This story was so much fun. I, too, feel an overwhelming desire to see what this AI could do with my life.
This is probably the first time I have ever regretted not having a cat. I have life-threatening allergies, so no, I can't get one. I can't even visit friends who own cats.
. But, I too enjoy cat pictures, so I do have that in common with the AI....
And a big thanks to cwthree for posting the link to Bruce Sterling's _Maneki Neko_. I literally came online to track it down and there was the link posted here! Thanks for doing the work for me. Can't wait to read it.