A Muddled Saying: "It Doesn't Matter If a Cat Is Black or White, as Long as It Catches Mice It's a Good Cat"

This is a saying that sounds like it makes a lot of sense, but let's examine what it actually amounts to.

First, as long as a cat isn't missing limbs, isn't fattened beyond use, or isn't a Persian cat, regardless of black or white—even a calico—catching a mouse or two is nothing worth talking about. The key question is: in reality, when there are two cats, one black and one white, and you can only choose one, and neither happens to be missing limbs, overfed, or Persian, you can't have your cake and eat it too. With only one choice, is it black or white? In this situation, the refusal to debate actually becomes the premise for debate. Those who prefer white will say the black one only caught small mice before, was cruel, not environmentally friendly, lacked sustainable development potential, and so on. Those who prefer black will say the white one tossed the mice aside after catching them, then sneaked off to steal fish, even flirted with the neighbor's cat—eating at home while serving another master, and so on. The real-world bickering will inevitably be endless.

Second, once catching mice is made the sole criterion for a good cat, endless tricks will be invented around this single standard. What are these tricks? Both black and white cats know perfectly well.

Third, if you already have one at home—say a black cat—but people always think the neighbor's food smells better. Especially after staring at the black cat for so long, a first glimpse of the neighbor's white cat naturally feels fresh and exciting. And if the neighbor is an incredible braggart, claiming his cat catches over a thousand mice a day, even insinuating that your black cat's catches were actually snatched from his mouse pile—what do you do? Option 1: Out-bullshit him. Option 2: Clone his cat. Option 3: Go home, grab some lime, and paint the black cat white. Option 4: ---------

Fourth, some cats are prodigies—before they're even as big as a mouse, they can chase mice all over the streets. But once you actually bring one home and raise it properly, it stops working.

Fifth, some cats only perform in their own turf. Forget regular mice—field mice, squirrels, anything even remotely related to mice, none are spared. But the moment they leave their turf, they stop working.

Sixth, some cats' relationship with mice even depends on the weather. When the moon is full, they go savage on mice. When the moon droops, their attitude toward mice droops too.

Seventh—well, I won't go on.

In short, whether catching mice necessarily corresponds to being a good cat regardless of black or white—this question is absolutely not as simple as it sounds. And whether the time has come when we must distinguish black from white is probably also a question that can no longer be avoided.