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Tess Catalano "Take Back the Night" and other academic essays, 1982

"Dear Mootoe, Boo and Nickle" Page 1

[handwritten]
B-page 1 
Catalano

Dear Mootoe, Boo and Nickle, 

   I realize that we have been cohabitants of the same apartment for not quite two months, yet in that short time I feel as if I have developed quite an appreciation for your position in the household. While I am not your owner, I have shared in the responsibility of your grooming, hygiene, indoor and outdoor exercise and diet. It is especially this area of diet to which I would like to address this letter. [ like "of which I speak" in A, this phrasing has an almost awkward formality, as a humorous device, is it becoming overused?]
   One of the various facets of cat care includes [is] making sure that all three of you have a constant supply of dry food, an unending amount of sparkling spring water, and an evening ration of wet food. I am always careful to liberally sprinkle all your meals with the tasty brewers yeast I know you love. I know that you like your food. For that, I am grateful. Feeding you has often given me a special pleasure. Hearing your deep-throated purrs of approval always warms my heart. But perhaps I could press the point. [see note]
   Naturally, a consequence of your feeding is the cleaning of your dishes. Since you all have different feeding habits, and some of you are known to favor late-night nosches, it is the custom to leave your dishes out all night. This does work well, for I don't care to be "meowed" out of bed to fix you a little something at four in the morning. Yet leaving the dishes out all night creates a slight problem for me in the morning. What to do with the dirty dishes and the predictable remaining amount of food left in the bowl. You see, throughout the night as you slept, warm and sated, the tiny nibbles of food left on your dishes, dry rock hard on the surface of your bowls [effective image] This means that in the morning I must put your dishes to soak all day in order for them to come clean for the evening meal. Thus when I come home, weary from the day, I am faced with the ugly site of soaking cat food dishes in the sink. Some days it is almost more than I can bear. 
   Given the fact that you leave little bits of food no matter how much or little you are given, leads me to think that you see this practice as polite, as a way to disguise your ravenous hunger. Rest assured that I am aware of your well

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[handwritten] B-page 1 Catalano Dear Mootoe, Boo and Nickle, I realize that we have been cohabitants of the same apartment for not quite two months, yet in that short time I feel as if I have developed quite an appreciation for your position in the household. While I am not your owner, I have shared in the responsibility of your grooming, hygiene, indoor and outdoor exercise and diet. It is especially this area of diet to which I would like to address this letter. [ like "of which I speak" in A, this phrasing has an almost awkward formality, as a humorous device, is it becoming overused?] One of the various facets of cat care includes [is] making sure that all three of you have a constant supply of dry food, an unending amount of sparkling spring water, and an evening ration of wet food. I am always careful to liberally sprinkle all your meals with the tasty brewers yeast I know you love. I know that you like your food. For that, I am grateful. Feeding you has often given me a special pleasure. Hearing your deep-throated purrs of approval always warms my heart. But perhaps I could press the point. [see note] Naturally, a consequence of your feeding is the cleaning of your dishes. Since you all have different feeding habits, and some of you are known to favor late-night nosches, it is the custom to leave your dishes out all night. This does work well, for I don't care to be "meowed" out of bed to fix you a little something at four in the morning. Yet leaving the dishes out all night creates a slight problem for me in the morning. What to do with the dirty dishes and the predictable remaining amount of food left in the bowl. You see, throughout the night as you slept, warm and sated, the tiny nibbles of food left on your dishes, dry rock hard on the surface of your bowls [effective image] This means that in the morning I must put your dishes to soak all day in order for them to come clean for the evening meal. Thus when I come home, weary from the day, I am faced with the ugly site of soaking cat food dishes in the sink. Some days it is almost more than I can bear. Given the fact that you leave little bits of food no matter how much or little you are given, leads me to think that you see this practice as polite, as a way to disguise your ravenous hunger. Rest assured that I am aware of your well