Here come some well-being tips from Dr. Seligman's* "feline fan club". It is a "light" (literally and metaphorically) perspective on the essentials for happiness. Applied psychology teaches us a lot about that, but some of us also get a free demo every day at home!
Alexandra Lekkou, October 1, 2023
Are you jealous of your cat? My guess is 13% of you answered this question with a "YES"!
I am pretty confident about this number, because 13% represents how many households include a cat member, in Greece. And I have yet to meet a person who owns (or is being owned by) a cat and does not sooner or later admit that they often look at their beloved pet with "envy"… And I completely get it, because I am one of them!
Cats, whether living indoors or outdoors, seem perfectly able to enjoy themselves and they require close to nothing to achieve that. When you buy your cat a cat tower, chances are you will find it snoozing it its favourite shoebox. When you present a new scratch tree, most likely, it will still prefer your old sofa. And when you show your cat a new play stick, it may still prefer that torn ribbon with the cork attached to it. And while cats are so unimpressed with material goods, they really go after every chance they get during the day for a positive experience. I am sure you have been impressed by how many things they are curious about and how they can enjoy approaching, observing, sensing, playing with practically everything, from an ant on the floor to a shadow on the ceiling. They are living proof of the fact that curiosity is one of the top character strengths associated with a happy life. And, today, we all have so many opportunities for cultivating it…
Anyone who has a cat in their family are regular recipients of unfortunate dead bugs, little birds and tiny animals. As much as we try to avoid this from happening, at some point it will. Cats are true to their nature as hunting-savvy animals, they love to hunt and they do it every chance they get. When they set their sights on something they get fully absorbed in the activity, all their energy focuses there, they become fixated in such an amusing way - until they decide to focus on something else… And when the poor cockroach is exterminated, don't worry about finding it and cleaning up. Your cat will bring it to you, with what looks like pride for the achievement, which would be funny but I guess is not true - scientists say bringing prey to their family members comes from cats' habit to bring food to their kittens or saving it for themselves for later…
A favourite moment in the day for people who live with cats, is when they purr. It seems to be the ultimate expression of satisfaction - you can see, hear and feel how happy they are when they do it and how fully absorbed in that blissful moment - even if a moment later they are fully absorbed in observing the bus driving past your building. Their purr is like a happiness vibration that can resonate with you and make you happier too, if you pause to engage with it - it is a great reminder for a mindful break! But when does your cat purr? Isn't it usually when connecting with you? Getting stroked, cuddling up or sleeping with you? This is probably an effect of purring being a mechanism that connects cats, a cat-mom and her kitten - I read that it functions as a lullaby and as a sign for being ok. And yes, it makes us, cat people, proud that our cat loves us - yes, it's not only dogs!
Cats sleep from 12 to 20 hours per day. And, when living in a safe environment, do they seem to enjoy it! Sleep is also what cats resort to when they are unwell, and so is purring, which is also hypothesized to have healing effects. Definitely a lesson to learn from them, considering that 2 in 5 adults report unintentionally falling asleep during the day at least once a month, 1 in 3 adults does not get enough sleep, and 1 in 5 car crashes are associated with sleepiness. Sleep may be the first thing to take care of in relation to our wellbeing, as it is associated with a big number of physical and psychological negative outcomes. So, listen to cats and get those 7-9 hours of sleep that adults need per day.
One of the hilarious things cats do, among so many others which have earned them the "unofficial mascot of the Internet" badge, is what is known as F.R.A.P.= frenetic, random activity period. It is the moment in the day when out of the blue the cat bursts into an incredible level of activity with extreme parkour-style movement, without any apparent reason or outcome. This lasts around a minute, during which a cat has run across the whole house in lightning speed, climbed to the ceiling using your curtains, jumped over you while you were sleeping, and run over the other cat which happened to be in the way – this “cardio and strength session” releases any excess energy of the cat. When cats are not F.R.A.P.ing, chances are they are sleeping – and here is a question for you: have you ever seen a cat wake up and start moving without stretching first? Never happens and there are many health-related reasons, like blood flow, flexibility and more. And how much they seem to enjoy it! Like they enjoy balancing on places that freak us out, like the edge of a shelf, the top of a door or the curtain track. Come to think about it, cats find ways to get the benefit of all 4 types of training we humans need too: cardio, strength, stretching and balance. What about you and me?
It looks like cats have things sorted out pretty well and know a thing or two about the good life (no wonder the have 9 of them?). They are your reminder to get active, stay curious. They show you how to really enjoy the daily pleasures and engage with all your energy in what you do. They invite you to connect. And when you feel unwell or "down", insist you sleep enough and take care of yourself. Not bad for a small feline!
* Dr. Martin Seligman is a leading authority in Positive Psychology and introduced a very popular and robust model, which outlines the characteristics of a flourishing individual, the PERMAH model (Positive emotions, Engagement (Flow), Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health)
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