Why do we put clothing on cats? Is there a new occupation - cat tailor? We have fabric collars and those made of bread for cats. You can purchase cat sweaters, dresses, scarves and coats. Okay, now how did these people manage to get these cats to wear those clothes? Were the cat's claws removed? So now you declaw the cat so that it can use a wardrobe of specially made clothing? We used to declaw cats so that they would make better pets. Or do you think the cat was trained to wear clothes? I am an advocate for training, but training to wear clothes?
There is a theory that humans will try to make animals take on human characteristics. So our pets must wear clothes, and we do their laundry because they are members of the family. If we consider ourselves to be of upper crust our cats must wear clothing that fits their station in life. So of course there must be couture names for the clothing. The market has responded. The names are cute. You can find Meowfits, Feline Fashions, and the most interesting Cat-toure. This last place has cats who are fashionistas and wear rock star clothing. This ready to wear line includes robes, hoodies and tank tops.
Of course our pets have to fully experience the good life. The ideal cat will have a closet full of clothes, eat off of crystal stemware, and sleep in a special bed. There is such an appeal for it that an advertising campaign features a high class white kitty who does just that. The highlight of the commercial is when he eats from a crystal stemware.
I suggest a different course for responsible pet ownership. Cats are noble animals, and the operative word is animal. Whatever happened to letting a cat be a cat? For centuries cats have been our animal companions. The Egyptians were so fond of their cats that they mummified them so that they would continue to be pets in the afterlife. Cats have been deified by man, shared their trials and endured their tribulations. Researchers have decided that the Black Death was a scourge in Europe because cats were annihilated. The cats did not kill the vermin, the vermin had fleas, and the fleas infected the people. People love their cats, and the cats love their owners. Now don't they deserve at least a better fate than being forced to wear clothes and bread? Some may think that the cat looks very cute in these clothes, but I suggest that they take a look at the cat's face and their demeanor. I have yet to see a cat look contented in clothing; they look disgusted, and perhaps just a little bit angry. Let's treat them with respect, let the cat go naked. Mother Nature knows best and fur is the perfect covering.
