‘I found a source of gymspiration in the most unlikely of places: my cat’

Six years ago, I went to the gym for the first time in my life. It was a belated – and nerve-wracking – decision, inspired by, among other things, a motivational personal trainer friend and deteriorating mental health.

All was going well until the pandemic. With orders to remain indoors, any desire to exercise dissipated. In fact, for the first time in my life, it seemed like staying indoors and watching countless films and TV shows was being actively encouraged. It was a downward spiral – but fortunately, I found a source of inspiration in the most unlikely of places: my cat.

My girlfriend and I adopted Abraham about three months into the pandemic. He had recently been brought into an animal shelter, having been found roaming the streets, where he is thought to have been fending for himself after seemingly being abandoned by his previous owners.

After welcoming Abraham into our home, it took him a few weeks to grow accustomed to his new living situation. To say we spoiled Abraham is an understatement – and it was perhaps a result of this that we soon realised Abraham was making the most of this new life of luxury. For me, the novelty of staying still in one position for hours at a time was harder to resist with a cute companion.

But, as the pandemic continued with no signs of ending anytime soon, I realised a change was required. If I was to get through, I had to switch up my diet and get active. Coming to that realisation was one thing, but putting it into action was another thing altogether – and it was Abraham that fast tracked that process.

I knew cats were independent animals, but I did not realise quite how much my mood influenced Abe’s daily activities. Putting it bluntly: Abraham is a big boy. I was feeling partly responsible for Abraham’s docile habits, so I decided to contact my personal trainer pal to devise a fitness regime and diet catered to the pandemic experience. And equally, we made a visit to the vet for tips on how to improve Abraham’s well-being – by making him be more active and feeding him well-portioned, high quality foods such as PRO PLAN.

Soon, we both had more energy, and following our respective eating plans meant we both got leaner too. Abe was following PRO PLAN feeding guides and eating their high quality pet food too.

Jump forward four years, and it turns out that working from home more often has far more benefits for Abraham than if I was in the office every day. As a culture journalist, I’m required to watch a large amount of films and TV shows – not a terrible way to spend a working day, granted, and Abe is as brilliant a viewing partner there is.

But, now I’ve learnt to make exercise a regular fixture in my life, working from home encourages me to have regular playtime breaks with Abe. Just like I’ve come to love the squat rack, Abe is now a big fan of his new climbing tree. It also means we both get healthy and balanced meals, rich in protein, and full of high quality ingredients. For Abe that means sticking to his PRO PLAN portions.

On my office days, I’m sure Abe spends the majority of the day snoozing; like myself, Abe needs to be lured into being active – especially in the colder months – and he now has a great time doing so as it’s part of his routine.

Pets are terrific to have when you’re working from home for many reasons. If I’m in the office, I often find I’ve skipped lunch, or taken a small five-minute screen break as opposed to a full hour. When at home, I’ll venture into the garden and Abe will follow – and before too long, he’s running around or climbing up trees and we’re both getting fresh air.

I never expected getting a pet would be conducive to a healthier lifestyle, but that’s precisely what’s happened – and the result has an added bonus: it’s bonded us closer together. Those sofa cuddles are far better knowing we’ve earnt them!