Animals, both literal and figurative, are present throughout the story. The first animals introduced are the robot mice that clean the house. They are joined by rats, which have a similar function. In the nursery, robotic bugs crawl along the floor, and the crystal walls are filled with images of “yellow giraffes, blue lions, pink antelopes, and lilac panthers” (251).

While the house is full of robots and images in the shape of animals, its doors and windows are tightly barred against living animals such as foxes, cats, and sparrows. There is a difference in the way the house treats these wild or feral animals compared to the artificial “animals” that reside within. The dog exists at the border of the two, able to enter the house but unable to partake in or benefit from its functions without humans present. It symbolizes humanity’s failure to coexist with nature.

The house cleans itself obsessively, announcing the first appearance of the robotic cleaning mice at 9:15 a.m. The mice and rats appear regularly thereafter, sweeping up after the dog when it enters the house and later joining the fight against