A cat may look at a king
A purported inferior has certain rights or prerogatives, even in the presence of a purported superior.
A cat may look at a king is an English proverb that means even someone of low status has rights. A cat may look at a king implies that all people have certain minimal rights by virtue of being alive. Like many proverbs, the origin is unknown.
When I worked in Ottawa, the company had multiple green plants on each floor. One day I passed by a meeting room and noticed the plant outside the door was dying. I love plants and always have some at home, so I felt very sorry for it.
I found the gardener and asked him if I could take care of it. I took it back to my cube and not long afterwards, there were new leaves shot up and the plant came back to life and started to grow along the walls of my cube. The co-workers passing by said the plant must like the sound of my voice.
But one day, a new gardener took the plant away during the night. I couldn't say anything as it was the company's property. I went and searched everywhere and found it outside another meeting room on another floor. I kept checking every week, and saw it started dying again a few weeks later. I begged the new gardener to let me take care of it again. This process repeated one more time, until I found the manager of the office and showed him the dying plant. He listened and then put a sticker on the pot, and said it is yours now.
The plant happily lived in my cube for three more years until I left the company. I wanted to but couldn't take it with me, as the new company I was going to join was the competitor and I didn't want any issue.
I don't know what happened afterwards with the plant, but I know in my heart it was very much alive and happy when it was with me.
