By Hannah Palsa and Holly Hill
April 19th is National Cat Lady Day – and the Chapman Center is full of us! In the past, the “Cat Lady” title was meant as an insult; however, we’re reclaiming this title for ourselves. We’re all proud cat lovers, and we’re excited to show off our very own Chapman Center cat colony!
Though cats were popular pets in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the popularity of cats as pets skyrocketed after the end of World War II. According to historian Susan D. Jones: “Feline pets fit well into apartments and small houses and were reputed to make fewer demands of their owners for attention and care.”1 By the late 1950s, cat food sales had grown rapidly and accounted for over 26 percent of pet food sold in stores.2
Just how many breeds are there? In America, our “standard issue cat” is called a domestic shorthair, the cat equivalent of a mutt. According to the The International Cat Association (TICA), there are 73 cat breeds that are recognized for showing and judging. Some of our favorites include Abyssinians, Devon Rexs, Maine Coons, Norwegian Forest Cats, Ragdolls, and Sphynx cats!
Since we’re all pretty obsessed here at the Center, we wanted to show them off to celebrate this most important holiday! Meet all our cats below:
QUENTIN AND PENNY
Chapman Center Director Dr. Mary Kohn has two wonderful cats: Quentin and Penny. She’s had them for 8 years now! Penny is a real beauty queen who loves having her photo taken. Quentin is a recent amputee, but becoming a tripod cat hasn’t slowed him down whatsoever!
PARKER
Office Manager Kim Westcott was blessed by the Cat Distribution System after a visit home, where she was chosen by her cat Parker (full legal name: Parker May). She is named after Peter Parker and Aunt May from Spiderman. According to Kim, Parker is sweet girl who demands attention constantly: “Parker has no boundaries whatsoever.”
SMOKEY
Smokey happily has his every want and need catered by grad assistant Hannah Palsa. Smokey was adopted from a PetSmart in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2017. Hannah calls Smokey “the best little boy,” and is the best cat that she could ever ask for. Smokey enjoys sleeping, eating, playing with toys, and adores his daily “walkies,” with Hannah. Smokey has a multitude of nicknames, but frequently goes by “Mr. Kitty” or “Bug Bug.”
MORRIGAN & KIDA
Morrigan and Kida are the proud owners of grad assistant Holly Hill and her partner Conner Dillard. Morrigan and Kida are a mother-daughter duo adopted from the local Manhattan cat rescue Cat Tails in 2022. These girls are extremely polite – no biting, scratching, or hissing at humans (only each other). Despite their excellent manners towards people, they fight each other often in what their humans refer to as “Kitty MMA.” Morrigan usually wins, but it’s all in good fun (we think).
SOCKS, OLIVE, AND AUGGIE
These 3 cats belong to Social Media Coordinator Laura Perez’s parents. However, since Laura spent a whole month with the kitty cats (and her parents) during her recent move, we consider them officially part of the Chapman Center colony. Socks and Olive are brother and sister, and they were rescued by her parents in 2020. Auggie (or “Papa” as she calls him) was adopted by Laura in 2007 from Petsmart in Walnut, California. Laura reports that the cats are treated as her siblings, and equally as beloved to her parents!
The Rural Telegraph 