My son and I have two pepper grey cats. The one with heavy black stripes is named Maximus. The one with more of a spotty black coat, is named Leonidis. They're brothers and have distinctively different personalities. Leondis is much more effectionate and cuddly, while Maximus is more intelligent and standoffish.
It’s interesting to watch them interact, and display their love and affection for each other. They often sleep together, literally intertwining their bodies, with a paw or a head, softly resting on the other. Instead of just grooming themselves, they will often lick and groom each other. Especially in those tough to reach areas like behind the head and ears. Hopefully you are lucky enough to have someone like that in your life. Someone to love, groom and have your back!
Animals, whether it be cats, dogs, birds, etc. can offer us vital clues on how to live and get along with each other better. All we have to do is take the time to look, observe and apply what we see. One lesson I learned from watching my cats is that when you fight, don't waste any time in making up. After wrestling playfully one day, they appeared to be really fighting hard. But as soon as it was over, they were back to grooming each other and sharing a bowl of Kibbles and Bits like nothing had happened.
In any close relationship, we can easily infringe on each others personal space and fights can break out. Whether they be verbal or physical, to fight for our own personal space and boundaries is natural. What isn't so natural, and what is the most challenging is to "give way," which by the way is the definition of forgiveness, and move on. The practical lesson is to get back to grooming anyone in which you’ve had any discourse, as soon as possible. For the purpose of grooming is not just to clean and give a fresh appearance, but to show how much you care for the other person. If you don’t care, do nothing and it will quickly begin eroding away. If you do care, give way, and let go of the disagreements. Completing this hate-love cycle, can not only cleanse your spirit, but also grow our relationships to an even greater depth of understanding, love and appreciation for everything the other person is, not just for what we want them to be.
Enjoy the Journey,
Kenna
