All the reasons not to live with a cat. Or perhaps yes

He doesn't pay rent, doesn't clean, doesn't say thank you, demands punctuality at breakfast, and spends much of the day sleeping. As a roommate, he would have every reason to be evicted. And yet, all it takes is seeing the happiness in the eyes of the person who lives with him to understand that perhaps this cat is doing everything right.

There are messy roommates, noisy roommates, uncooperative roommates. And then there are cats.

Take my sister's cat.

You go to visit him after a long time and he doesn't greet you. During a video call, he makes sure not to even give you a glance. You pet him and he ignores you.

And don't think it's a memory problem: he knows his name perfectly well. He simply chooses when to acknowledge it. You can call him ten times without getting the slightest reaction, but try opening a packet of food three rooms away and you'll witness an instant materialization.

After all, he has rather demanding standards when it comes to food.

He has never done the grocery shopping in his life, but he has very specific tastes. You prepare food for him and he doesn't say thank you. He finishes and, naturally, doesn't wash the dishes. At the table, good manners aren't his strong suit: eating neatly is not part of his principles, and climbing onto the table without being invited seems perfectly normal to him.

Vi presento Tato, il gatto nero di mia sorella

Even when it comes to contributing to the running of the household, he leaves quite a lot to be desired.

He spreads fur everywhere, but has never picked up a broom. He knocks things onto the floor and calmly waits for someone else to pick them up. He doesn't put his toys away and, perhaps even worse, never changes the litter box despite being the only one who uses it.

On the other hand, he has very clear ideas about how the house should be run.

He doesn't contribute to the bills, but expects the temperature to be to his liking. He takes the best spot on the sofa without ever having bought it. He walks across the computer keyboard and takes no responsibility for any emails he might accidentally send.

And schedules must be respected.

We wake up at a certain time during the week? Fine. That's the time. On Saturday too. On Sunday too. The concept of "today I'll sleep a little longer" is not contemplated. Profound selfishness.

Meanwhile, he can sleep as much as he wants.

He doesn't have any particularly demanding hobbies, doesn't work, doesn't cook, doesn't do the grocery shopping, and doesn't do any household chores. And yet he needs numerous naps throughout the day.

On the emotional front, things don't seem to improve either.

He never asks how your day went. He doesn't remember your birthday. You bring him presents and he doesn't say thank you. He lives entirely at your expense and, despite everything, still has more self-esteem than you.

In short, a terrible roommate.

The kind of roommate you would never want to have in your home, at least on paper.

But then my sister comes home.

She opens the door, he's there, and her eyes light up.

And that smile says everything this list doesn't.

Because in the end, it hardly matters that he doesn't wash the dishes, doesn't pay the rent, doesn't say thank you, and considers Sunday morning a working day.

Judging by the happiness he gives her, perhaps, somehow, he is doing everything right.