You may think of your cat as your pet, or your friend, but teacher? Turns out you can learn a lot about life by watching your cat (so pay attention)!
By Mindy Norton
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The month of June is one a lot of folks really look forward to. For some it means the start of summer vacation. Churches are booked every weekend for June weddings.
But for animal shelters, it means more cats will be surrendered this month than during any other time of the year.
That's why June is designated as Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month.
There are lots of good reasons to adopt any animal from a shelter, such as giving it a good home with a loving owner to care for it. But adopting a cat is an educational experience for the new owner.
You can learn a lot about living by observing your cat.
Begin by noticing how curious your cat is about everything! Exploring the unknown expands our horizons, and the ability to get excited when we discover something new makes life interesting.
Watch your cat bathe itself and you'll learn the importance of staying clean.
See how your cat will play with anything - a twig, a piece of string, even the beam of a flashlight in a darkened room. Your pet knows that playing makes life more fun.
Study your cat as it becomes very still, watching the bird in the tree just outside the window. The only thing moving is the very tip of your pet's tail as it waits with great patience and attention, ready to leap at just the right moment. Your cat understands the importance of patience and planning.
Of course, as you continue to observe your cat, you'll notice it spends most of its time catnapping; but your cat knows that if you're well rested, you're ready for almost anything.
Perhaps the greatest lesson you can learn from your pet is unconditional love and acceptance.
With a cat, you get something extra - an animal that has the ability express its pleasure and contentment by purring. What a great way to say thank you!
Consider adopting a cat this month from an animal shelter in your community. You'll make a new friend for life and learn a lot about living, when you're speaking of pets.
Speaking of Pets with host Mindy Norton (pets@apr.org) is for people who care about pets and about humane treatment for animals in general, and who want to celebrate that special relationship between us and our animal companions. Find out more about Speaking of Pets at Alabama Public Radio.
