What makes some people become cat ladies?

Question

I have a friend who loves animals and she had one cat when I met her and now she has five! Gah...

Answer 1

*points at person before me*

Spot on. Also, some people just enjoy having more than one other soul in the house. Some do that with dogs, others with cats... and then there's other people who love kids so much, they decide to get 8.

You either love cats, love animals, love company or need replacement/comforting for something that was lost... that's what I think.

(sidenote: I want a kitten!!! T_T)

Answer 2

In most cities and urban areas its illegal to have more than 3 animals

I think the people that hoard cats or dogs have the best intentions, but sometimes can't afford to feed or care for them properly, or get them vet treatment.

Most animal lovers would take in dozens of animals if they could afford too, but 1-2 pets is best so they get plenty of care & attention.

All pets should be spayed/neutered so shlters don't get overfilled

Answer 3

Five cats a cat lady does not make...

Often, cats can sense when a person really loves cats, and they will show up at the doorstep of said person, and be brought in. Cat people will then not want to take them to the shelter, because a home where they are cared for is much better than a shelter.

Now, animal hoarding...that's different. Animal hoarding is defined as having more than the usual number of pets without having the ability to care for or house them. So, a person who has turned their home into a cat shelter, with all the proper housing and accommodations would not be considered an animal hoarder, but someone who has, say, 20 cats, and some of the cats don't have shots, some aren't fixed, there are cats getting pregnant, disease and bugs are running crazy among the animals, or there just isn't enough room or food...that's animal hoarding.

Five cats is no problem, so long as she gives them all individual attention and they are all healthy and happy.  

Answer 4

lol thats a funny question! =) Anyway to be a cat lady you have to be an older woman (not elderly just mid age) and if your a cat lady you arent married and you have no kids. you have multiple cats and your house is a mess. that is what a cat lady is all about!

Answer 5

First, you get a cat. Then the cat needs a friend so you get another cat. One day you look out and this poor, skinny soul is sitting on your porch. You let him in. Driving down the street, you see a helpless kitty about to be hit by a car. you stop to save her with every intention of finding her a new home. BUT this kitty has the sweetest way of nipping your nose in the morning to wake you up- you just can't part with her. You go to your vet to pick up flea meds and this sweet little guy is sitting there in a cage waiting for a home and just looks so sad sitting there. You figure you have room for one more....How I became a cat lady.

Answer 6

It just happens. If your friend is responsible, then she may just be coming across those cats. Hopefully they aren't just the result of her cats breedings..

I was never much of a cat person, but, now I look like the crazy cat lady. I have 6 of them through really no fault of my own. We adopted two because my husband loves cats, so the first two became ours on purpose. The other one I ended up with because I made the mistake of being in our local SPCA when someone brought their cat that they had for all of two weeks in to be euthanized because he was mean to their other cat. It takes adult cats months to get accustomed to each other, so I couldn't stand to see a great cat die because his owners were idiots. They gave him to me midway through filling out his euthanasia paperwork. They didn't even want him put up for adoption, they wanted him to die. A month after I had him, he was getting along great with my other cats. My other cat is from an elderly woman whose son was putting her in a nursing home (don't even get me started on how I feel about that) and he wouldn't keep her cat. He was going to have it put down because the cat needed special food for a urinary tract issue. The real kicker is that he was a Doctor. The SPCA was full, so it was pretty much my home or euthanasia. For the cats sake and for the older woman that loved him, I took him.

I'm a dog person. I love dogs, I like cats. But, I can't help but feel sympathy for the plight of cats. I know have 6 of them and am at the limit of what I can afford to feed and care for. But, until I reached that limit, I couldn't turn down a cat whose options were either my home or death..

Answer 7

okay. i would be one of those cat ladies. and i'm not even old. so to answer your question, which i kind of wondered why you asked in the first place... well- it isn't because i'm bored. and i've never lost my husband and became depressed. so- i guess i just really like cats. a whole bunch. not just cats though... but i do love them a lot. and i appreciate their company when i'm sleeping, and i especially love to watch them grow.

so maybe my love for animals in general is what has made me into a cat lady... and so young too...

Answer 8

The love of Cats of course!

I'm a cat lady, not nessicarly old, if you consider 17 old, (:P)

and i don't mind at all. I only have a few cats, but that doesn't mean I don't love cats as much as that old lady on the block with 50 cats!

Answer 9

because they are so lovely...I am very nearly a cat lady (4 cats) but fortunately I have a boyfriend so its ok, lol.

The consesus among my friends is that to be a cat lady you must be:

fond of cats and own 5 or more*

a collector of carrier bags

single

*i think they said this in case i took offence at 4

edit: I dont collect carrier bags either btw. although I do save them all after i go to the supermarket so that I can reuse them...I just forget a lot so i save some more...but thats not really collecting them, is it. is it?