Crazy Cat Lady?

I have cats. Two of them. This does not make me a crazy cat lady. Two cats (or two of any other pet) is a perfectly reasonable number. The sheer fact that I own two cats is not indicative of a future living in a dilapidated, rambling old house with hundreds of cats running rampant.

I talk to my cats. This also does not make me crazy. I don’t expect them to talk back. But I do interact with them. Because they are living creatures that I care for. And like any pet, they have personalities, do funny things, and entertain me.

I like my cats. A lot. I love them, in fact. This doesn’t mean that I schedule any part of my life around them. (Aside from vacations, where I – appropriately – make sure they are being fed and watered). Or that I expect other people to love them. Or that they are the most important thing in my life. But they’re my pets, I chose to take them into my life, and I love them.

Cats are fairly independent animals. They require significantly less care and maintenance than dogs. I can leave a bowl of food out for them, and they will eat when they’re hungry. They can entertain themselves. I don’t have to make sure I come home every few hours to let them out or exercise them.

If I had two dogs, I wouldn’t have to defend my choice in pets. Or two fish. If I owned two hamsters, ferrets, rabbits, gerbils, chinchillas, iguanas, or birds - although this list of animals indicates some probable weirdness – no one would suspect that my sanity might be questionable. Or that I might have leanings toward a sad, lonely existence that can only be unsatisfyingly filled by hoarding dependent animals. It’s just the cats.

I have met several men who, upon learning that I have two cats, ask me if I’m a crazy cat lady. Or if I’m heading in that direction. Really? If I seem fairly normal up until the point where you find out that I have two (again, a totally reasonable number…) cats, chances are I’m pretty normal. And if my pets weren’t cats, this wouldn’t be an issue.

How about this: I’m not going to apologize for having cats. I’m not going to defend myself. I’m not going to succumb to the pressure to assure you that I’m not a crazy cat lady. Because that’s insulting. I have pets that happen to be cats. The fact that I have two animals that I care for demonstrates that I’m a caring, loving, somewhat responsible woman. No part of that raises any questions about my current or future sanity.