Why do some men, specifically conservative men, dislike childless "cat ladies"?

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MsMediator

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2022
1,167
769
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#1
Any insight why? And specifically the connection to cats?

I actually find this disappointing as I consider myself politically conservative. Just yesterday evening, Tucker mocked the 60-year childless, which I found incredibly rude and tone deaf since many are childless due to infertility or circumstances. There are also other politicians like Gaetz, Vance, and Hawley who have made similar comments.

A lot of men do not like cats. Cats as associated with feminine qualities in terms of behavior, maybe that's why.
 

Subhumanoidal

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2018
4,100
3,197
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#2
Any insight why? And specifically the connection to cats?

I actually find this disappointing as I consider myself politically conservative. Just yesterday evening, Tucker mocked the 60-year childless, which I found incredibly rude and tone deaf since many are childless due to infertility or circumstances. There are also other politicians like Gaetz, Vance, and Hawley who have made similar comments.

A lot of men do not like cats. Cats as associated with feminine qualities in terms of behavior, maybe that's why.
The closest I've heard of this is the 'crazy cat woman' trope.
These women are typically single (and remain that way), childless (due to their inability to get a man) and often viewed as being a bit off mentally. And for some reason they like cats. Lots of them. And their attachment to their cats is beyond normal.
There does seem to be some truth behind the stereotype.
A close approximation is Angela, from The Office, if you've ever watched. She doesn't totally fit the stereotype, but in other ways does. Her cat obsession fits quite well.
So that seems to be where this is stemming from, I'm guessing.
 
N

notonmywatch

Guest
#3
Any insight why? And specifically the connection to cats?

I actually find this disappointing as I consider myself politically conservative. Just yesterday evening, Tucker mocked the 60-year childless, which I found incredibly rude and tone deaf since many are childless due to infertility or circumstances. There are also other politicians like Gaetz, Vance, and Hawley who have made similar comments.

A lot of men do not like cats. Cats as associated with feminine qualities in terms of behavior, maybe that's why.
Probably not the answer you're looking for, but, generally speaking, people, whether men or women, are way too judgmental. The reason? Pride or a sense of condescending superiority.
 
P

persistent

Guest
#4
A lot of men do not like cats. Cats as associated with feminine qualities in terms of behavior, maybe that's why.
Maybe something to do with relating the independence of cats to women being too independent.
 

MsMediator

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2022
1,167
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#5
Maybe something to do with relating the independence of cats to women being too independent.
I can see that, and also women may be considered to have feline qualities/personalities (more reserved, more "hard to get", more critical, loyalty/trust dependent of how they are treated, hard to control, etc.). There may be something psychological going on. Cats are also more likely to be abused than dogs by bad actors.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
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#6
probably a hangover of days when cats were seen as witches familiars? But then childless men had dogs, they were mans best friends so..?

In the bible its dogs that are banished from the Kingdom, not cats.

who knows.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,691
113
#7
Any insight why? And specifically the connection to cats?

I actually find this disappointing as I consider myself politically conservative. Just yesterday evening, Tucker mocked the 60-year childless, which I found incredibly rude and tone deaf since many are childless due to infertility or circumstances. There are also other politicians like Gaetz, Vance, and Hawley who have made similar comments.

A lot of men do not like cats. Cats as associated with feminine qualities in terms of behavior, maybe that's why.
They make those comments because it's political. It isn't that they have cats that's a problem. I have cats and I'm a conservative man. I have cats because I like animals. The general stereotype that many conservatives hold is that women with many cats and no children are usually liberal. Tucker and the gang are trying to make fun of liberals. Of course, there are plenty exceptions to this.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,725
9,656
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#8
Hey don't lump all us conservative guys into this just because Tucker said that. He doesn't even speak for all Republican guys, much less all the rest of us guys who are conservative but don't want anything to do with what the Republican party has become. :p
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,725
9,656
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#9
Also, if you keep watching that stuff it's gonna rot your brain. Watch... Well... Just ANYTHING else. Even Spongebob would be better. Even Beavis and (that other guy) would be better than watching those political commentary shows.
 

