Thursday, September 8, 2011

STUFF I THINK ABOUT! CATS 1. Ownership

You can own a dog. You cannot own a cat.

Theoretically, the cat is your own. You feed it, shelter it, groom it, love it and even care about it (though it rarely seems if they care about you in any real way). Yet, a cat was never your property and, if it so wishes will return to the ethereal mists of the cat’s private world and ultimately, get hit by a car. The cat is not your property.

In this way, a cat is like an Apple product you just brought from the Apple store (or anywhere, actually).

Theoretically, the Apple product is yours. You power it, you shelter it, you keep it clean, love it and even care about it (it is only a machine, alas). Yet, an Apple product was never your property, and if Apple so wishes, it will return to the futuristic depths from which it crept, where the geniuses roam. The Apple product is not your property.

This is why, while I can appreciate a cat or an i thing, I make it a rule to own neither.