Maslow’s hierarchy of needs for humans starts with the basics: food, water, warmth, rest. Moving up the ladder: safety and shelter; love and belonging; esteem; self-actualization. Can this apply to cats? In Gracie’s case, she has come so far and still growing!
This once feral cat squabbled for everything she needed. As a kitten, she was savvy enough to live outdoors and survive. She became adept at finding food in the barn and surrounds. She was the boss of her litter and fought to keep herself alive. As luck would have it, she was trapped by a good spirit who found her a home. Plunged into this new world, she still demanded to be the boss and her new two-legged gently coached her to adapt. Like her ancestors who learned socialization skills to get close to human food scraps, Gracie slowly learned about her new surroundings and what it would take to thrive.
With her basic needs met, she flourished. She learned the window is where the birds play but not to leave the house to find them. In short, she learned the importance of belonging. In turn, she taught Mom patience, trust, and the profound gratitude that comes from that magic communication across species.
As cat behavior expert John Bradshaw puts it: “Cats still have three out of four paws firmly planted in the wild.” Gracie’s remembrance of this wild side will play a role as she climbs the ladder. But for now, she knows that, with this home, belonging matters.
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About this piece: Image transfer techniques were used to print Gracie where she looms large among a field of flowers. The flowers are a metaphor of her safe, beautiful, and loving home. The distressed white and black represents her previous scary and hard-scrabbled life. Acrylics and crayons embellish the images with particular attention to those mesmerizing electric-green eyes.