I found the headline compelling. So neat and well packaged. Almost utopian. But it is common sense really as so much of good living is.
What’s it got to do with cats you ask?! Well, everything in a way. I am looking at the human-to-cat relationship from the viewpoint of the cat. How many cats are abandoned by their owner not because he or she was neglectful and a poor caregiver but because they died prematurely? A lot. And the cats left behind are often old themselves and shelters are sometimes unable to rehome them.
If you feel healthier, you’ll feel happier. A happier cat owner is a better and more loving cat caregiver. Feeling ill makes people irritable. They will find it harder to act in a way that is pleasant to a cat.
Michael
There is also the obvious matter of a cat caregiver remaining as healthy as possible into old age to enable them to better care for their cat. From the cat’s perspective that is very important! Take three of the points:
- Managing stress
- Not regularly binge drinking
- Not abusing opioid drugs.
All three directly affect the quality of cat caregiving. Stressed? You are less likely to interact with your cat is a gentle and friendly way. Drinking – the same! Opioids? Asleep and no cat caregiving.
As I said these 8 points improve life generally and keep the caregiver in a better physical and mental condition to be good cat owners.
One of the 8 points is particularly interesting: sleep hygiene (which I felt I needed to explain in the infographic). The cynical among us might argue that living with a cat automatically reduces ‘sleep hygiene’ as cats generally tend to disturb sleep. Fair point and one that is hard to argue against.
But the truth is though that humans and cats adapt to their often-opposing circadian rhythms. Full-time indoor cats will tend to sleep more because of a lack of challenges. Their circadian rhythm adjusts to that of the human. They’ll sleep at night more often and will disturb their owner less I’d say.
Indoor-outdoor cats will go outside at night and come in several times and perhaps jump on the bed to check up on their caregiver. They might wake them up. But you get used to it and in any case if you are old like me, you’ll be getting up to go to the loo all the time anyway! Same difference: disturbed sleep.
