Being Accused Of Being The Crazy Cat Lady

I have two grown cats and a friend at work has a daughter who was taking the last of an unplanned liter to our local city animal shelter.  The shelter is just crammed full of kittens right now because of the time of year and because of the tornado too.  I know the shelter is a kill shelter so I offered to take the kitten. 

She's 8 weeks old and a calico.  I've never had a calico before but she's just simply gorgeous.  I named her Ayla (like Layla w/o the "L" sound).

And then when I told my grown daughters about it they were exasperated that I had gotten "another" cat.  When they said it .... it sounded like they were talking to someone who had 20 cats.  Not to brag but I think I'm a good and responsible cat mommy.  I'd say 80% of my apartment is set up for the cats and not for me.  I give them good food and I clean their boxes at least twice a day.  I have money saved up in case they need to see Dr. Lee (the vet).  I give them love and I play with them all the time.

So it just seemed so strange to me that people who love me would think it was outrageous that I have three cats.  They said I was turning into the "Crazy Cat Lady" and I just thought well, maybe you're right.  And even so, is that such a bad thing?

Do you find that you feel you have to defend your right to have more than one or two cats?

I don't think a responsible cat owner needs to justify the number of cats he/she has to anyone.  The key is "responsible", which encompasses everything you seem to be doing.  It also includes knowing your cats' personality:  I would love to foster/adopt another cat, but knowing Ritz as I do, I don't think it is responsible of me to do so.  Now, in an emergency situation I might rescue a cat, but I can't go looking on PetFinder or fall in love with one of the cats at the cat sanctuary where I volunteer.  Which, btw, have about 100 cats in one large home. 

(I take care of a cat colony, I never know if a new, orphaned/abandoned kitten/cat will show up.)

A corollary question is:  do you feel you have to justify taking a sick day at work, not because you're sick but because your cat is?  And, I sometimes think people think I'm crazy, given how much I talk about Ritz.  I love my (twin) sister, but sometimes I'd rather spend time with Ritz than her.

Some people really just don't get it.  That's the conclusion I've come to.  

As long as you are responsible; it's no one elses business and you don't have to justify it.  

The other day DH and I drove by a property that has 2 angel statues at the end of the driveway so we were talking about the lion ones.  I told DH I'd want cats; one of Mooch and one of Noodles (joking) and people can call me "that crazy cat lady."  And I told him that if they did I'd just say "thank you!" 

I guess we're all "crazy cat ladies" (or men!). If they don't like it, it's just too bad. I love cats and sometimes I think I get more love out of the cats than some people we know get from their children.

My grandson said I was the crazy cat lady cause I have 2 cats and just  love every cat I see. I told him that his mother was cause they had so many cats at one time.  

When I was a zoning officer in town, our office would get phone calls from people who needed to talk to me. They didn't really know me by name at first, so the phone calls would go like this:

"Hello, I need to speak with the zoning officer. I don't know her name, but she loves cats and she drives a red Cruiser!"

At the time, my office was decorated with nothing but cat stuff and when people would come in, they would always comment about all the cat pictures and such. And when I would tool around town, people always knew it was me because of Clarence. (Such are the "perks" of small town living, I guess.)

This link seems appropriate here... be sure to browse the archives. 

I feel like a very lucky cat lady... my hubby is made of catnip.  I swear it's true!  Every cat likes him.  He goes to our friends' house, and the most persnickety cat will climb up in his lap.  Just last weekend, a kitty left her own daddy's lap (in a huff, even) to go sit on my hubby.  Our friend had to admit he was a bit put out by it, lol.

'Course, back in the day, I used my cat as a gauge for the guys who would come visit.  There were several who did not get second invites.  But when my hubby walked through the door and sat down, she went right up to him without hesitation and headbutted him first thing.  That's when I knew he was a keeper.  

So I have no problem being labeled the crazy cat lady, because I have a crazy catnip man to share them with.

My answer would be, "Yes.  Your point?"

3 is nothing!!! 

I AM the crazy cat lady as I have over 20 in house

If they get the care they need and are fixed then it is your business if you want 1 or 5 of them.

I am not the "Crazy cat lady" in the sense i have two cats.. but in the sense I have so many cat trinkets and art in my apartment.

Which is not my fault.. my love of cats made it easy for people to gift me cat-related items, which makes it seem like I am a crazy cat lady!

