These are the points that all new cats need to identify with, otherwise, community living might be cat-astrophic. Can we say meow to that?
Respect: I wholeheartedly commit to respect other people; their differences, their views, spirituality, origins, backgrounds, issues and their property. I will show respect and care for the environment, striving to minimize my negative impact. I agree to respect communal areas and other people’s working areas, to leave beauty and order around me.
Non-Violence: I will not forcefully inflict my attitudes or desires (including sexual) on others. I agree to step in and stop, or at least say that I would like to have it stopped, actions (including manipulation or intimidation) that I feel may be abusive to myself or others in the community. I will strive to keep the atmosphere peaceful.
Communication: I will be clear and honest in my communication and open-hearted in my listening. I will not speak in a way that maligns or demeans others and myself, In public and in private. I will talk to people rather than about them. I commit to have clear communication when I take part in a project, about my work and presence.
Co-operation: I recognise that I live in a community and that it functions only through my co-operation and my good communication. I agree to communicate my decisions clearly to those who may be affected and to consider their views carefully and respectfully. I recognise that others may make decisions which affect me and I agree to respect the care, integrity and wisdom that they have put into their decision-making process.
Reflection: I recognise that what I see outside myself—any criticism irritation or appreciation—may also be a reflection of what is inside me. I am willing to look at this within myself before reflecting it onto others.
Responsibility: I take responsibility for my actions, my mistakes and for any spiritual, environmental and human effects these might have. I am willing to listen to constructive criticism and to offer constructive feedback to others in a caring and appropriate fashion. I am willing to take action to resolve conflicts and to make amends when my actions have hurt others. I will take responsibility for any material damage that my doing has caused.
Agreements: I commit to keeping agreements I have made and to not break or try to evade any laws, rules, or guidelines; to have honest dealings with all bodies and to pay all charges and dues owing.
Wellbeing: I agree to be aware about my level of comfort, health and happiness and I also take into consideration the other’s state of well-being. I also recognize that I need my personal space and free time, and accordingly do what is best for my personal growth and condition.
These policies are unbreakable rules, that are the result of a long process of reflecting on community identity and needs. Before arriving, we ask you to read them carefully and, if you decide to come, please, respect them. If you have any question, feel free to connect with the cats and, in particular, with the Care Cats or Recruitment cat. If these policies are broken, it means that some boundaries are crossed and you will be asked for a talk (most likely with Care cats) and, if we understand that it’s not possible to reach an agreement, we might gently ask to part ways.
In Catfarm we try to offer the chance to experience a place (environmental, social and personal) free from substances, so that we can experiment alternative ways to bond, discover the self and deal with the most challenging (or beautiful) parts of us. We also try to ensure the most possible, a safe space, where consent and nonviolence are one of the main focuses. For these reasons, some substances are not allowed in Catfarm: alcohol, (synthetic or designer) drugs, opioids, psycho-actives, hallucinogenes, weed or hash and ceremonial medicine that alters the state of being (like ayahuasca). Cigarettes are allowed only in the smoking area. To create fairness and clarity, the use of these substances is not allowed in all the terrain of Catfarm, which include: communal areas (both open and closed spaces), the parking, Catau private spaces (caravans, tents, rooms, mezzanines…) and also personal private spaces (such as your personal van or tent that you come with). This policy comes from a long way of reflecting on the needs of the community and it’s not, in any way, a judgment towards the use of substances: we respect individual choices and beliefs and we believe that everyone is free to experience substances in different ways outside the terrain of Catfarm, but we ask to respect this policy when you are inside it. If you, for example, would like to have a glass of wine, feel free to go to the hills or to the town, and there is no need to feel ashamed. What we ask is that, when you come back to Catfarm, you still respect our guidelines (respect boundaries, consent, nonviolence, agreements…). If for any reason you feel that this policy is not respected at any moment, if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, please, feel free to approach a Care cat and share your feelings and experience.