My grandma had a hugh heart, one thing she did was to help abandoned cats which I believe contributed to her longevity. For many years she lived in a remodeled chicken coop in an area with vegetable fields and pastureland.  It was off a main street but very rural. Many people would come and abandon cats (especially pregnant ones) back in the fields.

My grandma felt like not all of the cats were used to being outside and finding enough food could be difficult especially in the Wisconsin winter. She would put some food outside once a day for them. I can tell you that she never had a rodent problem even though she lived in a field! I remember at one point she had twenty eight cats coming to eat! She would go outside and call “Come kitty-kitty-kitty” and they would come from all over.

Some of the cats were very tame and enjoyed human contact. They would come up and rub against you after eating. Other cats were very skittish and you could not get very close to them. After all they had been dumped into the area and perhaps abused before that.

I picked one for myself, and named him prince. He was black with a white star on his chest. He loved attention and getting stroked. He even let me pick him up! He would come into the house in the winter time and lay next to the heater for a while before going back outside. There were many old barns and tool sheds the cats took shelter in.

My grandma was a crazy cat lady however doing something for animals that had been abandoned gave her joy and a purpose. Research shows that doing good deeds contributes to longevity and petting animals helps to reduce stress and promotes health. She was helping herself as well as the cats!

Now 28 cats may stress you out instead of relaxing you but finding and DOING an activity that makes you feel good helps to alleviate pain. As a matter of fact the 5^th step in my 5 step system is Prioritize You, where you devise a plan of self-care that nourishes your body, mind and soul. What have you done for yourself lately?

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Laurie Ratto, RN, Speaker, HTCP, CCA has 30+ years’ experience helping people to heal from physical, mental , and emotional pain. She provides a safe, nurturing space for women to release fears and self-doubt, what spiritually ties us to pain. Laurie Ratto specializes in complementary medicine, as a holistic healer, she keeps her RN certification current because she understands the power of balance as we heal.