Where does the old cat lady stereotype come from?

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Where does the cat lady stereotype come from?

Thanks for asking.

Single women in your late 20s or early 30s, has anyone ever dared to suggest that you must find a partner quickly lest you end up being a cat lady? What's an annoying, not to mention ignorant stereotype, right? It might be tempting to give the person saying it a piece of your mind, but do they really deserve that much of your attention? Let's talk about where the figure of the cat lady really comes from. Isn't there a crazy cat lady on The Simpsons? Indeed, there is, and her name is actually Eleanor Abernathy. If you've ever seen her appear on The Simpsons, you'll know that she's the ultimate crazy cat lady, taking the stereotype to the extreme. She's constantly surrounded by a swarm of felines, and isn't shy about flinging them at anyone who dares to get too close. In real terms, a cat lady is seen as a woman over 30 who's not in a relationship, and therefore keeps cats for company instead. Cat ladies are usually portrayed as quirky, eccentric, solitary, and sometimes desperate. By society's standards, they're painted as women who missed the boat. They haven't managed to tie the knot, have kids, and lead what society deems a fulfilling life, as if they're somehow a symbol of failure. Why is it a cat rather than any other animal, like a lizard, for example? Interestingly, you can trace the whole idea of the cat lady back to the Middle Ages and the association of cats with witches. Now, witches were almost always depicted as older ladies and with a cat when engaging in demonic activities.

By extension, cats were once viewed by the church as creatures of the devil, especially black ones. They were even hunted down at one point in the 15th century. You see, much like witches, the cat lady both intrigues and scares. She refuses to conform to societal norms and is happy to be seen as an outsider. What's really unsettling, though, is her independence. And the same is true with cats when you think about it, given they always put their independence ahead of the affection they receive.

Maybe that's what society holds against cat ladies after all, the fact that they aren't craving the attention of their so-called masters. Is there a male equivalent of the cat lady?

Not really. The stereotypes attached to single women don't quite translate to men. Plus, as we've discussed in the past on Do You Really Know? Women are seen as having an expiry date in society's eyes, while men are allowed to remain bachelors for as long as they please. On the plus side though, recent years have seen a host of single women reclaiming the cat lady label in a positive way on social media. Without doubt, the most prominent example was cat lover Taylor Swift, the proud owner of Three Cats, named Olivia Benson, Meredith Grey and Benjamin Button. Of course, she's no longer single these days, but at the time she proudly flaunted her cat lady status. In March 2016, sheknows.com compiled a slideshow of 21 times Taylor Swift totally nailed being a crazy cat lady, featuring cute and quirky posts from her Instagram account. There you have it.

Now you know where the cat lady stereotype comes from. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts, and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.

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