Cats don't like change without their consent.

Roger Caras, a lover of animals and interpreter of their secret ways, once spoke with quiet humor and profound wisdom: “Cats don’t like change without their consent.” Though it appears at first a light remark about the temperament of cats, in truth it is a mirror held to the human heart. For cats, those ancient companions of mankind, reveal in their resistance to sudden change the deeper law of life itself: that harmony is shattered when transformation is forced, but peace is preserved when change is embraced willingly.

The ancients knew this well. In Egypt, where cats were revered as guardians of the home and companions of the divine, their independence was honored as sacred. They could not be commanded as dogs could; they offered their affection freely, but only on their own terms. This independence was a reflection of a greater truth: that freedom of spirit cannot be coerced. Just as the cat resists change without consent, so too does the human soul recoil when pressed into transformations it has not accepted.

The words of Caras are also a parable about control. Many creatures—and many people—may endure upheaval if they feel they have a voice, a choice, a measure of consent. But when they are thrust into change without preparation, they suffer. In this way, the cat becomes a teacher: reminding us that respect, patience, and communication are the foundation of harmony. To force another being into change is to risk rebellion, resentment, and the breaking of trust.

History bears witness to this truth. When rulers imposed sudden decrees upon their people, without seeking their voices or preparing their hearts, rebellion often followed. The French Revolution rose not only from hunger, but from a sense that change was being forced without the people’s consent. The same principle applies in smaller realms: families, friendships, and communities. Where consent is sought, change becomes growth; where it is ignored, change becomes chaos.

The wisdom also applies inwardly. How often do we, like restless kings, try to force change upon ourselves—demanding that the soul alter its course instantly, commanding the heart to heal overnight, or the spirit to shed sorrow on command? Yet the cat within us resists. The soul, like the feline, requires gentleness and patience. Consent must be given from within before true transformation takes root.

The lesson here is simple yet profound: respect the pace of change. When you guide others—whether children, companions, or even animals—seek their consent through patience, preparation, and understanding. When you walk through change yourself, do not demand sudden revolutions, but honor the slow unfolding of the heart. For change imposed without consent may break the spirit, but change embraced willingly brings strength and peace.

Therefore, let Roger Caras’s words be remembered as more than a jest. See in the cat a guardian of wisdom, teaching us the importance of freedom, respect, and the dignity of choice. When you lead, lead with gentleness. When you change, change with patience. For harmony is not born of force, but of consent—and even the smallest creature, with fur and quiet eyes, can teach us this eternal truth.