The Cat Whisperer Summary Ch.1

  Summary: In giving a summary of Chapter 1 in the book, The Cat Whisperer, there is a discovery of the what makes a cat, a cat. This chapter discusses a little about what motivates a cat. It also taps into the beliefs vs. reality of our own emotions when it comes to relating to our feline companions. It is a short chapter full of powerful information as it relates, as Mieshelle states, "into the being of the cat".
"Mind-throwing" is described as an act in which a hunter may throw his thoughts into that of the animal its preying on to understand its actions and become one with it. Humans gain knowledge of their surroundings through animals.
Mieschelle discusses three misunderstandings about cats. One misunderstanding is that cats act like and for the same reasons as dogs. The second misunderstanding is that cats think and feel like humans do. The third misunderstanding is a cat is responsible for its own behavior. However, the truth is, if there is a desire for a human to change a cats behavior, the human must change its own behavior and its environment. As a result, the cat will change its behavior naturally.
There are some advantages to these misunderstandings. One positive advantage is that we feel for our cats when they are hurt or suffering. Because we believe cats think and feel like humans, it allows us to feel closer to our cats and aids us in taking care of them. However, the truth is cats aren't humans. They act out of survival. They behave without judgment, humiliation or revenge. In understanding that a cat is just a cat, the reprimands of their negative behavior is now known to be useless. It doesn't make sense to yell or scream at a cat that just peed outside the litter box, because they didn't do this with revenge in mind. Mieschelle says "cats just are"(p.31).
This chapter offered a lot of information in it. Some changes in my thinking as it pertains to my cats has also begun. Keeping to the positive side of my misunderstanding, I love my cats. I see them as my children. I hurt when they suffer. I smile when they strut across the room with their tail high. I laugh when they are batting their toys across the room and chase them. These emotional feelings, the cats don't understand. They do what they do just because. So I have had to change my way of understanding their behaviors by asking myself "why" when they do things. For example, why do at times does Snoopy slink across the room? Why does Wolverine insist on sleeping next to me at night? Why don't any of them sleep with each other or play with each other? I have begun to take mental notes of these questions. I look at each room of the house when I sit with my cats and play with them. I start looking at the furniture, toys, and open spaces in the room and try to think like a cat. Answering these questions without judgments, but with a cause and effect aspect in mind. I am still working on this but I feel as if this is a start in answering my own questions about "why" my cats act as they do.