MoochNNoodles said:

Some people really just don't get it.  That's the conclusion I've come to.  

As long as you are responsible; it's no one elses business and you don't have to justify it.  

The other day DH and I drove by a property that has 2 angel statues at the end of the driveway so we were talking about the lion ones.  I told DH I'd want cats; one of Mooch and one of Noodles (joking) and people can call me "that crazy cat lady."  And I told him that if they did I'd just say "thank you!" 

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If you're "crazy", Kittymommy, then I must be insane - cuz I have 10 furkids right now - not to mention I don't know how many strays/ferals that I feed & tend to. But as Mooch and some the the others pointed out, as long as you're being responsible, it's no one else's business.

I've been called the "crazy cat lady" by my family, friends, and even my neighbors - the same neighbors that will bring a sick or abandoned cat to MY door when they come across one. So if I'm so crazy, then why are you bringing me more?

And oh, by the way, Draco, you should see my "cat bathroom"!

I believe you are a crazy cat person if you have more than 13 cats at one time. Cleaning the litter, feeding all at once and all that meowing would drive me crazy !!!

Bella & Thunder are enough for me.     

Then I am crazy x2.  Though they are pretty quiet unless you egg them on by asking do you want to EAT?  They know eat.  Litter is simple since I use the big rubbermaid totes so not much comes out unless they spill it.  Once you get on a roll litter boxes get dumped/washed/refilled in a few hours for ALL the boxes.  I could do better if I had a hose in backyard and did not have to used my tub!
 

Yep, just about every day (I have 9, all former strays/abused).  I hate it when someone, who has never been in my house, wrinkles their nose and says, "Ooooh! Your house must SMELL!".

I clean my house daily, and keep it super-neat and clean; in fact, cleaner than many 1 or 2 cat owners' houses I've seen--including my Mom's house (1 cat). In fact, it's neater and cleaner than many NON-pet households I've been in! I have a system for cleaning, and stick to it. It is possible to have a nice abode when you have many pets. You just have to work at it much more than the average person.

I recently had a couple who are both allergic to cats over for dinner. They are DH's friends, and we didn't know about their allergies. When the girlfriend found out we had 9 cats, she took her allergy meds.  Neither one had any problems; in fact, she sat next to Loki for 4 hours with no problems.  I think that's a testament to my housekeeping--I only did a couple of extra things beforehand, such as airing the house out for a few hours. DH later told me that his friend had told their gaming group that he thought beforehand that he'd last about 30 minutes before his allergies flared up, and would have to leave, and was amazed that our house was so clean and non-allergic (and nice)! And they stayed for over 5 hours, BTW.

I'm not a cat hoarder, either, which people assume that I am. I decided a few years ago that 9 was enough (unless we come across a life-or-death stray situation), and have turned down offers of kittens and cats. I did direct them to the non-kill shelter we used to volunteer for.

I only have 2 cats so in that sense I'm not but I know that I have been called that behind my back.  When Patches was very sick 2 1/2 years ago there were a lot of vet visits, a hospitalization and a lot of money spent.  No one said it to my face but I know a lot of people were thinking I should just have him PTS.  The way I looked at it as long as he had a chance to get well and I could come up with the money I was going to keep going.  I guess that's one of the differences between someone who really loves animals and a more average pet owner.

kittymommy said:

Do you find that you feel you have to defend your right to have more than one or two cats?

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No. I was a single cat household for several years (Chynna). Then I added another (Abby) because I changed to working longer shifts and I wanted my cat to have a companion. Abby tried so hard to be friends with Chynna, but Chynna absolutely hated Abby and terrorized the poor thing.  After Chynna went to the Rainbow Bridge, I just had Abby. She really came out of her shell.  But I have lots of love in my heart to give to kitties, so I started to casually look for a second cat.  I didn't know if I wanted a grown cat or a kitten.  The Vet's office had twin kittens and I just couldn't leave them sitting in a cage; so I adopted both with the thought in mind that Abby is getting older and I won't have all that many years left with her, and I didn't want to end up having to try to introduce a second cat into the house again.  So when Abby goes to The Bridge, I will once again become a 2 cat household with 2 cats that actually know and like each other.