TheNarrowPath

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2022
1,012
548
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#10
Dont take it personal. I dont believe the average male conservative or most men think like that. Tucker as much as I find him funny at times needs content. The only guys who speak like that usually have a social media platform or are mgtow.
 
P

persistent

Guest
#11
I can see that, and also women may be considered to have feline qualities/personalities (more reserved, more "hard to get", more critical, loyalty/trust dependent of how they are treated, hard to control, etc.). There may be something psychological going on. Cats are also more likely to be abused than dogs by bad actors.
Wondering if this reaches back to ancient Egypt? I don't recall the gods name now, and I even have a 7 or 8 inch replica, of the cat they worshipped. Bastet maybe? The replica I have is exactly nice-looking cat. Unlike some other gods they had with mixes of human and animal. Maybe something special about it being a 'cat'.

I can see the graceful moves of cats and women being adored. And if the movie portrayals of belly dancers is accurate that may be mimicking the graceful ways cats move about. There are restaurants I've been to with belly dancers in California. No cats. So, is there any evidence about ancient Egyptians abusing women? But now are the abusers of animals more likely to abuse cats? Something to think about.

One of my mother's sisters told me when they were kids that my mother threw the pet cat against a wall in a fit of anger, but I don't know if that was 'abuse' or just a manifestation of a psychological problem she was subject to. It could have been a dog if they had a dog. I am reminiscing. And this could be a bit unusual to see the woman as the abuser. But it happens.

Often, I think back to all the kids I grew up with and how their families were when some topics come up here. Almost all the kids I hung with came from dysfunctional families, so they probably are representative of a big part of the US.

Jump ahead 10 years. My lady, and in my best recollection. she was really a nice woman, was attacking and screaming at me till the police were called. That time I don't recall being terribly drunk but could well have been and the cause of the ruckus. Incidentally she and I both liked cats and always had a pet cat. This is crazy. My still sick sense of humor has me LOLing as I reminisce. I still don't know if I was ever abusive to her. I think I was neglectful.

The next time this happened the police got a bit of a kick out of that particular domestic disturbance call. Probably a relief for police and us since no arrests were necessary. Then the next incident our downstairs neighbor tried helping out. He and I had a talk but in one ear and out the other. By the way, no cats were abused. Our relationship finally ended with us talking to our cat about each other. And she accused me of being the nutcase?

Sorry for getting some things out of my head here if you bothered reading this. But we both were cat people and the abuse seemed minimal. At least in a 'worldly' way. Biblically referenced maybe over the top. Had that relationship continued what would have happened is unknowable it seems. I am really grateful that she got me started in AA. And one of the first people that I met in AA told me he was trying to work things out with his wife and so he admitted to her that he shot her cat dead. He said that didn't help in any reconciliation. Sounds like he wasn't a cat person, but she was. He never said that he abused her. Just didn't like cats.

My sense is that all the animals that God brought to Adam to name were perfectly delightful and created to live harmoniously with mankind. Unfortunately, things went awry. Maybe Jesus took the blame for all of it since He was the one that created all. And that is why He made the covenant with His Father to sacrifice Himself for us since He knows that any and all of us would have gone awry and go awry.

Does any of this help in figuring out something about people relating to one another by the way they relate to animals and possibly cats in particular? I read somewhere that Hitler considered people who were 'overly' fond of animals to be classified as 'degenerate'. Probably only fit for the gas chambers. Don't know that this is true. And how would he have considered the people in the Mid-East countries that now like to keep big cats as pets. If you are aware of Seigfried and Roy, the Vegas act, that didn't work out too well in the end. Big cat mauled one of them.

I think there is something about animals and peoples' relationships that signifies something. Bible tells us not to muzzle our ox. Don't recall right now the last pet ox that I had.
 

hornetguy

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2016
7,181
1,802
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#12
Stereotypes are generally wrong, or at least misleading.
Why do many people see an old white guy sitting around in a t-shirt, drinking a beer and assume he's a low-brow cretin that mistreats his wife and kicks the dog around?
Could be the guy just got home from working a 60+ hour week, and is trying to unwind and recharge his batteries before taking his kids to their sporting events...

