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Οι cat ladies δεν είναι 60άρες γεροντοκόρες. Είναι απλά τόσο cool όσο σου δείχνουν αυτές οι φωτογραφίες

Instagram/girlsandtheircats

Μην περιμένεις καμία μα καμία αντικειμενικότητα στο συγκεκριμένο άρθρο. Η αρθρογράφος του έχει μία γάτα μέσα στο σπίτι, δύο μόνιμους θαμώνες στην αυλή, μία γάτα στο πατρικό της και άπειρες γάτες που ερωτεύεται σε κάθε γωνιά της Ελλάδας. Όπως καταλαβαίνεις αυτός ο μύθος της γεροντοκόρης με τις γάτες, είναι κάτι το οποίο με στοιχειώνει προσωπικά. Η crazy cat lady, κατά τους φίλους μας τους Αμερικάνους είναι παντού γύρω μας στην pop κουλτούρα. Από τους Simpsons και την Eleanor Abernathy μέχρι την Miss Caroline Percehouse και την Mrs Hemmings στα έργα της Agatha Cristie αλλά και την κλασική σύνδεση των γατών και των μαγισσών, οι γυναίκες που λατρεύουν τις γάτες είναι απλά τρελές. Μόνο που δεν είναι.

Διάβασε κι αυτό: Η Κατρίνα Τσάνταλη μου έμαθε τι σημαίνει να έχεις μεγάλη καρδιά. Μια καρδιά που τα χωρά όλα

 

Ένας λογαριασμός στο Instagram με το όνομα Girls and Their Cats προσπαθεί να μας το αποδείξει. Πρόσφατα η συλλογή φωτογραφιών του από απείρως cool κυρίες με τις γάτες τους έγινε και βιβλίο και νομίζω ότι αν είσαι σαν εμένα, ή από την άλλη δεν είσαι καθόλου σαν εμένα και εξακολουθείς να πιστεύεις ότι οι cat ladies είναι τρελές, πρέπει να το πάρεις. Το βιβλίο και τον λογαριασμό δημιούργησε η φωτογράφος BriAnne Willis.

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Tuck and I just wanted to thank you for supporting #GirlsandTheirCatsbook! Today is the last day to preorder because the book comes out TOMORROW!! If you’re new here, the book redefines the “crazy cat lady” stereotype by showcasing 50 strong, independent, and artistic women who take the world in stride, flanked by their beloved felines. Girls and Their Cats features portraits and engaging profiles of each woman and her cat—or cats—including fun facts unique to each furry friend. If you want to preorder today, you can do so on Amazon, IndieBound, and Barnes & Noble. (Links in bio) I can’t wait to see it in your homes. #CatLadyRedefined Photo by @hannahrosalewislopes

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Η BriAnne και ο Tuck.

«Δεν καταλάβαινα τον τρόπο που απεικονίζονται αυτές οι γυναίκες στην κουλτούρα μας καταρχάς επειδή είχα μεγαλώσει σε ένα σπίτι που πάντα αγαπούσαμε τις γάτες. Αλλά κατάλαβα τελικά ότι αυτός είναι ο τρόπος που πολλοί άνθρωποι αντιμετωπίζουν τις γυναίκες που έχουν γάτες για κατοικίδιο», είπε η BriAnne Willis στο Refinery29 όπου παρουσίασε τη δουλειά της. Στο βιβλίο της περιλαμβάνονται πορτρέτα 50 γυναικών – καλλιτεχνών, επιχειρηματιών, συγγραφέων και ακτιβιστών- και των γατών τους, με σκοπό να σπάσει το στερεότυπο που δένει τις γυναίκες με γάτες με την τρέλα και τις ιδιοτροπίες.

«Η σχέση μας με τις γάτες είναι συμβιωτικές. Εκείνες μας δίνουν αυτό που χρειαζόμαστε κι εμείς το ίδιο και δεν παίρνουμε η μία από την άλλη τίποτα παραπάνω. Και αρκετές φορές μαθαίνουμε η μία από την άλλη» σημειώνει η BriAnne που έχει δύο γάτες τον Tuck και τη Liza κι εγώ, ως ιδιοκτήτρια της Μάγιας θα συμφωνήσω. Και θα σε αφήσω να δεις τι εννοεί η BriAnne για την σχέση cool γυναικών με τις γάτες τους με μερικές ενδεικτικές φωτογραφίες από το Instagram του Girls and Their Cats. Αν δεν έχεις ακούσει το γουργουρητό της αγάπης μιας γάτας, αν δεν σε έχει ζεστάνει με τη γούνα της τον χειμώνα και αν δε σε έχει κάνει να σκάσεις με τον ακριβώς ίδιο τρόπο το καλοκαίρι ίσως να μην καταλάβεις, τίποτα από όλα όσα όσα φαίνονται στις παρακάτω φωτογραφίες. Αλλά τουλάχιστον, ίσως μπεις στον κόπο να καταλάβεις ότι κι αυτό, όπως και κάθε άλλο, είναι ένα ακόμα στερεότυπο που πρέπει να σπάσει.

