Here's my mantra for living which came from me realizing that I was giving my cats a better life than I was giving myself. Why is it that we can care for others and ignore what we really need? From this realization I got off pills, started meditating every day and began treating life like the joyous, peaceful experience it really is.

Treat Yourself Like a Cat 9 Life Lessons

1/ Get off pills. You don't give your cats drugs, even when they are insane, so why do it to yourself? Whilst some medications are necessary, consider how many you use to regulate mood or pain that can be relieved by being more cat-like?

2/ Eat what you need. I stopped free-feeding my cats and they lost weight, yet I kept stuffing my own face and stayed overweight! Eat protein, eat vitamin and mineral rich foods and the right sort of fats. Check out the complexity of your pedigree cat food and compare to your own diet. Eat grass. I provide cat grass for my cats and they chew on it every day before each meal. Fibre and fresh leafy greens are essential for us every day.

3/ Bathe. The cats know it. The Japanese know it. The Muslims know to do it before prayer. We have running hot water in our homes!--That's just crazy, nuts luxury! Enjoy.

4/ Drink nothing but water. Okay, well maybe we'll deviate from this a little, but you get my point right? We don't add sugar, alcohol or caffeine to the drinking bowl, why add it to our own fluid?

5/ Take time to meditate. Every day your cat sits in a comfy position with a calm view with their eyes at half-mast, not asleep, not awake, not focussing on anything. Cats meditate many times each day, especially after they get grumpy about not being fed or being forced to stay indoors or not being shown enough attention! They are phenomenal self-mood-changers. Try it. Every day. As often as you need. It works.

6/ Sleep. As much as you can or want to.

7/ Stretch. Immediately when you get up from being sedentary, do a couple of stretches. Raise your hands above your head, touch your toes, do a push-up and arch your back. A sun salutation or five will really move the blood around and give you all the zing you need to move to the next bit of sunshine.

8/ Run around like a mad thing once a day for about half an hour. If jumping on objects isn't your style, go for a jog, a cycle or a robust walk. Even better, run about chasing a ball or a frisbee. If you're really cat-practised you'll dance around your house nekkid at least once a day to a really rockin' tune.

9/ Snuggle. Touch another body. Bump heads. Cuddle-up every day. And don't just wait for it to happen. Demand it! Loudly and with conviction. nods

Do these nine things every day and you're on your way to being a cat. You'll spend less money (cats are hopeless shoppers unless it's a shiny-thing), you'll desire fewer holidays (cats hate holidays), you'll look and feel fabulous and you'll be grinning like the Dalai Lama all day.

© 2008 S.K. Devitt