If we are open to receive, we can learn valuable life lessons from a variety of places, people, experiences and even our pets.

Cats are interesting creatures. They never give up. They know what they want and pursue it until they get it. My cat has taught me life lessons that are useful for all business owners.

7 Life Lessons I Learned From My Cat

1. Get Attention – A cat never just sits in the corner waiting to get noticed. They do whatever it takes to get attention. If that includes meowing loudly or knocking things off the counter, they know how to get the job done. Maybe we can post more on social media, do more sales calls or advertise more…whatever it takes to get noticed by our past, current and potential customers.

2. Appreciate others – Cats are affectionate animals. Not necessarily all the time, but they take the time to cuddle with another family pet and they take the time to come up to their humans and nuzzle with them to show just how much they appreciate them. While we won’t nuzzle with our clients, we can take the time to reach out to them and ask how our product or service is working for them. Even sending hand written birthday cards and thank you notes will show you appreciate your customers.

3. Look your best – A cat always makes time to groom themselves. They don’t like to be dirty. How often have you seen them stop in the middle of playing just to groom themselves? They know a well-kept appearance is important. Our appearance says a lot about who we are and what are brand is. If your appearance is continually sloppy when you meet clients, they will start to think if you don’t take pride in the way you look, will you take pride in your work?

4. Never stop learning – A cat is a curious animal. They need to know what you’re doing, what’s under the couch, what’s in that bag…they just need to know everything. As business owners, we need to make sure we take an opportunity to keep learning and upgrading our skills. There is always something to new to learn!

5. Set boundaries – A cat often sets boundaries with its humans. Pet the cat on the head, not on the legs and if you pet the belly…some cats only like so much before they will let you know. They decide how close they are going to sit near you and how long they will play with you. It’s important for us to set boundaries for our customers. Are you available by phone 24/7? Can they email you five times a day? Can they keep returning the same item when it’s on sale to get the price difference? We love our customers, but it’s important to set boundaries on what is acceptable and what the expectations working together will be.

6. It’s okay to rest – Cats are known for sleeping 18 hours a day. They need to. The rest of their days are filled with walking, chasing, climbing, eating and playing. They take the time to recover each day. We need to be at our optimal and for that we need our sleep. There is no shame sleeping eight hours a day. If that is what you need, make it a habit of going to bed an hour earlier. A good night sleep makes all the difference.

7. Don’t give up – A cat goes after what it wants. If it is getting you to pet them, getting the attention of another family pet, getting treats from you, getting you to lift the covers so they can go under or capturing the fly that is in the house, they stick with their plan and work at it until the mission is accomplished. With business, we need to have that same determination. Don’t give up on your dreams, your goals in life. Know what you want, put all your energy into it and attack it like a cat!

What life lessons have your pets taught you?