Behind the humorous cover of JoyEl Couch’s “Letter to the Cat” lies a profound message that broadened my perspective of myself and those around me. I found chuckles escaping my mouth as I learned of the various wrongs the narrator’s cat had committed against his family. Simultaneously, the underlying message of the piece genuinely intrigued me and ignited the inspiration for an idea that had never occurred to me before: we are all cats.
Within her piece, JoyEl described her cat’s rage-inducing actions, including how he observes the neighbor’s cat, rejects the luxuries provided for him, and even cries for attention, then leaves as soon as he receives it.
What some may not notice, however, is that these same traits are embedded in humanity. Although we may not necessarily examine felines, we do find romantic attraction in other humans, just as the narrator’s cat took an interest in another pet. We wish for things we do not have, and lose amusement in them as time goes on. We, too, make mistakes and commit social injustices, which is no different from other animals, including the narrator’s cat. Why do we berate different species for being similar to us? At times, we are also “complete and total nuisances”, and yet we judge other beings harshly when they are as well. We cannot be unfair and must respect one another, an example being the relationship between a pet and a pet owner.
In essence, despite the physical differences, humans and animals are parallels, creatures of the same core. We all have desires, principles, and without the furry whiskers, we may see that cats are humans, and humans are cats.
This article opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking. Whether intentional or unintentional, I gradually came to realize that our own selves are reflected in the actions of other animals and pets. Whether it’s yearning for attention or following one’s own rules, we are all living things; we are the same. Neither of us are the masters, and neither is the servant. In the last phrases of JoyEl’s fascinating piece, “In other words, you must put up with us, because we put up with you.”