Jerry Friedman (to Carolyn Kunin)You asked about the cat.  I think it's an emissary of the author laughing at Kinbote for not knowing what a lemniscate is (the cat's bow), but so far only one person believes that, and he has the honor to subscribe himself.

 

Jansy Mello: I give credit to your topological abilities when you find a lemniscate in the twisted shape of the cat's bow. It must have some importance (the bow, the leminiscate) since the author also has angry Kinbote pull Gerald Emerald's bow tie. ("after calmly taking the magazine from a pamphlet-cluttered table, I contented myself on my way out with pulling Gerald Emerald’s bow-tie loose with a deft jerk of my fingers as I passed by him") The idea is elegantly pleasing.