The Happiest Cat in the World

That expression—ears pinned flat, eyes somewhere between endurance and contempt, the whole face communicating a deep familiarity with whatever indignity is currently being inflicted—is one of the most specific things a cat can show you. The bunny hat is somebody else’s idea of a good time. The cat knows this and absorbs it with the patience of a creditor who isn’t worried about collecting. One day the ledger gets settled. For now, the hat stays on.