Life and Beauty Lessons from a Cat

Felines have often been used as a symbol of femininity—they are elusive, fickle, and far more selective with who they trust than they’re canine counterparts. In truth, a cat is only ever loyal to his or herself. Although I don’t really agree with the women-to-cats comparisons, I am an avid cat (and dog) lover and think there is a lot to learn from feline grace.

Groom For Yourself-- Anyone that has ever been around a cat has probably had the pleasure of seeing that cat’s extensive and often incredibly intricate grooming rituals. They can “wash” the same spot for hours without a care for what anyone else thinks, aside from the occasional irritated glance if interrupted.

Taking hours for personal grooming is certainly ill-advised, but the ritualistic aspect of caring for oneself can be a great boost to self-esteem; it reminds us that we are worthy of the effort. I often find that I get dressed up and apply makeup to impress others rather than to make myself feel great. I am trying to change my perspective to become more like my cat. I hope you enjoy the picture of Bojangles having her own beauty moment.

Stay Determined-- One of my cat’s more annoying habits is her ferocious sense of focus. Once she’s decided to climb onto the kitchen counter and knock down all of my cleansers, nothing can deter her. Humans tend to lose sight of a goal, particularly when failure is eminent, but cats understand that a little patience goes a long way. My cat just waits until I’m not looking.

Ask For What You Want-- I am of Eastern European decent and have been raised to be extremely polite, to a fault. My parents have taught me never to ask for what I want because it will be offered to me if and when I deserve it; I have come to learn that this is not generally the case. In contrast, cats never think twice about whether they are worthy of what they want and they know that a little bit of gratitude, like rubbing against a leg or purring, can go a long way.

Don’t Compare—It can be hard to maintain one’s self-esteem in our beauty and media-driven world. There are just so many beautiful, talented people out that using them as a meter stick for one’s achievements is inevitable. Members of the feline persuasion have interesting survival tactics in this respect: when another cat is favored above them, they fight to re-establish dominance. Cats use feeling threatened by others to motivate themselves instead of feeling inferior. I’ve never seen feel badly about not being pretty enough, smart enough or thin enough, have you ;)?