Be Nice!

I saw a sign posted about a black cat named Eddie. It outlined all his traits - jumps on the counters, knocks things off, leaves fur everywhere, messy when he eats, demanding, and the kicker - stares at me like I’m a lower form of life. The man who posted the sign said they would give the cat to the person who found his lost car keys.

Our house in winter

Before you get all in my face about men and cats, my beloved Glenn LOOVES our cats. There are good guys out there. And there are plenty of others who can’t quite wrap their heads around the benefits of cats.

Let me put in a plug here - M-I-C-E. This time of year our 5 pound killing machine is always begging to go outside and behead a few. We let her. It makes her happy and it keeps the rodents out of our house. Now if she would learn to put the bodies someplace other than our welcome mat - and THAT’S a dichotomy - life would be very very good. But it does let us know she’s on the job, and she gets lots of praise, directly related to the number of corpses she’s welcomed into the next life. Maybe we’ve created this “lining them up on the mat” behavior.

Anyway, the point. The point is that words have incredible power. I’m sure the fellow who put together the sign was trying to be amusing, and it certainly was an attention-getter. However, every time we say something negative, it sends a vibration out in the Universe. What you focus on, you get. 

I don’t think too much about kitty (and doggy) behaviors that I don’t necessarily agree with. I love our animals just the way they are (even the 5 pound killing machine). We’ve got one who just can’t figure out that in order to poo in the litter box he has to get all the way in. His poos almost always land just outside the entrance to the box. I’ve seen him do this. He thinks he’s being such a good boy, getting in the box - and then forgets to pull the back half in. He doesn’t do it to be mean. There’s something in his background (he was semi-feral) that says this is the safe way to poo. We’ve learned to adjust. It’s definitely better than finding poos in random corners in the house, and every now and then he actually hits the mark. Lots of celebrating when that happens.

Bad. Ass. (Also warm - her second favorite spot after hunting - the heat duct)

So take a look at how you relate to your animals. Are they a bother? With the group who reads these, probably not. But you probably know someone who complains about their pet. How can you help that person see the good?

Doesn’t mean we can’t hope for more, and encourage different behaviors. But we have to do it with a degree of detachment - with equanimity, as one of favorite meditation people says. It is what it is. 

Love your pets. Be nice to them. Every time you think a positive thought, or say something loving, THAT goes out to the Universe. We want more of that stuff out there than the negative. 

When we all work together, amazing things happen. You don’t have to be a wimp, but you can be strong in a nice way. Try it.  (This being nice thing works with humans, too - we have no idea what’s going on in someone’s life, and it’s our job, if you wish to take it on, to make the world a better place.)

Be. Nice.