Cat's Meat (Spoilers all Hobb books and short stories)

[Farseer]

Was it me, or did anyone else take special note of the fact that Pell's father wanted to drown kittens in a sack?! Any connection to what took place with the sack of drowned kittens Kennit found on Others' Island? It was all I could do not to jump out of my plane seat mid-flight and scream "Drowned kittens in a sack!"

Kitten Thick's colouring changed from black to orange and white stripes once Nettle saved him, with the orange and white not unlike Marmalade's colouring? Robin, you trickster...you joker you... Why do you DO this to us??!!

I loved Marmalade as a character by the way!

Also when did the story take place? Most likely prior to the Forging events in the Farseer trilogy, or even after those in TM, as Tarsha and Rosemary speak about Rosemary's aunty and cousins living at Forge, and the possibility that Rosemary could flee to safety there. I think I can say for certain that nobody had yet re-settled Forge at the end of FF...

I also don't believe that this Rosemary has any connection to Kettricken's little Rosemary/Chade's assassin Rosemary. Again, our Tangle Leader is just toying with us, with this name-linking business eg as has happened with most other books and characters such as Just and Lord Just, Hest and Hest etc!! The timing isn't right and a trained assassin would have plenty of deadly options up her sleeve to rid herself of an unwanted visit from Pell...this Rosemary was initially too clueless in this respect. No connection as far as I can see.

So much more to discuss from this story!

[Mervi]

"Drowned kittens in a sack!" sounds like a wonderful curse for situations where more traditional curse words are not appropriate.

I too think that it's likely the events are set before the Red Ships Wars. I do think there's a mention somewhere in the books about people coming back *near* Forge (after all, Tom Badgerlock lived there for quite a time!) but if I recall correctly, it's stated somewhere the town was never rebuilt.

[Farseer]

"Drowned kittens in a sack!" sounds like a wonderful curse for situations where more traditional curse words are not appropriate.

*groan* Mervi! I am far too addicted to these books already and now look what you've gone and done...I know for certain that this will pop into my head unbidden for the rest of my life!

I do think there's a mention somewhere in the books about people coming back *near* Forge (after all, Tom Badgerlock lived there for quite a time!)...

Nothing to do with this thread (!!) but it still begs the question 'WHY?'...of all the places he could have gone, WHY was it near Forge?! Because it was a nice way to complete the circle? Because Fitz would be safe there due to others having left and never desiring to return? Or some other, more significant reason?

Back on topic , the Chalcedean blade was an interesting addition. What to make of it? Hmm...

[Chrischa]

I really liked 'Cat's Meat'. I hadn't read it before, but it was my favorite story in The Inheritance. When I realized the theme of the story was the house cat taking matters into his own... er... paws, I laughed out loud!

Pell was another one in the long line of male b...rds created by Robin Hobb, wasn't he, after characters such as Regal, Galen, Hest, Laudwine, and to some extent the Satrap and Kennit? She seems to be quite good at getting inside a nasty male's head. I think I got more insight from her into how certain people think then from anything else in my life.

I must say, it's one of the reasons why it's so refreshing to read the work of such a competent and deep female author. I dare say you get an angle from her which wasn't there a few dozen years ago, when all the authors were male.

[joost]

I do think there's a mention somewhere in the books about people coming back *near* Forge (after all, Tom Badgerlock lived there for quite a time!)...

Nothing to do with this thread (!!) but it still begs the question 'WHY?'...of all the places he could have gone, WHY was it near Forge?! Because it was a nice way to complete the circle? Because Fitz would be safe there due to others having left and never desiring to return? Or some other, more significant reason?

Tom Badgerlock wanted a quiet life, and what better place to live that than a place shunned by most people?

[Albertosaurus Rex]

I really liked 'Cat's Meat'. I hadn't read it before, but it was my favorite story in The Inheritance.

And you couldn't have read it before had you wanted to - it's a completely new story. Incidentally, my favorite too.

I liked the little references, like Chalcedean blades and Forge. A subtle reminder that Forge wasn't always synonymous with tragedy. And cats speak to whoever they please and can apparently influence people's thoughts... guys, I think we have found the secret rulers of the Realm of the Elderlings. Not the humans. Not the dragons. Not the Elderlings of ages past. The secret overlords, the movers and shakers of the realms are the cats. The Others are right to fear them.

Now I'll have to re-read all the books and confirm all events as unfolding according to the cats' secret conspiracy.

[Farseer]

guys, I think we have found the secret rulers of the Realm of the Elderlings. Not the humans. Not the dragons. Not the Elderlings of ages past. The secret overlords, the movers and shakers of the realms are the cats. The Others are right to fear them.

[Farseer]

Was it me, or did anyone else take special note of the fact that Pell's father wanted to drown kittens in a sack?! Any connection to what took place with the sack of drowned kittens Kennit found on Others' Island? It was all I could do not to jump out of my plane seat mid-flight and scream "Drowned kittens in a sack!"

Kitten Thick's colouring changed from black to orange and white stripes once Nettle saved him, with the orange and white not unlike Marmalade's colouring? Robin, you trickster...you joker you... Why do you DO this to us??!!

I loved Marmalade as a character by the way!

Also when did the story take place? Most likely prior to the Forging events in the Farseer trilogy, or even after those in TM, as Tarsha and Rosemary speak about Rosemary's aunty and cousins living at Forge, and the possibility that Rosemary could flee to safety there. I think I can say for certain that nobody had yet re-settled Forge at the end of FF...

I also don't believe that this Rosemary has any connection to Kettricken's little Rosemary/Chade's assassin Rosemary. Again, our Tangle Leader is just toying with us, with this name-linking business eg as has happened with most other books and characters such as Just and Lord Just, Hest and Hest etc!! The timing isn't right and a trained assassin would have plenty of deadly options up her sleeve to rid herself of an unwanted visit from Pell...this Rosemary was initially too clueless in this respect. No connection as far as I can see.

Just adding here that Robin did confirm some time ago that Cat's Meat chronologically "would predate Assassin’s Apprentice"...that confirms that the Rosemary in the story is not little Rosemary in the Farseer trilogy.

I also can't help but be stuck on this practice of drowning kittens in a sack...and that the practice itself also predated (if not continued into) the stream of time when Kennit found the kittens on Others' Island.

There is something here, and I want to know what it is!

[KekPafrany]

And cats speak to whoever they please and can apparently influence people's thoughts... guys, I think we have found the secret rulers of the Realm of the Elderlings. Not the humans. Not the dragons. Not the Elderlings of ages past. The secret overlords, the movers and shakers of the realms are the cats. The Others are right to fear them.

Secret cat conspiracy That's an interesting idea.

Fitz met a cat by the hedgewitch in FE. The cat told him the same thought about a cat speaks to anyone we want. But the cat hasn't too much role in the story. But only seemingly?

[Farseer]

Fitz met a cat by the hedgewitch in FE.

Yes, Jinna's cat [[Fennel]]...such a great name for a cat!!

For further info on cats within the realm, you may like to look here (link has spoilers for all books including RWC).