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June 10, 2021

Bonding with Your Cat Through Yoga? Absolutely!

  • Cat Yoga
  • Bond with Your Cat
Shelley in yoga plank pose with black and white cat

As cat parents, it’s our job to help them get enough exercise. And here’s the good news -  activities like stretching, playing games, and even doing yoga with your cat, have mutual benefits. They help keep your cat active, while also enhancing the bond you share. It’s a win win!

Yoga with Your Cat

Ideally, your cat should get at least 15 minutes of exercise – twice per day. This provides enough physical activity to keep muscles and joints strong, manage stress and anxiety, and help maintain a healthy weight.

That might seem like a lot of work, especially if your cat has gotten used to a sedentary lifestyle. But here’s the good news: most forms of cat exercise also involve spending time with you – and what could be better than that?

Exercising with your cat you ask? Yoga? Yes, and it’s not as strange as you might think. Just watch your cat’s natural movements throughout the day. They intuitively love to stretch and roll around on the floor. Our cats have been yogis this whole time! 

Shelley holding black and white cat in warrior yoga pose
Shelley in a lunge pose with her cat, Miles.

Creating a Bond With Your Cat

Beyond the obvious physical benefits, yoga is a great way to enhance your cat-human connection by spending time together in a deeply intentional way. It also includes mental practices like focusing on your breath and aligning it with your movements, which when done together, can help reduce stress and promote positive thinking – for you and your cat. 

Trust me, the moment you lay down that yoga mat, your cat will be curious about what you’re doing and want to participate.
Shelley Hatfield
Shelley HatfieldYoga Instructor

Even people who don’t have their own cats are looking for opportunities to do yoga with them, and many organizations even offer cat-yoga events with charitable components. Not only do these events provide a chance to stretch and play in a room filled with purring felines, they also provide opportunities for cats in need to find a place to call their furr-ever home. Do a quick online search to find one of these activities near you.

Shelley with three cats eating NOW FRESH on counter
Shelley and her cats, Scooter, Miles, and Jessie enjoying the Now Fresh Adult Cat Recipe and Turkey Stew with Bone Broth Recipe.

Scooter, Miles, Jessie and I would also love to see your own ideas for doing yoga together with your cat. Share them on social media and be sure to tag @nowfresh.petfood on Instagram or Facebook so we don’t miss them.

Namaste!


Author

Shelley Hatfield

Shelley Hatfield

Yoga Instructor

Shelley is a local from Chilliwack, BC, and a devoted cat parent to her sweet kitties. She is a trainer at Over-the-Top Fitness but has always included cats and exercise in her life. She previously partnered with the Chilliwack Animal Safe Haven to host the Yoga with Cats on Mats fundraiser.