I Photograph Ladies With Their Cats To Debunk The Crazy Cat Lady Stereotype, And Here Are My Favorite Photos (16 Pics)
I started the “Girls and Their Cats” photo series on Instagram in 2015 as a way to debunk the crazy cat lady stereotype and showcase cat-lover women in a positive light.
I have since photographed more than 300 cat people and their rescued or adopted pet cats in cities across the U.S.
I have a book coming out in August 2019 and wanted to share a few of my favorite photos with you along with snippets from their stories, which you can read in full in the book.
More info: Instagram | girlsandtheircats.com | girlsandtheircats.com
Aisha Awadallah, Alex, Xena, and Tigger
“My three adorable cats are all reflections of me and represent the full spectrum of my personality and phases of my life.”
Hannah Shaw, Coco and Eloise
“Coco was my inspiration for getting involved in cat adoption and shifting all of my advocacy efforts to focus on neonatal kittens and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR). Raising her taught me how great a need there is for educational resources about kitten care.”
“Eloise is a shy girl. She’s not keen on new people or new experiences, which makes our bond even more special.”
Sara Anderson and Loki
“Loki is incredibly affectionate, cuddly, and chatty. He loves napping on our bellies, eating chicken and scrambled eggs, and receiving hearty head scratches.”
Monica Choy, Linus and Zorro
“Linus, who’s named after the Zen Peanuts character, has a lot of poise, and I often think of him as a cat model. He’s always posing with his paws and tail positioned just so.”
“Zorro is more standoffish with strangers, but he is loyal and tender to those he’s chosen as his people.”
Jamilah King and Smarty
“Smarty is the most communicative little being I’ve ever known, and while it’s not great that he purrs in my face at five in the morning, I try to look at it as him just being very open about his needs. And I can learn from that!”
Alexandra Lyles-King, Lois and Maxine
“Every morning, I wake up wearing a cat bikini: one snoozing across my chest, one on my hips. They are the best.”
Lauren Leavell and Doo Doo
“Doo Doo has that keen emotional sensor most cats have. I don’t think I have ever had to be sick or sad by myself since we met.”
Éva Goicochea, Bea and Winnie
“Bea and Winnie are very yin and yang. Bea is shy and quiet with a grumpy streak, while Winnie is absolutely a ham, always happy and up for playing. Together, they are balanced, and we imagine Winnie encouraging Bea not to take life so seriously.”
JiaJia Fei and Coco
“In many ways, she’s also grown to fit the stereotype of pets who resemble their owners. Her black-and-white look pairs perfectly with my deliberately monochromatic wardrobe and bedroom, where she spends about 90 percent of her time.”
Bethany Watson, Loki, and Minerva
“They’re both the sweetest kittens you could ever hope to meet. I’m so grateful we all found each other.”
Sam Ushiro and Sabbath
“I never considered having a cat before I met her, and honestly, I still wouldn’t, because the only cat for me is Sabbath.”
“My favorite thing to tell people is how she has her own special chair in the living room where she sits and watches everything, like a queen on her throne, keeping the court in order. ”
Anka Lavriv and Petey on the cover of ‘Girls and Their Cats’
“Petey is the light of my life. He is bossy, cranky, sassy, and courageous and takes no s**t from anyone.”
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I love black cats, they are my favorites. I have two now, long haired ones, a mother and her son. But, I've got... (Cringing, I am becoming the crazy cat lady, because I keep taking in special needs or strays!) 15 of them all together. And, I have to be honest... I don't know if there was EVER a cat I didn't love, no matter what color they are.
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Nice advert for a coffee table book :-) But honestly I prefer this 10.000 times over another of those crappy Amazon ads!
Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Loved all of the pics. (I especially loved the black cat named Sabbath. Very witty!)
The stereotype of the "crazy cat lady" usually evokes older women; these photos counter the stereotype by featuring young women. Older women can be just as smart, beautiful and cool as these ladies, in their own way, so photos of some mature cat ladies should be included.
As far as I am aware there is no corresponding "Crazy Dog Man" no matter how many dogs a guy has or how much he loves and pampers them. Wonder why.
It's because of sexism and people preferring dogs because dogs are for extroverts and extroverts are the minority.
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""Smarty is the most communicative little being I’ve ever known, and while it’s not great that he purrs in my face at five in the morning, I try to look at it as him just being very open about his needs. And I can learn from that!" Bwaaaaahahahahaha !!!
Aw, Hannah Shaw, the Kitten Lady! Her videos are cool (and since I'm allergic to cats, they are my go-to for when I need a kitten fix).
I am THRILLED that so many of these rockin' women have black cats! They are my all-time favorites!
