A cat lady is a cultural

archetype The concept of an archetype ( ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, philosophy and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main mo ...

stock character A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a type of character in a narrative (e.g. a novel, play, television show, or film) whom audiences recognize across many narratives or as part of a storytelling tradition or convention. Th ...

, most often depicted as a middle-aged or elderly spinster or

widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjecti ...

, who has many

cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

s. The term may be

pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...

, or it may be affectionately embraced.

Usage and association

An old lady is enraged when her cats disturb her stoking the Wellcome V0022915

Women who have cats have long been associated with the concept of spinsterhood,

hood or even

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

. In more recent decades, the concept of a cat lady has been associated with "romance-challenged (often career-oriented) women". The term "cat lady" has also been used as a pejorative term towards women without children, regardless of if they actually own cats. Depending on context, the ordinarily pejorative word "crazy" may be prepended to "cat lady" to indicate either a

or a humorous and affectionate label. Some writers, celebrities, and artists have challenged the gender-based "Crazy Cat Lady" stereotype, and embraced the term to mean an animal lover or rescuer who cares for one or multiple cats, and who is psychologically healthy. Naftali Berrill, Ph.D., Director of the New York Center for

Neuropsychology Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology concerned with how a person's cognition and behavior are related to the brain and the rest of the nervous system. Professionals in this branch of psychology focus on how injuries or illnesses of the brai ...

and Forensic Behavioral Science, told AOL Health, "These may be people who have a very hard time expressing themselves to other people. They may find the human need for affection is met most easily through a relationship with a pet." This devotion can sometimes signal mental or emotional issues such as depression. A cat lady may also be an animal hoarder who keeps large numbers of cats without having the ability to properly house or care for them.

''Toxoplasma gondii''

Some studies indicate a link between the parasite ''

Toxoplasma gondii ''Toxoplasma gondii'' () is a species of parasitic alveolate that causes toxoplasmosis. Found worldwide, ''T. gondii'' is capable of infecting virtually all warm-blooded animals, but members of the cat family (felidae) are the only known d ...

'', which sexually reproduces exclusively in cats, and numerous psychiatric conditions, including

obsessive compulsive disorder Obsession may refer to: Psychology * Celebrity worship syndrome, obsessive addictive disorder to a celebrity's personal and professional life * Obsession (psychology), a persistent attachment to an object or idea * Fixation (psychology), persi ...

(OCD) and

schizophrenia Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...

, whereas other studies have shown that ''T. gondii'' is not a causative factor in later psychoses. The

compulsive hoarding Hoarding disorder (HD) or Plyushkin's disorder is a mental disorder characterised by persistent difficulty in parting with possessions and engaging in excessive acquisition of items that are not needed or for which no space is available. This re ...

of cats, a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), has long been associated with "crazy cat ladies". Crazy cat-lady syndrome is a term coined by news organizations to describe scientific findings that link ''Toxoplasma gondii'' to several

mental disorders A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

and behavioral problems.

Notable examples

* Edith Ewing Bouvier and her daughter Edith Bouvier Beale had many cats living with them in their decrepit home Grey Gardens. Reportedly, some 30 cats lived in the house by the time Little Edie sold it in 1979. * Bertha Rand was

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

's notorious Cat Lady, who for years battled her neighbours and

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

to save her dozens of cats; even years after her death, she still holds a place in Canadian popular culture. The Venetian Snares song ''For Bertha Rand'', from the 2001 album ''Songs About My Cats'', pays homage to her, and Maureen Hunter's play ''The Queen of Queen Street'' is based on Rand's life. * In the U.S. presidential election of 2024, in an interview on " Fox and Friends", then-senator and Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance received pushback when he called the leadership of the country "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives". * Celebrity

Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...

has referred to herself as a cat lady on multiple occasions, once signing an

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

post endorsing Democratic presidential candidate

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...

as "Childless Cat Lady" in reference to Vance's comment.

References

External links

{{Stock characters Cats Stereotypes of women Feminism and society Pejorative terms for women Female stock characters Cats in popular culture

Usage and association

''Toxoplasma gondii''

Notable examples

See also

References

External links