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An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
GMA Goes "Inside The Secret World Of Cat Ladies"
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esthergreenwood
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
Funny thing about all this is, it has nothing to do with cats. This is compulsive hoarding. #catladies
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sybann
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
This is heartbreaking. I am so sad for these women. Maybe this is the only unconditional love they have ever had. #catladies
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Jack_Burton
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
I hope that Jenny gets some counseling before, or if, she decides to become a parent. #catladies
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thecameralovesyou
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
I can kind of identify with these ladies. Not in the "Crazy cat" sense, but in the sense that I feel like I could VERY easily become someone who ends up having way too many animals. I have only two dogs right now, but if I let myself think about all the dogs in shelters, or on the streets, or let myself look at petfinder for too long... I start getting the itch to get more. The biggest thing that's stopping me is I'd worry about the impact it would have on my own two dogs. But I could see almost becoming addicted to the feeling that you're saving an animal.
However, some of the cats in Sigi's house have the look like they want to get the hell out of there. Now I kind of want to save them from Sigi. #catladies
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vamvaki_poulaki
11/16/09

@thecameralovesyou: I know, I'm afraid that if I had a house I would become Molly Shannon's character in "Year of the Dog." #catladies
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Zira
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
Living in a confined space with even just one cat can be seriously injurious to your health if you are elderly, have asthma or other medical problems. You are breathing in the contaminants in the litter box and pet dander all day long. There must be a real toxic brew in the homes occupied by these cat ladies. #catladies
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WashingMyHair
11/16/09

@Zira: Living in a confined space with even just one cat can be extremely good for your health. There are tons of medical studies to back that up. #catladies
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PhDelish
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: Really? How is a cat good for your health? I get psychologically / emotionally speaking - there are a lot of benefits of having furry friends from that respect. But @Zira is talking about the very real concern of a (inherently) dirty animal crapping in the house. Yes, I know, you clean it up, etc - but there is still bacteria in the air and cat litter is none too healthy itself (pregnant women can't touch it? why would I be touching it then?) More than one would only be worse.

If you mean emotionally...then I totally get that. #catladies
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WashingMyHair
11/16/09

@PhDelish: I mean both emotionally and physically. They lower blood pressure and help alleviate depression which is both medical and emotional, among other things.

Who touches cat poop? Talk to an educated doctor or vet and you'll learn that it's perfectly fine for a pregnant woman to "scoop" cat litter, with a few precautions. Also, there are many types of litter that aren't clay than one can use.
[www.all-creatures.org]

Plus, you must not like cats much since you consider them "(inherently) dirty". They're no more "(inherently) dirty" than you and I. Not to mention the fact that cats are considered to be one of the most fastidious creatures there are.
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Edited by WashingMyHair at 11/16/09 4:22 PM WashingMyHair was starred WashingMyHair was unstarred

FontWhore (the Great Nubling Hope)
11/16/09

@PhDelish: I have lived with cats all my life and I ain't daid yet.

The thing about pregnant women and cat litter has of late been debunked somewhat. It is possible to contract an illness (toxemiaplosis?) from litter, but it generally only emanates from indoor/outdoor cats - and even then, if the woman has changed the litter before, she's been exposed and has antibodies. There's no danger from it unless the person is immunocompromised in some way. Also, you are far more likely to contract the illness gardening (soil being dirty and often tainted with animal poo) than from the box of a domestic cat.

And yes, cats are good for your health. They lower blood pressure etc - it's well documented. #catladies
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kansasgirl
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: It depends on the person. As @Zira pointed out, for people with asthma, living with cats isn't usually great for your health. I have terrible cat allergies and can scarcely visit friends with cats without becoming a big sneezing itchy phlegmy mess. One clean apartment with 1 cat and hardwood floors is managemable for a short time; any more cats or carpeted floors (they hold in the dander) and I can't last more than a half hour or so. #catladies
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WashingMyHair
11/16/09

@kansasgirl: Of course living with cats could be a bad thing for you if you've bad allergies to cat dander. This is very different the originally posted reasons.
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Edited by WashingMyHair at 11/16/09 4:39 PM WashingMyHair was starred WashingMyHair was unstarred

PhDelish
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: Oh, I seem to remember people talking about some chemicals in cat litter as unsafe for pregnant women. I wonder where that's from (or where I got that from)...or if they changed formulas. I'll take your word for it.

