I’m the kind of species that humans usually are for cats. Let cats miaow and look cute; I can’t care less. Besides, cats allegedly kill over two billion birds yearly in the US, and I like birds. But I get it; cats are part of our culture. Cats are on the rise. Cats play an essential role to mitigate loneliness. In Germany, over 8 Million cats lived in 2020. That’s about double as many cats as in 2010. That’s not a good sign, neither for birds nor for the population’s mental health.

But I totally understand the fascination cats radiate.