On December 8, the Canadian documentary Cat Ladies [1] will air on WeTV [2]. The film is a portrait of four women who, for better or for worse, each live with A LOT of cats. Are these women crazy? Are they just lonely? Do they fit the spinster stereotype? I have a certain sensitivity to the subject as a single woman who is madly in love with her pets. I wanted to understand the motivation behind the film, and posed nine questions to the filmmaking team from Cat Ladies.
Christie Callan-Jones – Director
Sally Blake – Creative Producer and editor
Jeannette Loakman – Producer
Suzanne Mullett – Associate Producer
Wendy: What initially drew you to the subject of Cat Ladies?
Cat Ladies: Everyone seems to know a “Cat Lady” with the adjective of Crazy added to that stereotype. There’s that myth that if you are in your 30’s, single and happen to have a couple of cats, a big red flag goes off and there is the assumption that you will never meet a man and instead you’ll end up old and lonely wearing moth eaten cardigans and eventually eaten by your cat… which actually doesn’t happen by the way. We wanted to get behind the closed door of the “crazy cat lady,” explore the stereotype and the themes of loneliness and alienation in the modern world.
The story was originally conceived by Suzanne Mullett, the Associate Producer of the film. About 10 years ago, she was being called a Cat Lady – mainly out of jest but with a hint of disdain. At the time she was living with 2 other people and they had 5 cats in the household, 2 were hers, 2 were her roommates and one was a friend of hers who moved and couldn’t take her cat with her. The term initially angered her because it was obvious it wasn’t a compliment. Then it started to intrigue her – where did this term come from?Why her, and so it began.
Wendy: Do you own a cat, or any other kind of pet?
Cat Ladies: That’s a good question! The producers, Sally and Jeannette, used to have cats and then lost them in their respective divorces. Suzanne had two and unfortunately lost one to cancer during the post production of the film (Suzanne has since gotten another cat – two is better than one.) And Christie got a puppy before production began, but if she hadn’t she may have adopted a cat instead!
Wendy: From your experience with the film, can owning a pet be therapeutic?
Cat Ladies: Definitely. We all know how important pets can be in the caring of the sick and elderly for example. And with our experience making this film, the bonds the ladies developed with their cats was both genuine and very loving. A pet is dependent on its owner and can be in return a very receptive – and uncritical – companion!
Wendy: How did you decide whom to interview for the film?
The research for this film was incredibly important and took over 3 years to complete. First, Suzanne compiled many contacts within the animal welfare and cat rescue worlds, and then we hired an amazing researcher, Chanda Chevannas, who blanketed Toronto with requests for women who loved their cats to come forward. We ended up talking with dozens of potential characters and filming some of them. Ultimately, we were looking for the right cross-section of women who could each reveal a different element of the “crazy cat lady” stereotype and whose stories were complimentary but distinct. For example, Margot had only 3 cats but her relationship with them was incredibly intense – perhaps a bit too all encompassing. Jenny had 17 and seemed at a critical turning point in her life looking for a relationship and wondering just how many cats was “too much”. Diane had 123 and was overwhelmed, sinking under a mountain of fur and trying desperately to reduce her numbers and get her old life back. And Sigi in some ways was the most stereotypical “cat lady” with the muumuu and the eccentric lifestyle – but she was also a very strong, passionate woman and a crusader for animal welfare and we thought that juxtaposition was both interesting and challenging for the viewer.
Wendy: Have you followed up with any of your subjects since making the film? If so, how are they doing?
Cat Ladies: We’re in contact with the ladies and for the most part their lives continue on unchanged. Jenny is still open to finding the right guy, but is doing great and very happy. Diane attempted to move out to the country but at the last minute found out there was a limit on the number of cats she could bring so for the time being she’s still living in the city and hasn’t really made a dent in her numbers. Sigi continues to run her sanctuary and lobby for subsidized spay and neuter programs. Margot unfortunately went through a bad patch. After the film, she lost her other two cats Fritz and Little One and was naturally quite devastated. But she bounced back, adopted two little kittens and is happily adding their photos to her immense collection!
Wendy: Did you consider interviewing a man, or someone who was married, who owned cats?
Cat Ladies: No – this film is about the “label” of cat lady that is slapped on women who decide to follow their own path in life against societal norms – albeit at the beck and call of a feline. “Cat Men” do exist of course, but in far fewer numbers and a man who has cats is considered eccentric whereas a woman is labeled crazy. For whatever reason – and we all have our theories – it really is special for women and cats.
Wendy: Did you have any pre-conceived ideas before making the film about single women and cats?
Cat Ladies: Like most women, we looked upon the notion of the “crazy cat lady” as something we very much wanted to avoid becoming! You believe, without really thinking about it, that a woman who lives alone with her cats is tragically lonely and deeply weird. But it was that universal knee-jerk reaction that got us thinking beyond the stereotype and looking deeper. Why should a woman be labeled “crazy” just because she’s single and likes cats? It’s very derogatory to women and has been used historically to marginalize women who choose to live differently – just think of how cats have been associated with witches for hundreds of years.
Wendy: If yes, what were they? And have they changed since making the film?
Cat Ladies: Definitely, there are some truths there associated with the stereotype. Loneliness was a common theme and cats really did replace something that was missing or at least perceived to be missing – love, friendship and validation. But what struck us all during the process of making this film was how amazing all the women were. Funny, passionate, independent, and bucking the societal norms. They knew people labeled them as “crazy” but they didn’t care – they loved their cats and believed in what they were doing. They were also very relatable and not at all “crazy”. After all, loneliness and alienation are common to all of us.
Wendy: Are you single?
Jeannette: Technically separated, but in a relationship that’s more part time than full (which is fine!)”
Sally: In love with a Frenchman and expecting a baby in the spring.
Suzanne: In a relationship, fairly new but forever. Honestly, I really thought it would be me and my cats.