A pet's guide to life: What we can learn from our furry friends – YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Life A pet’ s guide to life What we can learn from our furry friends By You Magazine - September 6, 2020 OK, we might be house-trained, but we can still learn a lot from our furry friends, says Michael Hogan. Make your desires clear Pets have no qualms about letting you know what they want. If they’re hungry, they’ll sit by their food bowl, staring at you pointedly. If they want attention, they’ll nuzzle your lap or headbutt your legs. Be clear about what you want, too. Just go easy on the nuzzling unless it’s your partner. It might result in arrests or awkward HR meetings. Sleep well and sleep often Cats sleep for an average of 15 hours a day, the lazy swines. At 13 hours, dogs are almost as dozy. They’ve got the right idea. A good eight or nine hours each night will make you feel like a new woman. Afternoon naps have a similar restorative effect. Just try not to twitch and yelp like you’re dreaming about chasing squirrels. Be a loyal friend Pets truly are mankind’s best friend. And no, not just because you feed them. They’re devoted, affectionate and will always be there by your side. They’re a furry reminder to be loyal to the humans in your life, too. Whether it’s friends, family or colleagues, be supportive, have their back and be there when they need you. Good girl. Have a treat. Stay curious Cats love looking out of windows. Dogs adore snuffling around gardens, exploring parks and shoving their nose into everyone’s business (often quite literally – bleurgh). Follow their lead by resisting complacency and retaining your natural curiosity. Read books. People-watch. Tune in to podcasts and documentaries. Just don’t start twitching your nose at other people’s bodily emissions. That’d be weird. Especially if you started rolling in it. Brat Co/Stocksy United Live in the moment Pets might not know the word ‘mindfulness’ (too many syllables) but they do know about being present. They don’t overthink the past or fret about the future. They just live each moment to the fullest. Embrace experiences the same way. Make them count. Yum, a bowl of kibble! Yay, tickles! Mmm, a nap! They’ve got it all figured out, the furry geniuses. Embrace new friendships Dogs do it by sniffing each other’s bums. We don’t recommend you go that far (unless you happen to be at a specialist fetish party), but where you can copy your canine is by considering everyone you meet as a potential friend. Greet them with a smile, ask questions and open yourself up… you’re still thinking about the bum-sniffing, aren’t you? Savour simple pleasures Pets don’t need much to be happy. Food, love and somewhere warm to sleep makes them perfectly content. Sure, we might crave a luxury holiday, bigger property or designer wardrobe, but be grateful. Don’t focus so hard on what you don’t have that you forget what you’ve got. Rediscover the beauty of simple things: a tasty home-cooked meal, a snuggle on the sofa, reading a good book in bed. Your pet can’t even read, the fluffy thicko, so you’re one up already. Lie down somewhere different Sprawling like a cat or dog enables you to view things from a different angle. Recline on the sofa for a think. Stretch out on the living-room carpet with a magazine (preferably this one). Spreadeagle yourself diagonally across the bed. It’s refreshing and relaxing. Now you know what they see in it. Try to leave less fur on the soft furnishings, though. Make time to play Cats can play with a ball of string for hours. Dogs are similar with sticks. But playing isn’t just for small children or daft animals. Find a fun activity that you like then make time for it in your hectic life. Playing enhances your creativity, relieves stress and makes you feel free again. Sing and dance along to your favourite tunes. Play games or solve puzzles. Take up a sport or do a quiz. And if all else fails, there are always sticks or string. Try to trust Many pets were once nervous babies or neglected rescues. But by giving them time and love, we taught them to trust again. Sometimes we should do the same for ourselves. Don’t let negative experiences hold you back. Conquer your fears, stop pushing people away and give them a chance. Go on, let life give you an ear-rub. Learn to love unconditionally Pets don’t care about your faults. They don’t worry about how rich, fashionable or physically perfect you are. They aren’t looking over your shoulder for someone better to come along (well, a few cats are, but let’s not quibble). Pets love you unreservedly and are always happy to see you. It’s not always easy, admittedly, but try to be more pet. Forgive others’ flaws. Get over any petty annoyances. Give love out and you’ll get love back – and the occasional lick or purr of pleasure. Don t get too close to the hind legs of a donkey A bit niche but our dog learned this on a Devon beach this summer, so I thought I’d pass it on. Talk about the phrase ‘kicks like a mule’. Ouch. 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