Then, I thought about it. After all, it is within the guidelines for creating an Elegant Simplicity lifestyle to have a pet who you love be part of your lifestyle. And, if there is any animal who comes across sleek and elegant, it would most likely be the cat, wouldn't it? Do you love cats? Kittens are one of the most fun and enjoyable pets to have around. Their playful spirit and ability to be cute can bring considerable happiness to you and increase satisfaction with your lifestyle.

"Why would it matter to me to know how to make my cat purr?" you might ask. Actually, I think the people who would ask this aren't even cat-lovers. They are more likely dog-lovers. Cat-lovers already know why enjoying a purring, happy kitty is more enjoyable than the company of a cat who just stares at you like you're stupid.

My brother is a dog lover. I am a cat lover. And all cat lovers will tell you that a dog-lover often doesn't know how to pet a kitty as well as a cat-lover. I'll leave it for debate at the Aspirations Blog.

So, let's get into it. How can you make your kitty purr? Here's the basics:

1. Pet your kitty cat with the grain, rather than against the grain of their fur.

2. Pet your kitty cat softly.

3. Stroke your cat's pleasure zones in order to build a more pleasurable experience for your cat.

4. Refrain from making jerky movements when holding your kitty.

5. Avoid loud noises that disturb your cat.

6. Avoid talking loudly or yelling while around your cat.

7. Feed your kitty regularly.

8. Keep your kitty healthy.

9. Give your kitty a "play area" with fun toys and a cat pole.

10. Talk to your kitty cats in order to create a bond and language between you.

11. Play with your kitty daily so your kitty sees you as another cat.

12. Give your cat a bed or natural place to sleep.

Do you have a question relating to creating an Elegant Simplicity Lifestyle of Abundance?

If you go into the details, these basics form a guideline that, when applied regularly, will enable your kitty to bond with you well into their adult years.

1. Pet your kitty cat with the grain, rather than against the grain of their fur.

If you pet your kitty with the grain, you are going to stimulate their natural response more than rubbing "against the grain" of their fur. In fact, rubbing against the fur is considered useful only for cleaning purposes (or searching for fleas and ticks) to a cat. So, you really don't want to do this unless you want your cat to think you're mothering, cleaning, or getting rid of pests. Cats will tolerate this, but they won't necessarily love you more for petting against the grain than with the grain. Also, if you pet your kitty against the grain, or search for pests against the grain, make sure to end by petting the kitties fur back into place by petting with the grain of their fur.

2. Pet your kitty cat softly.

If you pet your kitty hard and rough, as you might pat a dog on the head, you will agitate your cat. Rather, try petting your kitty softly as if smoothing ripples on water. Nice, soft, gentle strokes will make your cat much more pleased in being petted by you, therefore, increasing the odds the cat will choose you for future petting experiences.

3. Stroke your cat's pleasure zones in order to build a more pleasurable experience for your cat.

This may seem obvious to some people. But many people do not realize which zones are most pleasurable for their cats. Kitties, especially, can be trained to let you hold them and pet them certain ways. I once had a cat named Carmie, who enjoyed being held on his back with your arm serving as a "cradle" to hold him. I could walk all around the house holding Carmie this way. One reason Carmie let me hold him like this as an adult, was because I held him like this as a kitten quite often. So, try to train your kitty early.

The list of ways we want to be stroked is actually quite a bit how cats want to be stroked, too. For example,

  a. Cheeks. Kitties have glands on their cheeks which give them pleasure when you stroke them.

  b. Body. Stroke the sides of their body in long, smooth strokes along the grain of their fur.

  c. Ears. Usually, behind the ears are most pleasurable. A unique experiment is lightly on the ear.

  d. Chin. Your cat will lift their chin up to let you pet them more when you pet them here.

  e. The tail. Along the length of the tail, and on the body just above the tail are often enjoyable.

      You will notice if you "pull" their tail, they may become annoyed. Do this carefully or you

      may get bitten by your cat!

  f. Above tail. Most cats will respond favorably to being petted on their back just above the tail.

  g. Belly. Petting your kitty's upper belly will produce pleasure. Avoid the lower belly.

  h. Spine. Petting along the spine produces happiness, especially after the cat stretches from

      being pet along their belly.

  i. Pads of feet. Hardly anyone I ever talk to knows about this cat-pleasing secret. Kitties will act

     surprised the first time you pet the pads of their feet. But think about it: do you like having

     your feet rubbed? Imagine all of the thorns, rocks, and sharp things cats walk on all day long.

     Rubbing their pads makes them feel better, also, because nerve endings run through the pads

     of their feet. One special way to rub your cat's feet is to try to mold the pads of your own fingers

     with the pads of their kitten-toes. Sounds silly, but it's a great way to bond with your cat.

4. Refrain from making jerky movements when holding your kitty.

When you jerk while holding your cats you give them signals that you are not comfortable holding them. Just as you don't want people to jerk while you lay next to them, try to be still and not jar your kitty.

5. Avoid loud noises that disturb your cat.

It shouldn't need to be said that loud noises will annoy your cat. Many people don't know that cats hear about three times louder with their ears than we do with our human ears. So, be careful of loud noises: doors, slams, lawn mowers, weed blowers, hair dryers, radios, and televisions.

