Émile Zola: The Paradise of Cats
The Paradise of Cats (Le paradis des chats) is a short story by Émile Zola published in 1874 in Nouveaux Contes à Ninon. It tells the story of a cat who experiences an identity crisis. Raised in the comfort and luxury of a home, where he is spoiled with plenty of food and a warm place to sleep, the cat feels dissatisfied and longs to experience the freedom and adventures of the outside world, idealizing the life of stray cats. However, he soon discovers that not everything on the street is as he thought.