Girls and Cats
Kamryn McKenna
Girls and Cats is a ribbon-bound book that celebrates the special relationship between girls and their cats. Through photography, essays, and personal reflections, this book aims to challenge misconceptions in our society such as the derogatory “crazy cat lady” trope, the relationship between witchcraft and cats, and the over-sexualization of both women and felines. The first section introduces my personal connection to cats and their significance in my life. As someone who grew up with a cat-obsessed family in the Catskills, NY, I have always felt a special bond and connection towards these delicate yet complicated creatures.
Cats make me feel safe, loved, and understood, and these feelings have always felt mutual. Within the book, I showcase the relationships between other women in my life and their beloved felines. Each story shares the depth of love and complexity between girls and their cats. An essay titled "Cat Women" by Alice Maddicott is featured in the final section. It discusses the historical associations between felines and femininity throughout history and the evolution of harmful stereotypes concerning women and cats; how women are “catty” towards one another, or “purr” when aroused, but may dramatically “hiss” when angered. Through Girls and Cats I aim to challenge the negative connotations surrounding women and their cats and provide a personal perspective on an often misunderstood human-animal connection.