The Protectorate of Cat353 is a colossal, socially progressive nation, renowned for its state-planned economy, punitive income tax rates, and stringent health and safety legislation. The democratic population of 3.929 billion Cat353ians are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The enormous, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Education, and Law & Order. The average income tax rate is 59.6%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The sizeable but sluggish Cat353ian economy, worth 72.7 trillion Mice a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient, quite specialized black market in Tourism, Cheese Exports, Beef-Based Agriculture, and Information Technology. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 18,510 Mice, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Cat353's national animal is the Cat.

Cat353 is ranked 305,514^th in the world and 16,361^st in Balder for Largest Insurance Industry, scoring -9.54 on the Risk Expulsion Effectiveness Rating.