The Many Ways to Hug a Cat for Hug Your Cat Day
Me at my happiest – surrounded by my beautiful furbabies – Zee, Zoey, Kizmet, Jazmine, Peanut, Rolz, and Mia.
It’s National Hug Your Cat Day and I find myself in an interesting spot. I love, love, love my cats and would hug them 27/7/365 if I could. But I’m now in a situation where unlike previous day jobs I’ve had that allowed me some flexibility, I’m working full-time and don’t have anywhere near the free time I used to. It is what it is… I have to pay the bills, but as a consequence, everything has taken a back burner – my ability to write blog posts with frequency, my ability to comment on other blogs, and my time with my cats.
To compensate for that, I try to find ways to “hug” my cats in ways that aren’t necessarily a physical hug, but a representation of what a hug is to me: the act of enveloping someone with love and kindness. So in that regard, I am hugging my cats all the time.
Saying goodbye to each and every one of them in a special way before I go to work is one way. Each of them gets a pet, a kind word, or a kiss from me. While at work, I think of them and they bring a smile to my face. I feed them high-quality cat foods three times a day – my “hug” to ensure they have a proper diet. I groom them regularly, schedule playtime with them regularly, and we bond every night on the couch. They look forward to the end of the night when I can relax as much as I do.
I talk to them all the time – if I happen to see one of them, I don’t ever just walk past them. They always get some sort of greeting of love. It’s all about perspective. And to be honest, not all of my gang appreciates a good hug and would prefer “Hug Your Cat Day” be banned. Zoey would sooner take a bath than be hugged (actually, that’s not true… she’ll nearly kill you if you try to bathe her) and Mia is not a fan of touchy-feely either.
But it doesn’t matter – I love all of them for who they are. How about in your house – how do you show your cat’s love for Hug Your Cat Day?
Have a great Caturday everyone and enjoy the pictures – I’ve shared them all before at one point or another, but they are the best I have to represent the day (it looks like I need to do some current cat-hugging and get some new pictures!)
A special moment from several years ago when my precious angels, Jazz and Harley, were still with me. I carry them in a loving hug in my heart each and every day.
It’s wonderful to give your cat a hug, but I find it even more special when one of my cat’s hugs me… This is Kizmet – every night he cuddles behind me – he rests his head on my head as a pillow and hugs my neck with his paws!
Dan took this image many moons ago of this precious girl hugging a kitten. No matter how many times I see this picture, it melts my heart with the simple beauty of it. It was a black and white image – I added the flowers and coloring as a special effect.
You are ever so right about kinds of hugs…..sometimes just a warm thought “sent” to our cat is a special hug…….when I’m not home I find that I do that often. Taking care of them is a definite hug and show of love……….and when we get that most special thing of all – an “arms around the heck” or wherever kind of HUG HUG, it’s magic. Sam is not a big “hugger” – never has been – but the look he gives me with his golden eyes is a hug as far as I’m concerned. YES – there are many kinds of hugs and they’re ALL good!
Love, Pam (and Sam)
Hugs are a most powerful thing and your hugs look extra special too!
Those are classic and precious pics. I completely forgot about Hug Your Cat Day since it is every day but commiserate about the lack of time.
All of your cats are so beautiful! Great post, too. Since my cats don’t like being picked up, I try to squeeze a quick hug in when they’re standing on their feeding table, waiting for their food. They usually tolerate it since I don’t actually pick them up. You take what you can get, right?
That looks like our house only many more cats. The cats are not big fans of hugging. Too scary. Have a great week end.
We can hardly believe that our mom did not mention Hug Your Cat Day in our post. She got National Doughnut Day yesterday. We think she only thinks about herself; though, she does treat us like a king and queens. Our vet always says that if she were a cat she’d want to live at our house. Today Mom is with two other kitties as she and Dad are mid-way through a seven-hour cat transport. She better give us lots of loving when she gets home. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
p.s. Some photos are worth sharing again and again!
What a lovely furmily, and it’s quite clear there’s a lot of love being shared! It’s like that for us, too — I often hug, snorgle, and kiss my cats, telling them they are my reasons for living, which they certainly are. Three are helping me in the office right now, one of those on my lap purring and giving me reason to smile with her magical presence. Happy Hug Your Cat CATurday!
You’re so right about hugs : they don’t have to be “physical”. Zorro loves to be petted and hugged, but I prefer to rub shortly my head on your hand, or snuggle a while in bed with my humans, or simply be in the same room as them. Purrs, Pixie
I can’t even pick up two of my girls, so hugging them is out of the question! And I can tell you that hugging the rest of them in the conventional sense has to be on their terms. It’s better to think of all the ways we do provide the love and attention that a hug delivers, and remember to do it each and every day–or at least as close as possible (for example, when we are away the “hug” may be administered by someone else!). I love it when they decide they want to hug ME. Coco will ask to be held, and when I pick her up she will put her paws on either side of my neck and give me kiss after kiss. Then she often will rest her head on one shoulder, with both paws hanging over that shoulder. It’s the best. Manhattan snuggles very close to my face when I’m on the couch and purrs loudly; she has a way of melding her little body so close to me you’d think she was glued there! I take these as “hug your hooman” moments, certainly not limited to a date on the calendar.
We love the photos of you, and the sentiments YOU share about how you make sure to spread the love all day, all night! Thanks for sharing!
We don’t particularly like to be hugged, but the mom is always giving us kisses or scratching our ears or talking to us or showing us some other form of affection. Happy Hug Day!
Very nice post. I talk to all my cats too. I am impressed that you say goodbye to them all individually when you leave for work.
I miss you and your posts but understand what we do what we have to do….When we win the lottery, we’ll all have more free time… to spend with our cats.
Congrats on the full time job because that alleviates A LOT of stress and will enable you (believe it or not), to hug your cats EVEN MORE!
Love the photo that Dan took, that is priceless!