I have adopted 4 cats so far: Edgar, Allan, Poe, and Max. Two of them are black (Poe and Max). I think the stigma of the "crazy cat lady" should just vanish. It's nothing but the continuation of the degradation of women for being independent.
you should put Nala Cat on the list.. https://www.instagram.com/nala_cat/?hl=en
Lol! I love this <3 i've always had a cat in my home but just before my divorce our (ok mine) cat passed away. I wasnt thinking about getting a new one but.... with the kids being away to live with their dad 50% of the time i got so lonely. Tried to fill my spare time with dates, some tinder hook ups and more dates. Then i got myself a cat. Lonely no more. Lol.
My friend also has a cat called Loki, seems quite common.
Don't know why you got downvoted, because I also have a friend who named his cat Loki
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So...how'd you get all these crazy ladies to let you photograph them?
I thoroughly enjoy Bored Panda and especially anything to do with animals. It is great to take a few minutes from the reality of the nutty politics going on these days. Thank you.
She kinda freaked me out a bit. My name is Sara and I have a cat named Loki. And here I thought I was being original when I named him that.
Load More Replies... I see cats and I see a lot of plants. Is this possible? I am living with a ton of houseplants and would love to have cats, but read that the plants are either toxic or won't survive. Is having cats with plants really possible?
.......(sigh) yes off course. Just like kids you actually NEED TO EDUCATE your pet too.
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tbh, "crazy" in "crazy cat lady" is in her head / in what she does, not in her looks. A picture proves nothing.
Please don't try to comment on someone you know nothing about. Some people get tattoos because *gasp* THEY WANT TATTOOS! Did your money pay for her tattoos? No? Then it's none of your business! Hannah is an amazing person.
Load More Replies...
I love black cats, they are my favorites. I have two now, long haired ones, a mother and her son. But, I've got... (Cringing, I am becoming the crazy cat lady, because I keep taking in special needs or strays!) 15 of them all together. And, I have to be honest... I don't know if there was EVER a cat I didn't love, no matter what color they are.
Load More Replies... Nice advert for a coffee table book :-) But honestly I prefer this 10.000 times over another of those crappy Amazon ads!
Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Loved all of the pics. (I especially loved the black cat named Sabbath. Very witty!)
The stereotype of the "crazy cat lady" usually evokes older women; these photos counter the stereotype by featuring young women. Older women can be just as smart, beautiful and cool as these ladies, in their own way, so photos of some mature cat ladies should be included.
As far as I am aware there is no corresponding "Crazy Dog Man" no matter how many dogs a guy has or how much he loves and pampers them. Wonder why.
It's because of sexism and people preferring dogs because dogs are for extroverts and extroverts are the minority.
Load More Replies... ""Smarty is the most communicative little being I’ve ever known, and while it’s not great that he purrs in my face at five in the morning, I try to look at it as him just being very open about his needs. And I can learn from that!" Bwaaaaahahahahaha !!!
Aw, Hannah Shaw, the Kitten Lady! Her videos are cool (and since I'm allergic to cats, they are my go-to for when I need a kitten fix).
I am THRILLED that so many of these rockin' women have black cats! They are my all-time favorites!
I have adopted 4 cats so far: Edgar, Allan, Poe, and Max. Two of them are black (Poe and Max). I think the stigma of the "crazy cat lady" should just vanish. It's nothing but the continuation of the degradation of women for being independent.
you should put Nala Cat on the list.. https://www.instagram.com/nala_cat/?hl=en
Lol! I love this <3 i've always had a cat in my home but just before my divorce our (ok mine) cat passed away. I wasnt thinking about getting a new one but.... with the kids being away to live with their dad 50% of the time i got so lonely. Tried to fill my spare time with dates, some tinder hook ups and more dates. Then i got myself a cat. Lonely no more. Lol.
My friend also has a cat called Loki, seems quite common.
Don't know why you got downvoted, because I also have a friend who named his cat Loki
Load More Replies... So...how'd you get all these crazy ladies to let you photograph them?
I thoroughly enjoy Bored Panda and especially anything to do with animals. It is great to take a few minutes from the reality of the nutty politics going on these days. Thank you.
She kinda freaked me out a bit. My name is Sara and I have a cat named Loki. And here I thought I was being original when I named him that.
Load More Replies... I see cats and I see a lot of plants. Is this possible? I am living with a ton of houseplants and would love to have cats, but read that the plants are either toxic or won't survive. Is having cats with plants really possible?
.......(sigh) yes off course. Just like kids you actually NEED TO EDUCATE your pet too.
Load More Replies... tbh, "crazy" in "crazy cat lady" is in her head / in what she does, not in her looks. A picture proves nothing.
Please don't try to comment on someone you know nothing about. Some people get tattoos because *gasp* THEY WANT TATTOOS! Did your money pay for her tattoos? No? Then it's none of your business! Hannah is an amazing person.
Load More Replies... 
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