Cat Yoga: Fitness and Flexibility for the Modern Feline

by Rick Tillotson

For centuries, people have practiced yoga as a means of improving the body, clearing the mind, and heightening joy. Now your favorite feline can relish the benefits of this ancient discipline with Cat Yoga . Regular practice will help your cat feel more energetic—no more three hour naps in the sun for him! Other benefits

• Improved balance
• A sleek waistline
• Mental clarity
• Fuller, more luxurious whiskers

Sixty full-color photographs of cats who have already unlocked the power of yoga guide your beloved pet on this journey, paving the way to enlightenment through Cat Yoga .

* No cats pulled a muscle, felt dizzy, or were harmed in any way in the making of this book. Does Fluffy seem stiff and tense? Help him become the lithe and limber feline he was meant to be with Cat Yoga , a hands-on guide to the ancient practice of yoga . . . for cats.

Genres: Humor, Cats

128 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2007

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

As 2009 drew to a close, all was not well in the Giltinan household. The six months I'd spent outside of the country had taken their toll on Boris and Natasha, whose carefully nurtured resentment had gone from simmer to boil by the time I got back from Madrid in early December. Kitty dissatisfaction crept through the house on little cat feet, like the fog in an Eliot poem. Boris had taken my absences particularly hard - there was his daring five-day escape caper during the summer, followed by the unspeakable autumn flea infestation. When Christmas rolled around, he was still ostentatiously withholding his affection, sleeping grouchily on his own downstairs, still engaged in a guerrilla campaign of revenge urination episodes.

I am happy to report that the new year has ushered in a period of glasnost and perestroika, with complete reconciliation and cessation of hostilities by mid-January. No more punitive pissing or wilful destruction of furniture. Both kitties have returned to sleeping on the bed, purring like plump, sleek dynamos, with only sporadic attempts to suffocate me by jumping on my sleeping face. The peaceable kingdom.

I received a copy of Rick Tillotson's "Cat Yoga" as a Christmas gift from a concerned friend. One week later peace broke out. Now, as a statistician, I am fully aware that correlation is not causation, so that it would be presumptuous to infer any kind of cause and effect relationship. Anyway, I have never actually witnessed Boris engaged in the Downward Dog pose; neither has Natasha been observed flexing up to achieve the challenging Natarajasana balance posture ("Lord Shiva's Pose").

But I have heard those mysterious noises coming from downstairs in the wee hours just before dawn. And somehow the book never seems to be in quite the same position as it was left the night before. Natasha's scratching exercises bear an uncanny resemblance to the Urdhva Hastottasana. And how to explain both kitties' uncanny mastery of the Bilikasana?

So I cannot guarantee that purchasing a copy of "Cat Yoga" will bring immediate feline harmony to your home. But it couldn't hurt.

But my main reaction to this book was similar to my reaction to "Pets with Tourettes" - Why the hell didn't I think of it first?

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a "picture book" for all ages. The expertly manipulated photographs, each depicting a different cat in an advanced yoga stance, are a total laugh-out-loud delight. The descriptions of each pose are slyly amusing, and the overall effect leads to "I have to buy this for ----. He/she will LOVE it!"

You may well learn something about yoga, as I did (I have a lot to learn on the subject). I bought a copy for the friend who brought the book to my attention. As I suspected, she had not purchased it, but only thought about doing so. A week later, with the wrapping paper off the book, she admitted that she was getting a huge kick out of leafing through it--repeatedly.

So I bought another copy, this one for myself. While none of my cats seem enthusiastic about adopting the illustrated poses, they're quite all right with curling up on the sofa with me while I admire the pages. They almost always end up looking adorable anyway. It's a win-win. So far.

[J Teneycke]

A non-stop thrill ride, I couldn't put it down.

[AquaMoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first picked this up, I wondered: "Is this book f*ing serious?!?" From the obviously photoshopped photos of cats in various Yoga poses to the introductory anecdote about Purusha the cat, it screamed Novelty Book. And a completely silly one at that!

I myself have been regularly practicing Yoga for a couple years now. At least twice a week (and sometimes more), I roll out my mat, fire up the DVD player, and follow along with my videos. I know these routines so well I don't even have to watch the screen anymore, prefering instead the more zen-like view of my back yard. In this time, I have noticed definite benefits, both physical and mental. Everything Yoga is supposed to do, it's been doing for me.

But cats doing Yoga?!? Come on!

I mean, my cat Howard (age 13) is a seasoned Parkour expert: Using the side of the kitchen counter, he can scale the fridge better (and quicker) than Spiderman. Then, with a single bound, he can clear the 5 foot gap and land gracefully upon the very top shelf of the highest cabinet. From here, he can survey the domain. Howard's The Floor Is Lava game is unrivaled, his Ninja skills legendary. But Yoga? No...he's too much of a spaz to maintain a pose for even a second.

My other cat, Luna (11), has made laziness into an art form. Built like a bowling ball with legs, and just as solid, Luna can oft be found lounging in a sunspot or dominating "her" favorite box. She won't even move from her position to observe a bird landing on the railing of the deck. This cat makes Garfield, the King of Lazy Cats, seem an energetic kitten in comparison. Yoga? Please. Hahahaha! I can't stop laughing.

Then something happened to change my mind. Something that rivals the author's story about Purusha the Yoga Cat: I was in the middle of my exercise, at a point in the routine that asked the practitioner to shift from cobra pose to downward dog and back again. Luna, who had been observing me from her perch in the nearby cat tower, lept down and sauntered over to me. With a loud meow (Luna is part Siamese, so we're talking LOUD) to get my attention, she copied my motions (cobra to downward dog) before shaking off and, tail in the air, proceeding, rather haughtily, to the food dish.

I was shocked at what I'd witnessed. And I couldn't help but wonder to myself: Did that cat just show me up?!?

I have since noticed Luna doing other simple stretches. Sometimes along with me when I practice, sometimes on her own. Not ones as complex as the ones that are pictured in the book, but still. She's making an effort, and I commend her for that. She's still built like a bowling ball with legs (and just as solid), but I like to think she's improved her flexibility a little bit. And I like to think she's stronger and healthier than before, proving that, yes, even plus-sized kitties can excel at Yoga. That's more than I can say for Howard, who is too busy trying to jump from the back of the couch to the bookshelf across the room to make an effort.

[Misha Fredericks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cricket wasn't such a fan of "downward facing dog"

[Michelle Mormul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a few new poses from these kitties.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious book! Must for any cat lover

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and entertaining!!!!!!