Any of us can help a cat find a home.
This is Oscar, on his first night in his new home with a friend of mine. I think they are both wonderful.
awareness
Oscar’s new person had become a Cat Appreciator. In the years to come, he would marry a fellow Cat Appreciator, and last year they had a baby daughter who is growing up with cats. Our chats, and reading the blog, brought him to this happy point.
My friend had grown up with dogs. But my stories about my cats intrigued him. Several times he would respond with, “Cats really do that?”
As humans, we can only do what our mind considers possible.
When he opened his mind to see cats in a new way, this transformed the way he thought about cats. This let him laugh at my cat stories, and ask me to accompany him to the shelter. It took a couple of trips to find the right cat, but I didn’t mind. This was all part of the learning process.
I was thrilled that he was taking my cat advice so seriously. He wanted to “feel the connection.”
flexibility
My friend also appreciated the cat’s self-maintenance abilities. Knowing his cat could take care of themselves during a long day gives a pet person wonderful peace of mind. Keeping up with a dog’s high demand for exercise was not always possible, and combining the usual housebreaking training with his job would have been a challenge.
He was astonished that cats arrive already trained. Yet another advantage.
Part of opening our mind to cat possibilities is recognizing that cats come in wide varieties. Our prejudices about cats are depriving us of what cats are truly like. There’s a cat to fit most any personality or home situation.
It doesn’t have to be a kitten. It can be a cat who is a year or two old. They’re still that cute inside. They might have entered the shelter at the age Oscar was when adopted.
It could be a lovely adult cat, in their prime, who lost the only home they knew. Just waiting to pour all that wisdom and personality onto someone who would appreciate them.
Perhaps we, or they, might consider an older cat who would suit our needs for quiet companionship.
Another revelation that startles many people is the Cat Types. We can have a cat who is like a dog, or have the lively curiosity of a monkey, or the soft and easy affection of a rabbit… all while being a cat.
Of course, to bring out the best qualities of our cat, I recommend Way of Cats methods.
Another advantage I have is that I explain it is my methods which create happy cats, and happy people. This lets them file their previous experience under Doing It Rong, and helps them change their minds.
transformation
Mr WayofCats has started featuring local cats, especially from our favorite shelter, on his Facebook page. Just part of what we can do to help a cat find a home. We never know when a furry little face will touch a chord in someone else.
Another key element in the Way of Cats is recognizing their social qualities, and the incredible fun of Cat Civilization. Remove the stigma of multiple cats, and give more cats homes; and more people the joy of watching cats work together.
This is one of my favorite parts of Catdom which cannot be experienced with one cat. So I advise people to start with the power of Cat Social Units. Two cats weigh less, and are less trouble, than a typical dog acquisition; and still less work, too. It is an excellent foundation for a future Cat Civilization.
This is how we can change the world. One mind at a time. There are plenty of people out there who are not considering a cat as a pet; and maybe they should. We can help.
Because, as Ernest Hemingway liked to say:
One cat leads to another.
Listen to me discuss cats I found on Petfinder during one of my podcasts.
Send people to my page on How to Choose the Right Cat. There’s a fun quiz there!
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