Funny coincidence — or is it? At present among my friends are (at least) four women who share an interesting, unconventional (one would have thought) set of characteristics: they're all single, no kids, in their 40's or 50's, professionals with advanced degrees in science/engineering, employed with good jobs in (or associated with) the public sector, and they all own their own homes. Nothing extraordinary there, except perhaps an unusual degree of success.

But they also all have from half a dozen to a dozen cats co-resident with them. (Cats can't really be "owned", people say.) Some of these friends foster-care felines which are awaiting adoption. Some feed and occasionally catch feral cats in their neighborhood, take the captured kitties in to the vet for shots/sterilization, and play with the critters to "socialize" them. In general, these self-described "Cat Ladies" are cheerful — but they all seem to have episodes of angst about their lifestyles, perhaps a bit more openly so than most people. On the other hand, maybe they're just showing a healthy degree of self-awareness?

^z - 2012-03-25