DEAR MISS MANNERS: My son is currently ill, and I visit his house to help with his dog and cat.
The cat's food dish is in the basement, kept separate from the dog's dish in the kitchen. The cat often wants more food after dark, so I turn on the light in the basement to go fill her bowl.
My son asks me to turn off the light when I come back upstairs, even though the cat is still eating. He says she can see in the dark because there's a little bit of light from the open door to the stairs. I feel it is rude to turn off the light while she is eating. What do you think?
GENTLE READER: That you sent Miss Manners down a rabbit hole of research on cats' ability to see in the dark. What she found is that it is limited -- but still better than that of humans.
So while Miss Manners admires your instinct not to be rude to your feline friend, her humble opinion is that with the light coming from the open door, your son's cat should be fine. More importantly, it is his house, his pet.
As a compromise, you might suggest a motion sensor -- as long as you are sure it will not scare the kibble out of Frisky.