This is one of my cats. She is the inspiration for my post tonight. While she is incredibly sweet, I must admit (sadly) that she is not the brightest crayon in the box. Kindness is her forte, intelligence… well…. not so much.
On our balcony we have quite a few plants, ranging from Geraniums to Pineapple Sage, to some rather poisonous plants. My cat only enjoys and wants to eat the poisonous plant. She eats it over and over and OVER again. About 20 minutes after she eats this plant (I have no idea what it is called) – she meows these guttural, miserable meows and then proceeds to violently vomit throughout the house. She has been doing this for three, yes THREE years.
I am a bit ashamed of my cat – again, she is NOT the sharpest tool in the shed, but I would expect her to be able to draw some sort of basic cause and effect correlation and stop eating the poison that clearly makes her miserable. Why doesn’t she change her behavior so that she will be happier and healthier? It is so easy to choose other plants, but she continually chooses the one that hurts her. She regularly eats the poison – in fact, she is drawn to eat the poison, even though it really makes her miserable.
Sound familiar? How many of us eat the poison in our lives, even when it is not in our best interest? We “eat the poison” both literally and metaphorically. From a literal standpoint, most individuals put unhealthy food choices in their bodies instead of healthy ones. As they do that they are, in essence, filling their bodies with poison. Fast foods, junk foods, processed foods, etc. are killing our bodies, yet we continue to consume in record quantities.
From a mental standpoint, how many individuals do you know who stay in unhealthy relationships? This is most definitely a poison in our lives. If our partner is abusive or controlling or manipulative (to name a few) it is not okay to force yourself to live in the abuse or poison of the relationship – you owe it to yourself to make changes in your life that will change your life…. do NOT drink the poison.
Do you have poison (literal or figurative) in your life that you need to throw away, instead of consume? If so, I hope and pray that you have the courage to make healthier choices.
Today, 240 days ’til 40, I remind myself that I can rid myself of poisonous influences in my life – as I do so I will experience a wave of relief and freedom.
~400daystil40
Fortuitous Forty!!! 
bellissimom
June 26, 2012 at 00:04
Very good point & very cute kitty!
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 00:05
Thank you!
getbusyyall
June 26, 2012 at 00:08
A salient point.
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 08:02
Thank you!!! 🙂
narf77
June 26, 2012 at 00:20
Looks like you have a bulimic cat there maam!
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 08:01
This made me laugh! She needs therapy!
Linda Willows
June 26, 2012 at 00:53
cute kitty. my cat is being toilet trained……:-D
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 09:53
I always wanted to toilet train my cats!
buckwheatsrisk
June 26, 2012 at 01:02
such a great parallel! silly cat 😉
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 08:01
Yes, she is. 🙂
buckwheatsrisk
June 26, 2012 at 19:15
i’m sure that’s why you love her! (not the barfing part though) lol
Whitney Rains
June 26, 2012 at 01:06
Well said! You are completely right.
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 08:02
Why, thank you! 🙂
Joy & Ruin
June 26, 2012 at 01:10
good read. very real concept. but why not just get rid of the plant? cut off the head of the snake and the body dies.
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 08:02
If I could I would – it is a giant weed (well, like one) growing up the side of our building, we are always cutting it back and I curse it constantly.
dogdaz
June 26, 2012 at 02:43
Get rid of the plant!
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 08:01
Obviously, if we could, we would have done that years ago – it grows up our building and we cut it constantly.
dogdaz
June 26, 2012 at 13:19
Have you tried apple bitter? Tastes bad to the cat
A Table in the Sun
June 26, 2012 at 04:10
One of my greatest revelations in my 40s was when I realized that I’m in charge of how I feel. I longer needed the approval of others, and I could terminate relationships that weren’t healthy. I must have been a slow learner for it to take this long, but I’m telling you……I HAVE IT NOW and it feels good. Don’t fear 40. Fifty is even better!
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 09:27
Yes, those are very important revelations! I am learning more and more as I continue to “grow up”
Paws To Talk
June 26, 2012 at 05:05
Excellent post.
Bella and DiDi
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 08:03
🙂 🙂
Margot C. H.
June 26, 2012 at 05:11
your timing is impecable… THANKS!!!
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 08:03
You are welcome!
heartmama
June 26, 2012 at 07:29
Not really the point, I know, but…. couldn’t you get rid of the poisonous plant??
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 08:00
Ay yes, if life was only that simple we would have, obviously, done that – it grows up the sides of our building and we are CONSTANTLY cutting it back, to no avail.
viveka
June 26, 2012 at 21:48
I think that we have to take some of the poison – and as my grandpa always said … some dirt cleans the stomach – but if it makes us sick – we should make sure we recycle it in a safe way.
I would think you cat will very soon realize if it should eat more of that plant or not.
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 21:55
I think my cat has a learning disability… it has been three years and it still eats the plant, even immediately after it throws up…. it really is not a bright cat, but it is loving and happy, so we manage.
viveka
June 26, 2012 at 21:57
So .. it’s what my grandpa said .. some dirty we need to swallow to clean the stomach, maybe that’s what she does – maybe she needs that process.
400daystil40
June 26, 2012 at 22:13
just wish she wouldn’t do it so often!!! 🙂
Stephanie Langevin
July 2, 2012 at 11:26
Reblogged this on Life in Harmony and Balance and commented:
I love this post! Thank you. I am seeing some behavioural correlation between me and your cat and it makes me laugh! So many times I have been eating sugar, overeating it and feeling so awful afterwards! It is funny how many times we can repeat the same mistakes. I guess that those “failures” have been strengthening my will in being sugar free for the next couple of months. Have a lovely day.
400daystil40
July 2, 2012 at 17:26
Your self comparison to my cat made me laugh!!! 🙂 Yes, I also tend to do the same thing with food that I should not be eating!
Fay Moore
July 18, 2012 at 05:52
Wise, as always. Some days I feel I am in the same boat as your kitty: on those days kindness is my forte, intelligence not so much. I guess those are the same days I am apt to eat the poison in my own world. Here’s hoping I DO learn from my mistakes.
400daystil40
July 18, 2012 at 17:08
Me too! Like you, I just hope to learn (at least, eventually!) from my mistakes too!