These are my favorite cat men. Who are yours?
Happy Father’s Day (a little early) to cat dads everywhere. Find your Cat Dad style and our free cards here.
I’m lucky my husband Joe is cat man. You might even say a crazy cat man. He’s been crazy about cats forever, not by wearing a t-shirt that says “Cat Man”but by doing the heavy lifting. That means lugging cat food and litter, mixing supplement concoctions into cat food, keep the pantry stocked with treats, cleaning cat fountain filters, cleaning the litter, building and fixing cat things and catering to our cats’ every whim 24/7.
How dedicated a cat man is he? His favorite mask these days has a cat on it. I mean I don’t even wear a cat mask but Joe loves it.
Joe has two adult children but loves our cats equally (sometimes more).
The original cat dad was my dad, Walter who loved cats more than ever in his senior years. There is no doubt my love of cats and all animals stems from my family. It influenced my choice of boyfriends. Anyone who didn’t like cats didn’t get far.
This photo was taken the year he died in 1995. Even this pic has a cat in it. Das’s birthday was June 15th which would fall close to Father’s Day for a double celebration. I like to think he’s petting a big furry cat or two in heaven.
Happy Father’s Day and remember your fur kids are children too!
Love and purrs,
Layla
There are some guys who’ll understandably hesitate at speaking in public about their particular fondness for pet felines; for, to do so, unlike with expressing affection for a good sturdy canine friend, may be generally stereotyped as a man’s non-testosterone pet-animal inclination. And, yes, there are many people out there who’d implicitly (or even explicitly) question the normality and/or straightness of a guy who adores his pet feline(s)—something that’s implied by first-season Seinfeld’s George Costanza, who, in a doubtful tone of voice and slight shake of his head, says to Elaine Benes (without looking at her) in regards to her boyfriend cherishing his two pet felines: “Guys with cats … I don’t know …”
George’s line rushed to mind after one response I received after posting a short essay onto a feline-fan site (accompanied by an adorable-enough feline photo, of course) elicited from a reader a disconcerting response subtly questioning my heterosexuality, which left me feeling both resentfully embarrassed and angry.
It also brought to mind an early-1990s Vancouver Sun letter to the editor—aptly titled “A Man With a Cat Is Where It’s At”—in which the writer, a straight guy who adored his two pet felines, responded to some recently published cat-critical commentary. He frankly cautioned straight single women about relationship-seeking heterosexual guys who love dogs but dislike domesticated felines; for, what such men really want in a mate is, basically, submission—unlike the dudes with cats who more than appreciate a companion’s independent nature as well as a silky soft touch.
Within, Steve Eykel of New Westminster wrote the following response to another letter author’s cat-belittling: “Let me take a wild guess: [the writer] is a dog person, not a cat person. It’s not too surprising really. After all, a dog will lick your hand, grovel, cringe, do tricks and generally make you feel like the big strong alpha male you wish you could be. A cat will do none of these things. Women take note! This is an acid test for any man’s character. A man who prefers dogs is looking for subservience; a man who prefers cats is looking for a partner. You heard it here first.”
I further recollected how as a teen I knew two of the (if not the most) toughest, testosterone-laden, and (like myself) straight guys around, who also cherished their pet cats—albeit, no average guy would’ve foolishly openly expressed his pet-feline enthusiasm amongst his demographic peers, lest he seriously risk being unjustly deemed a wuss or in some other way having his reputation permanently besmirched.
What a great Cat Dad! Spoil him rotten today, he deserves it!
Thank you for your kind words about our sweet Zoe, we appreciate it.
Happy Cat Daddy Day to Joe and all the Cool Cat Daddies in the world!!!!! We luvs you all!!
This was a cool tribute Layla, luv the pics.
Luvs
Skeeter and Izzy and the Feral Gang plus 2 new babies Luna and Ziggy and the Angels >^..^^..^<~
Yay for your new babies. May Luna and Ziggy bring much joy xoxo
Awwwww what a completely PAWESOME POST!!!!!!! BTW I have a feeling that photo of Joe was before he got his hair cut, it looked really good long!!!! He has a great hair color! Loved seeing the photo of you and your Dad, you are just as beautiful now as you were then.
I KNOW first-paw what a dedicated cat-daddy Joe is, he is exceptional!
Thanks Caren! Yes, Joe’s hair was getting so nice long but he cut it last week. xoxo
The Hubby is an excellent cat dad; he does all of the cat food bowl washing, and loves to supply them all with catnip! When I lay in bed, been lazy on weekend mornings, I can hear The Hubby chatting up Da Boyz, and it’s hilarious.
Your cat dad sounds purrfect.
Great cat Dads!! And Happy Father’s Day to them…and to all cat daddys!! Mine too…MOL! He has had way more kitties that we together:)
Great to know about your cat dad😻
Happy Father’s Day to Joe ! Purrs
That was a beautiful tribute to two very special Cat Dads!
Thanks you guys. Happy cat dad day to you xoxo
That is a great mask! Happy Father’s Day to Joe.
Re your comment on my last post:
Kitty Yumbum was not Eric and Flynn’s mum. She was pining when the last of our fur family of 10 had gone to the Bridge. We were going to get an older rescue cat for company for her but then heard that tiny Eric and Flynn were in danger from a marauding tom cat, so we got them instead and very glad we did.
Thank for clarifying. Happy Father’s Day too xoxo
You are fortunate to have such a helpful husband to help with the fur children. Was that first picture of Joe and Merlin? Your dad will enjoy the company of all your felines and any of his waiting for him at the bridge..what a better reunion could one dad want when he leaves this Earth and enters another to be with his cats again.Bless all of them this Fathers Day.
I would love to have a cat mask like his,even though I can’t make out the message.
Thanks Elaine, I really am lucky. He does most of the kitty work. I think you’re referring to the pic in the subscriber newsletter? That’s Joe and Merlin. At the top of this post is a recent photo of Joe with Odin. The mask says join the revolution. It’s a gift from Catalyst Cat Litter and not for sale.
That is an awesome mask! Happy Father’s Day to the male human!
Thanks, it was a gift from Catalyst Cat Litter. It’s beautifully made but I prefer a thinner mask .
Aww, this is such a sweet Cat Father’s Day post, Layla. We love Cat Daddy Joe’s mask!
BTW, my “go to” mask has black cats on it. 🙂
Thanks Kevin and I’d love to see you wearing your kitty mask!
Hope your cats’ Daddy has a nice Fathers Day! XO
Thanks Ellen! Enjoy, It’s a gorgeous day here so far so good xoxo