6 Purrfect Career Lessons From Cats

Seems like cats are all the rage these days (Boo, who?), what with cat videos popping up all over the Internet. But cats aren't just a source for endless entertainment; they also have a lot to teach us about the daily grind. In celebration of National Cat Day, here are some career tips to learn from felines.

1. Don't be an eager beaver.

Cats generally aren't people pleasers. They don't hang onto your every word and constantly want affirmation via pets from you. They take the affection they want, then walk away when they're satisfied. At work, trying to please everyone will let others easily take advantage of you. It also hurts your relationships because you can't please everyone, and someone will likely end up getting hurt. And if you're always trying to get affirmation, you may constantly be fishing for compliments from your colleagues, which can get on people's nerves. Be assertive and confident about your abilities and the work that you do.

Read on for more cat career tips.

2. Groom yourself.

Look your best, and you will feel your best. Cats groom themselves well and are pretty clean animals. Having good hygiene and looking polished will definitely help your image in your company.

3. Teach yourself and take initiative.

Don't always wait for someone to teach you something before making an attempt. Cats are rare creatures in that they take to toilet training like a pro. Use the litter box approach in your career — take the initiative to perform tasks and learn skills on your own.

4. Learn from your mistakes.

Cats get frightened easily, and because they have a good memory, they tend to remember the scary incidents and try to avoid them. Once a mistake is made at work, we should work to rectify and learn from it, then try our best not to make the same mistake again.

5. Notice cues.

It's amazing how alert cats are with certain cues, such as the sound of opening a can of food or when you take out the root of all evil aka shampoo. It's a good skill to have when interacting professionally. Picking up on body language cues is especially important when you aren't familiar with the person, such as when you're interviewing.

6. Get enough sleep.

Seems like you can learn a thing or two in snoozing from cats — felines sleep about 16 hours a day. Many of us say that sleep gets in the way of work, but getting enough sleep will help us be more efficient with our time and get more done in less time.