Can you believe we still have kittens at the shelter? It’s just a few weeks until Christmas and the little ones are still with us.
We have tiny ones still in foster care and litters in our adoption area. We’ve also got the babies who are growing up in the shelter and those always make me a little sad – I hope we can find them homes for Christmas.
We can actually learn a lot from kittens because for being so small, they are remarkably wise.
First of all, kittens will play with anything. They’re not choosy. A shoelace. A piece of paper. A crinkly wrapper. A bug. A plastic bottlecap. Curtains. Straws. Nothing’s too ordinary for a kitten.
They find joy in everyday objects that would otherwise be overlooked. How many times do you think you fail to notice something that might bring a bit of happiness just because it’s a little unconventional or limiting? Or maybe seems too ordinary or something you pass by every day?
There’s one lesson we could learn from a kitten.
Kittens don’t care if they fall down. They’re a lot like rubber bands in that respect. They’ll stumble and lurch and trip their way through life and just get immediately back up, following the same path like nothing had happened.
Wouldn’t it be nice to approach our obstacles like that? If you take a tumble, either metaphorically or literally, just dust yourself off (although some kittens I’ve been around don’t even take the time to do that) and keep on going. Don’t let the difficulties in life stand in your way.
Lesson number two from the precocious feline baby.
Along the lines of the falling, kittens don’t care too much if they look like a fool. Have you ever heard the saying, “Dance like nobody’s watching?” Kittens really seem to adhere to that principal.
And there’s something to be said for it. I think a lot of us worry too much about what others think sometimes and that can be very restrictive. Kittens don’t care if they look like idiots and bounce around – a lot like their ancestors, Tiggers (‘cause Tiggers are wonderful things) – and there’s got to be something freeing in that.
Kittens will also take on any foe. They don’t seem to have all that much fear. I had a little one try to climb my leg as I was walking across a room the other day and I thought, “I’m like 400 times your size. Are you crazy?”
Can you imagine trying to climb a dinosaur’s leg? Yeah, me neither. Crazy or fearless. Sometimes they’re synonymous, sometimes not so much.
How would your life be different if you weren’t afraid? If no hurdle seemed too big and no worry couldn’t be fought and tackled? Can you imagine the trust inherent in one so small allowing one so big to pick them up off the ground?
One of my favorite aspects of kittens is their ability to fall asleep anywhere, any time. Many a day at the shelter, I’ll pass by a kitten cage and see a bunch of them wrestling and playing and romping it up and when I walk back through within a few minutes, they’re all curled up together snoozing.
Some days I feel like I could go from active to napping just as fast. Wouldn’t that be nice?
And the purring. Man, is there anything better than a kitten purr? That special sound of feline contentment coming from one so small? And usually as a result of a pet or a snuggle from you? I adore that.
I sometimes think kittens may be more wise than we give them credit for. They approach life with that child-like fascination of the young and there’s a lot we, as adults, could learn from that kind of attitude.
So the next time you’re feeling blue and maybe a little down, stop for a second and think about the baby felines. Find joy in a mundane object. Dust yourself off from the doldrums or troubles in your life and don’t be afraid that someone may think you’re a fool. Nap and play and take on your enemies, no matter how intimidating they may seem.
Better yet, if you’re feeling blue and like your life is a bit empty, how about you stop out at the shelter and find a little ball of fluff all your own?
Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
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Jennifer Vanderau is the public relations coordinator for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, readers can call the shelter at 717-263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.
