Guess what? There is no such thing as a “crazy cat lady.” Owning lots of cats does not mean you’re mad, anxious, or sad (or crazy).
That’s according to researchers at UCLA. They examined more than 500 pet owners and discovered nothing to confirm the long-held “crazy cat lady” stereotype.
The study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. It observed how people responded to distress calls from animals, and it also compared pet ownership with mental health-related or social difficulties.
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The study results are a great big sigh of relief to those people who prefer cats to dogs. And it should give those who believe in the popular “cat lady” moniker a reason to paws. The study stated:
“We found no evidence to support the ‘cat lady’ stereotype: cat-owners did not differ from others on self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, or their experiences in close relationships. Our findings, therefore, do not fit with the notion of cat-owners as more depressed, anxious, or alone.”
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In 2017, University College London conducted a similar study, and they found no connection between cat ownership and the development of psychotic indications.
The study also found that pet owners are more likely to empathize with the call of an animal in distress. Upon hearing a cat meow or a dog whimper, their reaction was more empathetic than those who did not own a pet.
The study went on to say that people who own pets heard sounds much more emotionally than those without pets, adding:
“We found several subtle differences between how adults with and without pets generally rated animal vocalizations.”
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The biggest finding to come out of the study is that both pet owners and non-pet owners were similarly depressed and anxious (or happy and calm, depending on how you look at it!).
Looks like it is purr-fectly fine to own as many cats as you want.
