I've been a cat owner (or more accurately, I've been owned by cats) for quite a few years now (I think I'm around 2 or 3 in this picture), and I really feel like we humans can learn a lot about life by observing these curious little creatures. 

Today's lesson is about contentment.  There's something is us that makes us always want something better than what we currently have, but sometimes we just need to accept what we have and deal with it.  Sometimes we can even learn to enjoy what we have.  I don't mind taking the backroads to work; it gives me a chance to enjoy nature.  Electric heat was a major downside when buying our house; now I actually like it. 

The most important thing I've learned by observing cats is that it's really stupid to be discontent, especially about the little things.  Here are a few examples: 
  1. Like most pets, our cats eat from a little plastic dish on the floor.  But more accurately, they take the food out of the dish, put it on the floor, and eat it off the floor.  This is a pattern I've noticed with all cats.  They hate anything that's meant to help them.  They hate being clean.  They want to eat their dirty food off the dirty ground.  The dirtier the better.  Little jerks.
  2. Similarly, ours cats drink water from a water dish.  It's cleaned and refilled regularly and provides hydration for their little bodies.  But I've always noticed that cats will take any opportunity possible to drink water from places other than their own water dish.  They'll drink out of the shower, the sink, the toilet, mud puddles.  Basically, anything other than the dish that was specifically bought, cleaned, and prepared for them.  Little jerks.
  3. Everybody knows cats hate water.  When our cats were little, I used to "bathe" them in the bathtub, which usually consisted of 2-3 minutes of intense struggling as I splashed water on their backs and tried to avoid lethal scratch wounds.  Four legs pointing in every direction, trying to get to dry ground, tail flailing, teeth gnashing.  I was always amazed at how much fight came from a 6-lb animal.  But if there was ever any opportunity for the cats to go in the shower on their own, they'd take it in a heartbeat.  "My paws are getting wet?  I don't care.  I'm doing it to myself."  Little jerks.
  4. Like every cat owner, I've had to take the cats to the vet on occasion.  Kitty carriers were obviously designed by dog owners because no cat will ever allow itself to be placed inside an enclosed area with a small opening.  Four legs pointing in every direction, trying to get the heck out of there.  But a little trick I learned was to put the kitty carrier on the floor, leave the door open, and walk away.  "Curiosity killed the cat", or more accurately, "Curiosity made the cat go in the kitty carrier on its own".  It's the same with laundry.  Every time we do laundry, Dilbert climbs in the basket and slithers underneath the warm clothes.  But God forbid I put him in the basket without his permission.  He'll jump on my face and bite my jugular.
  5. Like all cat owners, I occasionally like to torment my cats by putting things on them, such as hats, clothes, or plastic bags.  Cats hate everything.  They know you're laughing at them, so they hate you and plot to kill you while you're sleeping (but then they forget because they sleep through the night).  But if a cat puts something on itself, all bets are off.  They love it, simply because they did it and you didn't.
All these examples are of cats being discontent simply because they weren't in control of the situation.  If a human does it to them, whether with good or bad motives, biting and scratching will ensue.  But if the cat thinks of it or plans it, it's all good.  The conclusion is simple:  Be content with what's given to you because it's probably what you'd try to get anyway.  And don't bite the hand that feeds you.  Seriously, Dilbert, stop biting me. #nature