Scarline Martinez 

Alyssa Yankwitt

ENGL 210

04/12/21

The Life of a Cat Lover

Log in 

    It was precisely 5:01 pm on a Friday where I found myself sitting in my room, desk facing my window as I anticipated the interview. The bitter wind entering my room made me more anxious as I reflected on ways to form a rapport with my classmate. The person I had the pleasure of interviewing was Yanmei Hu; we agreed to interview through zoom, given our circumstances with COVID-19.

    Hours before the interview, Yanmei had expressed feeling nervous, which I don’t blame her for the thought of having a one-to-one conversation in a non-classroom setting was intimidating. As soon as the interview started, the tense ambiance went away. I think Yanmei’s personality made me naturally want to adopt an extrovert tendency. 

   Yanmei was sporting a casual look. Her jet black hair was styled in the middle, giving her a youthful look while wearing a white sweatshirt accompanied with a black turtleneck. As I got through the questions, I collected bits of information from an outsider standpoint about Yanmei and her subculture as a cat lover. Her responses were thoughtful; she would pause before replying and eager to expand on her answer if prompted. This could be noted when I asked if she ever owned a cat before, to which she confirmed, stating, “I have when I was in China, but I don’t have one after I came to America.” Yanmei’s response naturally led me to ask a follow-up question regarding her cat’s whereabouts. She reveals she had this cat when she was still young while living in China; it had passed away. Her eyes were down the entire time as if she was reminiscing on the memories. She wore an expression of somber. Her cat’s death had affected her, resulting in her parents’ hesitation to get her another one, worried she’d have the same reaction. 

   After hearing Yanmei’s story, I couldn’t help but sympathize with her. Her expression attested how much the loss of her pet had struck her. Despite not owning a pet, I’m an animal lover; I can only imagine her pain. On a more light-hearted note, she disclosed the cat’s name was “Watermelon.” While laughing, Yanmei details, “my cat’s name was Watermelon because it was an abandoned cat. I found it on the side of the road. It was summer and the cat was just hiding under the watermelon rind.” Such a sweet story is indeed heartwarming; it showed her loving disposition. 

Claws Out!

   I had formed some assumptions about cat lovers. They consisted of characterizing cat loves as people that like all cat breeds. When it comes to other animals, they particularly dislike dogs. I presumed that cats were particularly unaffectionate with their owners.

   When asked which specific breed of cats she likes, she had revealed that she loved most of them; however, “hairless cats,” known as a sphynx, were the exception. Head twisted to the side, nose scrunched, and eyes pointed downward Yanmei grinned as she described how sphynx “looks a little strange,” which caused me to laugh. Her choice of words was a nicer way to describe sphynx. I, however, think they resemble a blend of Voldemort and a rat; I’m sure they’re lovely pets, though. Further, she explained how they were “more prone to skin disease” than other cats. Yanmei is clearly knowledgeable about her subculture; she is a true cat lover. 

   When discussing her favorite memories with a cat, Yanmei recounts moments from when she was young where she would study late at night. Her cat would keep her company by resting on her lap, making her feel like she was not alone. Yanmei’s cat would place their head on her hand, signaling to go to bed. She states, “it made my heart really warm.” It appeared that  Yanmei and her cat had a deep bond.

CatDog

   We discussed the widely debated topic, Cat vs. Dog; it appeared that Yanmei didn’t have a strong view on the subject. She comments on the common assumption that cats and dogs can’t get along, which she disagrees with. Yanmei mentions having owned a dog while also having a cat. They would often “play together, sleep together and would not really fight.” Her response came as a surprise to me; It seems like she doesn’t dislike dogs as I had presumed. 

   We talked about her thoughts on the stereotype of cats being mean and not liking her owner and whether she disagreed or agreed. She didn’t entirely agree. Yanmei expressed how cats and dogs “express themselves differently,” but dogs appear to be more loyal. Interestingly, Yanmei shared an unexpected Chinese tale. She says if a “person and a dog are alone in a room and the room doesn’t have any food…” and the person dies. The dog will starve to death instead of eating the person’s body. On the contrary, if a cat and a person were alone in a room and “the cat feels very hungry they will come for the people after they passed away and they will eat the body of that person.” Yanmei expressed uncertainty about the truth behind this story; however, she comments on its absurdity. 

