Three lessons from cats on isolation

Something I’ve often thought about is how my cats never leave the house. I keep them imprisoned all the time and they don’t seem to have much of a problem with their situation. So while I’ve been more-or-less imprisoned myself I’m trying to learn something from my fuzzy friends.

1. Sleep

Now I don’t mean to suggest that it’s a good idea to start sleeping as much as a house cat during these times. Too much sleep can really crush your mood and energy levels. The take-away for humans here is to relax. I, for one, can get a little stir-crazy not being able to do as much as usual… So I’m giving myself permission to chill. Who better to look to for advice on relaxation than cats?

Here’s a cat-tivity to try: Lay down on the floor and stretch your whole body out with all your might! Then just stay laying in whatever position you end up in for a few minutes. If you try it you’ll understand why you always find cats laying like this…

2. Fight it out if you need to

I’ll be honest, this piece of advice doesn’t apply to humans at the same level that it does to cats… Humans are less likely to cuddle after a knock-down drag-out brawl… but some of the principles apply!

What cats are actually so good at here is dealing with tensions between one another. By going through conflict immediately they are able to swiftly resolve all of their issues! (Tongue fully in-cheek here.)

For people, the take-away is to bring up important conflicts in our homes to prevent tensions rising and leading to worse conflicts down the road. Most people are not used to spending this much time at home with our families and undoubtedly issues come up over things like dishes, laundry, etc. Sometimes it’s easier not to say anything about something that might irritate you to avoid confrontation. The downside there is that it can lead to a build-up of resentment that creates more tension. Normally you leave the house and don’t see each other all day so you can maybe forget about these types of things. While we are all confined at home however it’s best to nip it in the bud. I am a firm believer that conflict is a necessary part of communication. It’s just a process that, if used correctly, helps you understand one another and resolve your issues.

3. Eat

This one needs a bit of unpacking. I don’t just mean “eat a lot” I don’t think many of us have a problem with that right now… But my cats are always super excited to eat, even though they eat the same thing three times every day. They meow at me and paw at my legs while I prepare their dishes (maybe impatience?) showing me just how happy they are to be fed.

The lesson I’m taking from this is about food attitude. We’ve tried cooking a lot of weird recipes at my house to try to use things up, or make do with what we have. This can sometimes lead to odd haphazard meals… Rather than complaining about this, I am trying to approach it with positivity. I think about my cats and just try to be excited that I get to eat again.

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