February 27, 2014 - Written by: Guest Blogger

The Reformation of the Pussy Cat

The world has suddenly gone mad for moggies, with cats appearing in many big marketing initiatives in the past few months, leading me to question:

Does this mean the crazy cat lady has suddenly been reformed?

[Image via]

Now, I have never been shy of putting pictures of my lovely little pussycat across social media sites and although my mobile phone gallery is pretty much a dedicated photo album to all things cat, I suddenly feel proud of my fascination with felines.

Why am I proud?

Well it seems the advertising world has a furry new trend and as well as updating my cat video choices on Youtube, it also has given me a whole new perspective on the ‘crazy cat lady’.

In the past few months adverts have included cats with thumbs, a cat who wants to be more dog, a cat and budgie duet, kittens in biscuit packets, cats frolicking alongside a guy in Croydon and the most recently an 80s duet between a cat and a young girl. Additionally, animated cats such as Pusheen, memes involving Grumpy Cat and websites such as LOLcat.com don’t seem to be fading anytime soon!

Although these adverts are amusing to the masses, I question whether the rise in kitty inclusion provides us with the purrfect argument against the cat being seen as a symbol of loneliness for the single lady.

Check out some of the most popular recent cat advertising campaigns…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6CcxJQq1x8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMzgl0nFj3s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMlfsHT7y0U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fuUJOPqYG0

Those who are single and enjoy the company of cats without a doubt have probably joked to themselves about becoming a crazy cat lady as well as having their company of friends and relatives do so. However, with large companies using the image of the cat in a more comical and upbeat manner I wonder whether the cat is now a whole lot more than a symbol of loneliness and singularity.

The large increase of cat-related adverts has shown the nation that cats are being seen as more than company for a single lady; they are intelligent comical beings that create amusement for an audience bigger than that of Granny Vera. There are still some adverts that are gender-orientated towards cats, such as the group of women awwhing at kittens emerging from the biscuit packet or the lady pleasantly smiling at the singing feline and budgie, however in all we’ve seen a an array of amusing moments including a man frolicking across a field and a gang of cats claiming back their milk. Cats are fighting back against their stereotyped owner and this means the notion of the cat lady may be a thing of the past.

The mass consumer industry must have spotted something appealing about the cat and the power of it to appeal to a whole generation of closeted cat lovers.

Cat lovers are no longer sneaking in secret viewings of cat videos at home or at work but are unable to escape the billboards, televisions adverts and campaigns involving their much-loved furry friend.

But what does this mean for feminism?

Feminism, for me personally involves seeing women and men as equals, and with the cat evolving from a preferred pet for single women to a much-loved animal of the masses, it will no longer be relevant to judge a women based upon her interest in cats.

It sounds a bit silly, however it isn’t silly when you think about the extinction of phrases such as ‘you’ll be a lonely cat lady’, ‘oh you’re a crazy cat lady’ and ‘you’ll die alone with your cats’. These phrases aren’t attributed to any other animals and men, so why should those who enjoy the company of a pussy pal have to grin and giggle when being told their choice of pet (if they of female of course) dictates a lonely future?

Lego doesn’t seem to think the cat lady is fading anytime soon, with the appearance of Mrs Scratchen Post in their recent big blockbuster film, however others have been more open-minded when it comes to cat owners.

Most recently public funding has enabled a cat café to be launched in London, which as well as allowing Londoners to pet and admire an array of kitties, it also shows just how passionate the UK is about their pussycats. As well as giving rescued cats a home, Lady Dinah’s success is due to the tremendous amount of support from a variety of cat lovers, showing that there is much more demand for cats across all ownerships and not just the elderly lady they are attributed to.

(Image via)

Although this post is not more than a whisker of the discussion that could be had regarding the image of the crazy cat lady being slowly eradicated, I hope it has given some thought regarding our approach to women who own cats. My wish is that one-day a woman owning cats is not a sign of loneliness or gradual craziness but a sign of being part of a larger community that simply enjoys having a feline as a pet.

Love,

Daisy

Cat-lover and proud.

Tags: cat lady cat lover Feminism Lady Dinah