From the proverbial cat lady (eye-roll) to Taylor Swift’s famous feline friends, cats have long-been considered a companion for the girlies.
The only guys that had them as pets were depicted as either weird (Hogwarts caretaker, Filch) or evil (supervillain, Blofeld).
But change is afoot (or should that be apaw?) as male cat ownership is on the rise, with statistics from Cat Protection showing that there are now almost as many cats owners who are men (23%) as there are women (24%).
Comedian David Baddiel is leading the charge for feline fellas, hosting a new Channel 4 show, Cat Man, dedicated to the animals.
Eager to break down the stereotype, we asked three self-titled cat dads why they think their pets are so purr-fect.
We know Valentine’s Day is a few weeks away, but these are the love stories we all really want to hear…
‘I’ve inspired my brother and best friend to get cats too’
Having grown up with ‘a whole pound of mutts’, Ruairi Dunne, 30, from Cornwall, has always considered himself a dog person. That was until he moved to Rotterdam with his fiancé Lindsay, and they adopted two small tabby kittens, Freddie and Barney.
The two brothers had been found at the side of the road when they were a one week old, and were staying in a shelter until the couple brought them home.
Ruairi describes his love story with Freddie and Barney as a fairytale ‘a bit like Shrek, just without the dragon, donkey, or Lord Farquaad.’
He told Metro: ‘Freddie’s intelligent, athletic and would probably be on the winning side of Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
‘Barney, on the other hand, is soft, clumsy and cute,’ adding: ‘I do hope Fred would help him out in the wild.’
And he’s not alone in his cat dad status. Freddie and Barney’s charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent, actually prompted both Ruairi’s brother and best friend to pursue cat adoption.
The data scientist’s favourite part of being a cat dad?
‘It’s a toss-up between them curling up on my lap purring while I work from home, or cracking me up with some ridiculous acrobatic maneuver.’
Ruairi reckons that men typically go for dogs because they suit a stereotypically more ‘male’ lifestyle.
‘They’ve traditionally been companions both indoors and out — joining you for the day, encouraging you to be active, standing by as loyal protectors.
‘There’s a stronger sense of partnership and co-dependence because of time spent. You’d probably have the same connection if you took a cat everywhere, but realistically you only get a couple hours contact if you’re out the house a lot.’
However, he thinks more men ought to become cat dads too. ‘I love my cats a lot, and I’m sure plenty of other men would too.’
‘The idea that cats are feminine isn’t an issue to me’
Rovie Hernandez, 28, is a ‘cat step-dad’. Three-year-old diva, Jeff, belongs to his housemate, but as she works in an office, Rovie spends most of his day with Jeff and has a number of parental responsibilities.
They didn’t get off to the best start, though. He tells Metro: ‘From the day Katelyn moved in with Jeff, I was obsessed. I haven’t had a pet since I was a child, and I always wanted one.
‘I was hesitant to pet him at first as he used to hiss at me, and I was deathly afraid of being scratched and mauled to death by him. But over time, I won him over.’
For the marketing strategist, his favourite time of the day is ‘biscuit factory time.’
‘I love it when Jeff just randomly plops on my chest and starts kneading dough. I’ve read that it’s very healing when cats do this, so I imagine Jeff treating me of my ailments.’
For Rovie, the idea of pets being associated with gender is just strange. ‘I think men tend to go more towards dogs as owning a dog involves being more physical and active — daily walks, playing fetch, rough play.’
He adds: ‘A cat being seen as “feminine” isn’t an issue to me though, and anyone who would think so is kind of weird.’
‘Cats require just as much emotional investment as dogs’
Corey Bryans, 24, thanks his lucky stars everyday that his cat Ollie ‘chose’ him to be his person.
The digital marketer, based in the Wirral, had cats growing up, but never truly knew the joy of being a cat dad until he bonded with Ollie, his ‘baby.’
‘I got him with a former partner in 2024. I wasn’t fully sold on the idea at first, but that quickly changed when a little kitten was running wild around my living room.
‘I work from home a lot, so I was around him most of the time as he grew up.
‘Over time, we built a bond and I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without him. He knows he can get away with murder.’
Living alone, Ollie, who’s just turned one and a half, provides Corey with endless company. Whenever Corey walks through the front door after being at the office all day, there’ll be a small meowing face waiting to tell him off for leaving in the first place.
Corey shares: ‘His little chirps and meows melt my heart. He’s the most lovable cat going, but I’m sure every owner says that!
‘He loves to play fight. I’m also convinced he thinks he’s a dog sometimes, as he loves playing fetch. He also likes a growl, particularly if he feels his favourite toy is under threat.’
Corey adds that, because of Ollie, he’s a changed man.
He shares: ‘Having a cat has made me much more responsible. He’s also given me more patience, affection and a greater sense of routine.’
When it comes to why some men might lean towards dogs more than cats, Corey is personally bewildered: ‘Cats require just as much emotional investment and care, as dogs’ adding ‘that shouldn’t be gendered at all.’
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