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Catfulness: A Cat's Guide to Achieving Mindfulness
The international bestselling guide to achieving mindfulness - from a cat's point of view.
Human beings love to create problems for themselves. I observe this on a daily basis, as do all my feline friends. They never stop, and one of their favourite tasks is to find more tasks to do. They are always looking for something, as if the life they have isn't enough. They say they're looking for happiness - but do they know what happiness is?
We cats know the art of living. We eat when we're hungry, sleep when we're tired. Sitting for hours outside a mouse hole has taught us patience. Staring at an aquarium has brought us meditation. And we know how to please ourselves.
Catfulness is a seven-week mindfulness programme for human beings. If they can live their lives more like us, the world will be more serene. As Sigmund Freud said, 'time spent with cats is never wasted.'
Translated from the Italian by Chenxin Jiang.
Human beings love to create problems for themselves. I observe this on a daily basis, as do all my feline friends. They never stop, and one of their favourite tasks is to find more tasks to do. They are always looking for something, as if the life they have isn't enough. They say they're looking for happiness - but do they know what happiness is?
We cats know the art of living. We eat when we're hungry, sleep when we're tired. Sitting for hours outside a mouse hole has taught us patience. Staring at an aquarium has brought us meditation. And we know how to please ourselves.
Catfulness is a seven-week mindfulness programme for human beings. If they can live their lives more like us, the world will be more serene. As Sigmund Freud said, 'time spent with cats is never wasted.'
Translated from the Italian by Chenxin Jiang.
- GenresNonfiction
97 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2017
18 people are currently reading
180 people want to read
About the author
Paolo Valentino
33 booksPaolo Valentino is a professional ghostwriter. In 2017 he published his own novel, Romanzo di famiglia con errore, but he’s also the author of Il metodo Catfulness. La felicità insegnata da un gatto, translated all over the world. He lives in Milan with two cats (Panda and Shiro) and two dogs (Nicola and Fiamma).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
August 11, 2025
loved her sm i bought her ✨
June 18, 2023
Ogni anno lo riprendo in mano nei periodi di sessione, che dire mi ha sempre aiutato tantissimo ❤️
December 22, 2017
I think this little book makes it official- I am the proverbial crazy cat lady but... this is the wisest book I read this year! I intend to spread this cat- philosophy of life and am buying it for some of my friends and relatives who also need to learn how to be a cat!
August 4, 2019
Catfulness is a nice little book that contains seven weeks of daily cat wisdom! The book is written as if it were actually written by a cat, so all of the entries in the book have a very distinct way of looking at things in a cattish kind of way. At the end of every week there's a couple of mindfulness exercises that you can try for yourself.
I really enjoyed reading this little book and it makes for a great gift to cat lovers. I decided to read one entry every day, so it took me the full seven weeks to finish. Every morning during breakfast I'd read the entry for that day.
Overall I'd say this book contains nice bite sized pieces of mindful wisdom. The illustrations are very nicely done too and really fit this little book. Don't expect any mind blowing new insights, however, if you're already into mindfulness. It probably won't show you the way to happiness, but it can help you to take things a whole lot easier and to avoid straining yourself. Cats are beautiful creatures and it's true we can learn a lot from their approach to life. That's probably why we have five cats ourselves. They take a lot of rest, but they can also be very playful. What this book is trying to say is that we should take a similar approach on our lives and not get caught up in so much bullshit. ;)
Happy reading!
-Jeffrey
I really enjoyed reading this little book and it makes for a great gift to cat lovers. I decided to read one entry every day, so it took me the full seven weeks to finish. Every morning during breakfast I'd read the entry for that day.
Overall I'd say this book contains nice bite sized pieces of mindful wisdom. The illustrations are very nicely done too and really fit this little book. Don't expect any mind blowing new insights, however, if you're already into mindfulness. It probably won't show you the way to happiness, but it can help you to take things a whole lot easier and to avoid straining yourself. Cats are beautiful creatures and it's true we can learn a lot from their approach to life. That's probably why we have five cats ourselves. They take a lot of rest, but they can also be very playful. What this book is trying to say is that we should take a similar approach on our lives and not get caught up in so much bullshit. ;)
Happy reading!
-Jeffrey
April 2, 2018
This was such an adorable little book, with actual, solid advice. I'll be doing all the exercises the coming 7 weeks, let's see if I can actually get mindful. Loved the illustrations!
