The Sorry Tail of the Catwoman of Petaluma (and Bel Marin Keys, and Sebastopol...)
May 25, 2001 11:06 PM Subscribe
The Sorry Tail of the Catwoman of Petaluma (and Bel Marin Keys, and Sebastopol...) And the cat count is now up to 202...
Has anyone ever done a psychological study of these older women who accumulate cats? My ex-girlfriend's mother is one. When we moved away from her four years ago, she had about 20. Now, I hear the total is approaching 100. She actually built an addition on to her home to house the cats. They, like, own that part of the house.
posted by jpoulos at 8:42 AM on May 26, 2001
posted by jpoulos at 8:42 AM on May 26, 2001
I've always worried I might end up a crazy cat lady.
Here's some crazy cat lady poetry.
Some psychological insight is here as well:
"Very little academic study has been done on cat ladies, in part because they are so hard to find and because the subject, like the women themselves, is a bit eccentric.
But mental health and humane experts have identified a variety of mental illness models that fit obsessive cat ladies. Almost always, extreme cases are women who are socially isolated. Researchers have found few married cat ladies.
The New York State Humane Assn. has even compiled a list of characteristics animal collectors share. They include a clandestine lifestyle, a tendency to deny reality and sharp communication skills, which they often use to talk their way out of sticky situations.
For some, collection is an obsessive-compulsive disorder. In the same way that someone may irrationally save string or aluminum foil, cat ladies are compelled to hoard cats.
For others, the cats give a sense of power to the powerless. "For the most part these people are not in control and the cats are the only thing they have to control," Beck said.
The cats remind almost all cat ladies of a period in their lives they look upon fondly. Collecting expert Ruth Smith said all collectors--from baseball card junkies to antique hounds--use their collections to remind them of a loved one or to connect with a happy experience."
posted by keli at 9:20 AM on May 26, 2001
Here's some crazy cat lady poetry.
Some psychological insight is here as well:
"Very little academic study has been done on cat ladies, in part because they are so hard to find and because the subject, like the women themselves, is a bit eccentric.
But mental health and humane experts have identified a variety of mental illness models that fit obsessive cat ladies. Almost always, extreme cases are women who are socially isolated. Researchers have found few married cat ladies.
The New York State Humane Assn. has even compiled a list of characteristics animal collectors share. They include a clandestine lifestyle, a tendency to deny reality and sharp communication skills, which they often use to talk their way out of sticky situations.
For some, collection is an obsessive-compulsive disorder. In the same way that someone may irrationally save string or aluminum foil, cat ladies are compelled to hoard cats.
For others, the cats give a sense of power to the powerless. "For the most part these people are not in control and the cats are the only thing they have to control," Beck said.
The cats remind almost all cat ladies of a period in their lives they look upon fondly. Collecting expert Ruth Smith said all collectors--from baseball card junkies to antique hounds--use their collections to remind them of a loved one or to connect with a happy experience."
posted by keli at 9:20 AM on May 26, 2001
Has this woman never heard of neutering?
After the first pair of litters, that *really* should have been the end of it.
Poor cats.
posted by Sapphireblue at 3:44 PM on May 26, 2001
After the first pair of litters, that *really* should have been the end of it.
Poor cats.
posted by Sapphireblue at 3:44 PM on May 26, 2001
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posted by modofo at 2:48 AM on May 26, 2001