12 Things To Know About Dating A Cat Lady

Cats pretty much rule the world as they manipulate people with their cuteness. Once they’ve hooked you, you’re powerless against them, and they will implant themselves in your heart forever. Very few people who lose their cat remain cat-less. Most people after they've grieved for a while get another cat. Crazy cat ladies aren’t the only ones who love cats, if they were, then there wouldn’t be so many viral cat videos, and things like #caturday, and #cats of Instagram. Everybody needs a dose of cute sometime, maybe crazy cat ladies are just more honest about being crazy in love with cats.

I have a totally cool friend, who could be called a cat lady because she recently adopted a special-needs kitten. She adores her kitty, and actually feels badly when she’s not home with him. Does that make her a crazy cat lady, or a compassionate and caring woman?

Cat people are known to be highly intelligent, patient, and can see past first impressions. They are strategic thinkers, great at solving mysteries, and know how to deal with mood swings. A crazy cat lady is actually a catch, and if you find one, do everything you can to hang on to her.

1. Don’t talk about everything.

There are a lot of stories about cat-haters and the cruel things they do, please don’t share any of these stories with your cat lady, and focus more on sharing a hilarious moment from a Henri or Simon’s cat video than from anything that would cause your cat lady pain.

2. Love her, love her cat.

The cat is always going to be in her life, so you better make peace with the feline situation. She’ll love you even more if you get her cat to be ok with you.

3. Be a crazy cat partner.

Your relationship would work if you liked her cat, but if you loved her cat and all cats, that would be awesome. And crazy cat couples are the best.

4. On the surface, she may appear to more affectionate with her cat.

It may seem like she says, “I love you,” more often to her cat than to you, but that’s just because there’s more weight behind it when she says it to you. She knows that you don’t need to hear it all the time, and the cat isn't paying attention anyway.

5. Dress thoughtfully.

Might be time to switch to wearing lighter colors. Black and dark navy are great colors and look good on most people, but cats have fur and they have a tendency to shed. You don’t want to get hair all over your Armani slacks, or cat vomit on your Bruno Magli shoes.

6. She’s not going to hide who she is.

She’s a cat person and proud of it. If she’s crazy for loving cats, then she owns it—it’s part of who she is, and she’s never going to be a non-cat person, so if this is an issue for you, it’s time to move on.

7. A love of felines is usually inherited.

If she loves cats, then there’s a good chance that the rest of her family does too. You can make extra bonus points with them if you make friends with their cat when you visit. Keep cat treats in your pocket for those times.

8. Dogs are cool too.

Your crazy cat girl may be solidly on Team Feline, but she probably likes all animals. It may take her a little while to get to know your pooch, but before you know it, you’ll be walking the dog together (and no, that’s not another way to say doggie-style.)

9. Cats have priority seating.

If a cat is sleeping next to you either on the couch or on the bed, you need to adjust your body to accommodate the cat. Also, you’re going to have to think long and hard if getting up and moving the cat is worth your cat lady’s annoyance. There’s an unspoken code amongst cat people, and that’s “Don’t disturb the cat.”

10. Don’t pretend you’re allergic, if you’re not.

If you truly are allergic, you might want to go to your doctor and get a prescription. If you’ve tried them before, and they didn’t work for you, you may seriously want to consider dating someone without a cat.

11. Sleeping arrangements are flexible.

Your cat lady might not want her cat in the same room with you two while you have sex, but your girlfriend may also not be able to sleep unless the cat is on the bed. You'll learn what the sex/sleep protocol is.

12. Cats are like tattoos; one is great, three is even better.

Cat people have a lot of love and affection to give, and they care about animals. When they hear of a cat that needs a forever home, they'll want to do whatever they can to help within reason. Since cats are so independent and have a vigorous sleep schedule, it’s helpful to have more than one cat to supplement your daily dose of kitty love. Feline appreciation isn’t a sign of craziness, it’s a calling.

By supporting her love for cats, you’ll strengthen the bond you share, and you’ll find that you’re less stressful and more relaxed when you have a cat in your life. There's nothing more comforting than hearing the purr of a happy cat and a happy girlfriend.

Images: Esra Erben/Flickr; Giphy