My Guru Has Four Legs

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Added: Sun. Dec 13, 2009 7:24am
Posted in: Living

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Many people dislike cats, and one reason for that dislike, is that a cat is a very independent creature, who will do his own thing, regardless of how his human owner (Ha!) feels about it.
A dog will turn himself inside out in order to please his lord  and master.     Not so a cat.    
YOU are to ensure HE is treated appropriately at all times, and kept fed, warm, dry and comfortable.   If it happens to be raining, then somewhere in your CV it says you must turn off this nasty wet stuff, because HE DOESN'T LIKE IT.    

My cat came to me simply because neighbours abandoned him when they moved away.   I call him Tim, and he's just a tabby, with big green eyes and no pedigree at all.       But in the three years he's been with me, he has taught me so much. 
A cat respects his body and takes gentle care of it.    He will never knowingly pollute his body by taking  anything in his mouth which he thinks is *off* or not quite as it should be.      I used to smoke 40 cigarettes a day, but I wonder what Tim Cat would think, if I asked him to put a rolled up piece of paper in his mouth-----and set fire to it!!

Watch his routine before he settles for a nap: a complete and thorough all over wash.     He goes about it in such a way as to appear to be massaging every part of his body so that by the time he's done, he's relaxed as well as clean.      And he goes through this routine all over again when he wakes up, paying close attention to getting the results he wants for his comfort.    With every lick, he's loving and caring for every part of that small body of his, and it repays him  well.      In contrast, I often shirk the job of taking off my makeup before bed, and when I do, I'm through in double quick time, with my mind somewhere in the middle of next week!
   And when he gets up, a cat will take care of his back, by stretching the front legs out with  his back end in the air, then arching his back in a hump.     

I've learnt a lot just from watching this cat.   I stopped smoking a long time before Tim came into my life, but I no longer take my aging, but healthy body for granted.    He's taught me to slow down, take the time to give my body (and mind) what it needs, and that also means MAKING the time for exercise and relaxation.    And for play.   I can't scamper up my neighbour's trees like Tim does, and I'd probably get myself put away for a very long time if I made a habit of that.        

Tim doesn't try to imitate the dog next door, or even another cat.    He is who he is, and even if he could understand  what political correctness was, he would probably develop selective deafness and ignore it all.        I've learnt to play a bit, and surprise, surprise, even if I spent 10 minutes playing silly games with Tim, or throwing a ball for the dog next door, the dusting, or the dishes in the sink have waited for me!     The world didn't end, and a few minutes of playtime have left me smiling and relaxed.

Time to stretch my back.       Thank you Tim Cat.