My cat Ike was easily the smartest feline I've ever
met. And while he technically knew nothing about
business, he left behind an assortment of lessons
that every professional should take to heart.
1. Speak your mind. Ike was the
most
vocal of all four cats. He would meow until we fed
him. He would nudge my hand until I stopped typing
and pet him for a while. And if the other cats got too
close, he'd let them know with a powerful little hiss
and
growl. To his credit, we always knew exactly knew
what he wanted us to do.
2. Stick up for others. While the other three
cats
mostly got on his nerves, Ike came to their defense in
a moment's notice. If a strange cat found its way into
our yard, Ike would bolt outside and scare it away.
And if our other boy
cat, Patch, was trying to put the moves on Chloe, Ike
would give him a royal smackdown. He was loyal
and devoted to everyone on his team.
3. Wear out your competition. Our last
house was near a busy street. To keep the cats in the
backyard, I built an elaborate cat fence--a barrier on
top of the regular fence that prevented the cats from
jumping over it. And it worked for all of them, except
Ike. So for the next two years, we battled it out. I kept
tweaking the cat fence so he couldn't jump over it.
But he outsmarted me every time and continued to
taunt me as I let him in the front door. I finally gave
up. I figured if he was smart enough to escape my cat
fence, he was smart enough not to get hit by a car.
4. Take time for yourself. Ike never shied
away from pampering himself. If the sun was out, it
became top priority for him to enjoy it. If there was a
warm lap available, he made sure he was on it. Once
his batteries were recharged, he was always able to
find more mischief to get into.
5. Never stop exploring. It was not
uncommon to catch Ike across the street sniffing
plants
in a neighbor's yard. Or looking for food up on the
kitchen counter. Or poking around a basket of freshly
folded clothes. Or looking under piles of papers on
my desk. There was lots to see. And he made it a
point to see it all.
6. Leave your mark. Ike chose to do this by
using his claws to shred the arms of our new
couches. Nothing infuriated me more while he was
here. But now that he's gone, I find myself smiling a
little whenever I walk past the couches.
7. Keep your coat immaculate. Your
appearance can make or break you. And nobody
knew that better than Ike. That's why he spent hours
grooming himself and
keeping his coat clean and shiny. As a result, he
always made a good first impression when our
friends and veterinarians met him.
8. Share your knowledge. We found our
youngest cat, Phoebe, when she was just a tiny
kitten. She was scared and alone, but the other three
cats took her in as quickly as we did. For the next few
years, Ike taught her everything she needed to know
about driving me batty. He was a great mentor.
9. Put up a good fight. Ike made sure he
used up all nine of his lives. In fact, I think he
somehow got a few bonus lives, too. I can't tell you
how many vet bills he wracked up over the years,
and every time he came out swinging. Right to the
very end, he put up an incredible fight.
10. Live life on your own terms. Most cats do
this anyway, but Ike turned it into an art form. Which
usually drove us crazy. But when you're living life on
your own terms, you're bound to have your share of
critics. So remember to do what Ike always did:
ignore them.
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