Inside Your Cat's Mind - February 2023

From taking your cats on trips to giving them gifts to remembering them in your will, this issue of Inside Your Cat's Mind explains how to make our kitties feel safe and loved. The true key to feline happiness, covered in this issue, turns out to be freedom, according to the bioethicist Jessica Pierce in her important essay, "Free Them." Our cats, themselves, should be given space to decide what and where to eat or sleep, when to play, when you can touch them and when they need time alone. A cat is happiest as the master of her day, and it's this very penchant for self-determination that has caused some people to question the sincerity of cats and the bond they have with us. Put your doubts to rest. In a series of pieces inside this issue we explain how cats, though not quite as domesticated as dogs, came to be our faithful life companions; how they invented a language for us; and why they miss us badly when we're gone. We've also devoted several pages to the baffling aspects of cat behaviors. If you want to learn why your cat kicks litter or rubs his cheek all over your face, just read on!