QUESTION: IS IT TRUE THAT UNMARRIED WOMEN OWN A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF CATS?
[1]
“The news that 51 percent of all women live without a spouse might be enough to make you invest in cat futures.” —New York Times, January 22, 2007
“The poor good old woman was a spinster. Sultan, her cat… had filled her heart and sufficed for the quantity of passion which existed in her. None of her dreams had ever proceeded as far as man. She had never been able to get further than her cat. Like him, she had a mustache.”
–Victor Hugo – Les Miserables, 1862
“Just wanted to pose a question to everyone out there. I have been told that if a single lady has a cat then she is 50% less likely to find a long-term relationship than if she didn’t have a cat. And if she owns more than one cat she might as well forget meeting that special someone in her life. I don’t have any pets and I still don’t know how or where to go to meet that special someone. Any thoughts?”
–Posting, Eons (website for people over 50)
from “Single Diaries [2]“
Even if it hardens the stereotype of a spouseless woman, I’ve decided to come clean. I sleep with my cat.
My relationship with Lily ambled along the first few years, as with many of the men I dated. I had to work hard for us to be intimate, which entailed scouring underneath the cars in the neighborhood, crawling on my belly risking filth to tempt her with treats, dragging her by the collar, and finally into bed. At first, the intimacy was erratic. To be honest, I gave more than I got. But it paid off. Now, Lily sprints to greet me as I drive up to the house. She purrs whenever I enter the room. I think she’s a happier cat for my effort, and others who know cats agree. Friends think I’m happier, too.
But I’m not confused into thinking that Lily’s my beloved. She’s just a cat.
ANSWER: CAT OWNERSHIP IS TWICE AS LIKELY AMONG HOUSEHOLDS OF PARENTS WITH CHILDREN. (U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook)