Is there a stigma attached with owning a cat?

eaglach · 06-11-2020 10:06pm #1

I've always liked cats and thought of getting one for years. But the truth is that I've been put off because of my perceived stigma associated with owning a cat. This is especially exacerbated because I am a man and there can be a notion that there must be something wrong with you having a cat instead of a dog!

Now that I'm older I don't really care what people think and am planning on getting one, but I still believe there is this negative connotation out there on owners of cats e.g. a bit odd (crazy cat lady!), loners, less of a man etc. Plus there is a lot of (in my opinion) undue hatred to cats for some strange reason that I could never understand.

Do you think that's still the case or is this just a thing of the past?

Godeatsboogers · 06-11-2020 10:19pm

There probably is a stigma but it comes mainly from people who dont understand what it's like to have cats. I didn't get a cat till I was 31, was a young stray I found, tried to find the owner no joy so I kept the cat. My brother tried to get me to get rid of him at every turn about a year after I got him hust because he hates cats, now I have 2 cats and I have a feral that I tamed that I'm looking for a home for.

tk123 · 07-11-2020 12:54pm

People will have an opinion no matter what you do. Some don’t like cats, some only like small or big dogs, some hate dogs. Forget what they think and enjoy your pet is what I say.

limnam · 07-11-2020 12:59pm

eaglach wrote: »

I've always liked cats and thought of getting one for years. But the truth is that I've been put off because of my perceived stigma associated with owning a cat. This is especially exacerbated because I am a man and there can be a notion that there must be something wrong with you having a cat instead of a dog!

Now that I'm older I don't really care what people think and am planning on getting one, but I still believe there is this negative connotation out there on owners of cats e.g. a bit odd (crazy cat lady!), loners, less of a man etc. Plus there is a lot of (in my opinion) undue hatred to cats for some strange reason that I could never understand.

Do you think that's still the case or is this just a thing of the past?

Cats overtook dogs as the most "popular" pet many years ago.

As you said you don't care, so why ask.

bertiebomber · 07-11-2020 11:42pm

I was recently introduced to a man in his 50'd who loved his cat i was very impressed at his sensitivity and the fact that he made no apologies for having a cat. Having a companion pet these days is almost a must as humans are mostly runts with a C.
Get your cat, enjoy your cat we live in strange ****ty times and our bad treatment of animals is finally coming back to get us. 17 million caged mink being gassed today mother nature is very angry with the human species.

johnnyskeleton · 07-11-2020 11:45pm

Some cats are decorated war heroes:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_(cat)

07-11-2020 11:48pm

No problem with owning a cat so long as it is controlled in the proper manner. Not let loose to defecation other peoples garden. Not let stray around.

PsychoPete · 07-11-2020 11:52pm

If you want a cat then get one, I like having a cat. All I do is feed her and she spends the day doing whatever she wants she's very little work. I've two dogs as well, they are so needy and want to constantly be beside me when I'm at home. Can barely go the sink without one of them following me

Mollyb60 · 09-11-2020 5:40pm

I agree, a lot of people tried to put me off getting a cat. My MIL flat out refused to have anything to do with it before we got one. Said under no circumstances would she be minding the cat or looking after it while we were away because she 100% hates cats.
Fast forward 2 years and she makes excuses to come over and visit with our cat, asks for daily updates (the cat is poorly at the moment) and loves all the photos we send her of the cat.

I think there is a negative stigma in general against cats which is a pity but as long as you love your pet and do your best for them that's what's important. I couldn't imagine life without our 2.

Victor · 09-11-2020 5:49pm

Cats do kill wildlife and in some places strays are a problem. Be a responsible owner.

eaglach wrote: »

I've always liked cats and thought of getting one for years. But the truth is that I've been put off because of my perceived stigma associated with owning a cat. This is especially exacerbated because I am a man and there can be a notion that there must be something wrong with you having a cat instead of a dog!

Dogs are territorial and will bark at cats. The dog owner then learns from the dog.

crazy cat lady!

You need be female, need to prefer cats over people and have an unmanageably large number of cats for this.

