El gato de mi casa is an original composition, albeit based on an anonymous traditional theme. Russo ingeniously makes an association between the lyrics (related to the animal) and the gato as a dance. It should be noted that, while the dance form served as inspiration for this choral work, the piece was never intended to be an actual gato, given the dance's specific structural and compositional requirements. Even so, Russo still utilizes a combined 6∕8 + 3∕4 meter, which is so pervasive in all Latin American folk music. SATB Divisi with optional piano.