Celebrating the Crazy Cat Lady

April 19th ha s gone to the cats: it’s Cat Lady Day! The crazy cat lady trope may be a little unfair—after all, we’re pretty crazy about kitties ourselves. Here, a Thorold, ON vet discusses—you guessed it—the crazy cat lady. 

Historical Cat Ladies

Several mythological women have been associated with cats. There’s Egypt’s half-woman, half-kitty goddess Bastet, who was associated with childbirth, womanhood, and domestic bliss. The Norse had Freja, a powerful goddess who drove a chariot pulled by two kitties. Chinese mythology offers Li Shou, a cat goddess who was also associated with fertility. More recently, cats—particularly black cats—were often associated with witches. Unfortunately, this superstition is still around today.

The Cat Lady In Pop Culture

The crazy cat lady stereotype hasn’t always held a ‘pawsitive’ connotation. However, in recent years it has evolved from a negative trope to a beloved one. In fact, many iconic and beloved characters could fall under the cat lady umbrella. These include Ripley, the heroine of Aliens ; Audrey Hepburn’s classic 60’s party girl Holly Golightly, from Breakfast at Tiffany’s ; and even Phoebe Buffay from Friends , whose off-key ode to Smelly Cat was pure comedic genius. In fact, there’s even a convention you can go to: Catcon. 

Meowpulation

The crazy cat lady trope probably wouldn’t even exist if kitties weren’t so darned cute. Fluffy is really, really good at getting us to dote on her. In fact, she often manages to wrap people around her paws with a few meows and cuddles. Want to go full crazy cat lady? Pamper your feline buddy! Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to spoil a cat. If you want to get your furball’s motor going, get her a new cat tower, some fun toys, or perhaps a comfy kitty tent. Catnip, of course, is also appropriate. 

Celebrating Crazy Cat Ladies

How does one celebrate Crazy Cat Lady Day? Well, if you want to go all-out (or perhaps all-in) you could order a Crazy Cat Lady action figure, which is available online. You can also get Crazy Cat Lady Christmas ornaments, mugs, and even tee-shirts. These make ‘purrfect’ gifts for the cat lady in your life! You could also watch The Office , and giggle at Angela’s pet cam and her woe at not getting kitty maternity leave from Dunder Mifflin.

Do you have questions about kitty care? Contact us, your local Thorold, ON veterinary clinic, today!