Records of cats and humans interacting date back thousands of years. From ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics of cat goddesses to funny videos on the internet, cats continue to prove their importance in human life. And yet, there is still an aversion towards cats. Dogs continue to reign as the most preferred pet in America. In addition, openly claiming to “hate cats” is more socially acceptable than hating a dog. Why is that?
Cats have a long history of being associated with women through written documentation and art. This obvious fascination led to the eventual use of cats to symbolize femininity and womanhood in both positive and negative light. The significant shift of opinion occurred in the middle ages where the first documentation associating cats with witchcraft was written and continued to instill the ongoing prejudice towards cats. Terms like “catfight” and “cougar” came into existence to specifically describe women negatively and minimize their interactions into stereotypical situations.
Cat/Woman is a motion graphic illustrating the connection between cats and women through history and encourages an understanding of the individual complexities of both cats and women. While questioning the origins of this connection, this narrative breaks down the reasons for its importance to not only explore the prominence of this historical connection but also redefine the objectification of cats and women.