Meow! Here’s a list of the biggest cat-lady cities in America
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The Seattle Times did the honor of gracing us with the news of this study, when they reported on data collected by Nielsen Scarborough that tells us exactly which cities are most likely to contain single-lady households that are also home to at least one kitty. Portland, Ore. takes the lead, with 9.9% of single women living with at least one cat; its neighbor Seattle comes in second place at 9.3%.
The data, which was taken from over 400,000 individuals across the country, also points out something we kinda sorta maybe already knew: In general, women are much more likely to own a cat than men — twice as likely, in fact, in single-person households. And while this isn’t a huge shock, it is interesting to think about why women are more likely to own cats than men.
“It’s partly that society has seen women and cats together, and that’s a self-definition that we’ve picked up and that we like,” Clea Simon, author of The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats, told The Seattle Times of why the data is skewed in the female direction. She also notes that single women living in big cities is much more common now than it used to be, and cats make really good pets for urban living since they offer affection and companionship without the need to really run around in a lot of space much and require regular walking, the way dogs do. Cats can be left alone for longer periods of time, which is great for the woman who may be putting in late hours at the office.
Simon also doesn’t shy away from the fact that there may be a psychological reason behind women being more likely to own cats, either, adding, “Cats accept affection when they want it, but also have very clear boundaries. Women admire that. A lot of men might not get it, but setting boundaries can be an issue for us – society encourages women not to. I can’t tell you how many women have said to me: ‘I wish I could be more like my cat.’”
Amen, sister. Eat, sleep, play all day, and control over basically everyone in my general vicinity? What a life. I wouldn’t mind being more like a cat, either.
The full list of the biggest cat-lady cities is below, but you should definitely head to the source for some adorable graphics that accompany it.
- Portland, Ore.: 9.9%
- Seattle, Wash.: 9.3%
- Pittsburgh, Pa.: 8.7%
- Kansas City, Mo.: 8.4%
- Denver, Colo.: 8.3%
- Albuquerque/Santa Fe, N.M.: 8.2%
- Harrisburg/Lancaster/ Lebanon/York, Pa.: 7.7%
- (TIE) Columbus, Ohio and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla.: 7.5%
(Image via Shutterstock.)
