Success Lessons from a Reluctant Cat Owner – Part 2: Don’t Make Things Out to Be Worse Than They Are
(Note: this is part 2 of a 5 part series laying out lessons I learned from my first month owning two cats. Click here for Part 1. A new part will be posted each day this week. Subscribe via RSS or email to make sure you don’t miss one!)
Here’s what I don’t get: I go and scratch one of the cats. She enjoys it. So much so that she rolls over and exposes her belly for me to scratch. I do so, and she tries to bite me.
Damned cats.
Why are you giving me your belly to scratch if you don’t want me to scratch it??
To be fair, one of the cats is a bit…er…rotund. When she sits a certain way it looks like someone took a tiny cat head and stuck it on an oversized fluffy pillow. It may be impossible for her to not show me her belly.
Ok, fine cat, you don’t want your belly scratched. I get it (note: almost every dog I have met loves to have its belly scratched. That’s why dogs are awesome).
When I first started interacting with the cats, I used to freak out when one of them tried to nip at me. I would snatch my hand away and step back. I would be afraid and feel hurt that the cat tried to bite at me when all I did was try to pet it.
Damned cats.
Now that I’ve spent more time with them, I realize that having a cat nip you is not the worst thing in the world. It’s not a pleasant feeling, but it’s not like they’re saber-tooth tigers trying to rend my flesh. They’re lazy house cats. Their nips are minor annoyances at worst.
As I was recently petting one of the beasts, I found myself intentionally playing with it by moving my hands towards her belly and seeing if I could get her to try to bite me (Cruel? Perhaps. Call it payback for the sleeping interruptions). This made me reflect on how my attitude towards being bit had changed in just a couple of weeks…
The first few times it happened, I wasn’t expecting it. I didn’t know how serious it was. I didn’t know what to do about it.
Over time, as I learned more and got used to them, I realized that it really wasn’t a big deal. Now it doesn’t bother me at all.
Nip away little one - doesn't bother me no more!
Life often works the same way. The first time you face rejection, resistance, criticism, failure, or any perceived danger, it may seem like it’s THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD!!!
However, if you are willing to face it again and again, learn more about it, and take the steps to minimize the danger, then soon you will have no problem tackling the things that seem to be “too hard.”
This is an important point because if you try anything new, if you try to expand yourself, if you try to pursue what you really want, then you’ll face all of those things.
Don’t make things worse than they are. Sure, new setbacks suck, but put them in perspective and keep going, and soon you’ll realize you were complaining about nothing.
Reminder: This was part 2 of a 5 part series laying out lessons. Read the rest of the series here:
Part 1: Short Term Discomfort Leads to Long Term Success
Part 3: Everyone (and Every Cat) is Different
Part 4: Listening to Experts is Important
Part 5: Communication Matters
Subscribe via RSS or email to make sure you don’t miss the upcoming parts!
Have your own “crazy cats” story (whether you learned anything from it or not)? Share it in the comments below!
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By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+
7 Responses to “Success Lessons from a Reluctant Cat Owner – Part 2: Don’t Make Things Out to Be Worse Than They Are”
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I cannot wait to read Parts 3-5! Surely we can draw a lesson from having to clean the litter box? That was one of my biggest hurdles as a dog person. I think that is definitely a way that dog trumps cat.
Another thing I got over was how picky some of the kittens have been. Some won’t touch dry food, and some will even be selective about which flavors of wet food they will eat. Yet the one that I ended up adopting will eat anything and will drink from my dog’s water dish. I guess some of them really like to train their humans!
My favorite thing to watch has been the developing relationship between my dog (a 5-year-old weimaraner) and the kitten that I adopted. It began well with the kitten trying to nurse from the dog. The dog was most certainly freaked out, and would stand up anytime the kitten would push up to the dog’s belly. Then the kitten decided that the dog’s ears and docked tail were toys to swat at and bite. Still, the dog was patient, and the kitten seemed to show remarkable bravery. Then the kitten decided to push next to my hip to snuggle, and still the dog was showing unbelievable patience.
At first I thought that the dog was getting the short end of the stick each time, and I was a little bummed that I was subjecting her to so many kittens this summer. Then I realized: the dog has a good thing going too! The dog now has fairly regular access to kitten food, including the stinky wet food (the stinkier, the better!), and even when the dog cannot actually sneak some kitten food, she still gets to lick the kitten’s face post-meal. The dog also gets some cuddle time with the cat, which they now both seem to enjoy. The dog suddenly has all these new toys, including an awesome laser pointer. So . . . while things can sometimes look one-sided at first glance, they can actually be mutually beneficial.
Thanks Becca! yes, the cats can be very picky – and picky about different things (that’s what today’s post is all about)
Thanks for sharing your story. A kitten interacting with a cute dog may be just too much cuteness for one home…
Cannot wait to read today’s post . . . off I go!
Yes, the cute quota was definitely reached with dog alone. Add in the 1-lb (well, now 5-lb) kitten, and it’s almost overwhelming. Sometimes I just sit back and soak in the cute.