Stereotype

by Taka

“I’m a stray cat, and I often overhear humans wistfully say they envy our lives, imagining that we spend our days in carefree slumber. But they’re mistaken. We think when we must, and we are far from idle—dawn and dusk are our busiest hours, and we do what we do best with precision and purpose.

Lately, though, I’ve noticed something unsettling. As the climate grows hotter, my fellow felines struggle to find comfort, both day and night. I don’t quite understand the reason for the rising heat, but my childhood friend hinted it might have something to do with the bitter debates and discussions humans seem stuck in. Some advocate for 'Blades,' praising their cleanliness, while others favor 'Pipes' for their convenience. Blade supporters insist Pipes are dirty and outdated, while Pipe supporters argue that Blades are noisy and impractical. It’s a tiresome back-and-forth. A few Blade advocates have even gone so far as to suggest adopting a new diet, something my well-read friend referred to as 'Vegetarianism.' Meanwhile, Pipe supporters scoff at the idea, indulging themselves without a second thought.

At first, I thought Pipe supporters were entirely without compassion. But that’s not the whole truth. They accuse Blades of killing countless birds, while Blade supporters retort by pointing out that we, cats, are responsible for far more bird deaths. It’s an extreme claim. We don’t catch birds out of malice—we hunt because we must. After all, we’re not 'Vegetarians.' It seems hypocritical to accept the deaths of birds caused by Blades while advocating for a plant-based diet, and yet we, the cats, are blamed for doing what comes naturally.

Oh, I almost forgot—my thoughtful uncle always says that numbers are vital to humans, and Blade supporters, in particular, seem to have a knack for them. It makes me wonder: do they really know how many of us cats there are in the world, or how many Blades? Or is it just another case of comparing apples to oranges?

Yet, my suspicions about Pipe supporters remain. They show concern only for the birds killed by Blades, but they seem indifferent to the suffering of other animals. It strikes me as rather fishy. Even my father senses something shady about them, especially since they’ve somehow managed to make our beloved bonito taste… off. It’s disturbing, to say the least. In the world of cats, we have a proverb for a long life: "There’s no such thing as foolish alarms—only foolish responses.”

One thing I’ve noticed about humans: they love to divide things into neat little categories—Blades and Pipes, green and red, cats and dogs. But in the process, they end up blaming each other and losing their way. Perhaps they’re right about one thing, though: we cats are more easygoing. All I really want is a cozy spot to sleep and some delicious bonito.”

The debate between Blades and Pipes seems endless. So, what should we focus on today? Let’s turn our attention to saving energy.