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I watched a show tonight, “Cat Ladies” on the Animal Planet network (video above not part of show). The premise was an in-depth look at the lives, emotions and histories of what many refer to as Crazy Cat Ladies. That term, usually applied to single women of roughly middle-age living with many cats, is unarguably a loose term at best. But what it implies is universal – a woman whose life revolves around tons of cats she keeps and cares for. It got me thinking, what is it that really defines a crazy cat lady? What really defines a hoarder?
Many cat ladies, and hoarders alike, will insist they are rescuers and nothing more. They very often will defend their collection of cats, and the very existence of it, quite fiercely. Animal hoarders are, I think, a little easier to differentiate from the crowd – they have an extreme number of cats in their home, to the point that not only can they do nothing other than tend to the animals due to the time and energy it takes, but also they don’t find homes for these poor animals. They have no intention; perhaps paying lip-service to the idea, but never in fact do anything other than keep, and increase the numbers of, their “found” pets. A rescuer actively seeks to find new homes for the animals. A rescuer does not wish to keep the animals, they wish to facilitate an animal’s re-homing. An animal hoarder is basically a collector.
Crazy cat ladies, though, aren’t necessarily hoarders. They may have an enormous amount of cats in their home, but they don’t constantly add to numbers. And chances are, they can care for their large brood just fine. They have the means, time and energy for handling the crowd quite well. They may be rather unusual personalities, they may dress and even act differently than the norm, which I suppose would provoke the term ‘crazy’. There are people we know who have one cat, two cats, half a dozen or even more. Does that make them crazy cat people? That’s a big question, one that the show made me wonder about.
The people I personally know who have more than a couple of cats – well, they don’t have dozens. They’re not looking to increase their brood, and probably won’t anytime soon. And although they have more than a couple, they have full lives. They work, have hobbies and out-of-home activities, friendships and established contact with relatives. They do love their cats, really love them! They spend a lot of time with their pets, and usually a decent amount of money on them as well. If you asked them, they’d probably tell you they consider the cats part of their family.
So, what’s the difference? For starters, the people who are usually referred to as Crazy Cat Ladies are usually more than just in love with their pets, more than just consider their pets part of their family. They seem to be obsessed with cats. I for one am a lover of cats and all things feline. I really do love cats! But…I don’t feel the need to talk like a cat, dress with materials that imitate cats (leopard-looking spots are cool, but not ALL over!), fill my home not only with cats but all things in the form of or with images of cats, or have nothing else to have a conversation about. There is life in addition to, not instead of, my cats. In fact, more precisely, my cats are an addition to my life.
And that, I think, is probably a good way to distinguish between someone who happens to love and have a lot of cats, and a true “crazy cat lady”. If the person’s life revolves around, relies upon, or even involves only exclusively cats, then they’re a little “crazy”. If the person relies on their cats for emotional connection, friendship and conversation exclusively, it’s a problem. People need people, too. And there is more in this world than just cats (coming from a true cat-lover, mind you).
The very fact that a person relates only with pets in their daily life, with little to none human interaction, is an indication of some emotional or psychological disturbance. This is not a healthy person, and their difficulties need to be addressed and resolved for a good life. It is not enough to label them, call them names or scoff at them, though – these are probably people in need of some help. The help surely would not be the same as in the case of true hoarders, but extending a hand, a shoulder, a sympathetic ear might help begin their journey to recovery. Are they crazy? Well, other than a few who probably are certifiably so – no.
So I came to the conclusion that it’s all about balance. Just like so many things in life, it’s all about not going to extremes, finding a happy middle. If there is such an imbalance that a person’s life does not include relationships with other people, they could be classified as crazy cat people. Or dog people. Or birds… But it would be nice to refer to them as extreme cat people instead, ones who are in need of finding a healthier balance in their lives.
CindyLu says: Hey, Mom! You’re thinking too much! It’s very simple: if a lady has a bunch of cats, and no dog…she’s crazy!!
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