Stills

I think that the cut off cat works to emphasise the informal nature of the picture. If you moved to whole cat, then you would start thinking 'what about the missing foot' and then 'knee' and so on by which time it would be a very different picture.

I see the subject as the stripes and everything else as the frame.

There is something about the lighting, colour, and contrast here that almost looks like a photo-realistic painting rather than like a photo. I don't see cinematic like Matt, because I see something more static than that, but I think we are reacting to the same things.
 

The cat is not a problem as they are fickle creatures at best. Dogs are much more dependable (stupid?) for portraiture as they'll do anything for the tiniest scrap of food!

I have no problem with the interaction between the subjects and the lovely slatted bridge between them. I do find the human's bottom half to be a little 'harsh' on the eyes. It's also a little muddled in that bottom right corner with limbs missing, very dark shadows and the small triangle of gray. The bottom edge needs a full run of bedding or none at all.

The simplicity of the top half of the picture needs to be followed throughout the shot. A slightly different angle at the time of clicking the shutter may have resolved some of my concerns.

As I said just earlier, the top half is a delight. Excellent use and control of light has paid dividends to all the texture and contrast that the top half delivers to me.
 

A lot has been said already. My first reaction was to the portrayal of an intimate scene - presumably you were lying where the cat now is? I hardly registered the slatted light, until it was pointed out, as the occupation of the picture by the human form is dominant. I too wondered about the cut-off cat but I go along with Colin's reasoning but perhaps picking up Akikana's different camera pov and, perhaps, slight angling to highlight that the inclusion/exclusion of various elements is deliberate (and quite legitimate). But anything different would possibly spoil that particular line up the body and around to the arm. I wouldn't have thought 'cinema' but that does explain why a scene like this is somehow more familiar outside our own experience. And cinema having been introduced, I am not sure how Colin finds this static - the tendon in the arm gives movement, as does the cat's flicking tail!

Pity about the title - it is the name of a major government education intitiative in the UK!

So, light and all, an interesting composition, and I like the shadows!
 

This image creates a very relaxed feel, it is languid with a hint of sexiness (I cannot explain why I think that!) His arm provides a strong link across the image between the two subjects and the lighting on the bed is a bonus.
 

I have other images of this scene with the entire cat, wider angle and a bit different angle, but selected this one at the time.

Colin -- you see much what I saw based on your "photo-realistic painting" remark -- I took this series with the thought to paint it.

akikana -- I also dislike the small triangle of gray -- might clone it out eventually, but otherwise I like the red blanket and even the gray quilt which points in to the subject.

Definitely an intimate scene, this is my husband, Stan. I like Rex's term "lanquid". Suspect the "sexiness" comes from the intimacy that is likely needed to actually get an image like this -- like that shown in Matt's image "3/4's" perhaps.

Thank you all for the helpful, insightful comments.