Dating a “crazy cat lady”

[BridgeTheGap]

By Bob Strauss
If you’re of a certain age, you may remember a pioneering TV series called The Days and Night of Molly Dodd, starring Blair Brown as a desperate single 30-something in the big city. In one memorable episode, Molly confronts her next-door neighbor, a crazy cat lady who eavesdrops on conversations through a half-open door. “What do you want? Why are you doing this?” Molly screams. In reply, her neighbor opens her door a crack, and hands Molly… a somewhat limp cat. Yes, Molly’s neighbor was a crazy cat lady.

And the reason I’m particularly fond of the scene is that I have actually dated crazy cat ladies: no, not Halle Berry in that awful movie, but women who accumulate cats (and sometimes dogs) the way other people collect Hummel figurines. These women are very cat-centric—in fact, in some cases it may seem as if the woman in question already has a life partner in the guise of her feline.

Now, since the fact that I’ve dated crazy cat ladies obviously qualifies me as an expert, here are some tips for dealing with this, er, hairy situation should you find yourself squiring one, too.

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[CreekDog]

1. Remember this crazy cat lady?

[Fire Walk With Me]

9. I almost peed myself laughing when she started throwing cats at Lisa.

[CreekDog]

12. The crazy cat lady is one of the great recurring Simpsons' characters

In spite of the fact that she always does the same thing and says the same things.

Even Cletus has more range in his character than the crazy cat lady.

[Fire Walk With Me]

13. Now I'm reading the rest of the thread and am wondering if you and I will be pegged as

cat-haters or something. Or haters of those who are compassionate to cats.

We're just laughing at an animated stereotype brought to absurd proportions. I love cats, and animals, and thank those who are kind to them.

???

[CreekDog]

15. quite correct, i laugh at animated characters that throw cats

and i laugh at them with malice.

:evilgrin:

[zanne]

2. I've rescued four cats who would be dead today otherwise...

Am I a "crazy" cat lady? Maybe what you think of as eccentric is really just compassionate.

[BridgeTheGap]

3. It's all interpretation - I've lived with cats most of my life

but don't think I'm obsessed with them.

[XemaSab]

4. The Cat Lady Conundrum

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/magazine/09_10_catcoat.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&oref=slogin

:popcorn:

[JVS]

20. fucking catshit zombies

[mike_c]

5. I have to be constantly alert in order to avoid...

...becoming the neighborhood crazy cat man.

[zanne]

11. Aww.....

That does it. You're on my list of people to be nice to.

[Wcross]

30. I have that problem with dogs......& cats.

I can not take them to the pound. They are as good as dead down there. If I can't keep them I find them a good home. Nothing wrong with caring about animals who have no protection from society. With people there is a safety net, when was the last time they "put down" people at the homeless shelter? Why do we do it to animals?

[LaurenG]

6. My husband married a crazy cat lady

We used to foster cats that were terminal. Usually just one at a time though.

Now we just have 2 cats and 4 dogs. So we are the crazy animal family. :7

[Stuart G]

7. iT'S A LONG STORY BUT....

And I know you will not believe it. But I know two, yes two, people that currently own, more than 25 cats each. Totally different kinds of people in different locations. On other sides of the metropolitan area.
...Yes, they are both nuts. ...enuf...... :shrug:

[LaurenG]

8. Welcome to DU Stuart G

and just remember that it takes all kinds of people in the world to make it interesting. At least they love their cats right?

[zanne]

10. Thank God for people like you.

I'll try to remember your username so that no matter how much we disagree on something, I'll remember your compassion for animals.

[Tyler Durden]

27. Got you beat: 3 cats, 5 dogs.

We have no life.

[MissMillie]

14. that's me... the single, never-married woman w/ all the cats

she'll die alone in her apartment and no one will notice until the smell wafts down the staircase....

[Fire Walk With Me]

16. I'd notice if you stopped posting.

[MissMillie]

17. thanks

:hug:

[fizzgig]

18. two of my girlfriends and i have already decided that's what we're going to be

we'll have dozens of cats, sit on our porch and yell at kids to get off our lawns

[Tyler Durden]

28. Are you sure you don't live next door to me already?

Except this "Crazy Cat Lady" only has two and a 50 year old daughter she bullies constantly.

[Arugula Latte]

19. I am obsessed with Teh Kittehs, but I only have three

plus a bunny :)

[MilesColtrane]

21. I've heard that they know "tricks" in the bedroom.

Hopefully none of those involve Mr. Fluffy.

[BridgeTheGap]

23. It's amazing what a little tuna can do!

They dig that stuff.

[badgerpup]

22. I've broken out in 'chronic cats'.

Owned by four, and have had as many as seven all happily playing cat chess or other reindeer kitty games in my yard.

My neighbors say they want to come back as one of my cats...
but not sure if I'd be found before the smell becomes a nuisance either.

[Orsino]

24. My wife used to say that if I died...

...she'd be called the crazy cat lady. That was back when we had up to eight cats.

We're down to four nowadays, with an equal number of dogs to dodge the stereotype.

[groovedaddy]

25. I was married to a "crazy" animal person - mostly cats - and it was

a huge factor in my initiating a divorce. I got tired of the cat smell in the house. She also had birds - parakeets and finches. Don't keep finches in parakeet cages. The little things can stick their heads between the bars. We came home one day to find a headless finch body in the bottom of the cage, the little head lying in the floor!

[Ilsa]

26. I have a friend with a cat-compassion-obsession. She loves

dogs, too, and I love her and her kitties, but since I am allergic to dander, I am not expected to spend time with the kitties, even though I wish I could. She really loves her kitties like they were children.

[kwassa]

29. but I like this crazy cat lady!