My Cat Is My “Life Coach”
I swear I’m not a crazy cat lady. Just hear me out…..
I’m not used to having a cat as a pet. I grew up with a dog and even adopted my own pup my junior year of college. When I married my husband, our dogs became automatic siblings. Before we had two kids, we had two crazy dogs together. The similarities between pet-parenting and child rearing can be insanely similar, but I’ll save those stories for another day. When our dogs passed away, I always thought we’d get another one sometime in the future.
But then Ella, our 11-year-old daughter, was born. From the moment she came into this world, she was afraid of dogs. As an infant, we would take her for a walk in her stroller and if a dog came near, she would scream bloody murder. When she got older, I watched her shake and sweat when a dog got in Ella’s way. The poor thing was scared out of her mind and I knew there was no way we could bring a dog into our house.
The summer before Ella entered Kindergarten, we decided to get a cat. The kids and I did some research and went to visit a few different kittens before we met our future feline family member.
Enter Tiller…….an orange tabby cat with the most mellow personality I have ever had in a pet. Ella was smitten from the start and I am pretty sure feelings were mutual for Tiller. Ella would dress him in her doll clothes, push him around in her toy stroller, and carry him in her backpack. At night, he would jump on her bed and knead her back and head until she fell asleep, a ritual that still holds for the two of them today. Tiller belongs to all of us but he definitely has a special connection with his sister.
However, since I’ve started to work from home, he has become a close buddy of mine. I have a little gray and white puff pillow behind my desk that he often snoozes on while I work. He follows me around the house, waiting for a treat. He really loves sitting on my laptop, even while I’m trying to type. Tiller also likes to join my classes with kids, often laying on yoga mats or playing with pom-poms from our crafts.
I never thought I would love a cat as much as I love Tiller. He’s the perfect cat for our family and spending time with him, watching him grow with my family, has taught me a few lessons that I’m hoping you can enjoy, too!
Here are 3 things that I have learned from my kitty “Life Coach:”
KITTY COACH LESSON #1: IT IS THE SIMPLE PLEASURES IN LIFE THAT MATTER
Tiller doesn’t need expensive toys or extravagant gifts and quite honestly, neither do we! Give him a cardboard box, a pom-pom, his meals, a few snuggles and he is good to go! It is truly amazing how easy it is to make my cat happy. From laying on the warm keys of my laptop to watching the chipmunks play outside our windows, he is fairly self-occupied.
It often makes me wonder if I am that easy to please. When I watch Tiller flop happily around the living room with an ear bud cover that he scored from the counter, I can’t help but ponder about the little things that bring me joy. After all, they say that the little things add up to be the big things in life. Because of Tiller, I spend more time observing nature, enjoying time alone, and snuggling under the soft blanket that we keep in our living room. And I savor these moments because they make me happy. What’s better than that?
KITTY COACH LESSON #2: IT IS POSSIBLE TO LAND ON YOUR FEET EVEN AFTER THE BIGGEST FALLS
I can’t even count how many times Tiller has fallen out a window. He has a habit of lying on window sills in the sun, pressed up hard against the screen. Every once in a while, the screen pops out and Tiller rolls off, plummeting to the ground below. And for some reason, this happens more often from our second floor windows. It amazes us that he falls from such a height and comes out of it unscathed, often meowing at the door, begging to come back inside so he can find another warm sun spot and possibly do it all over again!
Many times I am afraid of trying something new or getting too comfortable with something. Maybe this is a fear of failure or a fear of complacency. Because of this fear, I may be inclined to pass up on an opportunity because I am afraid that I won’t be good at it, or I will be disappointed in some way. I don’t even give myself the opportunity to see if it will be worthwhile.
Seeing Tiller fall from such a great height, get up, dust himself off, and come back inside, inspires me to give more challenges a try. He clearly doesn’t fit on a windowsill but that doesn’t stop him from enjoying it, even if he falls once in a while. Wouldn’t it be amazing if I took on the same attitude and did the same thing? I don’t think I will be trying out sunspots on a windowsill anytime soon, however. What I mean is, why can’t I try something new, even if it doesn’t fit or I feel uncomfortable. Who knows? I may enjoy myself! Or, if I fall, it is possible to land on my feet and try again, just like Tiller!
KITTY COACH LESSON #3: THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Tiller shows us unconditional love. I think this is something that the human race needs to strive to practice everyday! Tiller doesn’t care what we look like, what we wear, who we hang out with, what our grades are like, how much we get paid….he gives us a constant show of support and joy everyday, all day! He waits at the door like clockwork for the kids to come home from school. He jumps on the couch for a snuggle and a lap to lay on just about every night while we watch TV. There are days when Tiller wants his own space and be left alone but he never forgets a fly-by snuggle, a head butt, or a purr, just to tell us he’s there, sharing his love.
Could you imagine if the world worked like that? If the world was a place where no one cared if you weren’t the prettiest, most talented, smartest, and richest? And they showed you love no matter what! The lesson of LOVE is the greatest lesson that humans have to share and Tiller does it with ease everyday!
One of my idols and journalist, Jane Pauley, says,
“You cannot look at a sleeping cat and feel tense.”
This is probably why I started writing this blog post in the first place. I am sitting on one of my living room chairs, squished to one side while Tiller snores, smashed between my thigh and the other arm of the chair. As I work, this cat makes me feel relaxed. When I look at Tiller in this moment and give him a pat on his warm tummy, I can’t help but feel gratitude for this little furry creature that continues to teach me so much everyday.
It is funny how we can find guidance in places where we least expect it. Take a look around….what kind of life coaching can you find?
