To cat lovers, cats are mysterious and intriguing. To those unfamiliar, cats can seem secretive, independent, snooty, and even a bit scary. Some of those attributes may unfairly transcend to the owner’s personality. Without legitimate reason, men and women are labeled the “Effeminate Cat Guy” and “Crazy Cat Lady.” But why is there such a stigma about cats?

Ruaridh Connellan, Barcroft USA
Ruaridh Connellan, Barcroft USA

Sex Appeal for Dogs Versus Cats

A picture is worth a thousand words. In the case of being pictured with a dog versus a cat, there is a stark contrast. A study of 1,000 Americans demonstrates that dogs rule when pictured with men or women. Dogs increase the perception of their owner’s sexiness as well as trustworthiness, attractiveness, loyalty, and even intelligence.

Specifically, men with puppies are off the charts! Men are perceived 24% sexier when holding a puppy, compared with a rating of only 4.5% when holding cats and kittens.

That’s right. When men are pictured with cats, it decreases date-ability compared to their canine counterparts. Here at FetchaDate, we are here for the good fight and to say cat dads are sexy, too!

Nobody’s Perfect

A brief look at history confirms that cats are typically portrayed as feminine, most notably alongside goddesses and queens. While dogs are “man’s best friend.”

Photographer David Williams told ABC News, “Our culture has a weird and terrible habit of assigning gender to pretty much everything — colours [sic], cars, toys — and it’s no different for animals.”

Sterling Davis takes pride in shattering this stereotype. He quit performing as an artist to create TrapKing Humane Cat Solutions — where he humanely cares for, and teaches others how to care for, stray cats. Davis told the Huffington Post, “Like most boys in my neighborhood, I grew up hearing that only girls should have cats, and guys should have dogs,” he said. “So I knew there was a lot of work to do.”

The efforts of some male groups to dispel the myths associated with cat ownership seems to be working more in favor of men than women. Women still struggle with the negative label of being unstable as a “crazy cat lady.” Even if they admit to having a few, the perception is their homes are overrun with felines.

Cat-ilicious Millennial Men

Young professionals are flocking to pet ownership who seem to be choosing a fur family before human children. The pandemic also contributed to more people than ever adopting/rescuing/buying pets. And, what may surprise you is cat ownership by men is on the rise. In fact, millennial men (48%) are more likely to own a cat than millennial women (35%).

What’s contributing to this? Social media is the cat’s meow with influencer cat men shining the spotlight on these felines. For instance, Portland cat rapper Moshow raps about his quintuple cat crew Black $avage, Sushi, DJ Ravioli, MegaMam, and Lil Parmesan. He also celebrates cat ladies. Perception paves the way with accounts like Hot Dudes with Cats to change the paradigm that having cats is cool.

Fewer Choices of Cat Breeds

First off, of course we believe pet people have the best qualities. To take care of a cat or any pet takes compassion and responsibility. But let’s not forget the occasional hairball hacked up on the carpet. Cat guys have to be understanding and forgiving for that alone.


What kind of cat may you encounter with a guy? There are many different breeds and personalities of cats. But the actual number of different breeds depends on your research. The International Cat Association, the world’s largest genetic registry of pedigreed cats, recognizes 71 different kinds. The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA), the largest American cat registration body, recognizes 44 different breeds.

Adding to one reason dogs may be more popular is there are many more dog breeds than cat breeds. That makes it easier to find more options to resonate with.

Not Genetically Modified

Cats haven’t changed much genetically from the wildcats that first existed. They weren’t bred for hunting or herding tasks the way dogs were, so their variations are more subtle than a Great Dane and a Chihuahua. However, they are quite handy at catching mice.

Kitty Change

So let’s forgo the stereotypes of femininity regarding cats for men. It often just takes seeing something more to consider it mainstream. Just like it took us awhile to become accustomed to seeing each other with masks on, men with cats just takes more exposure. “Manliness” can include a guy being loving to a kitten or a fluffy cat.

And in addition to all those great qualities, science shows pet owners are also proven to be happier than non-pet owners.

Still wondering about the specific perks of dating a cat guy? Cat dads don’t have to rush home to let their cat out. Score!

Where to Find a Dateable Cat Dad

You may find some of them in cat cafes or hiking on a trail story.

At FetchaDate, we believe that the secret sauce to love is a fellow pet lover. Whether you choose to swipe right on that suave guy with the cat or that pretty lady with the parrot we’re here to help you fetch, mate, and date.

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