Ginny's animagus / JKR's feelings about cats

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 93877

Laura Ingalls Huntley <lhuntley at f...> wrote:
> You know, this ties into something I've never understood.  
> JKR *hates* cats.  Or, at least, she *says* she does.  For 
> example, a Comic Relief chat in March 2001:
> 
> Q: What or who would you send into Room 101**?
> 
> A: Cats - I don't like them, and certain journalists.
> 
> However, throughout the books, cats are shown in a v. positive 
> light -- sympathetic/good/etc. characters are or have cats all the 
> time.  In general, JKR portrays cats as intelligent, sensitive to 
> magic, and the natural companions of witches and wizards.  As you've 
> pointed out, Ginny is often described in terms of her catlike 
> qualities, and I'm fairly sure JKR likes her.  The only "bad cat" 
> example I can think of is Mrs. Norris, actually.
> 
> Can anyone explain this?  If JKR dislikes cats as much as she 
> dislikes journalist, how come they don't get the Rita Skeeter 
> treatment?
> 
> ** Room 101 is a 1984 reference of which I have only a v. vague 
> understanding, having never read the book.  It is, I think, sort of 
> like a boggart -- you go in and you see your greatest fear -- which 
> was used by the government as a torture for prisoners.


Laura,

The BBC have taken the idea from 1984 and made a programme called 
Room 101 in which various celebrities propose pet (sorry) hates to be 
banished into the oblivion which is Room 101 eg. football, mobile 
phones etc .  It's introduced by a comedian and is very light 
hearted.  I think this is what JKR would be referring to.  Back to 
HP: didn't JKR say in an interview that cats would be important in 
the story?  Could it be that they can pick up vibes and personality 
traits from their owners? This would explain the helpful Mr Tibbles 
and the unpleasant Mrs Norris.  Can they only do this with squibs, I 
wonder, or with muggles/wizards?  Of course, there already is a cat 
animagus in the shape of Prof. McGonagall, so perhaps the definite 
cat qualities attributed to Ginny mean something else.

"littleleahstill"