A little girl perfectly explained how consent works through an interview with her cat
Consent is a word we’ve heard a lot in 2017 — and it seems like a lot of people are still a bit hazy on the definition. That’s why we’re happy to see that a 10-year-old illustrated consent by interviewing her cat. While it’s a silly and adorable interview, it’s important. For one, it shows that even children grasp the concept of asking before touching.
The little girl, named Gabi, probably had no idea that her interview would go viral after her dad, Paul, posted it on Twitter. Over 58,000 people retweeted it after Paul snapped and shared the photo on December 4th. Written on a piece of paper, the interview is one Gabi imagines having with the family cat, named Coco, that focused on something many cats are familiar with — being pet.
Gabi started the interview by asking whether or not she could rub Coco’s head. In Gabi’s mind, Coco agrees to this. Next, Gabi sees if she’s allowed to pet Coco’s back — and this is also a good territory, according to Coco.
But what comes next is the most important part. Even though Gabi got consent to touch her cat’s head and back, she still makes sure to ask if she can touch Coco’s tummy. And that’s an area that Coco is uncomfortable with.
"YOU ARE FORBIDDEN TO EVER TOUCH MY TUMMY!" Coco says (in Gabi's imagination).
My kid did an interview with her cat pic.twitter.com/PCdnBTiRNs
— Paul Duane (@MrPaulDuane) December 4, 2017
Coco also says that she’s uncomfortable being touched on the legs, the tail, and the butt.
For those asking, here’s a bad photo of Coco (she’s impossible to photograph) pic.twitter.com/9K3bc182QD
— Paul Duane (@MrPaulDuane) December 5, 2017
And she’s quick to end the interview once she feels uncomfortable.
Whether or not she realized it, Gabi showed exactly how consent works — she’s asking for permission.
Can’t wait for the kid to get out of Scouts so I can tell her she’s gone a bit viral.
— Paul Duane (@MrPaulDuane) December 4, 2017
I told her & she said “maybe I’ll be more famous than Jane Austen!”
— Paul Duane (@MrPaulDuane) December 4, 2017
We’d love for Gabi and Coco to have more interviews in the future. Or perhaps a YouTube channel, if they’re up to it. Since she’s already been interviewed by BBC Radio 1, it’s obvious that Gabi and Coco are in high demand.
