Jon Katz has always emphasized the otherness of animals - the need to avoid anthropomorphism - the requirement to accept animals as animals.

He seems to have abandoned his principles and is taking the sound of bleats personally. What sound was he expecting from a goat?

I'm not there, but it sounds like his goats are asking for more of Katz's participation in their lives; more visits to the pen; (for all I know) a game of fetch or headbutt.

He’s always preached the virtue of accepting animals as animals and avoiding undue anthropomorphism. He sticks to his principles admirably. He just hasn’t been that quick to tell us what all that means. Not on these pages anyway… So I guess it’s up to us to figure out when and why it’s okay to exult in a donkey’s spirituality, to commune with a dog’s healing soul, or to trade insults with insolent goats. Likewise we’ll have to suss out when and why it’s bad to go the extra mile to keep an ailing lamb alive or to find a home for an unhappy hound.

Do let me know if you experience any breakthroughs. I’ll be danged if I can figure it all out.