Are you raising your cat Jewish?

Cats, like children, like treats and toys, sometimes without regard for religion

How to raise your children can be a very controversial subject. My father always thought that children born Christian should get a Christian education, at least in Sunday school. Many of my Jewish friends struggle with how to raise their kids in a world that is not very friendly to Jews right now. I have a young friend who describes himself as culturally but not religiously Jewish, whose wife is not Jewish. I do not think they are raising their one year old child Jewish, but I assure you, I do not ask.

I have asked myself, as I have spent just over a year exploring if I might really be Jewish, “Am I raising my cat Jewish?”

How do you raise a cat Jewish? My young friend, who is also a cat purrson, says that it’s hard to get a rabbi to declare every can of cat food kosher. Loviefluffy is certainly more than happy to celebrate Jewish holidays. Last year and this, her favorite toy was a Hanukkah catnip pillow from YEOW!!! brand, by far the best catnip toy out there. But she also loves her catnip candy cane.

Today I had a Christmas lunch at my house. My mom and a friend who is an atheist were supposed to come over, but my mom was feeling quite unwell so it was just my friend Ken. He loves pork, so I fried ham for Christmas. I hadn’t been eating much pork for a long time, not so much because of Jewish things but because I feel terrible for the pigs, but I broke the rule this time and fried it in butter. It was pretty good. I also made mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts, but went without the other dishes as it was just the two of us. Then I collapsed from exhaustion as soon as Ken left. This grief thing is hard.

Loviefluffy knows that I have been grieving and she has been concerned. To try to ease her mind, I gave her some tiny pieces of the Christmas ham. She loved it. I think I am not raising my cat Jewish. Certainly she eats shell fish cat food.

Is it more about raising her with Jewish values? My friend who is a Chabad rabbi at Penn loaned me a book about Jewish values for non-Jews. Certainly what are supposed to be Christian values arose from Jewish values, even though my mom and I would argue that the Greeks and Romans and later people in power did a great deal to mess them up.

It may be unavoidable that cats live by values that are… well… cat. They are loving if they are loved. They are loyal in the extreme if they are cared for. They can be very good mousers, and since G-d created the cat as predator and the mouse as prey, I’m sure G-d approves. But perhaps I should ask a rabbi.

Cats are incapable of evil, though they can lash out if they are frightened or abused. My cat gets very upset if I am away too long, but as long as I am here doing what I should be doing at all times, she is peaceful and loving (unless you are a mouse.)

I would love to help raise the next generation with Jewish values, and not just Jews. Somewhere in the midst of progressive Christianity, what used to be my religion seems to have missed an essential boat. I saw on the Facebook of one of my parents’ old friends who is an Episcopal priest one of those pictures of Mary, Joseph and Jesus as “Palestinian” with Jesus wearing a keffiyeh. This is not just historically inaccurate, it is offensive to Jews (of whom Jesus was one), Christians and should be offensive to Muslims, who did not even exist at the time of the birth of Jesus and might not like seeing the central figure of another religion wearing the symbol of a terrorist organization. I mean, WTF? How did “progressive Christians” get so far afield? And where is the outrage at Christians being massacred? As many of my friends have written, “No Jews, no news.”

Loviefluffy has been a tremendous help to me in my sadness. My step-mother’s little dog has been wonderful for her too. She spent the holiday with her son, his wife and their kids. The shock is still fresh. I can’t imagine being with someone for 42 years and then suddenly they are no longer there.

I will write more about my dad soon. Thank you so much to those of you who have reached out with so much love and kindness, both those I’ve known in person and those I don’t. You are a wonderful family.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and if you aren’t celebrating just have a safe day/night.