I think you will find that the stereotype is strongly perpetuated in the Simpsons -

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=GkMvKeX7erI
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=DaihirlaHow

That said, there's no plausible reason why you can't be a crazy cat lady irrespective of marital status. If you're really crazy, you won't discriminate between who you fling cats at anyway.

As a Dutch person living in the UK, I'd like to throw some anecdotal evidence at the wall to say the cat thing is NOT a strictly American stereotype.

That said, my mum's single and she has two cats. :)

I've had cats all my life from the time I was five to the present, because I enjoy them. I love their energy (or lack thereof at times), I love their independence, and I love that they're low maintenance. I've had cats when I was single, when I was married, when I was divorced and now that I'm re-married, we have two of the little beasts.

I do think single people with cats get a bad rap. You never hear about the "single guy with a dog" stigma do ya? ;)

~Monica

I never get why people assumed good traits on a person just because he/she enslaved a dog.

It is probably because in western culture, it is the norm to love dogs. So the singled out weirdos must be cat people.

In Japan, people are a lot more acceptable of cats and have more variety of animals as pets. The pet preference is not as polarized as in the west. There are still stereotypes, but not in the simple good & evil linear spectrum. Some sees cat people as wise, neat, organized, quiet and girly. (See all the anime characters with cats! e.g."Kiki's delivery service")

BTW, Richard Wiseman who wrote "Quirkology" recently did a pet personality study. http://www.quirkology.com/USA/Experiment_pets.shtml

Yes, I am the stereotypical single cat lady and I volunteer for my local shelter! The thing is, I've been cat crazy all my life. When I was married, it was just an attribute. Now it's a stereotype. Whatever. My cat and I are secure in our relationship. >: )

I think single and married people alike, enjoy both cats and dogs, some having prefrences for one or the other unrelated to thier marital status. The fact is, dogs require a lot more time and work than do cats and I don't think it's just a stereotype that single people are often home less. So it's not a crazy lonely cat lady, it's a person with a full time job and social obligations without kids to keep them home. I have a dog and I love him. I got him when I was married and now I am divorced. I find it difficult to tend to him now that I'm living in my own home. I make it work because we already have a bond and it's worth it to me to race home and walk him. He's my furry son:) I guess my point is, if you have control over it, a cat is often a more practical and humane choice in a pet if you are a busy single.

yes, i get the raised eyebrows and wierd comments too for:
1) hanging out with my brother a lot - we're very good friends and we do a lot of the same activities,
2)having dogs "instead of children," and
3)living alone,

all of which contribute enormously to the richness and joy that i find in my single life. in my admittedly misanthropic opinion, dogs are so often better company than most humans! i'm thinking of the bumper sticker that says "the more people i meet, the more i love my dog."

I also liked Becky's comment that single people can't rely on their spouse to come home early and let the dog out to pee--hence the choice of a cat.

I've been cat crazy all my life. I've fostered half a dozen special needs cats and socialized two point five feral cats. I am also single. Correlation does not equal causation of course, but people don't realize that, and the "compensation" stereotype is very strong.

My friend Lisa, who co-blogs with me about the positive aspects of being single, has a dog--named Kitty.
-CC

As a single person who fits the stereotype of cat lover (I have two and the most I have ever had is three) I can definitely state that in my case, I have always have had cats because I love cats, not to compensate for the lack of a husband. In fact, for me, it is the other way around. I'm very happy being single and a precondition for any potential man in my life (although I am currently very happy being single and plan to stay that way) is that this person has to accept my cats, along with me. If they don't, it is a deal breaker. If I were using my cats as compensation, then it seems I would have been willing to give my cats up for a man, but for me, that would not be an option.
As an aside, the woman who is considered one of the founders of the social work profession, Mary Richmond (1861-1928), was a cat lover as well as an always-single woman. There is a wonderful picture of her in a book, taken in 1915, of her holding a large black cat. If that's what being a single cat lady means, count me in!

