Cat Meditating: Are Cats Practicing Mindfulness

Many people who meditate wish their minds would be as calm as a pet’s. They watch their cat lying quietly, staring out a window, or gently purring, and wonder: Is my cat meditating? Is that just relaxation, or something more? Can being around a cat during meditation help you focus, de-stress, or sharpen awareness?

These doubts matter because if you believe cats are just passive, you might miss out on connection, or use meditation without tapping into the tools around you. Ignoring the presence of a cat in meditation may mean ignoring something potentially useful for your wellness.

What happens when you overlook your cat’s behavior during meditation?

You miss cues of calm. Cats show stillness in ways humans often struggle with—dropping into quiet, pausing movement, observing without reacting. If you don’t observe, you don’t learn.
Stress stays higher. You try guided meditation or breathing, but distractions stay, and thoughts wander. Having a calm presence nearby may help reduce anxiety, but if you believe cats are irrelevant, you won’t try using them in your practice.
You lose on deeper bonding. If you try meditating with a pet, there is potential for shared calm. But if you don’t believe cats join or respond, you won’t even try.

To see what’s possible, let’s look at a case study.

Cats, Music, and Stress in Veterinary Visits

A scientific study tested whether cat-specific music can reduce signs of stress in cats during vet exams.

What they did:

20 domestic cats, aged 10 years or younger.
Three vet visits, each two weeks apart. During each exam, one of three auditory conditions was used: silence; classical music, or music composed for cats (with cat vocalizations, tempos matching feline resting heart rates, etc).

What they measured:

Behavioral stress via a Cat Stress Score (CSS)
How hard handling was (Handling Scale Score) during the exam.
Physiological stress via neutrophil: lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the cats’ blood.

What they found:

Cats exposed to cat-specific music had significantly lower CSS compared to silence or classical music.
Handling scale scores were lower under cat-music vs other conditions. That means veterinarians found the cats easier to handle when the cat music was playing.
However, the physiological measure (NLR) did not show a significant difference among the three conditions.

Interpretation relevant to “cat meditating”:

While cats listening to cat-specific music are not formally meditating (we can’t assert that they have meditation intention), their behavior under the right conditions suggests a shift toward calm, stillness, lower observable stress, and more ease. These are the states meditation aims toward.

Solution

Given the problem and what the case study shows, here is how you can explore “cat meditating” with your feline, to get benefits for both you and the cat.

1. Observe what your cat naturally does

Notice times when your cat becomes still: sitting, lying, staring quietly, breathing slowly. These moments are like a natural meditation state for the cat.
Let those moments inform your practice: you can mirror that stillness, quiet, non-action.

2. Use cat presence as support in your meditation sessions

Invite your cat into your meditation space if they want to join. They may lie beside you or on your lap. Their “being present” can help reinforce your own focus.
Try playing calm, cat-friendly sounds (if your cat responds well). Soft purring, or low-volume recordings. Avoid sounds that excite or distract.

3. Develop a joint routine

Meditate at the same time daily. Cats like routine. Over time, your cat may come to associate that time with calm.
Provide a comfortable spot for your cat: a blanket, a soft cushion near your couch. If your cat has its space, less chance of disruption.

4. Use the cat as a focal point when the mind wanders

When distractions come, you can bring awareness back to your cat: feel their purr or warmth, observe their breathing (if visible), and notice small movements. Use that as an anchor rather than resisting or fighting the wandering mind.

Why This Matters

Reduced stress: Like in the case study, observable behavioral stress in cats went down with appropriate environmental support. If you share space and time with calm, your stress may decrease, too.
Improved focus: Having an anchor (your cat’s presence or purr) gives something simple and real to return to when your thoughts drift.
Better pet-owner relationship: You become more attuned to your pet’s emotional state. That promotes trust, comfort, and maybe fewer behavioral problems.
Accessible mindfulness: Cats don’t need complex tools, apps, or strict posture. Their natural resting behavior can teach us simplicity, immediacy.

Conclusion

So, is cat meditating a thing? Not exactly in a human-defined way, but cats show behavior that mirrors meditative qualities: stillness, lowered reactivity, calm presence. And you can use their presence in your own meditation to deepen practice, reduce stress, and sharpen awareness.

The case study with cat-specific music shows that environmental conditions matter. When cats are comfortable and stimuli match native cat preferences, they lean toward calm behavior. You can mirror this: create a safe, regular, quiet space, attune to your cat, and allow them to join you.

If you try meditating with your cat present, you might find your sessions feeling more grounded, more connected, and more sustainable. Try observing, pause, breathe—and see what your cat teaches you.

FAQs

Q: Can cats really meditate?
Not in the human sense of setting an intention. But they regularly enter states that resemble calm awareness, stillness, and low reactivity.

Q: Will having a cat next to me during meditation always help?
Not always. Cats are individuals. Some are restless, sensitive to sound, or simply more active. It helps to give them freedom, respect their signals, and not force them into your routine.

Q: Could certain stimuli (like sound) bother a cat instead of calming them?
Yes. The case study found that typical classical or silence didn’t reduce stress as much as cat-specific music. Stimuli outside their preferred range or too loud may increase stress.

Cat Meditating: Are Cats Practicing Mindfulness — And How It Helps You