Yes, I didn't think of blood pressure - that's a good point!

And I was really just refering to things like dander and hair, which are "dirty" inasmuch as they tend to affect humans negatively (to varying levels depending on allergies). I mean dirty like all animals are - not that cats are more dirty than other domesticated animals per se. And as far as us being dirty...well our bodies have more tolerance for our own dirt than we do for that of other animals. Of course we have our own...umm..dander issues, too.

:) #catladies
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WashingMyHair
11/16/09

@PhDelish: Thanks. ;) The animal rescue I volunteer with uses a wheat based litter for their kittens. It's great environmentally and for the kittens, but not for me as I've got a gluten intolerance. So in that case, the litter isn't healthy..he he! #catladies
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PhDelish
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: Ouch! Do gloves help? Good luck with that!

And thank you for your time at a shelter...they always need help. :) #catladies
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WashingMyHair
11/16/09

@PhDelish: I always use glove when I scoop, so that helps. Haven't had any problems yet and don't anticipate to (cross my fingers). If the kittens are happy, I'm not gonna complain.

I believe that most of us on Jez donate time or something related to causes that are important to us, but it's always nice to be thanked. Thanks for the thanks! #catladies
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napalmnacey is an angry feminist
11/16/09

@FontWhore (the Great Nubling Hope): And eating pig meat. Pig meat is the leading cause of getting toxoplasmosis.

Plus, a cat only carries toxoplasmosis once for a limited amount of time in their lives. Once they have it, they don't have it again. #catladies
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Zira
11/16/09

@WashingMyHair: @PhDelish:

Thanks for your responses. When I posted my original comment I was thinking of a family member who died from AIDS in the early nineties whose ultimate cause of death was an infection precipitated from living with two cats. For people with suppressed immune systems (because of HIV, chemotherapy or a variety of other illnesses) sharing an apartment with a litter box can be dangerous. But as many of you pointed out there are a lot of preventative measures that can be taken for sure. #catladies
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WashingMyHair
11/16/09

@Zira: No problem, understandable. FYI - I once had a foster kitten named Zira, she and her brother, Cornelius were the funniest kittens I've ever fostered. #catladies
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Her Grace
11/16/09

@napalmnacey is an angry feminist: And once a human has it, they also don't have it again--so if a pregnant lady has lived with cats who were allowed outside, she almost certainly has already gotten it. #catladies
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napalmnacey is an angry feminist
11/16/09

@Her Grace: Precisely. There are things a pregnant woman is exposed to every day that are worse than what cats carry. Pollutants, cigarette smoke or alcohol (if they're still indulging in those things), chemicals from detergents and plastics and just living in a city.

If a woman catches toxoplasmosis at the wrong time, it can go very, very wrong indeed. But the chances of that are not as high as common hysteria would have one believe. #catladies
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Aesop's Foibles. YES.
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
I watched the 20/20, and it was actually sort of heartbreaking. Sigi's house was absolutely horrifying and I wanted to go in there with buckets and scrub brushes and soap and bleach. And a biohazard container for that CrockPot. Diane played that answerphone tape and got all misty because she missed her life and it made me want to go take her for coffee. Jenny mentioned how she'd be satisfied with "conjugal visits" and I immediately wanted to invite her to Jezebel. #catladies
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KW03
11/16/09

@Aesop's Foibles. YES.: That crockpot gave me nightmares. And the part where she was like - "I just have to keep reminding myself not to lick my fingers" - blarg! #catladies
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Aesop's Foibles. YES. promoted this comment KW03 was starred KW03 was unstarred

Aesop's Foibles. YES.
11/16/09

@KW03: Oh, and lest we forget the shot of her wiping her hands (!) on the cat-which was okay, since the other cats would just lick it off later.

