Crazy Cat Ladies (The strange and strong bond between women and cats)

Forbes ^ | 10-15-09 | Kiri Blakeley

[Dysart]

Courtney Kistler is a 28-year-old single gal who lives in New York City. She's sociable, outgoing and attractive. But that hasn't stopped Kistler's mother from worrying that her daughter, a freelance marketer, will never catch a husband--because she owns three cats.

"[My parents] think it's a little weird," she says of her multiple cat ownership. In fact, Kistler's mother has been known to ask her cat-loving daughter: "What if you want to bring a guy home? What would he think?"

While Kistler's last boyfriend wasn't too fond of her felines (he refused to pet them), the two men she dated before that (who both grew up with cats) were fine with them. Still, her mother worries. Says Kistler: "She's bought into the stereotype, and what am I going to do? I can't deny it exists."

Laura Adamson, a 23-year-old graduate student in Gainesville, Fla. recently learned some of the negative responses that can befall a single woman with a cat. After she adopted a kitten that had been tied up in a pillowcase tossed to the side of the road, Adamson began telling people her new pet's miracle story. Instead of being awed, some of her listeners called her a "crazy cat lady." She adds: "Usually they follow it up with 'Do you take the cat for walks?' or 'Does it eat at the table with you?' "

[Mr Inviso]

“Weird thing going on in my neighborhood is these cats that belong to other families but spend most of their time at my house and vice versa, our cats will be gone for 2 or 3 days at a time obviously doing the same thing.”

I had lots of my neighbors’ cats coming to my place, but it was only to use my side yard as their latrine. Neighbors have 7 cats at one house alone. I think I could do without that.

Then there’s one of the bosses at work, who has 16 of them.

[HangnJudge]

I kinda thought most single people had a pet of some sort.
I’ve known a lot of single guys with cats too.
They are the perfect pet for someone
who is not home much
but still wants company.

[To Hell With Poverty]

Ping!

[bannie]

This old lady seems to be missin’ that gene. (Thank the Good Lord.)

Dogs. It’s all about dogs.

[brytlea]

Well, I have known people with dogs only, with cats only and with cats and dogs. The oddest people I’ve known had cats only. But not everyone I’ve known with cats only were odd. I think perhaps cats appeal to odd people more than dogs do.

[fullchroma]

I’m ashamed to say that, late for a first date for some cat-related reason and sensitive to the single woman/cat fanatic stereotype, I told a man that although I have a cat I’m really a dog person.

My handsome date smiled and said, I LOVE cats!

Twenty years later we’re still together (and STUPID for our two, very bad kitties.

[brytlea]

LOL I would not trust a cat with my brain, however.

[HangnJudge]

LOL I would not trust a cat with my brain, however.

[martin_fierro]

I actually considered this. For about 10 seconds.

[HangnJudge]

I actually considered this. For about 10 seconds.

[chris_bdba]

People are stupid mostly! if I were single and a guy came a long who didn’t like my cats then he could just move on to the next person because I’d know quick that he wasn’t worth having around.

[eggman]

I think you might want to modify your statement a bit. I would imagine you have no trouble killing insects, spiders, rodents, and other animals that might intrude into you home or threaten your pets, livestock, food supply.

I have no problem killing the raccoons that kill my chickens and the varmints that destroy my crops.

[Slings and Arrows]

[reagan_fanatic]

[lilycicero]

Kitteh Ping

[Bigg Red]

I agree. I prefer dogs, but cats are much easier to take care of. We have one of each.

I think pets are a very important part of raising children; there are so many lessons about love and compassion that can be learned through pet ownership.

For someone who pet lover, though, I think it is foolish to try to become romantically involved with a person who just doesn’t like them. I absolutely love my dog, but I respect the fact that some people just don’t like dogs or are afraid of them.

[Dysart]

I actually considered this.

Really? I'm sure you'd look fetching in those pinstripe slacks and pumps.

[FDNYRHEROES]

This was illuminating for me.

Try this one on for size....1 in 3,000 Calico cats is a male...

[This I Wonder32460]

You wrote:
“I think perhaps cats appeal to odd people more than dogs do.”

My reply:
Perhaps odd people appeal more to cats than to dogs. LOL

I’ve owned both. Currently only one dog.

[shibumi]

Any man could learn to love cats, with the right sort of motivation .....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_neOGeee9k&feature=related