Are most cat lovers female?

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I am sure that there are some males who dote on their cats.

But it does seem to me to be a female thing.

Am I mistaken?

The only vegan I know well is a man and cat owner. His cars are vegan too

I here what you are saying StickEm, but am not sure I agree.

His cars use petrol, his cats are vegan. FFS.

I'm not sure that owning cats is a very vegan thing to do, and then forcing them onto a vegan diet kind of goes against the whole let's not exploit animals thing. And unless he keeps his cats indoors all the time I suspect they aren't always on board with the whole vegan diet lark!

He sounds like a twat TBH.

I mean most of us answer to our consciences when it's basically not too much inconvenience, but that pushes things a bit far!

Oh, he is a twat - I just thought his being male and cat-owner AND vegan was too good to not post on this thread.
I am sure his cats supplemented their diet….

It is true though about the whole cats=sexy and dogs=butch thing. How v odd.

I didn't think you didn't think he was a twat for a minute

I have known vegan men and cat-owning men as well, I haven't experienced that cross-over though!

Is this a feminist issue?

I sort of think it is.

There is the stereotypical image of a single woman over a certain age sitting at home... owning a cat.

And why does Batman have Catwoman as a rival, why would Catman or Dogman just be ridiculous?

Or Dogwoman

Catty is one of those mean-spirited adjectives that only tends to be used about women. Mind you so is bitchy. And so is someone being a cow.

And if two women have a punch up it's called a cat fight. What the hell is that all about?

Well he has the Penguin
But the Penguin isn't supposed to look sexy!

Whoknows someone on here once said that the insults used show up the hierarchy:
Men get insulted by comparing them to women (or implying they are gay which is linked)
When men want to insult women they compare them to animals

It's quite eye-opening when you realise that.

Oh, yes, I agree with all that.

It's one of the reason I don't use 'cunt' as an insult (apart from the usual reasons that is seems to be frowned upon in polite society ) - why would I use a word for my own sexual organ as an insult?

But going back to the OP, I don't think we've come up with evidence to suggest that women are more likely to be cat owners, have we?

I think it's possible that more of the "extreme" cat owners are women, that is those that have lots and lots of cats, take in every stray in the neighourhood etc.

It's possible, for sure.

If we're talking really off the wall behaviour, the whole living in squalor thing, then I think there are men who do quite well with it as well (even if they don't have cats).

Maybe if you're going to have lots and lots of pets it needs to be cats as they are more independent? Don't need walking, usually go outside to shit, and so forth. Can catch their own food if they don't get fed.

I know quite a few men who are "cat people", but I'm lucky to move in circles where men do not feel that they have to conform to every single male stereotype in order to fit in.

I also know men who love their small (non-manly) dogs.

In answer to the OP - maybe.

Maybe little boys absorb the idea that cats are "for girls" or "crazy old cat lady", and that the only acceptable pet for "a real man" is a big butch dog.

They grow up to be men who "don't like" cats.

I have no idea what the reality of gender divides in pet ownership is. What's interesting is why this stereotype exists at all, and what purpose it serves?

My guess is: to shame single women.

My totally unscientific observation is that plenty of long-term single men have pets, too. But no shaming stereotype is built out of this. Because a man's relationship status is not shame-worthy. Whatever that relationship status may be.

Any excuse to air this awesome collection of photos:
hardcore metal rockers and their cats
Crazy cat lady is a myth.

But going back to the OP, I don't think we've come up with evidence to suggest that women are more likely to be cat owners, have we?

None at all, tbh I haven't even searched.

But I would be surprised if it were otherwise

Partial, what made you put this in FWR rather than chat?

Well, our guinea pigs came from a crazy male guinea pig hoarder

Love the link, msrisotto

Yonic, I think I maybe being a bit goady.

I think that there may well be differences in the way people react to say, cats, and the differences may lie within our gender.

But the implications of such an acceptance are huge.

Really? Like biological differences in response rather than socialised?

But so many cultures past and present have no pet keeping tradition at all.

As much as anything else, if you are looking for any idea of numbers and proportions, you'd get more responses on Chat

good point Yonic

But the how can you explain the differences in our own society?