Kreativity For Kats

In Short

This story follows Gummitch, a young cat navigating the transition from adolescent insecurity to a more profound, creative self-awareness. While his owners, "Old Horsemeat" and "Kitty-Come-Here," fret over his mysterious drinking habits and apparent depression, Gummitch secretly practices a form of kinetic art using spilled water and sunlight. It is a whimsical yet philosophical exploration of the artistic temperament, illustrating the divide between the mundane, practical world of humans and the surreal, internal lives of the animals who share our homes.

The Story

Gummitch lives in a state of intellectual and emotional transition. Having outgrown his kittenish fantasies of becoming a man or traveling to the fourth dimension, he finds himself trapped in a depressing malaise. His development is further stunted by two neighborhood bullies—Scarface and the Mad Eunuch—who terrorize him, effectively confining him to the house. Feeling stifled and misunderstood, Gummitch retreats into brooding, self-conscious observation, spending long hours in a cardboard "Orgone Box" while contemplating his place in a universe that seems to treat cats as "Silent Souls" or "Gagged People of Great Talent."

The household is soon thrown into a state of bewilderment by the "Great Spilled Water Mystery." Gummitch consistently flips his water bowl, ignoring the expensive, filtered, or seasoned offerings provided by Kitty-Come-Here. Despite her exhaustive efforts to accommodate his palate, the bowls are found overturned and empty, leading to bizarre theories about sloping floors and household spirits. Meanwhile, Gummitch’s internal mood begins to shift; he grows increasingly debonair, engaging in playful, rhythmic dances and erratic battles with the vacuum cleaner, seemingly invigorated by a secret purpose that the humans cannot fathom.

The resolution occurs on a sunny Sunday. Kitty-Come-Here discovers Gummitch quenching his thirst in the most mundane, unrefined location: the toilet. Having satisfied his biological needs, Gummitch returns to the kitchen to perform his true work. He leads his owners to his bowl, where he carefully rejects the rose-petal-adorned bottled water they have provided. Once the bowl is clear, he tips it. As the water cascades across the floor, catching the sunlight, Gummitch chases the shimmering silver ribbons—"water-snakes" and "twinkling vines"—with intense, rapturous concentration.

Watching the performance, his owners finally realize that their pet is not merely misbehaving; he is an artist. They observe the fleeting, improvisational nature of his creation, comparing it to music or shadow puppetry. While Kitty-Come-Here remains pragmatically concerned about hygiene, Gummitch has reached a moment of perfect synthesis. He divides his world into two realms: the "sacred" water used for his shimmering, ephemeral sculptures, and the water with "character" used for drinking. Having resolved his inner conflict through creation, he is finally at peace, free from the burdens of his previous existential frustration.

How It Unfolds

The mirror world Gummitch explores the differences between glass mirrors and water mirrors, discovering that water acts as a gateway to a spirit realm. These reflections stimulate his imagination and introduce him to the idea of rhythmic disturbance as a creative act.

The weight of existence Gummitch suffers from a profound, youthful malaise caused by his isolation from the outside world and his failure to transcend his feline nature. He retreats into a cardboard box to meditate on the history of cats, shifting from a playful kitten to a brooding, self-conscious thinker.

The great mystery Kitty-Come-Here grows obsessed with the mystery of the spilled water, attempting to "fix" Gummitch’s environment with various additives. Her attempts to curate his experience fail because she views his behavior through the lens of human domesticity and health rather than artistic expression.

The revelation The mystery is solved when the humans discover Gummitch drinking from the toilet, clarifying that he distinguishes between water for sustenance and water for art. Gummitch leads them to the kitchen to witness his final performance of the day.

The artist at peace Gummitch creates his final masterpiece, a shimmering, light-filled flow of water that fascinates his human observers. He achieves a state of satisfaction, having successfully reconciled his desire for beauty with the realities of his daily life.

The People

Gummitch is the central figure, a young cat whose intelligence leads him to feel alienated from his surroundings. He struggles with the frustration of being a "Gagged Person of Great Talent," eventually finding an outlet for his imagination in his water-based sculptures. His journey is one of maturing from sullen, frustrated introspection into a confident, active creator.

Kitty-Come-Here is the perceptive, well-intentioned owner who views Gummitch with deep affection. While she often tries to solve his "problems" with excessive, human-centric logic—such as boiling his water or adding rose petals—she remains observant enough to eventually recognize the truth of Gummitch’s artistic nature. She serves as the bridge between Gummitch’s secret world and the reality of their shared home.

Old Horsemeat is the more grounded, somewhat cynical, yet supportive partner. He provides the necessary intellectual distance to appreciate Gummitch’s art, comparing the cat’s performance to high-concept improvisation. He acknowledges the "baroque" nature of the cat's struggle, serving as the voice of reason that eventually helps interpret what Gummitch is doing.

In Its Own Voice

"Gummitch had early discovered that water mirrors are very different from most glass mirrors."

This reflection introduces the reader to Gummitch's analytical mind and his fascination with the boundary between the physical and the spirit world.

"He had a fleeting vision, a momentary creative impulse, that was gone from his mind before he could seize it."

This sentence captures the exact moment Gummitch begins to struggle with the frustration of being an artist unable to articulate his vision.

"He had solved them all with one of his characteristically sharp distinctions: there was the sacred water, the sparklingly clear water to create with, and there was the water with character, the water to drink."

This concluding observation summarizes Gummitch's final resolution to his existential predicament.

What It's Really About

At its core, the story examines the burden of consciousness and the necessity of self-expression. Gummitch represents the "artist" who is trapped by the limitations of his physical form and the domestic expectations placed upon him by those he lives with. The central argument is that creativity is not solely a human endeavor; it is an innate, vital impulse that can manifest in the most humble, fleeting ways. By contrasting the human need to "fix" and sanitize the world with the cat's need to manipulate it for beauty, the book asks whether we truly understand the inner lives of the beings we claim to own.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate a whimsical, observational style will find Gummitch a memorable and deeply sympathetic protagonist. The book is essentially a character study, capturing the "alien" intelligence of a cat with a warmth that never feels cloying. Because it was written in 1961, there is a certain mid-century suburban charm to the setting, alongside some of the period's casual, slightly dated assumptions about domestic life.

The story is not a traditional plot-driven narrative; it is an internal, meditative journey. Readers looking for high-stakes drama might find the "Great Spilled Water Mystery" a bit slow, but those who enjoy following the intricate, logical leaps of a curious mind will find it highly rewarding. What stays with the reader is the image of the silver water flowing across the floor—a beautiful, temporary artifact that reminds us that art is often found in the most mundane, overlooked corners of our daily lives. It is a quiet, thoughtful piece of fiction that invites you to look at your own pets—and your own creative impulses—with a renewed sense of wonder and patience.