I’ve never worked as a server but I did date one long ago who said something to the effect, “that $5 means more to her than you” and while I was not nearly as financially stable back then, that idea has stuck with me.
An extra isn’t going to make or break my day but it could make someone else’s day.
Another way I’ve been thinking about this is how for a brief moment you someone’s “boss.” If you’ve ever complained about unfair compensation what does it say about you that you’re using than brief moment of power to be what you hate.
You want to me your cat because you treat them well.
Being any random cat could be rough. There are a lot of terrible pet owners out there.