July 26, 2021
Hermoso, especial para los amantes de los gatos <3
Tiene unas ilustraciones preciosas y la edición del pequeño libro es muy bonita, se nota que se fijaron y entusiasmaron con cada uno de los detalles.
El libro consiste en un plan de 7 semanas y una actividad o reflexión por cada día. Es muy difícil no avanzar rápido y léerselo todo de una vez, porque es muy cortito. Pero, debo decir que lo logré... logré terminar el método catfulness en las 7 semanas propuestas y fue un proceso muy revelador.
Recomendado!
Tiene unas ilustraciones preciosas y la edición del pequeño libro es muy bonita, se nota que se fijaron y entusiasmaron con cada uno de los detalles.
El libro consiste en un plan de 7 semanas y una actividad o reflexión por cada día. Es muy difícil no avanzar rápido y léerselo todo de una vez, porque es muy cortito. Pero, debo decir que lo logré... logré terminar el método catfulness en las 7 semanas propuestas y fue un proceso muy revelador.
Recomendado!
August 21, 2022
This is the Dutch translation of Catfulness: A Cat's Guide to Achieving Mindfulness.
There are a lot of books about mindfulness: what is it, how to practise it...and so on, but I don't think there's one so funny and simple as this one. It's a 7 week - program with little texts every day and at the end of every week there's a little excersise, very simple. It's basically a little book with daily wisdom of a cat. So, as the big crazy cat lady I am, instead of reading every day one entry, I read the whole little book at once. It's written from the position of a cat, as if the writer is a cat himself. There are so many little simple things we can do from this book, that I chose the most interesting ones for myself and start from there. We can learn from a lot from the cat's view on life. Mindfulness is simple, that's the basic. Equally simple as this joyful book. The illustrations are funny with rest giving colors.
There are a lot of books about mindfulness: what is it, how to practise it...and so on, but I don't think there's one so funny and simple as this one. It's a 7 week - program with little texts every day and at the end of every week there's a little excersise, very simple. It's basically a little book with daily wisdom of a cat. So, as the big crazy cat lady I am, instead of reading every day one entry, I read the whole little book at once. It's written from the position of a cat, as if the writer is a cat himself. There are so many little simple things we can do from this book, that I chose the most interesting ones for myself and start from there. We can learn from a lot from the cat's view on life. Mindfulness is simple, that's the basic. Equally simple as this joyful book. The illustrations are funny with rest giving colors.
October 13, 2023
Heel erg schattig. Met fantastische illustraties. Dit boekje is natuurlijk maar half serieus bedoeld, maar ik vind het soms jammer dat ze “een schrijver” en “een filosoof” ‘quoten’ maar er niet bij zeggen welke. Eerder in het boek hebben ze geen probleem Sigmund Freud te name-droppen, dus waarom bij de rest niet?
February 18, 2023
Estuve un tiempo considerable observando a dos gatos, leyendo y marcando este libro.
Y bueno, me ayudó bastante a lidiar con un duelo.
Un día a la vez.
Y bueno, me ayudó bastante a lidiar con un duelo.
Un día a la vez.
December 6, 2022
Clásico libro de autoayuda de bolsillo, con un enfoque en la sabiduría en el actuar de los gatos. El narrador mismo es un gato, y son consejos provienen de su calma. La mezcla de ilustraciones y enseñanzas budistas culminan en un agradable libro de autoconciencia, bien estructurado y sobre todo, dulce y tierno.
May 27, 2018
Lief boekje waarin een aantal mindfulness-principes uitgelegd wordt vanuit het perspectief van een kat. Met katachtige oefeningen per week.
October 21, 2019
Het boek laat zien hoe mensen gelukkig worden door het gedrag van katten te kopiëren. Alhoewel we de meeste dingen in dit boek als volwassenen allang weten. Ik snap niet waarom dit boek niet gepromoot word als kinderboek want qua bladzijden is het vrij kort, je zou het boek uit kunnen lezen in ongeveer een half uur en de tekeningen zien er ook best kinderlijk uit.
December 30, 2023
*received*
Leuk boekje met grappige maar wijze spreuken en schattige tekeningetjes.
Leuk boekje met grappige maar wijze spreuken en schattige tekeningetjes.