So far as being a crazy cat lady; I do tend to joke and call myself one, but I'm not really.  Yes, I do love my cats. I don't have kids, so I have some pictures of my cats on my desk at work. I also like to look at cute cat photos and I like being part of this community.  But I'm not all consumed by cats. I don't collect anything cat related, and don't spend all of my time consumed with thoughts of cats.

Denice said:

I only have 2 cats so in that sense I'm not but I know that I have been called that behind my back.  When Patches was very sick 2 1/2 years ago there were a lot of vet visits, a hospitalization and a lot of money spent.  No one said it to my face but I know a lot of people were thinking I should just have him PTS.  The way I looked at it as long as he had a chance to get well and I could come up with the money I was going to keep going.  I guess that's one of the differences between someone who really loves animals and a more average pet owner.

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I've heard that, too: "Why don't you just put them to sleep? Why spend all that money on a CAT?" It really ticks me off when someone says that! My reply to people like that is, "Would you put your child to sleep if they got sick?" (and I no longer associate with those people). You're just as responsible for your pets as you are when you have children. If you're not gonna be responsible for them when you adopt one, then don't get one! People also think I'm nuts cuz I spend money on the strays medical care when one of them get sick, too. Maybe they're not mine in a legal sense, but I still feel responsible for them since I'm feeding & tending to them. If that makes me a crazy cat lady, then so be it!

I relate to everything that's been said. One of my first posts on this forum was written in frustration after dealing with criticism over the care we provide for our cats.

When I was living on my own I had four cats(3 of whom are still with us today). They influenced every decision I made throughout my teens, 20s, and today. My coworkers, friends, and everyone who knew me knew how important they were to me. I did deal with criticism but, for the most part, it was just gentle teasing and I'm a person who loves to laugh at herself.

The worst times for criticism have of course been the times when we've been struggling with a medical issue. I've had employers who were very understanding, and have had others who were not so understanding. It's very stressful being in a situation where you fear losing your job that supports your cats while fearing losing your cat to illness when you're trying to meet the demands of a busy job. It's also very painful to be worrying about your child when others immediately focus on the financial aspects, as I've often experienced.

We're going through a very sad time with one of my cats(who happens to be the love of my life) and I'm extremely grateful to have a partner who loves him as well, cries along with me, and fully understands. I've also had a good show of support and concern from friends but there are some people(my partner's family) whom we've had to keep in the dark as we know from past criticism that they wouldn't understand.

I've found that people often assume you're going to take in every cat who comes across your path if you have more than one as well, as though you have no responsible limits. My heart goes out to forum members who live in areas with heavy stray/feral populations and those who have cats/kittens dumped on their doorstep. There's one stray cat(abandoned by someone who moved) in particular whom I still think about today as he wanted so badly to be a part of my life. Fortunately, he had a very adoptable personality and found a good home.

We have six cats together now. I have no children/desire for children and the only other animals we have are small(fish/snake) and undemanding(I actually looked at my python last night and said a silent "thank you" for how undemanding he is as I scooped the litter boxes in his room ).

I'm getting more comfortable with saying "six" but it generally elicits shock and I'm sure many assumptions. We have yet to tell either of our families that we adopted a kitten(back in December). We aren't close to them so that makes it easier but it would still be nice to share the joy of having him in our life. He was/is a perfect fit and could be deemed a "therapy" cat for our other adopted children.

catsallaround said:

Then I am crazy x2.  Though they are pretty quiet unless you egg them on by asking do you want to EAT?  They know eat. 
 

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Our "hungy hungy hippo" kitten learned the word "eat" within a couple of days of being here. He didn't learn his own name until months later.

SpiderPlant said:

Our "hungy hungy hippo" kitten learned the word "eat" within a couple of days of being here. He didn't learn his own name until months later.

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LOL!!!  Our first cat ever used to stalk "his" food cabinet and try to get ANYONE who came over to feed him.  Best was when house was on market he would pull this.  Even if we put out a can minutes before.

I so agree-when you have more then a few cats you get asked why won't you take the cat/kitten in.  And some reason this is usually asked by a person with no or 1 cat.  no cats will tell you I do not have time and 1 cats usually will say oh my cat hates other cats. 

If I took EVERY cat in I would have a few hundred by now. 

When they call you "crazy cat lady" just proudly reply "I'M NO LADY!"

Now, I know all the girls here at TCS are INDEED ladies, but maybe kind of a funny way to put them off----  maybe not.