Did you know that September is Happy Cat Month?

At Chicken Soup for the Soul we tend to celebrate cats all year long! And why not — cats make us better people. They are our protectors, our role models, and our best friends!

Here are two of my favorite stories from our book, Chicken Soup for the Soul - Life Lessons From The Cat , with the lessons we can learn from our cats!

Accept it when something is meant to be
In the story "Journey of Love" Andi Lehman tested as allergic to pets, so her family had to give away their dog, cat, and guinea pig. Andi was devastated by the loss of her cat Grungy, who they had adopted six years earlier while stationed with the U.S. Navy in Turkey. That cat had survived many near-death accidents and travel adventures as they moved around the world with the Navy. Grungy was given to a young couple two islands away in the Florida Keys, but two weeks later, the wife called to tell them Grungy had gotten away. Months went by, and Andi mourned for her lost cat. And then one day, she stepped outside their Key West home and almost tripped over a matted, filthy, skinny cat. It was Grungy, who had walked ten miles to get home, traversing two bridges between the islands while he was at it. He was welcomed home permanently, with the only proviso that he sleep on the screened porch due to Andi’s allergies.

Taking care of yourself should come first
In her story "Speed Bump" Veronica Bowman wasn’t sure she wanted another cat, but she couldn’t stop checking one photo on the local shelter’s website. Finally, after two weeks of resisting, she and her husband went to see the cat in person. They fell in love. Veronica hadn’t thought she had time for a cat, because she had health problems and too many obligations. But that cat worked wonders. Instead of causing more stress for Veronica, the cat forced her to slow down. Now Veronica was brushing the cat’s fur every day and spending quiet time with her. Veronica concedes, “I was mistaken in thinking I didn’t need another cat. I needed help in getting my out-of-control days under control. I needed motivation to slow down and stop pushing my body beyond its limits.”


Amy Newmark