he releases the captive and lets his owner/master/pet/servant rest.
Then it’s time to make solo fun.
Ah! A roll of toilet paper hanging overhead. A sheet is dangling and begs to be rolled and unraveled at lightning speed. Next! A ponytail holder lay on the ground. It’s begging to be picked up, thrown, twirled, bitten, and flipped for 20 minutes. After a few random pieces of string, a game of Attack Your Own Shadow, and a few good room zooms, it’s time to call it a day.
Fun has been mastered for the evening and the entertainment itch has been scratched just like the human shins and toes that cohabitate with him.
#8
Self-care is a non-negotiable for your happiness.
This is certainly an area where the cat excels. He knows that to live your best life, you must care for yourself.
While we don’t have to adopt his “me first” attitude for everything, we ought to when it comes to looking after our well-being.
No cat would dare skip his early and mid-morning, lunchtime, early and late afternoon, and mid-evening nap. How dare we even speak of it? A happy kitty knows if he hasn’t tended to his basic furball needs, he can’t enjoy himself or others and certainly can’t be a comfort to others.
#9
Choose your company well.
A lot of people say cats are jerks. Yeah, some can be. But, they’re also devoted companies once they’ve made their choice.
Cats are particular about their friendships. Be it another cat, dog or person.
They respect themselves and their mental health and are unwilling to spend their quality time with people they don’t get on with.
They look for companions who will love and support them and are fun to be with. And once they find these comrades, they go all in. And they’re quite loyal.
So when choosing who you’ll spend your time with and who you’ll invest your heart in, consider who they are.
Do you complement each other? Do you bring goodness to one another’s lives?
Now Go Be The Best Cat You Can Be And Live Your Best Life
So follow your cat’s lead like he follows a laser pointer on the ceiling.
This extraordinary creature knows how to make the most of life and indulge in the best of each day. He is the ultimate liver of the your best life way.
Take to heart what kitties everywhere and masterful singer/songwriter, James Taylor always say,
“The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.”
(Now that’s a cat person!)
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