Things people teach each other on the internet.
It so happened that I must apologize to a cat. The neighbor’s cat, to be precise. I scared her by barking like a dog and chasing her when I busted her sniffing the piece of salmon I had just left on the gardentable. It was my fault: I had left it unattended, thinking I’d quickly dash inside for mayonnaise and a glass of wine. But when I returned, I spotted a raised tail. Minoemie’s heart-shaped nose was sniffing the fish. I knew: it was a matter of seconds before her rough little tongue (the same tongue she uses to meticulously clean her fur and other parts of her body), before that bacteria-rich tongue would make contact with the pink flesh.
I chased her up a tree. This was not okay. Ethically unacceptable. The way I did it—the barking, the running—was excessive and inappropriate.
So now, I want to apologize to her, but I don’t know how. Fortunately, there’s the internet. I searched and found a step-by-step guide, written by a professional, an expert in cat behavior: If your cat is too angry or upset, your apology will mean nothing to him or her and will most likely result in you getting slapped across the face. That’s useful information. I will make amends with Minoemie, in time.
People can teach each other all sorts of things, no hierarchical structure required. And the process doesn’t need to end with a diploma or certificate. In Nazareth, a neighborhood in Maastricht, you can go for mutual exchange of expertise. On 27 and 28 August, you can visit KAN. The doors of KAN may also open on other days.