10 Ideas You Can Steal From Your Cat

~ *You don’t have to be a cat-person to enjoy this post!* ~

1. Act like the royalty you are

A cat believes that he’s the most important animal in the world, and that everyone else is merely a subject for him to rule over. It’s his kitty world, and everyone’s just living in it.

While this is by no means a socially acceptable way to act all of the time as the mature adults we all are (cue slight sarcasm). On occasion, even if for just a moment, taking the time to act/feel like you’re the king or queen of the world is extremely liberating. This could be in the form of doing something you consider selfish, or just being assertive in your needs.

2. Take a nap

Cats have mastered the art of almost constant napping. If you have a cat, then it’s more than likely that you’ve come into a room to find your pet sleeping in a position that you think to yourself, “there is no way that could be comfortable!”

While you probably won’t sleep upside down on a coffee table, you should consider taking a light nap whenever you see fit. Personally, I need a lot of sleep, so an hour nap generally once a day around 2 or 3pm is perfect. It allows me to take a break and re-energize to continue being productive later in the day.

3. Treat yourself

Most pets go crazy for treats. In my house, I give both the kitty boys a few treats after successfully clipping their claws. It’s a huge struggle and they hate it.

So why not employ a similar reward system for yourself? If you have a daunting task and you complete it, treat yourself! Do something that relaxes you, or something that you wouldn’t normally do for yourself (but you really enjoy). Little (or big) rewards from yourself for doing things you’ve worked hard for is important.

4. Know it’s someone’s privilege to capture your attention

Cats are notorious for acting less than enthused about unwanted attention. With most cats, they want to be the ones initiating affection. So while they’ll run away if you put them on your lap to pet, if they’re the ones to jump on your lap, they expect you to pet them! My cat, Sunny, likes attention all of the time; sometimes he’ll wake me up at 5am by bothering me until I give in and give him some snuggles.

Back to the point – I’m not suggesting that you act constantly play hard-to-get when it’s convenient for you, but more that you realize that you have a lot to offer other people. Your attention is precious, and should be treated as such. Do not give your attention to a negative person, give it to a positive one – someone who lifts you up instead of dragging you down.

5. Embrace your quirks

I can’t speak for the entire kitty population, but for my two boys, they have a lot of little quirks. Take Buddy, for example. He’s a gray tabby and terribly skittish. When thunder first strikes, we know that we won’t see him for hours after. Since he’s generally afraid of the basement (where we have their food, water, and litter boxes), he demands that whomever he can find takes him to watch him in the basement. Also, he won’t let you pet his body, but begins to purr and really get into it if you spank him on his little butt. Sunny, on the other hand, my orange tabby, loves water! He actually will take a shower with me and then meows until I towel dry him. He needs a lot of attention and gets really upset if I’m not home for longer than usual. When I come home after a long day of whatever, he runs to the backdoor when he hears my car pull up the driveway and will wait patiently by the door until I come inside.

How does this relate to people? Our quirks are what in part make us unique individuals. Rather than feel self-conscious about anything we do, we should celebrate! You never know – you may meet someone with a similar habit!

6. Live life like you have 9 lives

In my experience with cats, I think it’s more in television that cats are portrayed as being daredevils. There have been some risky jumps/leaps, but other than that, both of my indoor cats are relatively not into risky behavior.

Not everyone has a dream of skydiving or cliff diving, and that’s fine! I would never ever voluntarily sign myself up for that kind of activity because that wouldn’t be fun for me. I don’t seek those kinds of thrills, and if you do, then great! If not, great! Recently I went out of my comfort zone and went to a club for a friend’s birthday. I drank much more than I ever have, and ended up having a great time! For years, I was hesitant to ever leave my comfortable bubble, but after going through the intensive treatment program, I’ve learned how to take baby steps, which have led to taking huge steps in doing things I previously would have never dreamed of doing. Comfort zones are comfortable, and it takes time and patience to feel okay enough to take personal risks. Now that I’ve done several huge things for myself, I feel like I can do anything! It’s an amazing feeling.

7. Mark your territory

If a cat is not neutered/spayed, the likelihood of him/her “spraying” to mark his territory is pretty high. Cats also has a tendency to mark territory with urine…which I know from experience is a nightmare to deal with.

I think it’s safe to say it’s obvious that you shouldn’t ever do anything remotely similar to cats with this one. Instead, I mean to suggest that you should never allow people to walk all over you. I’m definitely a people pleaser, so this was hard for me. But I’m learning how to speak up for myself and act assertively.

8. Embrace laziness

All cats are lazy to a degree – it’s one of the traits of a domestic cat. It’s definitely not healthy to employ laziness to such a high degree, but as long as the days you’re productive outweigh the ones that you’re lazy, it’s a good balance. You’ll burn yourself out if you constantly run around like a chicken with its head cut off. Taking a lazy day to just “veg” out for a little in front of the TV or computer, or spending a couple extra hours in bed. Whatever it is, have lazy days! It’s okay!

9. Let others know when you’re happy or angry

It’s common knowledge that cats purr when they’re happy. Cats also let others know when they’re upset/angry by putting their ears back and crouching into a defensive position. By showing others how they feel, other animals and people are then aware, and can adjust their behavior accordingly.

A lot of people don’t share how they’re feeling with even those close to them. If you don’t tell anyone that something is bothering you, then it’s unreasonable to expect any relief. With significant others, when something happens that upsets you or makes you feel angry, instead of avoiding talking about the issue or saying that “nothing’s wrong”, it would be good practice to voice those concerns rather than bury them. By doing this, you’re giving the other person at least a chance to help solve the issue. A huge part of any healthy relationship is being open about your thoughts and feelings no matter what. I myself have struggled with this in the past, but have definitely gotten better at it with practice. On a different note, it’s also important to let people know you’re feeling happy! If you’re out with friends and enjoying yourself, act like it! Be present and for goodness sake, please put your phone down; living in the present moment and enjoying what you’re doing is a huge thing.

10. Stretch, stretch often

Since cats sleep so much, (I imagine) they feel cramped when they choose to get up; so, they do a series of stretches soon after getting up.

If you’ve ever been an athlete or someone who is very conscious about their health, then you’re probably well versed in the importance of stretching before and after workouts. So many people don’t understand or see the importance of stretching, whether it’s in the gym or at home! Stretching for a workout is hugely important, and is also a separate topic. Even if you’re not exercising, you should still practice regular stretching. A regular stretching routine will increase the circulation of blood in your body, which will also increase your energy level! Take 10 minutes to try a few stretches!

Sunny!

I hope you’re able to take away something from this post and are able to implement something new into your life. Let me know if you’ve recently tried anything new or anything you’ve done that’s out of your comfort zone! Maybe what I said made you consider something you previously had not, or maybe you just found it entertaining! Whatever resonates with you after reading, please leave a little comment about it – I’m curious to know what you all think!

On a last note — love your fur baby!