July 14, 2018
Una rapida e deliziosa lettura,che dovrebbe essere letta e riletta più volte,perché nella sua semplicità e immediatezza, fornisce dei messaggi di fondo che aiutano a riflettere meglio su quel che facciamo,sulla nostra frenesia quotidiana,dall'ansia di fare sempre più cose e sempre meglio,alla volontà di apparire al mondo condividendo qualsiasi momento della nostra vita....
Nell'epoca della "mindfulness" ,del qui ed ora,ecco dei piccoli suggerimenti che dovrebbero spingere le persone a vivere meglio il nostro presente,godendosi quei piccoli attimi senza pensare a quel che verrà dopo,facendo nascere problemi prima ancora che questi eventualmente si manifestino....
Non è necessario leggere il libro nelle sette settimane in cui è diviso, si possono anche leggere delle parti,lasciarlo,riprenderlo in certi momenti in cui se ne sente il bisogno,lasciando che il nostro 'maestro felino' ci guidi un poco verso una maggior consapevolezza nell'assaporare le gioie della vita,che sono troppo spesso ignorate dalla nostra frenetica ed ansiosa esistenza....:)
Nell'epoca della "mindfulness" ,del qui ed ora,ecco dei piccoli suggerimenti che dovrebbero spingere le persone a vivere meglio il nostro presente,godendosi quei piccoli attimi senza pensare a quel che verrà dopo,facendo nascere problemi prima ancora che questi eventualmente si manifestino....
Non è necessario leggere il libro nelle sette settimane in cui è diviso, si possono anche leggere delle parti,lasciarlo,riprenderlo in certi momenti in cui se ne sente il bisogno,lasciando che il nostro 'maestro felino' ci guidi un poco verso una maggior consapevolezza nell'assaporare le gioie della vita,che sono troppo spesso ignorate dalla nostra frenetica ed ansiosa esistenza....:)
September 9, 2020
He de admitir que tengo una pequeña (diminuta, insignificante, nada serio) OBSESIÓN, NECESIDAD por las portadas en las que aparecen animales, da igual que sean domésticos o salvajes, lo necesito en mi estantería.
Sinceramente, creo que este tipo de libro no es mi genero, siempre he pensado que es muy fácil ayudar y dar consejos a través de un libro, pero si no sabes por lo que la persona que lo lee esta pasando y la ayudas, realmente no creo que le haya servido.
Reconociendo que no es la clase de libro que yo leería, me lo he tomado como lo que es, un libro con gatos calmándote la vida, así que lo he disfrutado muchísimo, con sus vivencias, consejos y ejercicios.
Consejos amenos, con estilo directo y frases que te harán pensar se incluyen en este libro...
¿Ayudarte? No sé si lo hará, pero divertirte puede que sí.
Sinceramente, creo que este tipo de libro no es mi genero, siempre he pensado que es muy fácil ayudar y dar consejos a través de un libro, pero si no sabes por lo que la persona que lo lee esta pasando y la ayudas, realmente no creo que le haya servido.
Reconociendo que no es la clase de libro que yo leería, me lo he tomado como lo que es, un libro con gatos calmándote la vida, así que lo he disfrutado muchísimo, con sus vivencias, consejos y ejercicios.
Consejos amenos, con estilo directo y frases que te harán pensar se incluyen en este libro...
¿Ayudarte? No sé si lo hará, pero divertirte puede que sí.
March 29, 2019
A short and sweet read reminding you to take a breather and to take more notice of cats. Always great advice in my opinion.
This little book is all about teaching you how to be more mindful and to slow down a bit. We as humans are constantly worrying about the future and thinking about what’s next, but cats live moment to moment.
All the little illustrations were so adorable. It’s just a well put together book.
Unlike most books that introduce a program for you to do, this book gives you simple and effective things to think about/do. You don’t have to dedicate hours a week to be able to complete it. I may update once I’ve tried all the exercises.
Basically this is a really cute read, perfect for any cat lover and/or someone that’s stressed and needs a reminder to breathe.
This little book is all about teaching you how to be more mindful and to slow down a bit. We as humans are constantly worrying about the future and thinking about what’s next, but cats live moment to moment.
All the little illustrations were so adorable. It’s just a well put together book.
Unlike most books that introduce a program for you to do, this book gives you simple and effective things to think about/do. You don’t have to dedicate hours a week to be able to complete it. I may update once I’ve tried all the exercises.
Basically this is a really cute read, perfect for any cat lover and/or someone that’s stressed and needs a reminder to breathe.