I'm a 44 yo old single woman (who just found this blog, by the way, love it) who has always had at least 2 cats (had 3 for awhile) because I LOVE animals, not as compensation for not having a spouse. In fact, I can't imagine having a boyfriend or husband who didn't at least like cats and I have rejected men as potential mates specifically because they had a negative attitude towards my cats (my aunt, who loved animals too, told me that if a man could sit with the cat and pet him kindly he was probably a good man and if he couldn't, watch out. I've lived by that ever since). I wanted to be a veterinarian as a child and really love animals to the point that it's a defining part of my personality and the thought that I have them just because I don't have a mate is laughable. I would have pets no matter what and perhaps the reason more single people have cats is just because they're easier to care for. I'd love a dog, but I would feel bad not being able to spend the time with the dog that dogs often require. Cat's can be left alone for longer and are just easier and I've always said that I'd probably have a dog (or dogs) if I ever got married. I've never met a man I wanted to marry and I'm glad I didn't buckle to society's pressures because I would be miserable now. I have so many friends who are divorced or married and miserable that I feel like I dodged a bullet.

I'm not sure when or how the connection was made, but it could have something to do with our country's former phobia with witches. Witches were often single women, widowed or 'old maids'. Witches are often said to have 'familiars', spirits in animal form that live with them, etc. These usually take the form of black cats. All question of color aside, I believe the connection may hold its origins with witches. This would help explain Monica's comment about why guys seem to be immune.

For the record, I am single (always have been) and own 2 cats.

Well, first, as a single guy who's had a cat (or two or three at times) since about high school, I'm struck by how *rare* single women with cats actually are. At least around here.

No, I haven't done any representative sampling of the whole population -- maybe somebody should in order to put the stereotype to a real test -- but there seem to be more who've posted to this blog than I think I've met or known of in my entire adult life of some twenty plus years. It is way more common to meet or here of women who claim cat allergies. The general impression I've built up is that all the single women these days have dogs. Albeit a lot of this comes mainly from scanning profiles at singles sites (where the dogs are often prominently featured in one or more photos - yuk!), where I hardly ever happen across one who has only a cat. "Must love dogs" is rather common, whereas "must love cats" seems a distinct oddity.

Second, I think the crazy old cat lady stereotype does have some basis in truth to it in terms of those who are into cat shows, raising purebred cats, etc. -- the true fanatics. There was a documentary on these sorts of activities on my PBS station some time ago that I recall watching, and it did seem as though it was a strictly female interest, though almost all the women who were featured seemed to be married, from what info was given. Maybe after they become widows they turn into the stereotype...

Those are my observations. It would seem that we need to get some good, solid data before any sort of speculation whatsoever is really warranted.

I have a Siamese cat (yet another category of craziness) whom I've been running for president :) AND a horse with whom I compete in a sport. I do not consider the cat a partner substitute (he is on his own trip), but I do consider my gelding a partner......:)

http://www.teddyatcenterline.com

I walked out of my room this morning & began to talk to my kitten (6 year old cat) who waits for me each morning in the doorway. I began to talk to her as I usually do in the mornings & bent down to scratch her ears & realized, she had went on into the kitchen and was beginning to eat her breakfast while I was talking to the floor. Yes! It was dark, and I am getting older!

It was so funny :) I am an animal lover & have always had a cat (mainly because they are very independent)--even when I was married.

This is a great site and I am very thankful for finding Bella. Thanks Bella :)

Lauri said, "I think...I think that if single people do tend to have more cats it's because they are compensating for not being able to have to a dog, not not having a spouse"

Not true. I don't like dogs even if it seems to be considered un-American to not like dogs. Most people will say that I will like their dog even if I don't like dogs in general. That has never been true. These are the same people that unapologetically hate cats. I should tell them in a condescending tone that they will like mine. I wouldn't want a dog even if I was married.

I have a cat, not just because I like cats, but because it just kind of happened. I didn't go looking for my cat. She came and found me. It is just like my thoughts on marriage. If it was meant to be, it would just happen. I will not give my cat away if a girlfriend asked me to. I was so disgusted when one of my cat-loving friends gave up his cat for his new wife. He ended up divorcing two years later.

I have had so many people try to give me their cats because I have one. They were surprised that I only wanted one. Maybe they assumed I was always at home when I wasn't at work.