In celebration of World Cat Day I have a secret to share. Everyone gather in close.

Cats

Are

Not

Dogs

Cats are not dogs.

There it is. The one truth about cats that will set you free. No more problems. No more misunderstandings. You and your cats will live happily ever after.

If there is one conception I come across in my work more than any other, it is an expectation we have around what we believe our cats should behave like. Why won’t my cat come when I call them? (Like a dog) Why can’t I train them to get down, or to stop doing some particularly annoying thing, or to walk on a lead? (Like a dog) Why don’t they greet me at the door? (Like a dog) My cat won’t even come out of the bedroom when I have a visitor. I can’t even tell if my cat likes me. (Because they don’t wag their tail, jump up and down, show an abundance of exuberance when you walk into the house, like a dog.) Why? Why? Why?

Because

They

Are

Not

Dogs

What cats ARE is why we are attracted to them in the first place.

Cats are Of the Wild at Heart. Still so close to their wild genetic roots, you feel like you’re touching a lion. This is what makes us want them in our lives in the first place. Why would we want to take that away?

Cats are Penetrating. Mesmerizing. They walk proudly, gracefully, into a room; their tail pops up straight and gives a tiny flick, flick at the tip, as if giving you a royal wave of the hand. They look over at you, they look about the room with a focus of command that makes you feel as if you are a friend of The Queen.

Cats are Curious. When they explore their environment, we watch with laughter, with awe, with annoyance, and with pleasure as their unique minds learn how to interact with the world. They are still THE MOST POPULAR animal on the internet, after all.

Cats are Relaxing. They can chill out with you while you read, watch TV, work on the computer. Even if they jump onto your book, or your TV, or your computer, we might sigh, but we feel so satisfied that the cat has chosen to be a part of our world. Cats reduce stress while studying and working. They aid in those dealing with depression and anxiety.  Even watching cat videos has been shown to help us feel better.

Cats are Decisive. When they choose you, you feel deep within that you have earned the trust of a wild creature that puts great thought into what they do and do not like. You have built a bond of mutual respect. It’s empowering for them and it’s empowering for us humans.

Cats are Perceptive. They watch and listen and feel everything around them like little AI computers. Their brains are perfectly made to learn what they need to understand in order to survive. Their senses make them the ultimate survivors. Don’t we all love the survivor stories?

Cats Take Care of Themselves. The most quoted conception regarding cats is their independence. If you don’t like cats, it’s because they are too independent. If you do like cats, it’s because they are independent. Tomatoes, tomatos. Cats can figure out how to make life work out for them. What a great power to have.

Cats are Emotional Creatures. Okay, okay. Other animal behaviorists out there are rolling their eyes and giving me a good talking to right now. Let me explain:

A cat’s “antennae” (I’m using the word loosely for the sake of not making this into a long lesson on cat physiology) is constantly trying to pick up cable TV from 1985. They feel the world they interact with in a hyper-sensitive manner. If their world is pretty chilled out, they can lay back and enjoy the ride. If the signal they are receiving is stressful, they will absorb that like a sponge. This is something we humans can relate to; thus, we feel a bond with the feline. When they need some extra support during trying times, that’s where we human caregivers get to step in and shine. We get to be their stress reliever. The best part is, when we learn how to help them through their troubles, it has this wonderful side effect of helping us too.

Cats Inspire Creativity. Yes, that’s right. A well renowned study done in 2010 did a survey across North America, the UK, Australia and other countries. Cat lovers were shown to be more artistic and intellectually curious than their dog lover counterparts. Sorry dog lover friends. I love you. You can still come over for barbecue. Maybe we are also a bit more prone to anxiety (according to the study) but I now refer back to the above. That’s why we get a cat! When we learn how to help out and bond with our tiny lions, it has this wonderful side effect of helping us too.

So, go onto the world, Oh Lovers of Felines. Inspire, grow, relax, create. Be kind to your tiny lions. Guide them unto peace and you, too, will find peace and joy and merriment knowing you have such a creature sharing your world.

Happy World Cat Day.