Donegal Overlanding · 09-11-2020 5:52pm

Cats are wonderful. We have 3 bengals and a husky. People that dont like cats or dogs are not be trusted.

Rubberchikken · 09-11-2020 5:54pm

Get your car. You'll have a wonderful time with him/her. Every animal deserves a loving caring owner and a comfortable home.
Enjoy every moment.. they're well worth it.

em_cat · 09-11-2020 6:09pm

bertiebomber wrote: »

I was recently introduced to a man in his 50'd who loved his cat i was very impressed at his sensitivity and the fact that he made no apologies for having a cat. Having a companion pet these days is almost a must as humans are mostly runts with a C.
Get your cat, enjoy your cat we live in strange ****ty times and our bad treatment of animals is finally coming back to get us. 17 million caged mink being gassed today mother nature is very angry with the human species.

Off topic I know, but jeez the footage of all those minks was heartbreaking.

Stratvs · 09-11-2020 6:10pm

Go for it. If you can get a rescue there are so many needing forever homes and you will be well rewarded.

You will need to think do I want an adult / kitten, a solitary or maybe a pair. Cats are normally fine on their own but the work in having 2 isn't really that much more and gives them company if the house is empty during the day. It also allows them time to plot your eventual capitulation into having 5 !

bladespin · 09-11-2020 6:14pm

116712605_10224237626472996_5329245363517473148_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=2&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=DoLxixJwjWYAX8K5Dp1&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.xx&oh=2d318d648f5ba38dbc17987d387cc51f&oe=5FD0AA82

Our house, btw, the little black fella on the right is mine (when he wants to be), big hairy biker that I am and all of that, great pets, nothing against dogs but prefer cats.

RandomViewer · 09-11-2020 6:15pm

em_cat wrote: »

Off topic I know, but jeez the footage of all those minks was heartbreaking.

Remember visiting a mink farm with a relative when I was about 10,delivering straw. Still remember the smell 40 years later

em_cat · 09-11-2020 6:18pm

OP, I wouldn’t worry, companion pets are shown to be a huge benefit to people that live alone and as an example, my mum married my stepfather when I was very very young and she always said that she knew he was the one when she found out he was owned by a cat

Addle · 09-11-2020 6:22pm

We have a cat. It’s a dear pet who knows how to play us. It also keeps our home rodent free (if you need an excuse).
I think there is a bit of a stigma to having a cat, but negativity, I find, usually comes from people who don’t have pets, and I think some of them could do with looking after something other than themselves.

Day Lewin · 09-11-2020 6:25pm

"Is there a stigma attached with owning a cat? "

Certainly not!

All the finest people have cats. Except James Bond villains, and even they have excellent style. Cats rule.

Tar.Aldarion · 09-11-2020 6:35pm

Is there one? I don't know, nor care. I have a cat, am a man and my cat can be seen chasing dogs in my local park for the last 8 years haha.

Hey_Listen · 09-11-2020 7:19pm

From a guy/family with a cat - highly recommend. They are clean, easy to look after, pretty much automatically toilet trained, full of character. You will be their servant and they will give you many years of happiness. You will appreciate the simple things in life with a cat. Sleeping, eating, cleaning, using the toilet, meditating, thinking, looking like you are thinking. And looking at things with disdain.

You'll need to consider vet bills, good quality food (mixture of wet and dry, otherwise they might get a UTI); whether to keep then indoors or outdoors; for outdoors put collar and bell on them from a young age to keep the bird kill down (look up RSPB for way to reduce bird kills); they might keep vermin down which is a huge plus; amazon/dealz good for good quality/cheap collars and bells; if your cat isn't afraid of crossing roads or you're near a busy road maybe a good idea to keep them indoors; you'll need to consider who'll look after them when you go on holidays (a cat sitter is a good idea - i.e. a friend, as they don't like change/catteries so much); a decent outdoor enclosre is probably a good option to keep them safe; don't cut or extract their nails. That's just extreamly cruel. Just do some research before you get one.

yuridwyer · 09-11-2020 7:54pm

Day Lewin wrote: »

"Is there a stigma attached with owning a cat? "

Certainly not!

