Life Lessons My Cats Taught Me

Cat Lessons from My Three Angel Pets

By Allia Zobel Nolan

I have three cats that are more angels than mammals. While it may be a stretch that my Angela, MacDuff, and Sinead wear halos, it’s not unreasonable to consider them more than just fur and whiskers.

I believe my felines are truly spiritual beings, and it’s my opinion they have been put in my life for a reason: to help me be a better person in the here and now and to teach me things that will lead me to a joyous hereafter. How can cats make me more heavenly focused? Here are seven cat lessons my angel kitties have taught me.

Allia Zobel Nolan is the author of over 170 adult and children’s books, including "Purr More, Hiss Less: Heavenly Lessons I Learned From My Cat," "The Worrywart’s Prayer Book," and "Noah's Notebook."

Mind Today’s Business

If you have cats, you’ll probably notice they never worry. I worry about the present, the past, and the future. (I even wrote a book about it, "The Worrywart’s Prayer Book.") If the weather channel reports we’re in for a bit of rain and wind, I’m at the store gathering supplies Simply put, I spend a lot of unnecessary time on the future, which robs me of really neat things going on today.

My three cats live for the day. They are “in-the-moment” felines. MacDuff vocalizes when he wants to be played with, pet, or fed, yet he’s never anxious about whether he’ll get the same treatment tomorrow. He trusts he will and that trust becomes a reality--the next day, he is played with, pet, and fed again.

My cats teach me to stop wasting time worrying about tomorrow and live for today, because God's got everything in hand.

Create a More Caring Relationship

My cats are masters of the art of love, and they constantly remind me what it means to have a caring relationship. One time I was bedridden after a wrist operation, but I could depend on Angela to give me comforting head butts and Sinead and MacDuff to sit quietly with me while I mended.

My cats may not always understand why a routine has changed, but they always trust me to do what’s in their best interest. While Sinead may yowl like she is being tortured when visiting the vet, once she takes her medication and feels better, she has a look that tells me she knows everything I do is for her ultimate good.

By emulating how my cats behave toward me, I can build a more trusting, loving, and caring relationship with my Creator.

Give Without Expecting Anything in Return

My cats live by Divine principles such as sharing unselfishly and giving without expecting anything in return. On any given night, without fanfare, MacDuff will leave an anonymous present by my door, but I know it’s him. It could be his favorite sock or even the brand new stuffed animal I just gave him. He never hordes the good stuff or gives me leftovers. He gives freely of whatever he has and he never, ever looks for anything in return. No quid pro quo. No expectation of favoritism.

Like my cats, I should make it my business to give more for giving’s sake, not just when I have a lot of something or when there are things I don’t want.

Keep It Simple

A few months ago, I saw a bumper sticker that said: “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Well, if my cats drove, that’s certainly one sign you’d never see on their cars.

Unlike people, my cats don’t require an elaborate lifestyle or put a huge emphasis on what worldly goods they have. Even if I commissioned a designer to create an upscale mouse toy with organic catnip and a realistic-sounding squeak, MacDuff is just as happy playing with a large, plain brown paper bag from the supermarket. When I received a beautiful cardboard cat hotel with windows to peer out of and doors to open, Angela went for a tour but then jumped back into her well-worn, ordinary, nothing-special, cat condo. To her, simple is better.

I’m constantly reminded that the way to the next world doesn’t hinge on how many goodies I’ve accumulated in this world.

Hiss, Spit, and Then Get Over It

The most amazing thing about my cats is their resiliency. They would not be offended if I told them they were having a bad hair day or they weren’t as smart as a Siamese I saw at a cat show. These comments would just roll off their backs.

My cats also never hold a grudge. One day I was staring into the open (and quite empty fridge) when the phone rang. I turned and, unbeknownst to me, Sinead jumped in as I closed the door. When I finished my call, I heard muffled meows coming from the fridge and an irate Sinead bolted out when I opened it. She hissed and spit at me and hid under the bed for about two hours. In the evening, however, she forgave me and returned to her normal self.

By not holding a long grudge, my cats show me it’s okay to get angry, but the sooner we forgive and forget, the better.

See the Sublime Every Day

As an author, I spend a lot of time at the computer checking emails and I get caught up in deadlines and “dry brain” (my nickname for writer’s block). I get so wrapped up in my little world that I give scant thought to the grandeur of the changing leaves or how I can still feel a warm breeze even in winter.

Then, suddenly, my cats snap me out of my frenzy. I’ll notice Angela sleeping peacefully on my desktop or MacDuff will look up at me in a loving way, eyes wide and head cocked. I’ll stop and stare to marvel at their beauty, design, and intelligence. This lifts my nose up from the grindstone and segues me into thoughts of the sacred, prayer, and praise.

My cats, just by their very being, can direct me to thoughts of God's majesty.

Be True to Yourself

My white-haired Angela is totally okay with being who she is--a former shelter-cat with not-so-perfect vision and a little older than her brother and sister. Nonetheless, she is a beauty with a one-of-a-kind Rorschach pattern on her head she wouldn’t trade for a fresh salmon.

A hefty, black cat like no other, MacDuff carries himself as though he was the pharaoh’s favorite temple cat. Even Sinead has never complained she wasn’t born an American Curl or a Blue Russian. She’s totally content to be her short-haired, black-and-white, domestic, yellow-eyed self.

Do my cats hide the fact that they don’t know their parents? Do they envy others or try to be copycats? Not on your whiskers. My kitties like themselves the way they are. They never complain that they aren't an elephant or a bird instead. They know they are loved just the way they were made. We should all feel that way about ourselves, too.