Cats and Soup. And Economics.

I used to be very busy this weekend attempting to make sufficient soup so I can afford to rent one other cat to shuck corn for me.

I ought to most likely clarify.

Just a few days in the past, my highschool freshman launched me to a  sport referred to as Cats and Soup whereby tiny, cute, animated cats make soup, juice, and stir fry to promote. When the sport begins, your woodland clearing is inhabited by one cat who is ready to make one type of soup pretty slowly. As you play, nevertheless, that cat’s earnings can be utilized to rent extra cats to behave as sous cooks.  Every cat has its personal particular abilities. Some cats chop carrots, others slice cabbage. The frustratingly costly cat that I’m at present saving up for shucks corn. As every new cat joins the workforce, the cats are in a position to produce extra soup, extra kinds of soup, and even broaden out to provide other forms of meals. 

Some cats even have abilities listed that–to date–haven’t come into play within the sport. However I believe that Lord Puffington’s capacity to squeeze grapes goes to repay for me earlier than lengthy! And, because the woodland clearing expands, if a grape juice making space opens, Lord Puffington can relocate to that space, leaving his present job as cabbage chopper open to a cat extra suited to that job.

Every sort of meals merchandise is priced otherwise, in order the cats enhance their capacity to specialize their jobs by including new cats to the workforce they’re additionally in a position to diversify their output by combining their specialised duties in new methods or by repurposing them. (The carrot chopping cat, for instance, not solely makes carrot soup, however may help make stir fry, and likewise make carrot juice!). 

The marketplace for the meals produced by the cats is considerably unclear. We by no means see the woodland clients. Nonetheless, a particular order board with an ever-changing set of requests means that demand is variable and very subjective. And if the cats over-produce and the participant is unable to click on on the meals objects rapidly sufficient to assert the gold that every merchandise is price, the meals begins to go stale and is bought for a considerable markdown.

To date, so Smithian.

However Cats and Soup can be conscious of Adam Smith’s cautions concerning the division of labor in addition to his appreciation of its advantages. Smith warns that:

That is self-evidently true for soup-making cats as effectively. Thus, the sport permits the cats to buy and construct leisure and relaxation amenities like shady bushes, trampolines, and fishing ponds, the place they will refresh themselves from their labors.

And because the woodland clearing turns into extra productive, the cats can purchase hats, clothes, furnishings, and equipment with the gold they make. Every new accent will increase their productiveness. Glad cats work more durable. Our cats, in different phrases, show that as societies turn into wealthier they can turn into extra productive.

Cats and Soup isn’t fairly a full Rules of Economics textbook, nevertheless it’s definitely a cute and fuzzy model of a number of the key early chapters. 

I’ve lengthy been a fan of the ways in which economics can delight, entertain, and amuse in addition to instruct. Cats and Soup looks like an excellent mixture of fairly strong economics and cute animation. I’d have an interest to know what college students would make of it, or of an essay immediate asking them to stipulate the financial rules illustrated by the sport. 

In the meantime, I’ve to go test in on Lord Puffington and his pals. I feel they’re about to learn to fish. 

P.S. And while you’re performed with the cooking cats, right here’s own-admittedly not almost as cute- division of labor animation.