Get down to your cat’s height and see how they like it

 
I feel that I’ve got to write a few words in case you are entirely put off watching the video! The point I am making in the video is, I think, pretty obvious, namely that not enough cat owners get down to the height of their cat enough times because when you do give your cat this different perspective, they love it in my experience. They become more animated which indicates that they are happy and I think it helps improve the relationship between cat and human caretaker. The point is this: 99% of the time we are towering over our cats.

We don’t know how they perceive us in that role but we must look like giants to them. When you get down to their height, which means lying on the floor, I think it makes the domestic cat more relaxed. They blossom and bloom and enjoy your company at their height. It can be a little bit perturbing for them initially because it is unusual but in my experience doing Pilates, which takes place a lot of the time on the floor, domestic cats love it. They want to engage with you and they think that you are doing it for them. My cat becomes quite vocal, rubs against me, expect me to interact with him and the whole process is very positive. Give it a try and report back in the comments if you want to.

Fitness, flexibility and balance

There is an obvious extra benefit to this form of interacting with your domestic cat companion. You will get a bit fitter at the same time plus have better balance and more flexibility. Some people think that Pilates is only for women but it certainly isn’t. You can see rugby union players in the UK warming up doing Pilates by the side of the pitch during a championship match. It’s quite tough and it’s a kind of yoga with aerobic exercise thrown in (if you do it properly).

The coronavirus lockdown has arguably made us less fit. We are certainly drinking more alcohol and eating more as a kind of therapy to see through this difficult time. Personally I’ve enjoyed it except it is not normal. I don’t drink anyway and I keep my diet in check normally although that can be a struggle sometimes. However, I try and do Pilates every morning for about 15 minutes which is quite a short time but it just helps with the flexibility and the toning of the body.

But more important than both these things, I have discovered, is that my cat loves it. There is a multi-benefit to doing Pilates at home and people who have shunned it or don’t know about it should give it a try. It may be the beginning of losing some weight. In the UK there is an obesity epidemic. I know in the USA they have a similar problem. It is being handed down to domestic cats as well, sadly. When you’re fitter and you carry less weight you feel better. When you feel better you are happier. It is our duty to do our best to make ourselves as happy as possible. We only have one chance.