Cats obviously experience the world differently and have a very different social map from ours. Yet some of their instincts and boundaries seem like they should come more naturally to us. Here are eight things I’ve noticed from living alongside them that we might learn from.

One – Needs. Often, they have no shame or qualms about asking for what they want or need or expressing dissatisfaction when they feel it, without restraint, or regret. They’re still accepted regardless of doing it

Two – Thinking Space. Even when calm and unthreatened, they often take some time to think, calculating possible outcomes before deciding on an action or decision.

Three – Reconsidering. They make full use of their right to change their minds at any point.

Four – Transitions. They are open, accepting and uncompromising regarding their need for significant transition time to adjust to small or larger changes. 

Five – Intuition. They use their senses to get feedback from the environment to ascertain whether it feels safe. If for some reason they pick up it feels uncomfortable, or ‘off’ in any way, they approach with caution, stop or leave.

Six – Compatibility. They choose close people and companions not only on mutual ‘like’ but also based on how similar and attuned their nervous systems are to their own.

Seven – Emotional Congruence. (Apart from going unhelpfully from zero to one hundred pretty quickly in the following situation), at least they’re honest rather than hiding their feelings about how territorial or threatened they feel around unfamiliar cats.

Eight – Downtime. They rest. A lot.

Postscript: The views expressed here should not be assumed to be representative of all cats. They are offered in good faith.

© 2026 Lorraine Welch. All rights reserved

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