There are two means of refuge from the misery of life — music and cats.

The line juxtaposes two very different consolations—art and companionship—to suggest that relief from suffering can be found both in the elevating, structured beauty of music and in the simple, wordless comfort offered by animals. “Refuge” implies not a cure for life’s misery but a temporary shelter: music can order emotion and give meaning to pain, while cats represent warmth, routine, and an unjudging presence. The pairing also carries a gentle humor, implying that profound solace need not always be solemn or philosophical; it can be domestic and ordinary. Read this way, the quote affirms a humane, practical approach to endurance: seek what steadies the spirit, whether cultural or creaturely.