- Image by Tjflex2 via Flickr
Cats can teach us a lot. I’ll admit to a slight bias here, having always been a cat man over a dog man (though my wife is trying her best to rectify that and we now have two dogs alongside our three cats). I just think cats offer more than dogs while looking for less in return. But I digress – as I say, they can teach us a lot.
Cats are extremely independent creatures. They will show you love and sit on your lap for hours, but on the same token they will also disappear for hours at a time as well. They offer and receive love but they can also make their own entertainment.
They’re fastidiously clean. Grooming and appearance is important to them and they’ll happily spend hours cleaning and re-cleaning the same spot, making sure they’re at their most attractive. They’ll also ensure they don’t leave a mess behind them when using a litter box.
The majority of the time, they won’t pick a favourite. The odd cat might choose one owner over the other, but generally they share their time with as many people as possible – owners, friends of owners, family members of owners and strangers outside. They’re not fussy, they’ll talk to everyone.
Be A Cat.
Be independent. Offer a view that’s uniquely your own while staying open to those of others. It’s easy to fall into line and just accept what’s being said or done, because it’s always been that way. But who’s to say that way is right? Think for yourself, question the status quo and never accept something for acceptance sake.
Stay clean. Be transparent about all you do and don’t keep secrets that can come back and bite you in a painful way. If you’re doing something that will affect those around you, be they friends and family or employees or bosses at your business, be open and honest. You might need help later on and that can be hard to come by without the trust of your closest allies.
Keep an open mind. Everyone has their favourites – movies, bands, bosses, employees, bloggers and more. Yet staying within that comfort bubble does nothing for your personal growth. Knowledge is power – knowledge gained with wide-scale insight is almost unstoppable. Keep your options open, never close a door completely and converse with everyone – you never know what you might discover.
How will you be a cat?
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… and the wonderful ability to always land on ones feet.
Knowing that we can get through any situation is extremely comforting and encouraging when facing new situations.
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Independence, transparency and open-mindedness – can cats really teach us about life and business?
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Independence, transparency and open-mindedness – can cats really teach us about life and business?
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… and the wonderful ability to always land on ones feet.
Knowing that we can get through any situation is extremely comforting and encouraging when facing new situations.
How the devil did I forget that? Great example Julie, and one that should be key to anyone’s personal growth.
To survive, cats go for the kill. If you’re a mouse…watch out!
So, if there’s a goal out there… go for it!
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I’m with you Danny…I’ve always been more of a cat person than a dog person. Although we do have one terrific dog at the moment as well as a cat with some major attitude. She does have her favorite people among us and I think that’s reflective of most of us as well. We can all play well with others but we still have our favorites even if we don’t say it out loud or let it be known.
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Hey there Sparkle.
Well, consider me suitably informed and chastised, and thank you for clearing up the points I missed – my cats were delighted
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Well, I AM a cat, and I have to say you left out some of the more important cat lessons, such as:
1. Attitude is everything – how can you expect someone to know how fabulous you are unless you act like it?
2. Get your beauty rest. And get in lots of stretching. Sleep and flexibility are crucial for long term fitness.
3. Play hard – playtime will train you to better capture your prey.
4. When you are bribed with treats, take them, but still do what you originally planned on doing.
Since you are a human, I honestly didn’t expect you to understand the finer points of being a cat. In the future, it might be helpful if you seek counsel from your feline roommates before making cat-related blog posts.
Hey there Sparkle.
Well, consider me suitably informed and chastised, and thank you for clearing up the points I missed – my cats were delighted
This post made me laugh because a few days ago I just wrote a post about what I learned from my dog while playing with her in the snow. It’s amazing what we can learn from our animals huh?
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Good point, Alison – always consider before taking action. Saves a lot of potential stress later on.
Glad to have you here and hope I can keep you entertained.
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Fellow cat lover and new Danny Brown blog subscriber here! Sparkle’s comment reminded me of a keen observation made by my husband the other day. Our cats always spend time stretching and preening in between napping and conquering the world. We should spend time stretching and fully taking care of ourselves before we can jump into new things and lend our talents to others. Thanks for the post.
Good point, Alison – always consider before taking action. Saves a lot of potential stress later on.
Glad to have you here and hope I can keep you entertained.
I think cats do pick people as you rightly can tell by our own cats. Clearly this handsome devil in my picture here, is YOUR cat… he also thinks he’s a dog by the way he plays fetch and comes when called. And you know very well that Phantom is my cat, he comes when I call him, and he sits on my desk when I’m at the computer, or sits on my text book when I’m trying to study.
I also think that Sparkle might be too high maintenance for our boys lol, but little Ender might have a shot – he’s persistent enough
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