*cheeks bulge* #catladies
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KW03
11/16/09

@Aesop's Foibles. YES.: oh man. I had forgotten that part. vom. I'm super allergic to cats, so just watching this made my eyes start watering and my throat itch. #catladies
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sybann
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
OK - wait just a gol darn minute - women who take care of their children and spouses and stop caring for themselves are not called "Crazy Family Ladies" now are they!? Just sayin'. #catladies
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colormeroutine
11/16/09

@sybann: Well, to be fair, plenty of people call Nadya Suleman and Michelle Duggarr crazy #catladies
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AnotherJenn
11/16/09

@sybann: But they do get condemned. "They let themselves go," "No wonder her husband cheated," etc. It's considered noble to forego your own needs for your family, but only if you still look attractive and are pleasant to be around, otherwise you're a bad, bad woman. #catladies
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sybann
11/16/09

@colormeroutine: we're all crazy - we're wimmens. #catladies
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sybann
11/16/09

@AnotherJenn: And if they DON'T give up everything for their families - we can't win. #catladies
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BytheSea
11/16/09

@sybann: Yeah, we call them fucking crazy hover (s)mothers. Their kids just grow up and stop calling them at all. And then they buy reborn baby dolls. #catladies
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Sev
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
I don't know if I would ever get this bad with cats becuse I HATE changing litterboxes...but I feel so bad that so many of them are homeless and in shelters. I'd rescue them all if I could. #catladies
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linnyt is a walking cliché
11/16/09

In reply to An Extended Look Inside The Lives Of "Crazy" Cat Ladies
I hope this doesn't happen to me but I don't think I can promise it won't. I already have one cat and my dating track record indicates that I'll die alone. Someone stop me if I get three or more cats please. #catladies
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Zombie Ms. Skittles
11/16/09

@linnyt is a walking cliché: I think up to 5 or 6 and you're safe. You can always move to a farm and start a cat rescue! Then you could even solicit public donations and have volunteers come and help care for them. #catladies
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HarpMadness
11/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: My dream is to start a shelter for the cats of women who are fleeing abusive relationships because there are times when women are reluctant to leave pets behind and not all women's shelters will allow you to bring animals. I'd like to think I would channel my love of animals into something productive like that. #catladies
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sybann
11/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: that kind of thinking is the slippery slope (says the single 50 year-old with 4 cats, 2 dogs and a fish). In my defense - I KNOW 4 is too many (I scoop multiple times a day: World's Best is the bomb).

I love all animals - even spiders and snakes - I am still mourning the passing of Charlotte on the day after Halloween but she did leave me 4 egg sacks - my neighbor hopes all of the babies end up in MY butterfly bushes. #catladies
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WashingMyHair
11/16/09

@HarpMadness: I'd love to join you in that venture. Let's get started! #catladies
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linnyt is a walking cliché
11/16/09

@Zombie Ms. Skittles: I could never start a shelter. I barely have enough patience for my one cat. I'm not that good of a person to rescue cats. #catladies
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egg cream
11/16/09

@HarpMadness: @WashingMyHair: I would also like in on this venture, that's a fantastic idea. #catladies
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HarpMadness
11/16/09

@egg cream: Yes, I think it's really something that could be helpful. As TallyCola noted, there are of course reasons that shelters can't take animals, but if people had an alternative place to take them where they weren't giving them up, it might make a difficult time a little easier in some way.

The first thing I've done to start researching this is to contact my local women's shelters and also animals shelters. Unfortunately, where I live, the women's shelters do not accept pets, but find out in your area what services are available.