September 22, 2017
I got this book as a gift and I couldnt be happier. Cats are my fav animal, and having them as mentors in this book is just amazing.
Catfulness its simple but worth it, with beautiful drawings and really meaningful words. I woke up every morning happy to see what was waiting for me on his pages.
Catfulness its simple but worth it, with beautiful drawings and really meaningful words. I woke up every morning happy to see what was waiting for me on his pages.
October 6, 2017
El libro mucho contenido no tiene y lo de hacer las tareas durante 7 semanas me parece una chorrada (al menos yo no lo haré).
Pero se lee rápido y me quedo con la parte de apreciar las pequeñas cosas, buscar (y fomentar) la tranquilidad, cuidarnos...
Vamos, dejar el estrés a un lado y disfrutar de la vida, como hacen los gatetes.
Pero se lee rápido y me quedo con la parte de apreciar las pequeñas cosas, buscar (y fomentar) la tranquilidad, cuidarnos...
Vamos, dejar el estrés a un lado y disfrutar de la vida, como hacen los gatetes.
March 28, 2022
[Se lo recomiendo...] El autor propone un programa de siete semanas que mezcla el mindfulness (vivir el momento) y la sabiduría de los gatos. Un pequeño libro que puede fascinar a cualquier amante gatuno, pues estos consejos se basan en el modo de vivir de los gatos que habremos notado, pero quizá nunca hemos pensado en implementarlo a nuestro estilo de vida.
August 5, 2019
Like...WOW! I cannot even begin to describe how good this is! For about eight years I denied being mindful and spiritual...UNTIL I READ THIS! It gives you all the fun of mindfulness without any of the "karma" or "god" stuff. Plus, it made me love my cat.
February 21, 2021
Cute, simple little entries for some inspiration about how to live mindfully, just like a cat. Did it work? Nah, not that much, but I enjoyed seeing the things from a cat´s perspective and tried to take some words with me for the day ahead.
December 26, 2021
Jo, na tom pozorování života koček něco bude…
Klid, pohoda - to z nich vyzařuje…
Za ničím se nehoní ( nemyslím myš nebo ptáka :-D )
U většiny lidí je to bohužel úplně obráceně…
A když se člověk nehoní za prachama, koukají na vás jako na exoty…
Klid, pohoda - to z nich vyzařuje…
Za ničím se nehoní ( nemyslím myš nebo ptáka :-D )
U většiny lidí je to bohužel úplně obráceně…
A když se člověk nehoní za prachama, koukají na vás jako na exoty…
December 17, 2023
"Ningún ser vivo es libre
si no descansa de vez en cuando.
Si quieres sentirte libre,
independiente y realizado como un gato,
hoy olvida todas tus actividades.
No creas que sólo las "cosas útiles"
te hacen bien."
Gatos + consejos + salud mental.
Amado ♥
si no descansa de vez en cuando.
Si quieres sentirte libre,
independiente y realizado como un gato,
hoy olvida todas tus actividades.
No creas que sólo las "cosas útiles"
te hacen bien."
Gatos + consejos + salud mental.
Amado ♥
November 23, 2025
Todo lo que aprendí de mi gato.
Es como un “50 ideas para ser más feliz” o similar, centrado en cómo vive un gato. Que es, en esencia, mejor que la mayoría de nosotros.
Indispensable si tienes gatos.
Es como un “50 ideas para ser más feliz” o similar, centrado en cómo vive un gato. Que es, en esencia, mejor que la mayoría de nosotros.
Indispensable si tienes gatos.
October 29, 2017
Mas bien son 4.5/5 si quieres saber porque te invito a que vayas a mi blog http://leerunlibroyalavezimaginar.blo...
January 4, 2018
I received this as a gift and it's adorable. It has some important reminders about appreciating things and looking at the world with new eyes.
January 7, 2018
This book is adorable and would make a lovely gift to any cat enthusiast. I wouldn't say it helped me achieve mindfulness but it definitely satisfied my need for feline related reading...for now.
March 1, 2018
Cute little ZEN book using cats.
With nice drawings and text.
How useful it is to you and if you find it worth the price I leave up to you!
With nice drawings and text.
How useful it is to you and if you find it worth the price I leave up to you!
April 26, 2018
Cute, short and from the perspective of a cat. read through it quickly, but will probably look back at it from time to time :)
June 3, 2018
Cute!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews