Mindful Monday –The Many Faces of a Cat

While a passing stranger or an occasional guest might see your cat as one-dimensional, you know the truth. Your Fluffy or Tiger is a cat of many faces—and his purr-sonality isn’t displayed solely through his demeanor.

You know when your cat is happy, inquisitive, angry, bored, would rather not be bothered, wants to play, is hungry, irritated, lonely, antsy, or… You can tell by peering into his eyes, of course, but also by the set of his ears, the movement or placement of his whiskers, his stance, vocalization, energy, action, and don’t forget about his tail.

Cats are emotional beings and they wear their heart on their paw. Cats are also tuned into the elements. If your cats are like mine, they loll around a lot in hot weather. We had a Himalayan who loved to sit right up next to the window air conditioner. I wish I’d taken a picture of her with her fur blowing in the gust–like she was dreaming of riding fast in a convertible or on the back of a wild horse.

In winter cats may also be rather sedentary as they stay close to the fireplace or heater. But come spring, when the windows and doors stand open and a mix of warm and cool air filters though,  cats will become active and even silly.

Weather isn’t the only thing that affects our cats’ mood. In fact you can stimulate your fur-buddies by introducing something new into their world—different toys, new cat tree, a cat tunnel, or cat bed. A paper bag or box might intrigue them for hours. Lily used to eagerly wait for someone to finish reading the daily newspaper so she could attack it and shred it and use it as a hiding place.

Yes, a single cat possesses a multitude of emotions, desires, and activity levels and she’s good at finding things to amuse herself, but you can enrich her life by mixing it up for her. We brought home a package of tiny stuffed mice for Sophie last week and she has become a kitten again. There are few kitty toys that interest her, but those tiny mice with the long tails will entertain her for days. We enjoy the entertainment as well, watching our 15-year-old girl leap and frolic with her mousey friends.

This week do something to enrich your cat with catnip (Lily’s favorite thing), a toy, a new bed, a healthy treat, a box, a perch for the window so she can watch the birds, or adopt a new sister or brother kitty who needs a home. It’s likely that you’ll see a new emotion on your cat’s face—let’s hope it’s delight.

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