Lessons from My Cats

I have learned a lot over the past couple of years in regard to my cats and how to keep them happy and healthy. We have made the switch to a species-appropriate raw diet and added daily supplements. Color therapy and herb gardens are used throughout my house. All of these have improved my cats’ health and well-being. What I didn’t realize, as I started this journey, was how much I was going to learn from my cats themselves. And how these lessons were going to force me to look within and work on myself in order to best help them.

I am learning more and more about how our furbabies actually have a greater purpose on this earth. They are here to help guide us along our journey in this life. I have had at least 1 cat since I was 2 years old, usually multiple cats. Cats would always find me when I needed them the most, although, I did not realize that at the time. Once I started making the connection between when cats made an appearance in my life and what I was going through at that point, I started seeing my cats in a different way. I started paying attention to what they were trying to teach me. They became my furry teachers.

My Furry Teachers

Thinking back to all of the cats that I have had in my life so far; I realize how many times I ignored lessons that were trying to be taught to me. I find myself wondering if some of the “mistakes” I have made in my life could have been avoided. What would have been different if I would have paid more attention to what my furry teachers were trying to teach me. Almost a year ago, I had my a-ha moment. Finally realizing what my cats were trying to provide me with was not only enlightening but also upsetting. See, these lessons come in many different ways. They can force you to look within and make changes to help yourself. Or make you realize something the hard way and when it may be too late to change things.

August 2021, when I lost my soul cat, Monti, to CKD at the age of 4, I was taught the hard lesson about the dangers of feeding dry food, especially in an “all-you-can-eat” buffet. It was too late for Monti, but not for my other babies, who have since been on a species appropriate raw diet. This past April, when Emmet, who is prone to symptoms of FIP and can relapse in a stressful environment, had his most recent relapse. I realized how the energy that I put out can affect not only him, but the other cats as well. This forced me to look within to see what the cause of my stress was and work to address it, thus bringing peace back into the house. Hemingway and Cactus always seem to know when I am getting frustrated with the way an article is going. They will choose that moment for some lap cuddles. They will literally lay or walk across my laptop forcing me to take a mental break and regroup.

Willing to Learn

The lessons that my cats are trying to teach me are varied. Some are about them and their behaviors, environment, or diet. Other lessons are about me and my personal growth. No matter who the lesson is for or what it is about, they are useless if I am not open to them and willing to learn from them. Our cats are intelligent, sentient beings with so much amazing insight to be gained. If we just take a moment to pay attention to what they are trying to tell us, we could learn so much about them and ourselves. There is a great blog from Naturally Cats discussing how our cats communicate with us. It will definitely make you think and look at your cat differently. What is your cat trying to teach you?