Ethics: Ask the roof cat

My roof cat, Neeko--photo by Valerie W. McClain

Ask a roof cat about life and living and she smartly stays silent. She prowls her territory with great agility and wisely surveys her domain from the safety of the roof. Ask a roof cat about ethics at breakfast time, and she meows quite loudly. How dare you postpone breakfast for some discussion that is of no interest to her life? Feed her and ask her again and she promptly runs to the roof. "Oh roof cat, what do you think about the patenting of human milk?" Meow and a graceful leap to the roof. She turns and leans over the roof to stare at you, unconcerned by the tumultous world of humans and their thoughts on ethics. She stares at you. She knows something, if only she spoke my language. She meows again and bolts to the other side of the roof to watch her mockingbird. Yes, her bird friend, who keeps her on her toes and tries to peck her to keep her from getting to close to the nest.

Ask a roof cat about birth and feeding her babies. How did it go for you? Birthing all those babies? Oh my roof cat, I am afraid I could not offer you drugs for your birth or even speed it up or slow it down. I sat and watched and petted you during the worst moments. I don't think you realized I was even there but then again maybe you do remember. Your kittens came one after another, ugly little wet animals, tail first looking like you were birthing snakes. I kept my hands out of your space and watched as you a new mother nursed your babies. I wondered were the babies correctly positioned? Should I move them closer? Should I touch your precious little ones? No, I think not. I let you and your family alone. I was astounded at how you as a new mother knew what to do. You fed them around the clock and never seemed to be weary. And as they grew older, you left them more and more. And when weaning began, you showed your irritation with the antics of your babies and yet you were their protector.

So roof cat, what do you think of the human world, where mother's milk can be owned and sold? If you could break the species barrier and speak to us, would you discuss the wisdom of companies owning mammal milks and selling them to save us all from the task of raising our young? Oh, I think you wouldn't care because you could not comprehend the enormity of a world gone mad. Jump to the roof, hide from the humans....it is a world gone insane by desire for wealth without conscience. Do you know roof cat that they have cloned a cat? Oh yes roof cat I am sure they have cloned a cat. Oh roof cat, roof cat...what do you think of that?

Copyright 2008 Valerie W. McClain