Cat Guys
[FIRST OF TWO PARTS]
The New York Times recently published an article on Cat Guys – single straight men who own cats. It seems that the number of Cat Guys is on the rise, and single Cat Grrls (I’m gonna try to avoid the Crazy Cat Lady label, here) are finding them HOT HOT HOT.
According to the Times column, the stigma associated with being a 
cat-lovin’ man appears to be waning, although you’d never know it from my husband, who is quick to point out, “I’m not a cat person.” This from the man who gets a backache from sitting in a crickety crappy folding chair in his office because Rocky begs to sleep on his cushy ergonomic office chair; this man who won’t think twice about making a late-night run to the supermarket not because the cats are out of food, but because they are out of their favorite FLAVOR of food, and none of the four dozen cans in the pantry will do. Yes, this “not a cat person” person was the one who, when we briefly faced the prospect of having to euthanize Rocky, protested, eyes glistening, “but he’s my buddy.” For a lot of Cat Guys, being a Cat Guy is still a dirty little secret.
A study cited in the article found that Cat Guys were more likely than their female counterparts to have made, or consider making, sacrifices for their cats – including giving up a holiday or going into debt for their cats if necessary. They would also consider choosing their cats over their partners.
Case in point: Adam Fulrath, who dated a woman who was allergic to cats, told the Times:
“I thought, ‘This is never going to work,’ ” he recalled. “My cat takes priority over the new relationship. Realistically, unless there’s something absolutely amazing about her, he wins.”
Fulrath unashamedly keeps five photographs of Parappa, his mixed-breed cat, on his desktop. He acknowledged that it might be considered a little weird that a grown man would be so enamored with his kitty, but Mr. Fulrath, who calls himself a “straight, geeky guy,” doesn’t care.
“She’s my primary relationship,” he said.
Is it any wonder that Paul Klusman, a Wichita, Kansas Cat Guy who was mentioned in the article, received about 300 marriage proposals “from lonely cat ladies around the world” after he posted the following “An Engineer’s Guide to Cats” video on YouTube?
Slate counters that the trend is bogus and suggests that the NYT article belongs in the litter box. The Slate article’s author, Jack Shafer, claims the Times’ facts are dubious, and refutes each of the claims point by point. I dunno. Sounds like a Dog Dude to me. Or maybe a closet Cat Guy who doth protest too much?
TOMORROW: We interview Rosie and Cheeto’s lady, soliciting a Cat Grrl’s opinion on the Cat Guy phenomenon.
Got a “Cat Guy” story? Share it with me, and I’ll publish the best of the bunch.
" 
The Tall Man Tries to be all…I don’t care about cats until Chase has poofy tail at him or I or Latte does something cute. Then he has to say “Awww…!! Look at how CUTE they are!!” Though I still say the Lap Lady probably would put her life on the line for us and not so much the TM. Though he does kick people out of our hose if they are mean to us!
Well our Meowm says that there has to be Cat guys out there and she would appreciate it if they would come out of the closet!
Where are those cat guys? We need to get Mom one. Or maybe two if they like cleaning litterboxes.
Apparently this means our male is not a cat guy really. Sigh. I knew it and I tried to tell her!
Oh my…Parappa looks just like me!
The world would be a much nicer place if there were more Cat Guys in it!
Tipper
Real men love cats!
Mom actually divorced her second husband cause he didn’t like me. He actually told her before they got married that he loved cats! That was phoey!!! He didn’t like me and made my life miserable!!! Mom gave him his litter papers!! So if there are any Cat Men out there who are cat lovers — tell them that mom’s available! *giggles*
I think most men are afraid of cats.We are too unpredictable. We are the original domestic terrorists.
Or maybe they are afraid of women. Who knows.
I like men when they come to fix stuff. Otherwise I prefer Coco becuase she keeps me nice and clean in the parts I can’t reach.
But your Daddy is very cute, Skeezix.
Time to get back to work on the Palin-hunting catapult.
It’s nice to know there is still hope for mom.
Did mr. Paul aksept any of the proposuls? If not, maybe we can rekrute him to be our offishul Guy of the howse.
Yoo know how peepul surprise thare family with a Furrevur Pet?…maybe we kuld surprise owr lady with a Furrevur Guy!?!?? Do any of yoo have mr Paul’s numbur???
oh and owr harts smiled when we read “but he’s my buddy” … Awww, mr. Tasty Face, that’s so sweet, in a manlie way!!
Two of my best friends are my human’s dad and her friend Jim. Both of them go out of their way to talk with me and give me head scratches. Dad, in fact, doesn’t leave until he’s gotten his Hattie fix.
I thought that maybe the Norton books had made a dent in this whole men claiming they’re “not a cat person” deal, but I guess not.
My mommy broke up with a boyfriend because he didn’t like cats…and he didn’t know how to pronounce cabernet. The cat part was the deal breaker.
I’m very lucky that my pops is a cat guy. He lets me sit on his lap while he works and I also get to use his pillow at night in when we sleep. Purrs!!!
Well I guess my husband is a “cat guy.” He gets sad if Emily doesn’t do her nightly ritual of going in the bathroom with him when he takes a shower. He is just an all around animal guy in general though. He comes by it naturally, his dad, who is a farmer, wouldn’t use a tractor one spring because a bird had built her nest under the springs of the seat and he wouldn’t use it until the eggs hatched and the nestlings left. hee hee!
A man who loves cats IS a special guy. Take it from a single woman who’s grown up with cats and a dad who loves cats, it is a sensitive AND strong man who can love cats. And he is more apt to be the type of guy who is open to different things. Unafraid. Self-assured. I am a veterinarian with 4 wonderful furry children of my own, love each one special (Otta, Nefertari, Rameses, and King Tut). I have many male clients who adore their kitties. And once a man has “gone cat”……there is no turning back…..he’s likely to be more addicted than a woman, and more likely to do ANYTHING for his babies. Oh, that I could find a single guy like this…….
ммм… не думал …