Cat wisdom is all about comfort

Every now and then, I get a taste of cat wisdom when I least expect it. Last night, while sitting in my favorite recliner, my cuddly cat, Mitchell (yes, the MeowSpace® cat), decided he wanted to take a nap on my lap. I happened to be working on a rather large laptop computer, which, naturally, didn’t deter him one bit. He jumped up and settled down, half on my lap and half on the computer.

Upon facing the reality of the situation, I decided the computer had no further use, so I started to move it out of His Royal Feline Highness’ way to create a more comfortable spot for him. The moment I began moving the computer, Mitchell woke up and grabbed my hand between his teeth, giving me the unmistakable look that said, “Move it and you die.” I said to him, “You can’t possibly be comfortable!?” The look remained. My friend, Margery, who happened to be nearby at the time remarked, “Of course he’s comfortable. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t be there.”

Live with cats and learn

Even after 7 years of being owned by cats, I still haven’t learned. Cats aren’t like dogs or humans. Humans put up with being uncomfortable. We will sleep on lumpy, saggy beds, drive in cars with bad shocks, wear clothing that is too tight and shoes that feel awful. Dogs aren’t much better. They join us in our lumpy, saggy beds, forcing themselves to sleep curled up, half off the bed, just to be close to us. They allow us to dress them up in rain coats and booties so they can walk with us outside. They’ll eat whatever we put in their food bowls.

Cats, on the other hand, spend their lives seeking only those things that manifest comfort. Woe to the animal, mineral or vegetable that does not comply.

We humans should really try to improve the comfort and happiness in our own lives by observing the comfort demands of cats. I decided to do that today. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

The Twelve Steps of Cat Wisdom

1) Eat only what tastes good to you, drink lots of water, and groom
2) Seek prime real estate within your domain, and quietly stake your claim
3) Stay out of others’ business unless you want to get hissed at
4) Play a little, rest a lot
5) Stay on top of things; the higher up the better the view
6) Calmly watch the goings on around you with healthy detachment
7) Engage only when others are calm
8) Disengage when others are turmoiled
9) Await, attempt, accept, anticipate
10) Create time and space to meditate and breathe deeply
11) Eat only what tastes good to you, drink lots of water, and groom
12) Do it all again tomorrow