COVID-19 Quarantine, Cats & Coffee Break

What a wild and weird week!  First of all, I hope you and your loved ones are safe and staying healthy. With all the chaos and concern surrounding the COVID-19, mandated quarantines, lockdowns, and so many people off work or working from home, thank goodness we have our pets!    So what have you been doing to occupy your days and your mind?  

Let’s go for another walk!

Enrich your indoor cat’s world

Our week began with a special guest on the Purrrfectly Holistic Radio Show, Dr. Lynn Bahr, feline veterinarian and cat toy maker extraordinaire. What a beautiful person who truly understands cats and how important it is to enrich their world, especially those cats who live indoor only.  Her wisdom inspired me to do something I’ve never done before:  take my “indoor” cats outside.  It was so cool to see each one explore their surroundings with interest and curiosity, all safely within arms reach as we walked around our property.  “I may have created monsters,” I told Lynn, and her reply was, “True, but they’re happy monsters!”

Let’s face it:  being cooped up all day inside gets old.  And if your cats are indoor only you may now gain an understanding of how they may feel.  Simple things you can do to expose them to the outdoors include opening the windows for a few minutes each day; bringing a tree branch or leaves inside for them to sniff or play with; or perhaps taking them outside in a carrier, stroller, or building a catio enclosure of some kind.  

Getting outside, breathing fresh air, feeling sunshine on your face, soaking in the sounds and sights of nature, and feeling the earth under your feet can do wonders emotionally, spiritually and physically–both for you and your cat.  Even if you don’t take your cat outside in some fashion, I highly recommend you do it for yourself during this crazy time we live in.   It can be very therapeutic and calming.  

Reiki energy healing

Despite all the COVID-19 chaos, over the past couple of weekends I was able to complete Level 1 & 2 Reiki certification.  Known as spiritual energy, this healing energy system can be used as a complimentary tool to address physical, emotional and spiritual imbalances in people and pets.  My intention was to learn this beautiful technique in order to better help cats clients and their owners.

The Reiki philosophy embraces five principles.  Taken as a whole, it truly teaches one to live in the moment, do good and trust the outcome that the universe (or Higher Source, God) brings.  If we as humans would truly live these principles every day our world would be very different.  You don’t have to study Reiki to embrace these principles!  During this COVID-19 uncertainty we are living in, I encourage you to make these five principles your daily prayer or mantra over the next 30 days.  Your mindset and outlook cannot help but be influenced by the power these hold.

A chance to become a better human

Finally, I encourage you to take a break.  Enjoy your favorite cup of coffee or tea, turn off the news, connect via phone and social media with friends and family.  Check on each other; encourage each other.  Share resources and help those in need.  Cuddle and play with your cats!  Take a nap, read a book, exercise, or take an online study course to learn something new.  Foster a shelter pet at risk of being euthanized.  Meditate or pray daily, examine your hearts and intentions.  Spend some time outside in nature somehow and just breathe.  We all find ourselves with extra time on our hands, so let’s make it worthwhile.  When we emerge on the other side of this COVID-19 situation let’s be better humans and a better human race because of it.

Perhaps like you I have a long list of things I need to–or would like to–get done around my house, but my cats are making this quite challenging.  Especially Aylen.  She’s become my shadow…and wants to play All The Time.  This past week was not as productive as I had hoped; let’s hope this coming week is better!

Need advice or help with your cat during this time?  I’m here for you!  You are welcome to reach out to me at pam@purrrfectlyholistic.com.