One exception to this may be a higher-pitched noise. I noticed that Maggie, my last lovable cat, would crawl between my legs and rub against my ankles while I played soprano sax. She'd meow at me, too. At first, I thought this meant that she didn't like the soprano. But I noticed she left the room when I played tenor sax or alto sax. But the soprano was like an elixir! She would come TO ME and rub me when she heard the soprano. All I could think of was it made her feel like I was another cat, calling to her. Perhaps the soprano has the right pitch to "speak" to a cat. I developed a whistle, like the soprano, and found I could whistle to call Maggie to me. So, sometimes, it may be useful to have higher-pitched sounds for your cat. Otherwise, try to refrain from loud noises.

6. Avoid talking loudly or yelling while around your cat.

Just as with loud noises, talking loudly and yelling are disturbing to your cat. Remember, they hear 3x better than us. Also, when your cat is lying on you, they feel the vibration of your voice in your body as well as hear the voice. I've noticed this sometimes agitates a cat.

7. Feed your kitty regularly.

Keeping your kitty healthy involves feeding it regularly. Just like people, your cat will enjoy a treat, like a kitty treat. I used to use canned food as a treat for Maggie. She ate dry food all the time, but when I wanted to reward her for being good while I was gone on a trip, or just as an occasional treat, I'd give her a small can of kitty feast. While on the subject of food, I found that Iams is considerably more healthy for your cats than standard run-of-the-mill cat food. Maggie's coat was much more smooth, healthy, and shiny when I fed her Iams. Also, keep water in your cat's water dish. Change this water often, too. I noticed that Maggie wouldn't drink her water if it was over a day old. She was just fussy that way. Perhaps cats have a keen sense of good food and good water, just as human taste-buds. It makes sense, huh?

8. Keep your cat healthy.

Along with feeding your cat regularly, it is important to keep your cat healthy. One time, Maggie was in a fight and developed a nasty abscess on her neck. As a result, the veterinarian recommended that I avoid treating her for fleas until after the abscess healed. This was hard for me to do. The fleas grew like crazy over the next two weeks and she was MISERABLE. It was with glee that I finally treated Maggie with flea medicine once the wound sealed over. The next day, Maggie's fleas were all killed and she was healthy again for the first time in a month! You wouldn't believe HOW HAPPY she was! Maggie rubbed all over me and wanted to be around me as if to say thank you all day long.

9. Give your kitty a "play area" with fun toys and a cat pole.

Just as we need our toys and play areas, so do cats. Some cats will respond well to store-bought toys, such as springs, furry mice, and things like that. Other cat's won't. Maggie preferred playing in a bag on the floor (what'd you buy me? was always the feeling) or rolled up tin-foil more than her numerous cat toys. Also, a pole is important for a cat. They like to be elevated. If you have multiple cats, use a pole with multiple platforms so that they can establish their natural "pecking order" with each other.

10. Talk to your kitty cats in order to create a bond and language between you.

I have noticed with all of my cats, that they tend to respond when I use several words over. One or two-word commands work well with most cats. Sometimes, entire phrases. For example, "kitty out" or "go out" would usually get a meow back. Or "want water?" was one with Maggie. Another was saying their name often, as then they know it when you call them.

People often would look at Maggie and exclaim, "your cat knows what I'm thinking!" Well, she did, to a point. Maggie and I knew each other so well that I could even ask her what she thought of a date after she left my house! Sounds crazy, but I could look at Maggie and ask, "did you like her?" And Maggie would either get a sour look and turn away or she'd act happy. Unfortunately, Maggie was only a good judge of who loved cats, I think, because her advice was definitely a little biased. ;)

Just as we create relationship through being touched and spoken to, so do cats.

11. Play with your kitty daily so your kitty sees you as another cat.

It's funny, but we really don't feel complete in our relationships unless we play together. Well, it's the same for cats. It always amazes me to see a cat owner look at their cat as if they are above playing with the cat, as if it is only something that children do. There have been times when I've had scars on my hands from cat-wars with my cat, or other games where we play together. Cats love playing with us, so why not encourage them to play.

12. Give your cat a bed.

Just as we need a place to sleep, so do kitties. Your cat will naturally find "favorite places" to nap and sleep. And, even more than humans, cats really like to sleep. In fact, cats sleep an average of about sixteen hours per day. Although your cat will naturally find comfortable places, I found that my cats would often utilize a place that I encouraged for them to sleep.

13. Remove from the negative, reinforce the positive.

Just as with children, it tends to work better to remove the cat from doing something negative. By the same token, cats respond favorably when we reinforce the positive. When Maggie used to scratch the couch, rather than squirt with water, like some people do, I would tell Maggie, "NO" then pick her up and put her on her cat-scratch pole, and say, "YES" to that behavior, petting her to reinforce it. Maggie didn't claw my couch very much after repeating this procedure.

Well, there you have it. Thirteen ways to create a more loving bond between you and your cat. Follow these guidelines and watch how much your kitty purrs.

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