Monday was International Cat Day. In honor of this special day, this is an Ode to Yoga Cats. I am featuring some kitties who have come to know me (and I have come to know them) through my online yoga sessions!

Today’s featured YOGA CATS are my great fans! They lighten my heart. Their moms and dads send me photos and tell me tales of how their fluffy four-legged companions dash to the yoga mat as soon as they hear my voice online. This makes me so happy! As the yoga session begins, at times, the cats take over the yoga mat. Sometimes they lie over the props so mom or dad are hard put to grab a block or a strap when needed. My Furry Fans get very close to the computer or tablet screen to watch exactly how each yoga pose is done. And oh, how they must stare incredulously as we humans struggle to stretch and strengthen and be present because, you know, these kitties are the masters of deep stretching, relaxation, meditation and shavasana!

Enjoy reading this blog post. If you have photos of your kitty doing yoga with you/me, please do send them  my way! And if you are a dog lover, I think I owe you a blog post dedicated to yoga dogs. Please send photos my way.

TOMMY is a Norwegian Forest Cat. At 15 pounds, he’s a big boy! He is 15 pounds of pure love! He lives in Seattle. Simone and Don rescued Tommy many years ago. They found him at a shelter, alone in a cage. When she first held Tommy, Simone said it was like holding pudding. How do you hold pudding in your arms, right?  Tommy is now 15 years old.  He’s a mouser and still proudly brings home disgusting gifts of long-tailed rats and mice, much to the dismay of Simone. Even so, in Simone’s words, Tommy is a “puddle in her arms”.
One incredulous fact about Tommy is that he lets his veterinarian clean his teeth by hand and the veterinarian was astounded to find that Tommy purrs during the cleaning!
PENELOPE, California Dreamer
I finally got to meet Penelope when I was in Los Osos, California recently. Penelope is very shy, petite, and oh-so sweet.  I believe she was also a rescue cat and has adjusted well to life with Janelle and G. In the photo below, she has hopped on Janelle’s back and is giving Janelle some yoga adjustments!  Sometimes, her presence prevents Janelle from focusing on yoga, so Janelle closes the door, keeping Penelope outside the yoga room. When this happens, Penelope peeks under the door and waits patiently for the door to open again!
Janelle wrote: “This is my favorite yoga picture. Penelope kept starting at me, hoping for the door to open!”
CALLIE: Love at First Sight!
Callie is Marilyn’s cat. Callie and Marilyn made the move to the Big Apple seamlessly. However, not long after Kitty-Callie and Marilyn moved to New York City, the pandemic hit.  Callie helped Marilyn get through the pandemic. Imposed isolation is a heavy burden to  bear, but Callie was right there for Marilyn 24/7! I know Callie from when she lived in Seattle. She is a sweetheart and a darling companion. As Marilyn does her online yoga, sometimes Callie takes over the yoga mat. She rubs up against Marilyn as Marilyn is trying to balance. And sometimes Callie just plunks herself down on top of the props so that Marilyn just has to do without them.
One text from Marilyn said:
Couldn’t use props today.  Besides rubbing against my legs when I balance, Callie took over the props too. Always hate to disturb the little darling😻.”
I love how she snuggles right up to the camera. I can almost feel her breath and hear her purr.

BILL
I love this boy!  His personality reminds me of my cat, Little Bear, from so long ago!  Whereas Little Bear was a long-haired Tuxedo cat, Bill is short-haired and his fur is pure black. Bill is handsome beyond words. Full disclosure: I have a big crush on Bill! And, shhh!, I don’t think he knows he’s a cat. He has human-like qualities and is the first to greet you at the door when you go to his house.  He lives in Seattle, but isn’t crazy about Seattle winters, which tend to be wet and chilly.
His dad Howard wrote:

We met Bill in the kitten room at PAWS in Lynnwood, WA,  January 2015.  I think the shelter had an alphabetical naming system for the kittens, so the cats were named Abby, Bill, Cathy, etc.  Bill was twice as old (due to being fostered longer) and twice as big as the other kittens.  And he wanted to be friends with all of them!  …whether they wanted to be his friend or not!  And when we showed up, he wanted to be friends with us!  He stuck his paw under the door and tried to escape, so the staff said, “Looks like he’s your kitty.”

And mom Clare wrote:

Bill has been a very friendly kitty ever since we’ve had him, though he does slow down in the winter.