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"We also had no idea what an incredible foster cat dad Meatball would turn out to be. We’ve fostered four litters since we adopted him and he becomes a surrogate parent to all of them. The kittens make a beeline for him every time we let them out of the bedroom (we only allow supervised visits with the grown cats) and he'll groom, snuggle and play with them all day. We’ve nicknamed him Mama Meatball because he provides so much love and comfort to these orphaned babies in ways that we humans can’t.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Fostering has been one of the most rewarding and meaningful experiences of my life. Not only does it allow me to snuggle kittens all day long but I also get to see our fosters blossom from being fearful and under-socialized to trusting and affectionate. It’s also given us Kit and Meatball, who have brought out the best in each other, even if they forget it sometimes. It’s not always easy. As my husband likes to say, fostering is 70% sunshine and roses, 20% emotional labor and 10% poop (probably more poop, actually). But it’s one of the best ways to help animals, who might not otherwise have a chance, find loving homes and it helps our hardworking shelters out. I did some math and if just 5% of US households fostered one animal once per year, we could clear the shelters. And who knows, you might also meet the cats of your dreams." @gabioc⁠⠀⠀ Gabi O’Connor is a software engineer at Etsy and foster kitten mom with @bfas_ny. Aside from cats, her interests include horror movies, surreal comedy and celebrity gossip. She lives in Brooklyn with her writer husband and two cats. You can follow Mama Meatball and his kittens at @mama.meatball.the.cat⁠⠀

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Η Gaby O Conor, software engineer στο Etsy και ανάδοχος μαμά για γάτες.

 

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These photos are from my shoot with @kittenxlady for Girls and Their Cats book. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Did you know Hannah's cats are trained to give high fives? When I learned this, I knew I had to get a shot of it in the book. But I also knew it might be challenging to get the cats to "perform" if they didn't feel comfortable around me. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Lucky for me, Coco and Eloise warmed up to me immediately, and it didn't take too many attempts to get the perfect shot. Swipe to see the cute outtakes!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Preorder Girls and Their Cats to see more photos from Hannah's shoot and to read her heartwarming story about Coco & Eloise. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Preorder links in bio.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ @chroniclebooks⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #CatLadyRedefined ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀

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Η ακτιβίστρια Hannah και οι εκπαιδευμένες να κάνουν high five γάτες της.

 

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"After bringing Queso home, there was an adjustment period, but Salsa has mellowed out so much. She used to strike fear into the hearts of some friends when they would visit, but now she immediately jumps into people’s laps purring. ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Salsa is the queen bee, she rules the house. She’s not a huge fan of crazy playful kittens, but you can always find her nearby keeping a watchful eye over them, making sure they don’t cause too much trouble. Sometimes I think she likes them more than she lets on.⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Queso is the best uncle to all of the foster kittens. He’s a large intimidating cat, weighing in at 15 pounds, but he’s a gentle giant. He cleans, cuddles, and wrangles every litter of kittens for me. I feel totally comfortable leaving for work every day knowing that he will be there to take care of them for me while I’m gone. He’s such a kind cat, even the aloof Salsa likes him." @meowdevin⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Devin Caskie is a foster mom with @catcafebk and a Senior Product Designer at CNN. Her interests include spending time with her cats and pet bugs, drumming, collecting antiques, being crafty, and all things spooky.⠀⠀

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Η Devin Caskie, ανάδοχη μαμά για γάτες και Senior Product Designer στο CNN.

 

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"I have absolutely adored cats for as long as I can remember. I’m not sure where the infatuation started, but I definitely had an imaginary band when I was a kid called “The Egyptian Kitty Cat Sundaes.” My dream was to become a famous rock star and build a mansion filled with homeless cats. I’d welcome all my friends whose family wouldn’t allow cats to visit and pet them. This is still the dream though, but perhaps I missed the boat on becoming a famous rock star…⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Years ago, I was battling terrible depression. PTSD from past trauma was taking a toll on me to a point where I lost all desire to live. In an effort to take back control of my life, I started fostering as therapy. I knew that when I was depressed, my cat Princess was the reason for living. She loved me and needed me. Fostering gave me a purpose I desperately needed, helping animals and my community. I knew that if I wasn’t there for them then no one would be there to feed them, give them their medicine, or take care of them, and I could never abandon a cat in need. After seeing how much rescuing animals helped me, I figured that for every cat I saved, another sad little girl like me would adopt one of my former fosters, who would give her a reason to live too. It sounds cheesy but I love the slogan “Who rescued who?” because I don’t believe I’ve rescued a single cat, they have all rescued me.⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ My absolute favorite part of fostering is getting to meet such a variety of personalities and watching the progress they make. I worked with a lot of young neonatal kittens that needed round-the-clock care, and feral kittens that required a lot of special one-on-one socializing. It’s incredibly exhausting work, repeatedly putting yourself out there to a scared cat who probably thinks you're trying to kill and eat them lashing back with a fury of howls and scratches. It takes a lot of persistence to keep working with them until they understand you're there to love and help them. I cannot think of a single thing more rewarding than cuddling with a happy, healthy cat who six weeks ago was on their death bed or in constant fear for their life." @babysarahrulz @catcafebk⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ #fosteringsaveslives #kittens

