While it is easy to read Maus and Maus II and only see the characters for what they are drawn as: mice/cats/etc, Spiegelman makes a strong statement through the usage of these animals. While a mouse is inferior to a cat in wildlife, Spiegelman gives these "animals" enough characterization and depth to where they are looked at as humans.
In the holocaust, Jews were Jews. It didn't matter what was on the inside; it didn't matter that their heart beat the same as every other human--they were so dehumanized to the point where Nazis (Cats) viewed them as nothing; as less worthy than animals (mice). By bringing human life into the characters of Artie, his dad, and many of the other jews (mice), Spiegelman is able to emphasize that there was no justification behind the acts of Nazi Germany. Sending people off to their death bed; torturing them, can never be justified by the beliefs of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Most Nazi's didn't care one bit about anything a Jew had to say (or the other prisoners). When someone stops caring; when someone starts hurting you and taking away everything you love simply because of the blood you're born into, you lose hope. You become fearful of every move you make because it could reflect who you are, and apparently who you are is something very very horrible. Spiegelman shows that the exterior of these characters (who represent real people) have absolutely nothing to do with who they are inside. A cat's physical attributes when compared to a mouse are much more superior, but when it comes to humans, Spiegelman shows that we all beat the same heart, and exterior means nothing.
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