I am writing this article a little angry, be advised. Also be advised this article explain why veganism is ridiculous and why veganism is not ridiculous FOR ME. I am not telling you what you need to believe, you do you and I will do me. Be free. =D
It is 5 a.m. in the morning, and for the twentieth time, I have been woken up by the homeless cat that roams around our hut at the Kanekiki Farm. Since I moved here, this cat has been meowing, day and night, making it impossible for me to get a good night sleep. Needless to say, it has been pissing me off (Pardon my French). My roommates seem to like the cat and want her to stay, and I am getting closer and closer to chopping her in half with a machete.
How to Fail at Getting Rid of a Cat
We first tried to get rid of the cat by ignoring her. She would try to get into the hut every time we opened the door. This was highly inconvenient, considering that we get up to pee a handful of times at night (we live in a raw vegan community and frequent night time peeing is very common). Needless to say, this didn’t work, the cat persisted, roaming around our hut day and night.
I eventually brought this up to Vicki and Barb, the owners of the Kanekiki Farm. They said that the only solution would be to take her to the humane society, where she could be put for adoption, but most likely, put to sleep (a.k.a killed).
This, of course, was a tough choice for me, I didn’t want the cat to suffer or die, yet, I don’t want myself to suffer either, which is what has been happening every morning and night since the cat arrived to the hut.
Why Veganism Has Extreme Approaches
I decided to try other alternatives. Our friend Matt, who also lives at the Kanekiki Farm and sleeps in a hut nearby, told us that whenever that cat appeared in his hut, he would “tell her nicely to be quiet and let him sleep”. According to him, the cat would listen and respect his request.
I tried it the very next night, and guess what. It worked! Only for one night. After that the cat continued to meow around the hut regardless of how kindly I asked for peace. My frustration continued to grow and my sleep continued to decrease.
After that I tried a few different things, like picking up the cat and taking her all the way to the other side of the Kanekiki Farm. That didn’t work either. By then I was almost ready to take the cat to the humane society and let them deal with it. However, my roommates continued to plead for mercy, saying that the cat only wanted love.
I found this ridiculous, when did veganism go from “do your best to not hurt the animals” to “take care of them and do whatever they want you to do”?
The Cat Must Go, Why Veganism Failed
Eventually, after a week or two of coping with this issue, I finally bent and let the freaking cat inside the hut. I figured she was a female, and so I named her “Empathy” to remind myself to be kind to her. That night she slept in my bed, right between my legs. I will admit it was a cute moment, and for once, she didn’t meow.
I figured we would finally have peaceful nights at the hut. This didn’t last long. The next night, I again let Empathy come inside the hut. Unfortunately, during the night, I woke up to her meowing again. This time she was inside the hut, what could she possible want?
I looked around, and what I found boiled my blood: Empathy had brought a dead mouse into the hut and placed it under my bed. I immediately got up, picked up the mouse with a shovel and threw it far away, then I grabbed Empathy and took her outside the hut. I was feeling enraged.
The Drop that Bent the Straw
Matt keeps insisting I need to talk more to the cat. He now says that I need to ask her to “please don’t bring dead rats inside my hut”. He says that the cat just “wants to be acknowledged for catching a mouse”, “she wants to be recognized for her skill”… basically, Matt says I need to reward the cat for killing a mouse and bringing it inside my hut. The thoughts in my head: WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?
Why do I have to praise an animal for killing another one, while I am not allowed to get rid of one that won’t let me sleep? When did I become a slave to this cat? How many more cats am I supposed to serve? Should I start letting every cat into my hut? What about dogs and wild pigs who also want a place to sleep? What about humans? Do I need to let homeless people inside my hut too? After all, veganism says there is no species better than the other… What makes a homeless cat looking for love more worthy than a homeless human looking for love?
I am done with this cat shit. I am getting rid of Empathy.
Why Veganism Won, Saving Empathy
After talking to Jake for the 100th time, I decided to give Empathy another chance and let her stay with us inside the hut. I simply couldn’t allow the thought of taking her to the humane society, we knew she would be put to sleep, which is a nice way of saying that she would be killed.
Instead we decided to take turns opening the door to let the cat inside the hut, while making sure she isn’t bringing any dead animals inside. We also got some earplugs which don’t help much but at least are better than nothing.
Since then Empathy and I have become better friends. I am still learning to understand her needs and how to empathize with her. I am also learning how to express my needs in a way she will understand. In other words: I am trying to coexist with this cat like I would with any other human being.
I still think it would be ridiculous for me to become a slave to a cat and do whatever she wants or suffer the consequences of sleepless nights. I also think it is wrong to give a cat benefits that we wouldn’t give to a human. I am still working with that.
I probably won’t be writing more about Empathy since it seems that we have made our peace. I do feel somewhat guilty and ashamed that I thought about sending Empathy to die, there are no excuses for that. However, I am glad to have done the right thing by keeping the cat alive. This situation has helped me see animals more like I see humans, and to value their life just as much.
