The Cat Not in the Hat But The Library

The tiger cat, curled up on the blue chair, was bigger than a Pekinese. What made it strange he was in the reading area in front of the circulation desk of the Argelès library. When people stopped to stroke him, he would open an eye, and perhaps purr, perhaps not. When a group of kids off from school as they always are on Wednesday came through he did the cat equivalent of a frown, but once they trooped past, he shut his eyes again. When the library closed for lunch he slipped off the chair and marched out the front door.

After years in Europe I am used to having animals in restaurants, cafés, hotels, buses, but this is the first time I saw an animal in a library. Unlike animals in other places, the cat was obviously alone, although with his thick coat and size there was no question of being a stray. Either he decided this was a more comfortable place to curl up than outside or he wanted to read the latest issue of LeMonde. He looked wise enough for the second.

Years ago one of the NGOs in Geneva moved to a farmhouse that had been converted to offices. A white kitten adopted the staff. She wormed her way into regular meals, trips to the vet when needed, and a comfy bed at night. When a new Secretary General needed to be appointed, one of the tests was how the candidate responded when the cat walked through the interview. The one hired liked the cat although, she did have the proper credentials as well.

Somehow, being nice to animals, seems to make us all a bit more human, don't you think.