What defines a cat lady

[lovetimesfour]

Originally Posted by Greenport ferals

Agree, the term 'cat lady' is something I would shrink from. It has a bad connotation. I don't have my Webster's handy, but it probably has a bad denotation too.
I have LOTS of cats. I am at high risk for being called a cat lady, so I try not to be one in the popular sense.
I get points for having only one seasonal (winter) cat box for my oldest cat. But I get negative points for the amount of cat hair that invariably clings to my clothes.

Why would providing only one seasonal litter box give you credit? Cat ladies provide adequate toileting facilities for their cats at all times.

After all it is better for a cat to use a clean litter box for many reasons, than do do it outside.

"Cat Lady" is a derogatory term, historically and culturally. Though lots of people like to consider themselves cat ladies, or maybe just cat persons.

I do like the opening post. It really does sum up what Cat Lady means, in spite of the negative connotations associated with the term.

[GhostTown]

My wife and I own the "crazy cat couple" title. I, in fact, make light of it at any chance during conversation. Especially when other people bring up their child problems. When someone breaks into sad song about how their kid is misbehaving or causing them grief in some way or another I bluntly respond in a snarky voice "I have cats." That usually quiets them down.

It says in very short summary that "I don't have human children, I don't like human children, so I don't relate with your problems but if you keep talking I'm going start trying to relate your problems to my daily cat episodes because they are more important to me than your @#$& children".

Or, when I haven't seen someone in a very long time and bump into them randomly my answer to what I've been up to is "I'm married and have four cats and a dog". They respond "No kids?", I reply "no kids, cats..."

I love my cats. Love them. We have quite a bit of cat art that we've had privately commissioned or have collected during our infrequent travels, I have a cat welcome mat at the front door, I share at LEAST two or three cat photos a week on facebook. My wife works in a hospital and has to log in to several different computers at work. Each different machine she logs into has a different desktop background of our cats and dog. We try to include our cats (and dog) in everything we do.

If there is a negative connotation to that, I don't care. It just makes me want to flaunt it more.

[Iluvanimals]

I'm kind of the crazy ANIMAL girl at school and work. I live on a farm with 18 horses a lot of chickens and other birds, many bunnies(I show them), tons of barn/ stray cats, two indoor cats, and four dogs(2 big and 2 little). Everyone knows I cannot pass up an animal in need. My sister and I have many of our own bunnies we show, but I think we have taken in over 30 that people could not keep anymore and found new homes for them (we only have 3 looking for homes now). We have also taken in several horses that need rescuing and my brother just brought home 3 guinea pigs someone left outside his school. We have also found homes for 15-20 cats my aunt (a vet) has brought home from work because the owner said they wanted it put down for an unnecessary reason and when she said no they said they would let it go/turn it into a shelter, so she brings them home. So yah, I'm the crazy animal lady

[Mitts & Tess]

Your family sounds awesome! You do wonderful work with animals! Are you in 4H? You truly are an animal person!

[Iluvanimals]

Originally Posted by Mitts & Tess

Your family sounds awesome! You do wonderful work with animals! Are you in 4H? You truly are an animal person!

Unfortunately I have never had time to do 4-H (7 little siblings take a lot of time ). But my little sister is going to do it with the bunnies and goats, one of my brothers will also do goats, and another brother will be raising a few cows. Everybody shows the horses. Basically there is no such thing as a quiet day in my house

[Layla0710]

How about: corners all of her coworkers regardless of their relationship to her and makes them sit through hundreds of cat pictures on her phone?

"This is her sitting, this is her sitting on her castle, this is her sitting in the living room, this is her sitting in the living room later in the day so the light hits her at a different angle . . . "

I mean, everyone does that . . . riiiight? It's probably normal.

[britishvixen21]

Originally Posted by Layla0710

How about: corners all of her coworkers regardless of their relationship to her and makes them sit through hundreds of cat pictures on her phone?

"This is her sitting, this is her sitting on her castle, this is her sitting in the living room, this is her sitting in the living room later in the day so the light hits her at a different angle . . . "

I mean, everyone does that . . . riiiight? It's probably normal.

HAHAHA I tottally do this!

My mother in law to be is a preacher at a church on her website bio she states she is Granny to one Grandson and two kitties LOL

[Venusworld21]

I went as a "crazy cat lady" for the office halloween party this year. The worst part? I didn't have to buy ANYTHING for my costume. I wore a bathrobe and slippers and pinned a bunch of stuffed cats to the robe, put an old collar, some toys and a few cans of food in the pockets. One of my coworkers came as a cat (we didn't plan that in advance) and a good time was had by all. It was a pot luck, so I brought a "litter box cake" (google it...they're fabulously disgusting).


My personal saying is that you're only a crazy cat lady if you hit double digits on kitties. I've adopted out a few of the last batch of kittens I fostered, so I'm down to 8 right now and therefore do not qualify.

I do meet all the criteria on that list though.

[Bonnie037]

I definately qualify. I even had my mom's cat neutered when she couldnt afford to do it. I only have two cats at the moment but if my hubby would let me I'd probably have at least 3 or 4. Ive rescued lost kitties in parking lots and chased down a stray kitten through the woods in a snowstorm because I didnt want anything to eat it. All of my neighbors' cats hang out on my porch and I've even let them inside in bad weather. Kitties are my favorite kind of people. My hubby is lucky I've never had to choose between him and them

[Arianwen]

This has just reminded me of an incident several years ago when someone new to the area turned up on the doorstep box and said, "I was told I should bring these here to the animal woman!" I think "cat lady" sounds less potentially vicious even though it wasn't cats that time!!! LOL