62% of non-cat owners agree with the statement, “when I think about people with multiple cats, I think of the phrase ‘crazy cat lady*.’” Maybe that’s why, when asked how many cats I have, I cough “four” into my hand and quickly change the subject.
My official count doesn’t include “Garage Cat,” a feral whom I feed, provide a heated cat cup in which to sleep, and have finally coaxed inside after six years. “Garage Cat” is not getting an official name. Because naming her would push me to the precipice of that Crazy Cat Lady Chasm from which I will not return.
In a similar vein, last week’s Catster poll asked “How many cats is too many?” Of the choices (2, 4, 6, No such thing as too many, Other), “No such thing as too many” topped the vote count at over 36%, with “6″ following at 28%. For many cat lovers, the 
more the merrier, while non-cat people tend to look askance at you when the tally tops two.
The heart of the issue is litter box management. Anyone asked what she expects to smell when entering a multiple-cat home will answer “cat pee.” I don’t need to fund a scientific survey to prove that one. Many of us cat owners spend more than a few waking moments doing the sniff-sniff samba throughout the house, and those of us who are truly dedicated have black light forensic skills that will rival any CSI’s.
If you’ve read this far, some of this must resonate with you, and you’ll be interested in Tidy Cats new campaign “to end Cattiness.”
Tidy Cat found that 88 percent of multiple cat owners credit their cats with making their lives more fulfilling and rewarding. And, while that 62 percent hang the ‘crazy cat lady’ moniker on mulit-cat owners, people who own more than one cat have very different perceptions of themselves and their homes.
According to the survey, multiple cat owners describe themselves as being caring and loving (96 percent), generous (90 percent), well adjusted and fulfilled (87 percent). 
And, nearly nine in ten cat owners (87%) say their cats do not prevent them from keeping their home clean and odor-free. (No word on what their visitors think).
Multiple cat owners can enter the Tidy Cats Campaign to End Cattiness contest that runs through September 11. You’re invited to share your purrsonal stories of how you “enjoy more life and less worry at home” with your multiple cats.
The Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000, a one-year supply of Tidy Cats® Scoop brand cat litter, and the opportunity to be featured in a Tidy Cats Cribs Webisode. For complete contest rules, visit tidycats.com/EndCattiness.
Are you a CCL and proud of it? Is it a term of endearment, or a label that should be reserved for hoarders?
*Survey was conducted Tidy Cat. Survey Methodology: The above statistics are from an Ipsos poll conducted May 21-26, 2009. The survey included national samples of 750 adults aged 18 and older who do not own a cat and 500 adults who own more than one cat from Ipsos’ U.S. online panel were interviewed online. Read more about the survey here.
See related Cat's Meow entries:
She could fit the stereotypical profile of a crazy cat lady. 80-year-old Daina Silins never married, lived in a cluttered home, and would feed any stray cat she encountered. She left her entire $3 million dollar estate to three animal charities: The Cat Protection Society, the Animal Welfare League and the Domestic Animals Birth Control Society. But don’t classify her as a Cat Lady: Ms Silins never owned a cat or dog.
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