Table of Contents
1 Cats and Philosophy 1
A cat-loving anti-philosopher: Michel de Montaigne 6
Mèo's journey 9
How cats domesticated humans 16
2 Why Cats Do Not Struggle to Be Happy 25
When philosophers talk of happiness 26
Pascal on diversion 31
Hodge and the Fall 38
3 Feline Ethics 45
Morality, a very peculiar practice 45
Spinoza on living according to your nature 47
Selfless egoism 58
4 Human vs Feline Love 67
Saha's triumph 67
Ming's biggest prey 70
Loving Lily 75
Gattino vanishes 79
5 Time, Death and the Feline Soul 89
Muri's farewell 89
Civilization as death-denial 93
Cats as gods 99
6 Cats and the Meaning of Life 105
Cat nature, human nature 106
Ten feline hints on bow to live well 108
Mèo on the window ledge 111
Acknowledgements 113
Notes 115