All the finest people have cats. Except James Bond villains, and even they have excellent style. Cats rule.

Great post! Even Bond villains have redeeming features.

Graces7 · 10-11-2020 9:27am

why just one? When I moved from Cornwall to Orkney, in a Mini, I had 12. They called me the " cat wife," and respected that.

And the same out here where I have six. Great ratters they are. And big compared to the inbred island cats.. Folk are in awe!

I never had any negativity at all … Partly that was as I bred Siamese a while

Cats are wonderful company. And if you get two rescues they will play together. ( mine are all rescues)

skooterblue2 · 11-11-2020 1:35pm

eaglach wrote: »

But the truth is that I've been put off because of my perceived stigma associated with owning a cat.
Do you think that's still the case or is this just a thing of the past?

The only problem is when you have more cats than days in the week you can name.

Graces7 · 11-11-2020 1:51pm

Actually when I think more widely than my own house.. This deeply remote island has the same view of cats as they did in Orkney. ie that they are barely above the vermin they are there to kill; and if the vermin were not there then the cats would not be.

So my arrival with 12 treasured cats .. yes cat lady fitted perfectly. "The exact dialect expression was " the catty wife .

When I arrived at the pier with my three cats... The first reaction was the sheer size /weight of them.. and now they and I are respected as they catch rats... No one here knows about Tonto .... lol.. clearly they haven't missed him!

I think thus that any stigma was that cats were not valued and were scorned. So by association..

Stratvs · 11-11-2020 3:14pm

We've had cats now for 20 years. The first was a rescue tabby kitten and she lived to past 16. She spent many hours on a chair in the office with me. Initially when someone was coming in I'd say let me move the cat but gradually as clients got to know her they'd usually say leave her be she's grand and in the end I'd not even mention her. Interestingly as people came in she'd sometimes look up then go back to plotting world domination but for a small few, the minute they'd come in she'd shoot off out. I often wonder what she knew that I didn't !

Less than 2 yrs after she died in the snow March 2018 a young adult tabby turned up at our door. No chip, no collar but spayed and eartipped. Unsuccessful in finding her humans she settled in with us and is sitting across from me now in the office. She has so many mannerisms of the other one it's uncanny.

Graces7 · 11-11-2020 3:33pm

Such a warming thread for a wet dark day. Thank you!

11-11-2020 3:36pm

Wouldn’t mind cats myself

Please do put a bell on it though, I really don’t like irresponsible owners who allow their cats to decimate local wildlife

Mollyb60 · 11-11-2020 3:39pm

There's an outdoor cat in my estate called Tobias. His owners have 2 bells on his collar. He sits at the bottom of the tree that we have our bird feeder on and tries to catch birds. Poor guy has yet to catch one (thank god) because he makes such a racket any time he moves with his bells! Its always great fun watching him trying to be sneaky.

Graces7 · 11-11-2020 4:10pm

Batrachotox wrote: »

Wouldn’t mind cats myself

Please do put a bell on it though, I really don’t like irresponsible owners who allow their cats to decimate local wildlife

Out here that would endanger the cats...….. as we have a couple of predatory foxes.. My cats ARE the local wildlife. And a bell needs a collar, and they can get tangled in a tree and choke a cat..and most of all my cats are ratters and keep the area rodent free.

11-11-2020 4:53pm

You can get quick release collars which snap open if a cat gets tangled in something, bells are essential if you don't want your cat to kill wildlife like birds,rats and mice and present them on your back door step as a gift! My last cat once dragged in a large rat, still half alive! I had her for over 18 years.

Have recently adopted a kitten, almost 3 months old and she is proving a bit of a hellion but she'll settle. Sorry I didn't get two, I think she could be a cat that needs another cat to bounce off. My brother, who is in his fifties and lives alone, is adopting two kittens shortly, just waiting for them to be old enough.

Is there a stigma attached with owning a cat?

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