I often learn lessons from my cats. I'm sure most cat owners would agree that our feline friends teach us lessons without even trying.
Today, I was in the kitchen cooking a meal. Shelby, our 16 year old black cat came wandering in and laid down on the floor a few feet away from me. She often does this so I've learned to always look down before taking a step back so I don't step on her since her coloring almost blends in with our kitchen tile. As I moved around the kitchen, in and out of the refrigerator, to the sink, to the trash, to the stove, Shelby just laid there in the middle of the kitchen floor, relaxed and content.
What I learn from her in these instances, is that it's nice just to be in the same room with someone, to be close, without necessarily having to do an activity together. Just sharing a space with another being can add comfort and peace to our days.
It may seem like such a little thing for Shelby to come into the room and lay down on the floor, if you don't really think about it. But if you DO think about it, this act tells me that although she's getting old and I believe a little arthritic, she still chooses to get up from wherever she is, and come into the room I'm in, just to be near me. She chooses to share my space. She enjoys the company of humans and she isn't afraid to let us know and take action to do what makes her happy.
She's not the best groomer and with all of that fur, I can hardly blame her. I have to brush her often, and even still, she ends up with matted fur that I have to cut out since the brushing pulls her fur too much and she swats my hand away. Lol. Unfortunately, it sometimes leaves choppy patches in her fur, which you can probably see in this photo towards her hind quarters.
I found Shelby about 14 years ago, abandoned by her previous people, who moved out of an apartment complex near the house I was living in, and they moved away without her. She came across my path and we've been together ever since. I'll write more about that amazing story in another article. I've known Shelby even longer than my husband! She's been a great companion.
Shelby is such a gentle soul and I'm grateful to have her in my life, as I know Brian is too. ♥