Cat Chic Week 4: I Have Cat

Happy Caturday! If you’re following this weekly blog you may have noticed that we missed last week’s post. Luckily today’s featured cat lover is well worth the wait! She’s smart, she’s stylish, she’s cheeky and she’s not afraid of boldly announcing her love of cats to the world. Her name is Tamar Arslanian and she’s the author of the popular blog ‘I Have Cat’. Her ‘tell it like it is’ style has attracted a loyal fan base of like minded cat lovers all over the globe and her successful facebook page boasts over 34,500 followers.

Tamar’s journey to becoming a leading voice in the catosphere started later in life when an ex-boyfriend introduced her to the previously unexplored world of feline companionship. The relationship, as well as others, came and went, but her bond with her four legged friends only deepened. Their presence in her life created a profound and lasting shift in the way she looks at life, food, and even men. She started blogging as a way to chronicle her life as a 30-something NYC singleton navigating the complicated waters of dating while owning cats. Reading like ‘Sex and the Kitty’, ‘I Have Cat’ is a breath of fresh air that resonates with people who happen to love cats while going about their completely normal/weird/diverse lives. Not surprisingly, Tamar staunchly opposes the cat-lady stereotype, defying all the doubters in her life who fear the inevitable demise of her furniture, wardrobe and love life.

When we caught up with Tamar at CatCon LA, it was immediately clear that she refuses to be put in a box. We were struck by how outgoing and funny she is, as well as how boldly she speaks her mind. Before we dove right into debunking the stereotype, we needed to know how many cats she really has (because more = crazier, right??)

Apparently she has three. “I have Kip, he is my first born, and then we have Petie, who’s sort of the mascot of my brand, and then we have Haddie, and she’s the youngest- a foster failure. I’m not supposed to have 3 because I’m over 40 and single. This is why I wear black and I don’t wear cat things.”

Black clothing you say? Isn’t that a bit dangerous with 3 cats shedding everywhere?? Hmmmm, clearly she’s keenly aware of what cat ladies are ‘supposed’ to be like and isn’t interested in embodying the label. At this point we were really curious to hear her opinion on the crazy cat lady stereotype and asked her point blank how she fits the bill:

“I am absolutely extroverted. I think I’m probably crazy but it has nothing to do with the cats. I think it’s a perception that is hopefully changing. I think my mother almost had a heart attack when she found out I got a second cat, let alone a third. Especially with the younger generations now that there are cooler, hipper people with cats. I would like to see more celebrities with rescue cats because all of mine are rescues.”

There you have it. She might be crazy, but it’s a special kind that can’t be labeled, defined or put in a box. Thanks, Tamar, for showing us that having 3 cats can look pretty damn fabulous.