10/29/2026
Maisy and Noodle taught me an important lesson about energy.
When I moved into my current home, Maisy went from being a social, affectionate cat who loved the catio, sitting on my lap, and hanging out with me to spending most of her time hiding.
At first, I figured she was adjusting to the move. There was construction going on, I was working long hours, and I was under a tremendous amount of stress.
But even after the noise and disruptions around the house stopped, Maisy kept hiding. Eventually, I just thought, well, I guess this is how she is here.
I’d also taken in Noodle around that time. She mostly stayed in one room and wasn’t particularly social or cuddly, so I assumed that was just her personality.
About 9 or 10 months after we moved, I started making some changes of my own. I was dealing with health challenges, getting back into Reiki, doing some inner work, and learning to regulate my nervous system. I also left my corporate job.
And something interesting happened.
Maisy started zooming around the house again! She was hanging out with me and acting like the cat I’d known before we moved.
It took me a minute to connect the dots, but I started noticing a pattern. On days when I was really stressed, she’d retreat again. When I was feeling more settled, she’d come out.
And Noodle turned out to be one of the most outgoing and affectionate cats I’ve ever known! I just hadn’t gotten to see that side of her yet.
That experience opened my eyes to how sensitive our animals can be to the energy around them and how connected our emotional well being can be to theirs.
It doesn’t mean every behavior our animals have is because of us. There are plenty of reasons an animal might hide or act differently.
But it taught me something about how taking care of ourselves can make a difference for the animals sharing our lives, too.
And I have two very special cats to thank for that.
Happy National Cat Day!