These sites have some basic info on getting started (A fellow Jezzie actually turned me onto the PAWS program when I first started thinking about this):

[www.aspca.org]
[www.americanhumane.org] #catladies
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WashingMyHair
11/16/09

@HarpMadness: I work with an animal welfare org that is working to help bring to light the connection between domestic and animal abuse. We're hoping to get more awareness in our county that benefits the abused, their children and their pets. #catladies
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egg cream
11/16/09

@HarpMadness: Awesome, thank you! #catladies
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TallyCola
11/16/09

@HarpMadness: Oh man the more I think about this the more I am serious about actually doing this. Any Vancouver Jezzies interested in looking into this? #catladies
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BytheSea
11/13/09

In reply to GMA Goes "Inside The Secret World Of Cat Ladies"
Wow, the Dorothy Hamil. It's been a while.

Ykno, most of the time when they clean out a cat nest on Animal Cops, it's an old man's house. But maybe you could say, people report old men cat hoarders b/c it's unnatural and wrong? Or not, ionno. #catladies
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Scout
11/13/09

In reply to GMA Goes "Inside The Secret World Of Cat Ladies"
that dog is hating life. yep, that is ALL i got from watching this ridiculous "news story" #catladies
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lastsinglestanding
11/13/09

@Scout: that and cat ladies read Cosmo #catladies
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JessickerFletcher
11/13/09

In reply to GMA Goes "Inside The Secret World Of Cat Ladies"
Normally I would make some type of hilarious quip about it being an extremely slow news day over at 20/20, but in truth there are infinitely more important things going on in the world which makes this broadcast (which seems to score a "conservative grandmother" on my scale of judginess) so upsettingly pathetic. #catladies
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BytheSea
11/13/09

@JessickerFletcher: I can't watch the clip at the mo so I dunno how badly reported it was, but cat hoarding is a major issue for local govn't and public health. The people who do it usually aren't all well put together except for their cats. Often they're living in squalor and breeding diseases, not to mention breeding hundreds of cats and not supporting them. Often the house is in seriously poor condition too, which again is a problem for public health, esp w/ this H1N1 outbreak. It's very sad when a person who can't afford to care for themselves is spending hundreds of dollars on cat food a month b/c they can't control the population and can't afford to get the cats fixed. #catladies
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samethingwedoeverynightpinky
11/13/09

In reply to GMA Goes "Inside The Secret World Of Cat Ladies"
This was not the article to read after returning from the kitchen, where I attempted to get a bowl out of the cabinet, and a cat jumpe out instead. There are only two of them, I swear! and they know they aren't supposed to be on the counters! #catladies
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bluebears
11/13/09

@samethingwedoeverynightpinky: dude, a month ago I accidentally shut my cat in the fridge, she has a bad habit of climbing in there whenever I open it (she knows I keep her wet food in there). After 5 minutes I heard muffled meowing and finally tracked it down. #catladies
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samethingwedoeverynightpinky
11/13/09

@bluebears: My new cat did that once, and now I obsessively check the fridge before I leave the house, because I'm afraid of shutting her in there all day. I can't tell whether she's actually not that bright, or just enjoys causing me anxiety. #catladies
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Dorilys
11/14/09

@samethingwedoeverynightpinky: two of mine like to lay on the towels in the linen closet. there have been multiple occasions where i wake up in the morning and open the closet and there is kitteh, blinking at me after being locked in for who knows how many hours. However, they seem not to mind. #catladies
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bluebears
11/13/09

In reply to GMA Goes "Inside The Secret World Of Cat Ladies"

This guy thinks this report is bullshit #catladies
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Lulamaybelle
11/13/09

@bluebears: OMG- you are funny! #catladies
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bluebears
11/13/09

@Lulamaybelle: I usually use this picture to illustrate what I look like at work when I'm trying to read someone's illegible handwriting. #catladies
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Lulamaybelle
11/13/09

@bluebears: its so fitting for this story (& to express displeasure in any form). Thanks for my laugh out loud moment of the day! #catladies
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bluebears
11/13/09

In reply to GMA Goes "Inside The Secret World Of Cat Ladies"
I had two cats (one passed away) and a human man actually managed to find me desirable! GASP! If I had more money and lived in a bigger house I'd have like multiple cats and a couple dogs. Unless you have so many you're basically living in squalor who cares?

Oh noes! Someone likes cute animals!!! I mean really people. #catladies
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