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ANIMAL WATCH - Senator JD Vance—Republican vice presidential candidate recently named by Donald Trump—seemingly had second thoughts about his comment in July 2021 on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” regarding “Cat Ladies.” This comment brought out claws in Hollywood entertainment circles. Many major female stars are proud of their affinity with felines, and fans are objecting to his reference to current Vice-President and Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris as a miserable “childless cat lady,” according to USA Today.
Swifties React
Vance's comment also sparked a nationwide uproar specifically from fans of celebrities, including the “Swifties,” devoted fans of cat-lover Taylor Swift. There is speculation on how Swift, a powerful political influencer with three cats and no children, might react.
One X user warned: “Hell hath no fury like a certain childless cat lady who has yet to endorse a presidential candidate.” Another replied, “A lot of cat ladies are gonna be mad.”
In the same interview, the man recently tapped to be Trump’s running mate stated that Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg were people “without children” who are running the country, even as “they don’t really have a direct stake in it.” This statement is not entirely accurate because Harris is a step-parent to her husband’s two children, and Buttigieg and his husband adopted two newborn fraternal twins in 2021.
Political Fallout
The Trump camp is reportedly reconsidering its VP pick as Vance’s attempts to explain his comment has provided more fodder for the Democratic party. Vance said the U.S. was being run by “childless cat ladies” who “force their misery on the rest of the country” and have no direct stake in the government because they don’t have kids. He later attempted to explain that he “has nothing against cats.”
Holly Berry – Leading by Example
Halle Berry, famous for her role as Catwoman, posted on Instagram last month: “Boots and Coco! I found these two little fur babies in my yard along with their 2 siblings and their mom! I got the mommy spayed and released her back in my yard and she’s now our outdoor cat and the other 2 babies I’ve found a forever home for and these two are our new lovies. It’s a full house over here!”
Animal shelters, cat rescuers, and cat lovers can sigh in relief with Berry’s endorsement of spay/neuter for cats to stop or at least curtail the horrendous cat overpopulation and feral cat problems nationwide and worldwide.
History of Cats in Society
The domestication of the first wild cats is believed to have been in Mesopotamia more than 100,000 years ago. Initially, this was an economic relationship where wild cats would kill pests that harmed agriculture. Over time, this resulted in a reciprocal relationship that nourished domestication.
In Islamic culture, cats are revered animals. Tales of the Prophet Muhammad’s fondness for cats (the founder of Islam) evidence this. Muhammad had a favorite cat named Muezza. Rather than disturb his sleeping cat, Muhammad cut off his robe's sleeve to attend prayer. This reverence for cats is a distinct part of Islamic culture compared to Judaism or Christianity.
In Europe, cats fell from grace around 1140. Pope Gregory IX issued his Vox in Rama in 1233 CE, denouncing cats as evil and in league with Satan, especially black cats. This demonization led to the mass killing of cats, which some argue allowed the mice and rat populations to thrive, contributing to the Bubonic Plague of 1348. The Black Death killed an estimated 30 to 50 percent of the European population.
During the Victorian Age (1837-1901), cats regained their high standing. Queen Victoria’s interest in cats, spurred by archaeological finds in Egypt, led her to adopt two Blue Persians, treated as members of her court.
Cat Popularity in Modern Times
The trend spread to the United States, encouraged by Godey's Lady's Book, a popular magazine that advocated for women’s rights and was the first to publish Edgar Allan Poe's work. The first major Cat Show was held at the Crystal Palace in London in 1871, establishing specific standards and classes still used today.
The term “cat ladies” applies to those who feed feral cats, rescue and rehome them, or sometimes hoard them in unsafe and unhealthy conditions. It is also applied to celebrities who love cats and bring attention to America’s #2 most popular pet.
Celebrated Cat Lovers
Demi Moore (2012): After a dinner and charity auction in Miami Beach, Moore befriended a stray cat later adopted by Nicky Hilton.
Whoopi Goldberg: Adopted a kitten named “Vinny” after it was seen being tossed from a moving car on New York City's Verrazano Bridge.
Hilary Swank (2009): The Academy Award-winning actress snuggled next to a cat at New York's Bideawee Animal Center to help raise awareness for a pet-adoption drive.
Sir Elton John (1974): Photographed with his cat.
America and Its Cats Await the Presidential Election in 2024
In 2019, then-President Donald Trump signed The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT) into law, making cruelty to ALL animals a federal crime. This bipartisan initiative bans intentional harm to "living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians." This approval was a united front against animal cruelty and exploitation in any form by both parties. This is what we hope for in upcoming legislative sessions, regardless of party affiliation, political rhetoric, and celebrity influencers.
(Phyllis M. Daugherty is a former Los Angeles City employee, an animal activist and a contributor to CityWatch.)
