How My Cat Made Me a Better Fireman
People assume that firefighters learn their skills from rigorous training, grizzled veterans, and years of experience.
In my case, the credit belongs largely to a twelve-pound orange cat named Walter.
Walter never attended fire academy.
Walter never read a safety manual.
Walter's understanding of emergency preparedness consisted mainly of knocking things off tables to see what happened.
Yet I am convinced he made me a better fireman.
It began with his fascination for confined spaces.
No cardboard box was too small. No cabinet was too crowded. No shelf was too high. If there existed a location that appeared inaccessible to all known forms of life, Walter considered it a personal challenge.
One afternoon he vanished.
After a frantic search of the house, I found him peacefully sleeping inside a kitchen drawer that had been closed for at least an hour.
To this day, I have no theory.
A month later he somehow became trapped behind a bookcase.
The following week he locked himself in a bathroom.
If cats awarded merit badges, Walter would have earned one for Advanced Entrapment.
As a result, I became unusually skilled at locating hidden occupants.
Years later, when searching smoke-filled structures as a firefighter, I discovered that people are surprisingly creative about where they choose to shelter.
Thanks to Walter, very few hiding places surprised me.
Then there was Walter's insistence on inspecting everything.
A grocery bag on the floor?
Inspection required.
Open suitcase?
Inspection required.
Freshly assembled furniture?
Immediate inspection required.
This habit taught me to pay attention to details.
Small clues matter.
A slightly open door.
A scuff mark.
An unusual sound.
Often the difference between finding someone and missing them comes down to noticing one tiny thing.
Cats understand curiosity better than most people.
Walter certainly did.
Of course, Walter also taught me humility.
Nothing prepares a person for giving a stern lecture on household discipline while being completely ignored.
I'd explain rules.
Walter would blink slowly.
I'd repeat the rules.
Walter would yawn.
I'd raise my voice.
Walter would begin washing one paw.
It was excellent preparation for dealing with certain human beings.
Finally, Walter demonstrated a quality shared by many successful firefighters:
calm under pressure.
A smoke detector could be screaming.
Guests could be running about.
Thunder might be rattling the windows.
Walter remained convinced that all situations would eventually improve if he took a nap.
To be clear, this is not official firefighting doctrine.
But there is wisdom in remaining calm when everyone else is panicking.
Over the years, I learned many valuable lessons from instructors, colleagues, and experience.
Yet some of the most memorable came from a cat whose primary life goals were eating breakfast, finding sunbeams, and achieving impossible locations.
So whenever someone asks how I became such a capable firefighter, I tell them the truth.
Training helped.
Experience helped.
But my cat deserves at least partial credit.
After all, if you can successfully rescue the same orange cat from the same impossible situation seventeen times, rescuing humans starts to seem considerably easier.
Reflection
Sometimes our greatest teachers arrive with impressive credentials.
Sometimes they arrive with whiskers, questionable judgment, and an unwavering commitment to climbing into places they absolutely should not be.
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Post inspired by the book How My Cat Made Me a Better Man (Jeremy Feig)
Book Description
Jeremy Feig was at rock bottom - broke, alone, and living in a shoebox-sized apartment. At the same time, his cat was perfectly content. What was her secret? She couldn't say it out loud, but it was clear she had all the answers to living a good life. How My Cat Made Me a Better Man is a hilarious self-help book for guys that gals like, too, based on the lessons of an edgy cat named Shelly. It's packed with useful advice on topics like relationships, dealing with stress, and even grooming habits. If you feel like your life is spinning out of control, this book will help you set things right - and keep you laughing along the way. Winner of the Kops-Fetherling International Books Awards legacy humor award and finalist for Book of the Year Award, How My Cat Made Me a Better Man is a "darling" of cat bloggers, recipient of a Readers' Favorite 5-star review, and "highly recommended" by MidWest Book Review. Delightfully illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings by famed Russian artist, Zhenya Yanovich.
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Read more posts by and about Jeremy Feig and his book HERE.
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