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Η Sarah Joy Hood, Senior Product Designer στην Condenast που ξεπέρασε το Μετατραυματικό στρες χάρη στις γάτες της.

 

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"All my life I have been a huge animal lover. I grew up riding horses, having bunnies hop around my bedroom, parakeets singing in my living room, and dogs running around in my backyard. However, the one thing my family never had was a cat since my brother was highly allergic. I was always really bummed that we couldn’t adopt one because I was super intrigued with pictures of artists with their cats like Georgia O’Keefe, Frida Khalo, and Patti Smith. Their cats seemed to be their muse, inspiration, and best friend, and I so badly wanted one as my own. When I moved out to NYC for college and to pursue my artistic endeavors, I met my boyfriend who is also a huge animal lover. However, he grew up with only cats, so he really pushed me to adopt one and helped me find Buster.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Buster was an abused street cat that was picked up by someone and taken to the ACC and it was thought he wouldn’t be adopted because he was “too shy and scared.” Anjellicle Cats organization rescued him from the ACC and that is where I was first introduced to Buster. When I went to the shelter to meet him, it really felt like everything was so meant to be. When we were petting him, he wouldn’t stop purring and rubbing his head on us. The minute I took my hand away, he actually reached his paw out and placed it on my arm. I always heard that cats chose their owners, but I didn’t believe it till I saw it. I knew that we were meant to be no matter what. When Buster got to my house, he was very nervous and extremely scared, and immediately ran under the bed. I knew that it was going to take a lot of patience and time for him to feel safe and to come out of his shell." @claudiadockery⁣⠀ ⁣

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Η μουσικός και εικαστικός Claudia Dockery και ο Buster.

 

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"Because of my allergies, unfortunately, I can’t sleep with her. But, she greets me every morning, bolting into my room as I open the door. My roommate and I work from home, so she gets endless attention and spends her days wandering from room to room napping on our beds and sunning in the kitchen. I travel a lot for work, and while some cats give you the cold shoulder when you leave town for a while, Lumpy is at her snuggliest when I get back from a trip. As I unpack, she’ll hang out on my bed and wait for me to lay down and rub her little face.⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ I adore my little princess and feel so fortunate to have her in my life—foot attacks, allergies, sassy pants, and all." @loveaprilkae⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ April Kae is a musician and writer originally from Austin, Texas. She is a champion for women’s issues, particularly body positivity and self-care. April performs regularly around the city with her band, @loveimanigold

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Η μουσικός, ακτιβίστρια για τα δικαιώματα των γυναικών και το κίνημα του Body Positivity  και συγγραφέας April Kae και η Lumpy.

 

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"My relationship with The Shah is not so straight forward. I am — please don’t hate me — a dog person. But I love my husband, and he desperately wanted a cat. So here we are.⠀ ⠀ The Shah (translation “King”) is a title for Persian monarchs. Guests often misunderstand his name and call him Sean. Or Shaw. I can relate to that. “Aelfie Oudghiri” is also a bit confounding. A barista once asked me if my name was the result of a cat walking over a keyboard. Thankfully, my parents aren’t that insane. Come to think of it, I don’t think we had a computer until I was around 11 or 12.⠀ ⠀ Because of The Shah, I often find myself doing a cursory rundown of modern Iranian history—something I really did not anticipate when we adopted him. Aside from his name and its historical significance, he is a pretty normal cat. Very friendly, very fluffy. We have had the Shah for nearly a decade and he has lived with us all over New York City and in all sorts of apartments. He quietly witnessed us both grow up, build businesses, and start a family.⠀ ⠀ Occasionally he bites me. I think he may be peeing in one of our potted plants." @aelfie_⠀ ⠀ #catlady #girlsandtheircats #adoptdontshop #aelfie

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Η ιδιοκτήτρια του design studio AELFI και η υπέροχη The Shah.

 

Κεντρική φωτογραφία: Instagram/girlsandtheircats