Lynea Lattanzio is a self-proclaimed “crazy cat lady”. She’s rescued more than 50 thousand cats. And has lived with up to a thousand around her at any given time. Felines dominate her life. Lattanzio bought a 6 acre property in California more than thirty years ago.

She’d just gone through a difficult divorce. And was on a healing journey. "What was I thinking, a single woman with no children living in a big house on 6 acres?" thought Lattanzio at the time.

When Lattanzio’s dad asked her to help replace his two Manx cats after their death, she embarked on a life-changing journey. In her search for the kittens, she ended up visiting an animal shelter. And left with a box of 15 kittens. Lattanzio was hooked. And had rescued and rehomed 96 cats by the end of that year.

She later decided to become a surgical veterinary technician, so she could be in a better position to help her rescued cats. The population continued to grow. And soon, with the help of a donor, Lattanzio was able to buy a neighboring 6 acre property.

As the Cat House site puts it, "By 2004, The Cat House population had grown to over 500 cats and kittens. The Cat House was well known, but donations had not kept pace with expenses. A very generous donor, Doreen Wallet, left much of her estate to The Cat House on the Kings. This money was used to purchase the neighboring six acres and install cat-proof fencing around the entire 12 acre perimeter."

Lattanzio is one of many self-proclaimed “cat ladies”. The Oxford Dictionary added the phrase in 2017. And defines a “cat lady” as “an older woman who lives alone with a large number of cats, to which she is thought to be obsessively devoted”. And while Lattanzio embraces the title, not everyone appreciates being called that.

Depending on how it’s used, it can be an insult. “Anyone who is using ‘cat lady’ in a negative way is assuming a woman who loves her cat does not also have a rich, full life that includes friendships, career, and meaningful interests,” said Susan Michals, founder of the cat-centric convention "CatCon".

Research shows that some stereotypes about cat lovers do hold true. The University of Texas at Austin conducted a survey. They found "cat people" were more introverted, open-minded and sensitive than dog lovers. They also tended to be non-conformists, and didn't always like following rules.

One of the researchers, Denise Guastello, explained the findings like this: ​​"It makes sense that a dog person is going to be more lively, because they're going to want to be out there, outside, talking to people, bringing their dog." Guastello said introverted and sensitive people might spend more time at home, so a cat is a suitable pet because it doesn't really need to go outside for a walks.

Guastello added that people could also select their pets based on their own personality. For example, cats are known to be independent animals that keep to themselves, while dogs are known to be more sociable.