Before most people become Cat guardians, they typically do extensive research on their future feline companion’s temperament, the type of diet they have to consider, and most importantly, the vet appointment that they should make. It’s a responsible approach to also provide certain enrichments.
Besides their well-known traits — razor-sharp claws, flexible bodies, lightning reflexes, heightened senses — Cat guardians often uncover other remarkable abilities. It’s also hard for me to deny that for us mere humans, it would have been amazing to have even just a few of their superabilities.
CATS ARE EXPERT TRAINERS
Do you believe you can train Cats? Quite possibly, they will be more successful at training you than you training them!
The main reason humans aren’t quite as successful in training Cats is that they give up way too easily, according to an article by Summer Samba on the website Summer’s Fabulous Cat Life. On the other hand, Cats train humans by persistently charming us until they get what they need — and I must admit, I’m guilty of falling for it, too!
I remember one morning when I completely ignored our Cats’ breakfast time. Typically, our Cats were already up by 4 AM, because my mother had a habit of feeding them early. If our entire family overslept, the Cats would make sure that we were adequately informed. They would jump over us, nibble at our heads, sit on our chests, or worse, plop down right on our faces until we were forced to wake up and attend to their needs.
If only I had the ability to train other humans to respond to my every whim! I’d love to have the power to make people get up at dawn to feed me, fetch my favorite gadgets on demand, and provide endless snacks. I’d be living the life of a princess!
Anyone with a feline at home can tell you how Cats have masterfully learned to train us using both persistence and charm, making their lives — and even ours — all the more interesting.
CATS ARE ZEN MASTERS
I am convinced that Cats are masters of Zen. Despite being labeled as lazy, sleepy, or sometimes needy, I believe they teach us how to slow down and be more present. As we say, “You Only Live Once (YOLO).”
A blog written by Mark Ellison on the website Living in Heaven on Earth says that their Cat, Pluto, has taught him and his wife valuable lessons about being content and living in the moment. After all, Cats are known for their ability to stay in the now.
I have experienced being more aware of the present through my Cats’ intense stares as I drown in their galaxy-like eyes, and even through their ultimate focus on something outside the terrace. Compared to us who might need to spend years meditating to achieve that level of focused awareness, we are still nowhere near their level.
Likewise, their love of adventure not only takes us outside but also allows us to reconnect with people and nature. Taking inspiration from Cats, maybe I should pay more attention to right here, right now.
THEY READ US LIKE OPEN BOOKS
As someone who’s chronically online, I’ve seen posts and comments by human guardians about how their Cats found them, usually during their darkest times. If I may add, the “Cat Distribution System” is responsible for officially choosing them!
Many Cats can sense how we feel. As if that’s not enough, they can empathize with us, approaching us and basically giving us free therapy via their calming company. I really find myself surprisingly envious of Cats in this sense. I really believe that they can detect when we are having a hard time, especially after I came across a study by Angelo Quaranta and his fellow researchers. They found out that Cats could match a human’s emotions based on facial expressions and even the vocalizations of their human companions, especially for high-intensity emotions.
While reading it, I realized I’ve experienced it myself. After a stressful week of continuous examinations at our university, my Cat literally went up my lap, purred, and slept. Even a non-clingy Cat I am with suddenly slept on my bed. It’s like they could sense when I needed them more, and they knew when to run to my rescue.
How I wish I could also detect human emotions so expertly that I could act accordingly!
CATS ARE WHISKERED WHISPERERS
Cats are super sensitive to energies, and they are pretty good at managing them, too. Many Cat guardians have observed their Cats staring continuously at a particular spot, which later becomes associated with strange activity. It has been suggested that Cats can see things from the spiritual world that humans usually cannot. (Check out Mona’s article on psychic Dogs in this issue! -Ed.)
I find it particularly creepy whenever my Cats fixate on nothingness or a completely blank wall in our house. After staring for a while, their faces contort into expressions of urgency or even horror, which do nothing to reassure me!
It could very well be that Cats genuinely feel and see more than us in certain ways. They feel specific vibrations, which might explain why they tend to dislike people who aren’t fond of them.
In an interview by Madeleine Aggeler for The Cut, Jackson Galaxy, a Cat behavior and wellness expert(whom I have a feeling needs no introductions among Cat parents), was asked if Cats could really see ghosts. Galaxy explained that Cats have evolved to sense things humans can’t.
This uncanny ability can be attributed to their heightened senses and unique perception of the world around them. He added that their eyes can see perfectly in darkness, they can hear about eight times better than us, and their whiskers are sensitive to everything from temperature changes to air current changes.
Now, imagine if we all had this sixth sense!
THEY ARE HEALERS AND PROTECTORS
I bet you’ve also heard anecdotes about how animal companions have taken away disease from their human guardians into their own bodies. This includes Cats, who seem capable of knowing when their humans are ill.
Some say that Cats can voluntarily absorb our illnesses, a selfless act that can tragically shorten their lives. Metaphorically speaking, it’s like a sacred contract to them to take on the role of a protector.
This is particularly resonant with black Cats, as many spiritualists and Wiccans believe that they absorb bad luck or omens. This belief dates back to ancient times.
It makes me think of why indeed many witches in history kept black Cats close to them. (Could it be that the black Cats chose us to stay beside them, not the other way around? Food for thought! -Ed.)
A PURR-SONAL DESIRE
Cats are such intriguing and mysterious creatures! If I could adopt just a fraction of Cats’ mindfulness, curiosity, and resilience, I would probably have a richer and more meaningful life.
As I watch my Cats gaze into the void, I can’t help but feel a deep appreciation for the lessons they impart — lessons in living life fully, embracing the present, and trusting in the unseen.
