Are you owned by a cat? If so, perhaps you already realize that if you need to learn persistence, you will be successful if you copy the cat. Your remarkable cat understands the importance of persistence, and will use the technique often to his great advantage.
For example, how does your cat wake you up in the morning? He knows how to tell time, and doesn’t even need a clock to do it. He knows exactly when he is supposed to get breakfast, and also that he must get you out of bed so you can prepare it. If you could teach him to use the can opener, you might be able to sleep in.
He undoubtedly has many techniques that he uses to accomplish this goal. Though he might vary his methods, if he finds one that works well, he will use it repeatedly. Eventually, he wins, and you get up and feed him.
A New Application Of The Technique
My cat recently used this persistence technique in a new way. He is on a prescription diet because of his old-age health issues. The vet said that since the food is medicated, he had to eat only that food in order for the medication to work.
That posed no problem for quite some time. He liked the food quite well, so ate all of it. It might take a few visits to the food bowl, as he wants to eat his meal in small amounts over a large period of time. He did eat it all eventually.
However, after he’d been on the same diet for about eight months, he became obviously tired of it. I can understand.
How would you like it if you had to eat the same food, day in and day out? Even if it tasted delicious at first, eventually you would get bored with eating the same thing over and over. Well, the cat got really tired with the lack of variety.
As a result, he quit eating. He’d eat a little and then leave the food. It took him longer and longer to finish it, until finally he would eat only a small amount of it.
One friend said, “Just leave it there. If he gets hungry enough, he will eat it.” Well, that idea was somewhat successful. He would eventually eat most of the food, but some got wasted (not good–it’s quite expensive!) because he would just leave it.
He tried in vain to scrape up some of the floor with his paw to cover the dish, but the floor would not cooperate.
My Vet Proved Less Than Helpful
What to do? I called my vet three times. Each time she said the same thing: “Do not give him anything else to eat.” Finally, one day I cooked him a chicken thigh and put a couple of teaspoons of the juice laced with chicken fat over his food. He really liked it that way, and ate the whole thing.
I checked with the vet to see if the chicken broth was a viable option. I was not happy with her reply. She said, “Absolutely not. The medication in the food won’t work if you add anything to it.”
Finally, when I called her for the third time, she told me that there was another brand I could try which had the same medication. The reason she didn’t tell me sooner was that her clinic did not sell that brand of food.
Go figure.
The New Brand Of Food Arrives
To test it out, I ordered some, and when it finally came, the cat, very pleased, gobbled up that food. I couldn’t believe that he really loved it, as I thought it smelled horrible. But the cat is now happy with this new food.
As this brand has a couple of flavors, all medicated in the same way, I’ve ordered another flavor to try when he starts rejecting the present one. If he likes it, that’s really good, as it gives me three choices to offer him. I think these will be enough to keep him eating.
The solution to the problem came only because the cat would not give up. He kept giving me the same message about his food. He insisted on getting a change! Because of his persistent attitude, he finally pushed me into finding a solution to the problem. Now the cat and I are both happy.
Persistence Helps You Find Answers
Do you find you have a need to develop persistence in your life or your business? If so, apply the cat’s technique.
When you run into a problem you can’t solve, don’t just throw your hands up and walk away. Investigate and research until you find a solution. You know it’s out there somewhere. Don’t just quit, but keep searching until you find an answer.
Persistence is the ability to maintain action no matter what your feelings. Press on, even if you feel like quitting. Keep going until you achieve your goal.
When striving for a goal, don’t expect the way to be easy. Often the reality is that it is not easy. Don’t let difficulty stop your enthusiasm. Expect the journey to be hard; then there are no surprises.
Also, don’t put limits on the amount of time required to reach your goal. It may take much longer than you expected. Be prepared for your journey to take some time.
The value of persistence comes from a vision of the future that is so compelling that you are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make it reality. Be consistent in the vision of what you want. A clear picture will help you be more consistent and persistent in your actions. This consistence will produce results.
An Obstacle Is An Opportunity For Improvement
Think of every obstacle as an opportunity to improve. Always take the next step. One step at a time keeps you moving
forward. Persistence allows you to take action even when your motivation is low.
It is okay to be discouraged but it is not okay to quit. If you press on no matter the obstacles, eventually you are bound to succeed. Turn obstacles into stepping stones. Persistence and determination — the will to endure to the end — will serve you well.
Giving up too soon is one of the most common reasons for failure. Don’t be that person. Create a belief that there is no obstacle you can’t overcome and eventually you will succeed.
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This is a great post – so many people give up too easily. Persistence is so important in being able to accomplish one’s goals.
A great analogy to the cat’s story of persistence -it shows us that we need to pay attention to what our animals are trying to tell us. Too bad the vet was not more helpful in the beginning.
Yes, the vet could have been more helpful. However, she might not have realized how bull-headed my cat is when it comes to getting his own way. He knows what he wants, and will not let me ignore it. At least we finally got it sorted.
That cat is so funny — I talk to him a lot, and he tries to do the same. Sometimes he will come in here where I’m working at the computer, and give me a couple of whole sentences of his opinion, not just a meow or two. I do believe he tries to talk, as the sounds are varied and come out in a long string. So far, though, he does not speak much English.