Let’s admit it. These past few years haven’t been the best for composing New Year’s resolutions filled with new places to travel and good friends to visit. So, instead of listing a quantity of things to do this year, January is a great time to explore ways you can enhance the quality and enjoyment of your life over the next 12 months. If you find yourself bogged down by the boredom of social isolation and need a little inspiration, look no further than the expert in your own living room – your cat!
If any living being has learned to make the most of living enjoyably indoors – while also enjoying safe outdoor excursions in a catio – it’s our feline soulmates. Paying attention to what makes them happiest is exactly the inspiration you need to enrich your own life in the coming year.
5 tips on living a quality life
1. Looking good helps you live the good life.
Cats know that good grooming on the outside also makes them feel good on the inside. But I get it: It’s hard to get excited about business attire if you are facing a day of online or phone conference calls instead of shaking hands in person. And why change out of sweats just for a drive to the store? But the simple act of showering and changing into clean and comfortable day clothes helps remind you that you’re ready for another great day. I’m not suggesting you don your best business attire just to work from home. After all, Tabby cats look quite dapper without being glammed up like professionally groomed Persians! Choose comfortable clothes to match your role for the day: Professional, productive, or playful?
2. Sleep, so you’ll have lots of energy to play.
Make sure you get comfy in those pajamas when the sun sets. We love to joke about the 15 (or more) long hours cats snooze each day, but our felines are doing life exactly right: sleep hard, then play! Adult humans should be getting 7 or more hours of sleep; teens need up to 10 hours, and children need as much as 12-14 hours of sleep per day – almost as much as a cat! So, if you want to enjoy your waking hours more, take steps to get a good night’s sleep.
3. Always find time for fun and hobbies.
Cats love to leap and dance, but without toys to play with, windows to peer from, cat furniture to climb, or a catio to explore, they become bored, destructive, overweight, or unhappy. To stay engaged with life, you need your toys, too. Make a list of what makes you happy and commit to doing one thing each day. Maybe it’s gardening, yoga, bicycling, reading with your cat on your lap, or painting? If you are feeling restless and unfulfilled, it’s probably time to take a tip from our furry feline experts and re-infuse your life with hobbies and play.
4. Get outdoors. It’s good for you.
Social isolation practices provide too many excuses to hunker down indoors, and being away from friends, family and even neighbors can pack a wallop on your mental health. Our sunshine-and-breeze-loving cats would like you to know that playing it safe doesn’t mean cutting yourself off from the beauty of the outdoors. A study on the effects of Shinrin-yoku (“forest bathing”) found that even short periods outdoors can reduce stress-causing chemicals in your body. People also have higher levels of serotonin, a natural mood stabilizer, when they are out experiencing bright, sunny days, too – even in cold weather!
It’s lovely to take advantage of walks in the park or a country hike, but you can also bring outdoor opportunities closer to home and enjoy them several times every day. If you love to garden or sit in your yard, your cat can watch over you from a Window Box or Cat Tunnel catio. Or bask together from a larger catio like our aptly named Haven, Sanctuary, or Oasis. By spending more time outdoors, you’ll also have added opportunities to see and chat with neighbors, too.
5. Take time out to watch the birds.
You probably know by now that having access to a window or catio to watch birds, leaves, and butterflies adds enrichment to your cat’s life. But did you know that birdwatching isn’t just enjoyable, it’s good for human mental health, too?
A 2017 University of Exeter study discovered that people who live in neighborhoods with more birds, shrubs, and trees are less likely to grapple with depression. No wonder your cat wisely sunbathes on that windowsill. Bring more birds into your life with birdfeeders, native plants and a birdbath, and add a spacious catio where you and your cat can enjoy them together. If you could use a little bird song enrichment right this moment, you can listen to ten beautiful songbirds right here with Catio Spaces’ Guide to Birdwatching.
A RELAXING VIDEO VISIT WITH SERENA AND HER CATIOS
There’s no better way to really understand the soothing benefits of nature and a catio than to experience it. My tabby Serena would love to share a few moments of catio calm with you. Follow her happy tail through her Sanctuary and Window Box catios, as well as our very own custom Catnap catio. Watch and enjoy a little of the peace of the outdoors.
Imagine you and your cat planning your year with a relaxing catio of your very own! You can start that journey here (or add on to your existing catio) with our DIY Catio Plans.
A HAPPY NEW YEAR’S TIP FROM CATIO SPACES TO YOU
Here’s a final feline tip: Just having a cat in your life can make the uncertainties of the pandemic far easier to bear with companionship and by helping to reduce mental tension. So, even if you don’t have time to take your cat up on all 5 tips right this second, scoop them up for a hug, laugh as you watch them leap after a toy, or enjoy a quiet moment of lap time.
To help make sure this year – and every year – is filled with quality moments of love and relaxation, just follow your cat’s lead. And remember, life is good in a catio!
LEARN MORE ABOUT DIY CATIO PLANS >>
Cynthia Chomos is a Feng Shui Consultant, Catio Designer and the Founder of Catio Spaces, creating harmonious indoor and outdoor spaces for her 4-legged and 2-legged clients. She lives in Seattle with her adorable tabby Serena (who has four catios) and is the inspiration for Catio Spaces. Cynthia offers free catio tips, DIY Catio Plans and custom catios to keep cats safe and protect birds and wildlife. You can contact Cynthia at CatioSpaces.com.
