YouTube of Unique Cat Inspires Children's Book

Watching her cat Floppy simply try to cross the farmyard inspired Kari Kay.

"He was born with very little balance control which made his daily life very difficult," she said. "He had two other siblings that were born with the same challenges. They laid around most of the day letting their challenges get the best of them, while Floppy reacted differently. He spent his days taking on one adventure after another. Rarely did you see Floppy in one place for very long. Floppy enjoyed his life. Never letting his challenges stand in his way of having fun."

It was his determination that inspired Kay, a fitness trainer and wellness consultant, to film a video of her cat and post it on YouTube. Almost instantly she received an outpouring of good wishes from other pet owners, and felt that Floppy's spirit could inspire children the same way.

The result was a children's book and music CD titled Floppy Cat, from the Floppy Cat Company (www.floppycat.com), based on her cat's real life.

"Children face challenges in their lives every day, and I wanted to teach them that the power of positive thinking can help them overcome anything," she said. "I want kids to know that if you want to live life to the fullest, you just need to stay focused on what you want. Look for the good, and never, never let challenges stand in your way as obstacles, but rather use them as opportunities to grow and become all that you are meant to."

The lessons she wants her book to impart include:

• Keep your head help high at all times - No matter your situation, always have faith that being yourself is more than enough to making the most out of life.

• Don't let challenges hold you back from doing or getting what you want - Life isn't always going to be easy, but that doesn't mean you should let its challenges hold you back. Facing them with a smile can be your strength!

• Figure out what you want and go for it and be willing to learn new things - It's sometimes easier knowing what you don't want than what you do want, but once you've figured it out, you should be more like Floppy, who didn't let anything stand in his way.

• Believe in yourself! Use your uniqueness to move forward in life - Being different isn't a burden, but rather, it's a gift. Use it to your advantage instead of letting it hold you back. Your ability to overcome adversity will inspire everyone around you.

• Stay positive! Look for the good in every situation - Even at its worst, life can still have its good points, if we only look for them. Floppy wouldn't have had to look far to find doom and gloom, but instead - no matter what - he could always see the good in every situation.

"Despite his disability, Floppy lived a full and happy life," Kay said. "We can all take a lesson from that."

Having experienced many great adventures on her South Dakota farm with her two sons and many pets (including the real Floppy Cat), Kari Kay created the Floppy Cat series as a way of sharing the inspiration of the real Floppy's life with children everywhere. She is creatively working to share her knowledge through more books, songs, and an interactive web site that will continually bring joy and happiness to parents and their children.