Not a Pet

You don't own a cat.

Hal once said, you're lucky if the cat you think you own is not convinced it owns you.

In truth, it's the cat that chooses you—then spends years deciding if you were worth the risk.

The cat is not a pet. Not a possession.

The cat is a cohabiting mystery with whiskers.

Ever owned a cat? Seen it disappear for hours with no explanation, stare into corners like it’s receiving instructions, knock objects off shelves with deliberate purpose—then curl up, satisfied, like it’s just saved the world?

Then you know what I’m talking about.

Your cat doesn’t obey—it observes.
It doesn’t fetch—it manipulates.
It doesn’t come when called—unless it was already on its way.

If dogs are noble workers, cats are the shadowy intelligence agency of the animal kingdom.

If you’ve ever read So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, the fourth book in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy “trilogy”, you know exactly what I mean.