The Cat Guide To Deliberate Living

I am lucky to share my house with two cats. Felines are independent creatures who do exactly what they want. Mine tolerate my presence as a means to fill the food bowl and turn on the heated mattress pad for their lounging pleasure.

I was recently trying to get some work done, and there was one cat banging on the blinds and the other one on the desk draping her legs over my forearm as I tried to type. I was thinking about writing the article about cats as productivity destroyers, but then I realized that cats actually understand deliberate living concepts in a way that most humans don’t.

So here is the Official Cat Guide To Deliberate Living:

Does It Serve Me?

A cat will do nothing that does not get her some benefit. Even acts of kindness, such as snuggling with a sick human or cleaning another cat’s ears, brings a benefit to the cat performing the action.

Human application: If a task does not have a payback, don’t do it. If there is really no reason to do a task, skip it. For example: certain housecleaning systems urge you to clean things that are not dirty. Why? To suck up time? Skip it. There are other things you can do that have a positive benefit.

Can I Get Someone To Do It For Me?

If you have ever been near a cat who wants to see what is on the other side of a closed door, you know that the cat will get you to open it. Same with the litter box, feeding, watering and brushing. Some of these tasks the cat can do for himself — I once had a cat who could turn doorknobs and open doors. But most of the tasks are delegated to someone else.

Human application: ask yourself if there is someone better suited to do the task at hand. If so, ask them to do it. In other words, delegate. For example: my husband handles the taxes. It’s not that I can’t do it, but he is an accountant, and it is much easier for him. So I ask him to handle my taxes every year.

Ask For What You Want…

Cats are not held back by a sense of false modesty or not wanting to appear greedy. If they want it, they ask. They ask for doors to be opened by pawing on them. They ask for clean litter boxes by refusing to use the dirty one. They ask for petting and cuddling by circling your legs as you try to walk. They ask for what they want, and they know that “No” might be an answer; but they still ask.

Human application: don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. It is OK to want something. If you don’t ask, you won’t get it. If you ask, you may. Example: I really wanted a space for writing that was distraction-free and my own. I tried to do it myself, with little success, so I asked my husband to refurbish a closet so I could have it. I now have a writing studio of my own.

…And Be Insistent

I used to live with an elderly cat. He was 19 when he passed, sweet-tempered, a cuddler, and the most adorable furball on the planet. But if he felt that he was justified in his asking, and he wasn’t OK with “no”, he was insistent. Many mornings I was awoken by the cat yowling in the kitchen, demanding that I get up to feed him.

The cats will also jump up to snuggle on my lap, especially if I am working or crafting. No matter how many times I put them on the floor, they are back up there within a second.

Human application: if the thing that you are asking for is really important to you, don’t be afraid to let that importance be known. No one will be vocal on your behalf. Example: I don’t always find time to craft, which is an important component of my self- and mental care. When I decide to take some time to craft, I shut myself away so that I am out of the main part of the house and flip the sign on the door that says “do not disturb”. (Actually it says “Go Away”)

Taking Care Of Myself

Cats are masters of self-care. Unless they are sick, they are extremely independent and clean. They groom, they nap, they find the warmest places to cuddle up for snooze. Have you ever seen an exhausted cat? Nope, because they don’t exist. Cats put their well-being first, always.

Human application: we need to make self-care a priority. We need enough sleep, enough exercise, enough good food. We should make this our top priority. Example: I have been slacking off on eating right and exercise for a while. I have gained weight. And now my blood pressure is creeping up (not to “high” but high for me). It has to be a priority for me to eat right and exercise. As my doctor said, “You know what to do. I don’t have to spell it out. Make it happen.”

Talk To The Paw

A cat will tolerate interaction until it annoys him. Pet him too hard or too long or in the wrong place, and he will walk away. Keep it up, and you will probably get a hiss. Go beyond that and you’ll get a swipe of the paw, claws extended.

Cats are masters of not engaging in pointless struggles. When something is annoying them, instead of expecting other people to change, they simply remove themselves from the situation. They do not look to change others, but implement the change themselves.

Human application: As humans, we are often the subject of others trying to get us to do something. Whether it is an activity that you don’t have room for in your schedule, or a gossip session, we have the choice to participate or not. Instead of asking other people to change, we should change what we can ourselves. Example: a man at at a former employer tried to bring me to his religion. I first walked away. Then I told him it was inappropriate (the hiss). Then I reported it to HR (the paw). The situation resolved.

Take The Downtime

Cats don’t worry if their plans are don’t work out, because they don’t make plans. They take advantage of unscheduled time to do what they wish (see taking care of myself above) The lesson here isn’t about not making plans, but taking things as they come.

Human application: When plans don’t work out, make use of the time. If your plans get derailed, roll with it. Take advantage of little pockets of time here and there to do what you want and need to do — even if that is enjoying what is happening right now. Example: Thanksgiving Day saw us running to get my daughter at a friend’s house, stopping for breakfast, and feeding the feral cat colony (yes, I have many, many cats in my life). My husband, however, decided to take the “scenic” route, and my plan for where I wanted to stop for breakfast was gone. I started to get irritated, and then I realized I could just sit back and enjoy the ride through the pretty fall colors.

Cats can teach us a lot of things that will make us more deliberate in how we live.