A Cat Feels No Guilt

Why should she?

Deborah Barchi
2 min readJan 7, 2022

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Photo by Jan Kopřiva on Unsplash

A cat feels no guilt
for doing what a cat does
choosing its own way

If I ever return in this epoch-cycle-of-life-and- death, I want to come back as a cat. Not just any cat, mind you, but as a pampered and much-loved house cat, that most complacent of creatures.

Stretched out luxuriously in one of their many chosen spots, my two cats glance up lazily as I enter the room. Caught up in my “to do” list, I look at my cats and wonder, “what must it be like to take a nap (or a series of naps) with no thought whatsoever about what still needs to be done?”

To my cats, existence is a series of naps, punctuated by sensual stretches, on-demand meals, and the occasional stalking of a catnip mouse, or for the fun of it, each other. When the mood strikes them they curl up beside me or on my lap and purr with undeniable pleasure as I tell them how wonderful they are.

Yes, cats certainly do hold the title, against all challengers: the most complacent and guilt-free creatures on Earth.

Cats and haiku seem perfect companions to me. If you enjoyed A Cat Feels No Guilt, you might also enjoy the following linked haiku about cats, also published on House of Haiku. Thanks for reading!

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Deborah Barchi

Deborah Barchi has recently retired from her career as a librarian and now has time to read, explore nature, and write poetry and essays.