In conclusion 

   Yanmei’s answers were unique. She managed to turn a simple question into a more profound one. Her dynamic with cats is impressive, seeing how affectionate her previous cat was with her. It granted insight into her character as she cared for an abandoned cat and her reaction to the death, showing her kind nature. My assumptions were wrong, given that not all cat lovers dislike dogs or like all breeds of cats. Cats can be extremely affectionate with their owner.

    Despite cats being the subject, China managed to become a common subject for our conversation. Yanmei didn’t voice it, but it seemed to be a considerable part of her identity. Undoubtedly, China and her subculture are connected; her love for cats seems to stem from the memories form with Watermelon back in her home country.

 

 

Transcript

S: Have you ever owned a cat before?

Y: Yes, I have when I was in China, but I don’t have one after I came to America.

S: If you don’t mind me asking, what happened to your cat?

Y: I had my cat when I was young, and the cat passed away, and I was very sad and family they–you don’t have to be so sad like this because you can have a new cat when you grow up or something and just for now they did not buy me a new cat now they’re afraid of me having the same situation like before 

S: I think you deserve a cat now 

S: What was your previous cat’s name? 

Y: That’s very funny. My cat’s name was Watermelon because it was an abandoned cat. I found it on the side of the road. It was summer, and the cat was just hiding under the watermelon rind.

S: That’s a great name, so what is the reason behind your love for cats?

Y: I think cats are very lovely and they’re very clean because they always clean themselves all the time 

S: I noticed your profile on slack is a picture of a cat. Is that your cat or a random one?

Y: That’s not my cat, that cat I follow on TikTok I always watch the video about cats on TikTok I would see a lot of lovely cats pictures

S: I’m also obsessed with pets on TikTok, so how do you think your life would change if you were to get a cat now?

Y: Yeah, I think life would be more fun, or at least I would spend less time playing on my phone. I always just sleep, eat, study, and watch my phone because when I have a cat, I need to spend more time with my cat 

S: I agree, so do you have any pets right now?

Y: No, I don’t have any pets now  

S: Do you wish or plan to get any pets in the future?

Y: Yes, I wish I could; maybe after my graduation from college, I would have my cat because now I live in Brooklynn, and campus is in Manhattan. I need to take the subway about two hours long. I don’t have that much time for my cat 

S: I thought it would be like one hour that’s a long commute

Y: Yes 

S: So, do you have a specific breed of cats that you like? For example, British shorthair, Persian cats, and so on. 

Y: I like mostly all cats except the hairless cats because I think that cat looks a little strange, and they’re more prone to skin disease than other cats 

S: Yeah, I agree, so since you’re a cat lover, is there any animal that you dislike?

Y: uhmm, I am most afraid of snakes when I see a snake, I feel very –I think the snake is very disgusting. That feeling is from when I was young now I’m grown up, and I’m still afraid of them. When I lived in China, there were always snakes on the side of the road.

S: I think cockroaches are a little bit more scary since they can fly, I’m really afraid of them 

S: What is one of your favorite memories or experiences with a cat?

Y: Uhmm, it happened when I was young. I always studied into the night, and my always accompany me it would sleep on my lap or next to the table, and that would make me feel like i’m not alone, and sometimes they would rest their head against my hand it seemed to tell me just go to bed already it made my heart really warm 

S: Wow, so what is your opinion on the dog versus cat debate? 

Y: A lot of people may think cats and dogs can’t get along well. I think they can because when I was young, I had a cat and a dog at the same time. Sometimes they just play together, sleep together, and would not really fight. I think they can get along well. 

S:I agree, so what do you think about such stereotypes about cats being mean and not liking their owner? Do you agree or disagree

Y: I don’t entirely agree. I think cats and dogs express themselves differently, but dogs seem to be more loyal than cats, and in my country, I also hear some fun stories about that. If just a person and a dog alone in a room and the room don’t have any food any water and after the person dies, the dog will never eat their body until the dog dies. But if you’re alone with a cat and the cat feels very hungry, they will come for the people after they pass away, and they will eat the body of that person. I don’t know if that’s true or not. I think it sounds very ridiculous.

S: Yeah, I think i’ll remember that story forever it is definitely shocking  

S: Alright, so thank you so much for this interview again, and I reach out to you if anything 

Y: yeah, sure