Boys and Their Toys...

According to Sunday's New York Times, single men and cats go together, well like the stereotypical men and retrievers. Although there are no statistics, according to the Times, "Sandra DeFeo, an executive director at the Humane Society of New York, said she had seen an increase in the number of single, straight men who are adopting cats."

And that opinion is seconded by Carole Wilbourn, a cat therapist in the Big Apple, who notes that her single, straight male clients have increased by about 25% in the last five years.

Some people attribute this trend to the gradual "evolution" of men; others to the fact that guys have wised up to the fact that cats make better city pets. While there is definitely no "chick magnet" factor because it is rare indeed that cats are leash walked, their relatively low maintenance life style is most definitely compatible with the single lifestyle. And cats, after all, provide the companionship that people look for in a pet.

Ernest Hemmingway was a great cat lover. When I visited his house in Key West a few years ago, it was populated by hundreds of cats--some of whom the natives say are descended from those Papa himself owned. And rumor has it that Marlon Brando found a stray cat while filming The Godfather and insisted that it be included in a scene.

In fact, according to John Scalzi, a writer in Bradford, Ohio, dogs are for those who are less secure, because they are "your wingmen." "If you're feeling insecure about your space in the world, you get a dog because he will always back you up," he elaborates. "He's sharing his space with a predator."

And lest you doubt the intensity of the relationship between a man and his cat, consider the saga of one Adam Fulrath who has chosen his cat over women allergic to felines. "Realistically, unless there's something absolutely amazing about her, [the cat] wins."