The Cat Lesson
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
From teachings to cats
An old oriental saying goes one has to first learn how to love a plant. Then, one has to learn how to love an animal (I for one got stuck on cats). And only then can one pretend they now how to love another human being. The logic of this wise precept is quite apparent: one has to cover a few significant steps in order to assimilate the premises allowing them to deal with the challenges of loving a fellow being.
I for one have never been much of a tree hugger and, while I do find beauty in the vegetal kingdom, and appreciate it as such, never felt intimately related to the plant species. That is, I do acknowledge their role for life on earth in general (i.e. oxygen production, base of the food chain in almost all habitats, optimization of climatic features) and respect it. But no affective drive pushes me to feel emotionally responsible for a certain specimen. In so many words, there’s no emotional connection between me and plants.
But when it comes to animals… now that’s a whole different story. Of course I don’t mean bugs or flies or whatever other insects. But I do love cats. Truth be told, I can’t define myself as a cat person, since I also have one dog and I find rabbits, meerkats, bear cubs, ducklings and what not tremendously endearing. But cats… they’re special. Or so I reckon.
The magic of cats
Cats have a certain demeanor I can only admire. All that cuteness they emanate when they sleep, the silence which envelops their every step, the indifferent grace of their glance, and, above all, a strange sort of duplicity which tells you they want to be loved unconditionally, meaning, without asking something in return… all these capture me.
There’s so much tranquility in them, so much detachment! Only Zen masters could achieve such a performance. Of course there’s also trouble and struggle for food, shelter and survival, mating, fun and play, but cats do it differently. Years and years of observation have led me to believe loving them is not a provisional stage preparing me for loving my fellow beings. It is, instead, a purpose in itself.
It is from cats that I learned one of the most valuable lessons I live by – or, at least, I try to – that is, to walk gently through other people’s lives, striving not to leave any footprints.
Adopt cats!
It is a lesson of discretion and detachment I recommend all of you to at least “peruse”. “Handbooks”, as it were, are everywhere. Just visit the closest shelter and adopt. In all likelihood, saving a cat – or as many cats as you want – will reward you with the opportunity to learn something about yourself, for yourself.
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