Time spent with cats is never wasted.

Sarton’s line elevates companionship with animals—specifically cats—from mere leisure to a meaningful use of one’s life. It pushes back against a utilitarian view of time in which only productive or socially sanctioned activities “count.” The quote suggests that attention, affection, and quiet presence have intrinsic value, and that the calm, play, and mutual recognition found in living with cats can restore perspective and emotional balance. Implicitly, it also defends private pleasures and domestic intimacy as legitimate sources of joy and consolation, especially in lives shaped by solitude, writing, or contemplation.