There ARE unwashed cretins that abuse wives and dogs, and there are crazy ladies that have 47 cats living in the house with them.... but that's not everyone.... stereotyping is best avoided.
 

cv5

Well-known member
Nov 20, 2018
23,801
8,618
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#15
Any insight why? And specifically the connection to cats?

I actually find this disappointing as I consider myself politically conservative. Just yesterday evening, Tucker mocked the 60-year childless, which I found incredibly rude and tone deaf since many are childless due to infertility or circumstances. There are also other politicians like Gaetz, Vance, and Hawley who have made similar comments.

A lot of men do not like cats. Cats as associated with feminine qualities in terms of behavior, maybe that's why.
I love cats. Unfortunately I am allergic to them. And they stink up the house pretty badly.

Too cute those furry buddies. I can see why people love them.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
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#16
I would not swim at a beach where dogs are allowed to roam free as not that keen on swimming and seeing 'floaters' lol
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,725
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#17
I love cats. Unfortunately I am allergic to them. And they stink up the house pretty badly.

Too cute those furry buddies. I can see why people love them.
If you walk into a house and smell the cats, the most likely reason is the people are lazy about policing the litter box or does not know anything about placement.

Walk into any cat cafe. Lots of cats, no bad smell. They know what they are doing.
 

EmilyNats

Senior Member
Jul 28, 2016
1,374
205
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#18
The stereotype is that man-hating and child-hating liberal women tend to grow into slightly crazed cat collectors since they dislike children but at the same time long for something to care for. And the stereotype does not exist for no reason. On a more scientific level, a person with indoor cats is at high risk for contracting a literal brain parasite via cat urine that makes them love cats and, subconsciously, their urine. This brain parasite causes them to collect even more cats and form a mentally unhealthy attachment to them. So sadly, the stereotype is true on more levels than was even initially thought.
 

ebdesroches

Well-known member
Aug 20, 2022
976
495
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#19
Any insight why? And specifically the connection to cats?

I actually find this disappointing as I consider myself politically conservative. Just yesterday evening, Tucker mocked the 60-year childless, which I found incredibly rude and tone deaf since many are childless due to infertility or circumstances. There are also other politicians like Gaetz, Vance, and Hawley who have made similar comments.

A lot of men do not like cats. Cats as associated with feminine qualities in terms of behavior, maybe that's why.
Woman cannot be even compared to cats.

I love the nature of woman very much, a great gift of God.

When i think about my wife i think how important she is to me in areas I am weak: sensitive to peoples feelings, knowing what people are needing, loving and kind to my children, grandchildren and me. Wise to advise me when i am wrong. My partner in life.

Many have great capacity to love and receive love from God.

They are such wonderful creations of God.
 

MsMediator

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2022
1,167
769
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#20
The stereotype is that man-hating and child-hating liberal women tend to grow into slightly crazed cat collectors since they dislike children but at the same time long for something to care for. And the stereotype does not exist for no reason. On a more scientific level, a person with indoor cats is at high risk for contracting a literal brain parasite via cat urine that makes them love cats and, subconsciously, their urine. This brain parasite causes them to collect even more cats and form a mentally unhealthy attachment to them. So sadly, the stereotype is true on more levels than was even initially thought.
Various people own cats (men, women, different ages, politics, singles, families) so I do not find this sterotype to be true. Cat is a common pet in cultures where dogs are considered dirty, or because there is no space for dogs (Japan, Korea, etc.). The parasite T Gondii can be serious, but most people do not suffer from the side effects. Cats (and humans) can get it from eating raw meat/ rodents, etc., so indoor cats are not susceptible to this. But the parasite could explain why some people own 50 cats. The stereotypical cat lady accumulates a lot of cats because the cats are unneutered and breed a lot of kittens. The cat lady stereotype also evolved from the religious prudish old maid who is always knitting, to now the feminist liberal etc. So, I don't think there is a strong link between cats and feminism.