He loves greeting Clare’s clients and other visitors to the house.  And he loves his yoga!

Clare also wrote:

I actually just did one of your Facebook livestream classes and Bill came running down as soon as he realized that was what I was about to do 😊  My theory about why cats love us doing yoga so much is that we are so fully present in ourselves at that time.  Just the story I tell myself, but Bill sure loves it!

LOKI

Loki is my sister Zina’s cat.  Loki lives in Maryland and is simply happy to have a home. Here is what Zina wrote about him:

I adopted Loki from Cheryl. One of Cheryl’s neighbors owned “Kitty”, Loki’s previous name. After a few years  this neighbor decided she wanted to travel so she gave the cat to the humane society. When Cheryl heard this, she went and got him with the intention of finding him a home. She changed his name to Loki. She had Loki for quite a while, but then had to find Loki a new home because he did not get along with her dog and was a biter! I am his 4th family and I’m sure he had anger issues! I’ve had him now for about 5 years! He no longer bites! He is a sweet boy who loves to give kisses and loves your yoga sessions, Fran!

Zina has two cats, Loki and Bella. I am certain this is Loki doing yoga with Nora in Maryland. And honestly not sure which of the other two is Loki and which is Bella.

I think this is Bella:

EMMA CAT

What I can say about Emma Cat is that she is a healer cat! I love her bright curious eyes and I love that she is present every day for yoga, right beside Martha, at the ready. I wish I knew more about her and I am sure Martha will fill me in. Emma Cat lives in Wenatchee, Washington, east of the mountains. I hope to meet her one day. Looking at Emma Cat makes me smile! I LOVE her  little face!

CHARLOTTE

Charlotte is Trilby’s baby. Charlotte is yet another rescue cat. Another petite kitty. Charlotte lives in Seattle. All I know about her is that she loves the keyboard and stays close to the computer when mom does yoga. Charlotte loves Yin Yoga and, in the photo below, she is in a Yin pose.  I got to meet Trilby’s friend Maria, who was visiting from the east coast and took a yoga class with me at the Green Lake studio. Maria rescues cats. Maria is why Trilby has her beautiful Charlotte. Thank you, Maria, for your cat-rescue efforts!

COCO and TOPAZ

Annette is the proud mom of Coco and Topaz. They have lived in LA, but now live in Seattle. These two are really something. They know my voice. When Annette tunes into online yoga, Coco and Topaz hear my voice and come running. This went on every day for two years during the pandemic. At one point, I used Annette’s professional recording studio to record my voice over for a filming project I did with my nephew John Urbano. When the cats heard me talk in-person, they both took a quick look at the computer and then at me, most likely wondering how I managed to jump off the screen!

Here is Coco:

And here is Topaz:

9) KIT

Kit lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her mom Stacy. Kit is short for “kit and caboodle”.  True to her name, you have to love all of her, every part of her, the whole kit and caboodle.

Below: Kit is listening to me teach and following instructions! (turn up your volume)


PEPPER

Pepper also loves yoga! His mom and dad are Sean and Delcia. Pepper lives in Seattle and I am proud to report that I first met him when he was a wee-kitten. He is now full grown and he provides hours of entertainment because he is so active, playful, and clever. I’ll do yoga with Pepper anytime!

SETZER

Well, our California boy, Setzer, came into Los-Osos-Anne’s life shortly after Anne’s loving partner, my father-in-law Bob, passed away. Setzer is a continual source of enjoyment, concern, bewilderment, and pure love for Anne and everyone who knows him. His dexterous paws are like human hands and he is able to open doors, drawers, and cabinets. He is very skilled at hiding behind drawers and in small corners of Anne’s large home. Anne is often in search of her Houdini-cat and his disappearing acts.  But, of course, there is no need for Setzer to hide during the online yoga sessions because he loves yoga! Anne greets me online with messages such as, “Setzer and I are on the mat, ready for yoga!”

It just wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t include Katie and Dave’s dog chilling out while doing online yoga with me:

Hey Furry-Four-Legged Yoga Fans: See you all tomorrow or the next time your mom or your dad tune in to online yoga!

SCHEDULE:

  • Facebook Livestream Online Yoga Mondays through Thursdays 7-8am Gentle Hatha and 8:30-9:30am All Levels Hatha  LINK

  • Zoom Online Yoga Schedule LINK