Yes, I’m a cat lady. No, it’s not an insult. Here’s why

By Anna Go-Go

"This new, strangely hostile attitude toward my cat lady-ness was clearly connected to the fact I was single, childless and in my 40s. The unholy trinity! It was OK for me to be a cat lady when I had a boyfriend and there was still a chance of getting married and having children. But now? What the f---! Plus, I was badly heartbroken (again) and at an age when I could no longer hope for children. So not only was I sad and grieving, but people were also being really mean about it, too. Way to kick a lady when she’s down...

"The crazy cat lady trope is always weaponised as a cautionary tale for girls and women. Better settle down or you’ll become a crazy cat lady! If you focus too much on work and your career, you’ll wake up all alone one day and find you’re a crazy, old cat lady! (People said this to my face all through my 20s and 30s.) Women say it all the time, too, and proclaim their innocence: “I’m not a crazy cat lady!” Haha, nervous laugh, wild eyes. “I like dogs! Haha!” When you add this to all the other stuff of being a woman, the sexist outrages all run into each other, like cat spew on the lino. No wonder we can’t be bothered getting out of our dressing gowns..."