How My Cat Made Me a Better Tax Accountant
in honor of Ginger Cat Day My cat doesn’t file returns. She doesn’t balance ledgers or reconcile accounts. But she does understand the principle of allocation . Every morning, she allocates her time precisely: 40% staring at the food bowl, 30% inspecting the sunbeam, 20% monitoring me for signs of movement toward the kitchen, 10% miscellaneous (usually judging). That’s a perfect pie chart — and she never needs a calculator. Watching her, I realized that good accounting isn’t about numbers; it’s about attention . Cats notice everything. They track inputs (treats), outputs (energy expended chasing imaginary prey), and depreciation (the slow decline of toy mice). They even understand accruals: the promise of dinner is recorded long before delivery. She also taught me the art of audit defense . When questioned — “Did you knock that off the counter?” — she maintains eye contact, blinks slowly, and says nothing. Silence, it turns out, is a powerful compliance strategy. And then...