Has anyone heard that little stigma that a woman with a cat will not only be lonely, but will turn into a crazy woman with a house full of cats? I like cats, but I don't want to turn into that kind of woman. Any suggestions?

Yes, I think there is this silly stigma, but I never cared for it. I love cats, I want at least one in my house, and it is nobody's business.

Another stigma is that women who have no children but have pets choose to have pets because they want children. Not true in my case.

I think what scared me was this twenty something year old woman who wanted to be a writer like me. She said that she had nine cats. I realize that it's silly, but the fact that she was aspiring to be a writer was a little too close to home for me.

I have never heard of either of those stigmas. I don't think you're going to turn into some crazy woman. Cats can be quite comforting, especially if you are lonely. Sometimes it's just nice to have another living creature in the house with you.

I just don't want to trade human interaction for lots of pets. I do spend a lot of my time away from people, but I do interact with others on a daily basis. I feel like if I were to get a cat, everything would all go downhill.

I don't think it would happen, especially if you are conscious about it. There is nothing wrong with loving animals and having a pet or two. There is nothing wrong with being a little introverted, either. You can still communicate with people, have family, friends, etc.