Life can, and is, purr-fectly satisfying. Well, at least it has the potential to be so. Just ask Yogi Cat. What’s that, you ask? Yogi Cat is the name of a cat who grew up in a yoga studio. Now we all know how cats love to purr and stretch, but did you also know that cats are in purr-fect union with the world around them and this gives them absolute happiness. Let Yogi Cat explain it all to you and then you’ll understand how one cat can lead us in sixteen different ways to happiness – from stretching, eating, and keeping clean to listening, rubbing, smelling and, of course, loving.

M. R. Neer’s book, Yogi Cat: 16 Ways to Happiness, is a collection of clever short stories, told in first-person narrative from the purr-spective of one very special cat, Yogi Cat. After Yogi Cat gives the reader a short introduction, including Yogi Cat’s unique biography, the book follows a set course of sixteen chapters, each one dealing with an important aspect of building the purr-fect life full of happiness. The number sixteen is significant in yoga: it is believed that there are sixteen facets of life in each human, which means that one is purr-fect in these sixteen facets of life. All very complicated, but not the way Yogi Cat presents it. Each chapter deals with one of these facets: stretching, eating, etc. And each chapter is a simple presentation with a touch of humor and purr-fect happiness by the presenter, Yogi Cat. Each chapter is a short story with a cat's eye view that will lead the reader through life’s purr-pose, to purr-ception, purr-sistence and, yes, purr-fection, or at least purr-fect happiness. I love the illustrations; they add another level of happiness to this presentation.

Yogi Cat: 16 Ways to Happiness by M. R. Neer is a compilation of stories about cats and how they discover new things that make their lives easier and happier. Now, just because they are cats does not mean that we humans can’t apply their teachings to our own lives; in the end, simplicity is simplicity. Every story gives examples as to how and why the lesson is a valuable one that will not only help you in the present but probably in the future as well. The 16 lessons provided are very simple but not always easy to keep up with regularly. One of the hidden messages in this book is to believe in yourself and believe in the capacity that we have to improve our quality of life.

Since I was a little girl, I have had cats in my life, thus I have always wondered what cats were thinking about. Especially when they would lie down and look out the window and it almost seemed as if they were going to jump due to their curiosity. The minds of animals and what they think about will always be a mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and seeing the world from a cat’s perspective. Overall, all of Yogi Cat’s conclusions and lessons have been a breath of fresh air. Sometimes, we need to be reminded of the most basic things in life so as to better enjoy life. Living in this current hectic world can become overwhelming at times and can become detrimental to the quality of life you want to have. Yogi Cat: 16 Ways to Happiness by M. R. Neer will help you in this.