>>23816079i dunnooo, i think a lot of them have it pretty good
they tend to sleep fairly often anyway, they're awake during the day/night but usually a little more active at night
they get to run around catching rats, have shelter from the weather, don't have to worry about malnutrition, usually have clean living conditions & veterinary care when needed, etc...
it reminds me of the idea that it's best to be second in command, since you get many of the same privileges without the same responsibilities of being the leader
the humans might have to run on a treadmill & use comfort as a coping mechanism, but the cats don't really have to earn their keep in the same way, they get only the comfort
on the other hand, maybe they aren't always free
i had a really smart cat who used to get very upset when i wouldn't let her in certain rooms, she was very very stubborn about it
is anyone NOT a slave in some sense? maybe