an idle thought experiment about cats

May 31, 2011

Obviously, humans tend to like furry mammals as pets, in part because they seem emotionally accessible, somehow similar to us in desires and motivations. In return, this little kitten seems to recognize some sort of similarity with me. She looks me in the eyes, seems to know basically what various human limbs and facial features are for, and so forth.

But with this upcoming Lovecraft manuscript in mind, I was wondering how a kitten would react to being raised by squid-like or jellyfish-like Lovecraftian monsters. Assuming they fed the kitten and played with her to a sufficient degree, would the kitten be satisfied? Or would the kitten somehow always feel a bit horrified by the physical incongruities between herself and them?

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