Dogs are a Man’s Best Friend, but you’re a Crazy Cat Lady!

I love cats just as much as the next girl.

Actually, a lot more than the next girl.

By showing my love for cats in public, I have experienced my fair share of “Crazy Cat Lady!!” This strange phenomenon has been developed that women who own cats are crazy and/or lonely.

Crazy Cat Ladies (CCL) are, according to J.Noble on UrbanDictionary.com,

Clearly this label is not supposed to be taken kindly.

There has been a very long history of women being told that their identity is a disease; that they are abnormal i.e. not a man. Women were claimed to be hysteric in order to minimize their feelings and to be placed into submission. This line of thought dates all the way back to Ancient Greece where they believed women had wandering wombs that moved around the body wrecking havoc.

This connection between gender and pet is vastly different than their male-counterparts.

I am sure you have all heard the saying Dogs are a man’s best friend. Men who own dogs are seen as compassionate, caring, and loving. Most people think of a strong bond that is unbreakable and truly masculine. They go on hikes and do manly things like running and getting dirty!

Dogs are a highly popular pet among men specifically, as are cats for women. So why do these opinions on pet ownership differ so greatly?

The short answer- fragile masculinity. shorter answer- misogyny.

Men view women as weak and hysteric. They also often view cats are weak and hysteric due to their off-standish behavior. Pair them together and you have a Crazy Cat Lady!

Another strong reason for this is that men are a lot less likely to like cats, but are very likely to like dogs. Men enjoy being in control. Dogs follow commands, while cats do not. Men enjoy owning pets that they can force to obey them. Women get pets for comfort and joy, so they are more likely to bond with a cat.

Centuries of sexism mixed with a little bit of narcissism and we have the creation of the Crazy Cat Lady.