Forget the stereotype of the solitary spinster, muttering to a clowder of cats, a lonely old lady whose only friends are feline and whose connection with the outside world is tenuous at best.

Cat ladies are cool. And they know it.

“People are pushing back against their experiences around sexism − and especially Gen Z (those born after 1997) are doing that with things that were previously seen as pejoratives, or marginalized,

things that were always popular within the queer and female communities,” said Adrienne Massanari, an associate professor of communications at American University.

Massanari, who’s written about internet culture and feminism ‒ and whose American University faculty photo includes her late cat, Mr. Pants ‒ said women are “reclaiming the narrative” of the crazy cat lady and finding that reclamation empowering.

“A lot of that is done by people who in other ways don’t feel accepted, so it makes sense you create community around these creatures,” and that community can be found online, she said.

“The internet provided people with a place to explore niche, what we in academics would call non-normative things,” she said.

Cats, with their reclusive, independent nature, are seen as complex, thoughtful, private, making them the perfect “cyphers for things like memes,” videos and other internet staples.

“All the things we ascribe to them as humans,” Massanari said. “They’re cuddly, but on their own terms.”

Time magazine ran headfirst into 2024 cattitude when it tapped Taylor Swift as Person of the Year. The planet’s most popular woman had one query for the photo shoot: “Can I bring my cat?”

Famous or not, meet some other feline owners who are thrilled to purr about their pets.