It started with Timmy, the neighbor’s cat. He was on his usual morning stroll through the neighborhood and landed at a favorite spot in my backyard, which is also the territory of household cats Archie and Kiwi. I think that is a declaration of war by cats’ standards. However, I’d venture to say Timmy wasn’t considering this; he was simply immersed in the moment. At first glance, Timmy isn’t what most would call a cute cat – he is a bit disheveled and lumpy looking. However, when you look deeper, you can see that Timmy is more than his lumps. He has these attributes AND an inner beauty and grace, a light smoothness that radiates out, just like many cats in the world. This interplay of characteristics was quite stunning to observe.
That morning I witnessed how he knew how to hold himself with stillness and poise; he knew he belonged in that spot, and he knew when he belonged there. He understood not to go to that spot when the household cats were outside. He possessed confidence and ownership of his being and the space. I was transfixed, alert, and calm all at the same time, the same state I felt Timmy was experiencing. Somehow watching Timmy tuned me into the frequency he exists at, which enabled me to match this frequency.
One reason I watch cats is because they are marvelous teachers. They show people how to take up space and to do so with absolute ease and certainty. They do not apologize for their presence. They come as they are, and they do not care if or how you receive them. They have absolute certainty that they belong where they land, and this confidence comes about from them being their authentic selves. Many people are focused on their own dramas and traumas and really do not see others clearly. What they see is filtered through their flavored view, which might not be all that sweet. Cats do not let others’ perception of the world alter what they need to do or how they need to be in the world. They stay in their lane and focus on their beingness and what the current moment has to offer. And they do this all with an air of elegance, fluidity, balance, and ease.
Watching Timmy brought me back to my twenties when I lived with my younger sister and her two cats Chloe and Jezebel. I was Auntie Mommy to those cats. Those lovely ladies had the assignment of showing me a portal to relaxation, as well as demonstrating a way to engage with meditation. I didn’t know this is what they were doing, though; I needed the gift of time to see the bigger picture. In my earlier days, I associated meditation with closing my eyes, being bored, invalidating myself for not having a mind empty of thoughts, and ultimately thinking it was an activity inaccessible to my anxious self.
Spirit knows the audience and guides all through the path of least resistance. Spirit, the Universe, the Oneness – whatever you call it – sends messengers you can relate to. They speak your language and will tailor the communication to where you are at, all with no judgment. Chloe and Jezebel somehow inspired me to follow their ways. They showed me how to get down on the ground with them to revel and relax with the sun and its rays. They encouraged me to feel the calm vitality that emanates from this activity. I thought I was just having fun and playing with the cats, but so much more was happening!
Those moments started the process of healing anxiety, learning stillness, and acclimating to the vibrations of being present and heart centered. I was shown a frequency of pleasure, and these playful acts strengthened my receptivity to this state of being. Looking back, I see how these cats were able to show me a very doable and accessible entry into the world of meditation, and this portal did not have all the baggage I associated with the act of getting centered, still, and aware of being in the space between moments. That is what meditation ultimately is – the state of being immersed in the present.
This is all to say another reason I watch cats is to strengthen my meditation practice. A favorite teacher of mine likes to say in true reality there is nowhere to go and nothing we need to be or do. Cats seem to know this ancient wisdom, as it looks effortless for them to settle into a meditative state. My intense focus on their intense focus amplifies my connection to the timeless present. I am both aware and not aware of being present, in a space between realities. This liminal state is what I experience when actively meditating. Watching cats cultivates this vibration; it strengthens the neurological pathways that facilitate a meditative state of being.
Watching cats gets me out of my sometimes limited view of the world and into another dimension. I become immersed in the bigness of the moment, into another way of being and engaging with life in present time. It takes me out of the ego self and expands my world. It inspires me to see how other beings exemplify deliberate focus, certainty, and thoughtfulness.
I consider cats interdimensional beings; their acute senses allow them to see beyond what many humans consider ordinary boundaries of the physical world. Their focus on seeming nothingness prompts me to wonder what is there that I cannot perceive – what invisible worlds are around that might be influencing my energy? A number of cultures (ancient and not so ancient) viewed cats as guardians of the supernatural realm. Cats seem to exist in a space between realities; and this shroud of mystery fascinates me as it did many ancient people. Watching cats reminds me to keep myself open to things beyond my current perception, and to consider there are other energies at play outside my awareness.
I love contemplating the connection of cats to ancient goddesses. The Egyptian goddess Bastet, who has the head of a cat and body of a woman, protects people from diseases and evil spirits. I knew of a woman who discovered a lump in her breast thanks to her cat. The cat kept on poking at the area until the woman went to investigate and felt the lump. And then there is the Norse goddess Freyja, whose chariot is pulled by two cats. She is not only a goddess, but a warrior, hunter, priestess, and sorceress. Freyja is full of courage, confidence, sensuality, independence, intuition, mystery, gracefulness, and beauty – qualities also possessed by cats. These powerful connections get me wondering. Might cats originate from a goddess realm? Are they ambassadors sent here to show humans different ways to be?
Beyond their capacity to engage with the unseen, cats remind me that there is a whole system of social dynamics going on right under my nose, a world that might be easy for me to dismiss but is vitally important to these beasts. This world encompasses other cats, predators, insects, weather considerations, physical landscapes, natural elements, and territorial agreements. They might not impact my world (as far as I can tell), but they impact how cats live their days, and their engagement with these factors is to be respected. Again, they help me get outside of my world to consider the challenges others face in their daily lives. Studying cats puts me on a road to greater empathy, understanding, and tolerance.
Watching cats gives me ideas on alternate ways to be in this physical world. I appreciate how they show these options, but are not attached to whether I take their suggestions. They are too busy being sublime, awesome, and present to care what I do. Deep down, I feel cats know it is not their responsibility to manage my choices. All they can do is present the material as teachers and leave me to make my own decisions. To possess that kind of neutrality as a human teacher must be very liberating!
Cats inspire me to connect with nature. I feel one of their prominent teachings is how nourishing the elements can be should we engage them. When outside, cats spend a good deal of their time soaking up the sunlight, smelling the scents of the world, listening to the wind caress plants, and feeling into dirt and grass. When I follow their example and become still, new dimensions open to me. My senses sharpen. One time in this stillness I heard and felt the chirps of a small bird, and this sound somehow created the experience of all my cells getting tiny little hugs from the bird’s music. It was so sweet and exquisite; I felt loved and nurtured at a primordial level. Another time I was able to hear musical notes in the stillness; that was quite surreal. Cats have shown me that when I connect with the elements, I am deeply nourished on multiple levels.
I will share one final reason why I watch cats – this act feels like I am interacting with living pieces of art. It provides opportunities to focus on beauty and grace. Watching cats is like watching the universe paint a picture on canvas, and each movement a cat makes is the cosmic paintbrush adding life force to an epic masterpiece. I am fascinated with what appears to be no wasted movements in cats – all action is thoughtful and deliberate. After all my cat watching, I’ve started to question whether they are as chaotic as many proclaim them to be. Their acts might appear random when viewing with human vision, but I feel their actions are orchestrated with purpose on a higher level. Cats are poetry in motion; and their graceful actions of deliberate intent touch my heart and inspire my days.
Watching cats is a practice I’ve cultivated over time; one which serves me each time I choose to pause and be in the moment with them. There is so much more to cats than meets the eye. Watching cats draws me into a mysterious vortex that contains beautiful vastness within its formless container. It helps me straddle dimensions as I experience being in this world, but also outside of it. Cats are portals to interdimensional wisdom accessible to all who are open to their guidance, and I am very appreciative of their existence in this world.
