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I’m Proud to Be a Cat Lady

It’s time to shatter stereotypes. Cat owners are a social group of people that includes Taylor Swift, millennial men and anyone who wants to live a healthier life

Elana Rabinowitz,

AARP

Published January 21, 2026

an older woman sits on a couch, petting a black and white cat while an orange cat walks along the back of the couch

Monica Garwood

Welcome to Ethels Tell All, where the writers behind The Ethel newsletter share their personal stories related to the joys and challenges of aging. Come back Wednesday each week for the latest piece, exclusively on AARP Members Edition.

I became a mother at 50 — a foster mother, that is. A caregiver for two abandoned kittens I took in somewhat reluctantly at the nudge of a friend. I didn’t want to be a mother of cats. I was single, living in a studio apartment. I needed my freedom. But when I met the dynamic duo, one gray with white socks and one black with emerald eyes, things changed. I simply fell in love. Foster fail.

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The problem was that unlike my friends who incessantly brag about their children or pooches, whenever I brought up the cute antics of my pair, I was quickly referred to as a “crazy cat lady.” Was it really so crazy to want to share stories of my fur babies? Was it still such a stigma to have cats?

It’s time to ditch this outdated stereotype. In fact, cat ownership is more common than dog ownership, according to a 2024 global survey by Mars Pet Nutrition. Of those surveyed, more men than women owned cats (52 percent male versus 48 percent female). Celebrities such as Ed Sheeran and Anthony Hopkins are often seen with pictures of their cats, leading the way as proud cat dads.

Cat owners are not lonely spinsters but rather a social, healthy group of people that includes the likes of Taylor Swift, millennial men and anyone who wants to improve their mood. A 2020 study outlined the health benefits that cats can offer, from relationship-building to decreasing the risk of heart disease.

I realized that as life became more stressful, my cats became the one thing I could count on. When I come home after a long day of work, they crawl out of their hiding places and greet me at the door, a habit traditionally associated with dogs. I grab them one at a time and hug them. With this embrace I can hear them purr, and a gentleness comes over me. Suddenly the stressors of my day dissipate, and I am left calm. At peace. Sometimes I even leave and come back a few minutes later just to have the phenomenon happen again. Cats are lousy at telling time.

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When the foster cats first came into my life, it was just supposed to be until the holidays. But one evening, as I took a bubble bath after a long day at work, Maddy, the gray kitten, came into the bathroom. He began batting the bubbles with his paws. Something happened to me when I saw that, and I thought, No one else can have this cat. He is mine. And so I agreed to adopt both kittens. (The foster agency I worked with only lets you adopt two kittens or one older cat.)

“Why stop at two?” a guy friend joked after meeting them for the first time — a joke I imagine dog owners would never have to tolerate.

I’ve changed since I became a cat mom. I’m more patient and understanding. I reconfigured my life to let them in. The only downside is that sometimes I prefer the company of my cats to people. So if that makes me crazy — to love and be loved — so be it. I will proudly wear the moniker.

AARP essays share a point of view in the author’s voice, drawn from expertise or experience, and do not necessarily reflect the views of AARP.

Elana Rabinowitz is an ESL teacher and a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Good Housekeeping and many others. She splits her time between New York City and the Hudson Valley.

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