That people need more than food and drink, they also need entertainment? And working for that is no less valuable than farming? But how is that related to cats?

I guess cats can provide companionship, which is valuable to a nomadic society. But so can dogs, and dogs have a bunch of other benefits. Cats are more useful when mice and rats start eating your food stores, and happily that's also when humans become useful to cats

Yes companionship.

But your answer with mice and rats add clear benefit to it too.

No.

Companionship.

Happy people live better/longer.

I thought it was an oblique critique of renewable energy.

Fridolin the mouse talks about the warm sun rays and the mice imagine this and becoming happy.

He also talks about smells and the blue sky etc.

He lifts the mood and does his part in the community with this.

Wow I very much did NOT know where you were going with that. I thought he was tricking the prepared mice into being eaten by cats so he could take their resources.

Me too haha I thought this was one of those creepy old books.