Call for Papers

The domestic cat (Felis catus) is a ubiquitous aspect of many people’s daily lives. Our relationship with cats is complex, fascinating, and multi-faceted. Their role has varied throughout history; from symbols of worship in ancient Egypt to vermin catchers by Anglo- Saxons and from prestigious Viking pets to valuable companions in the Middle Ages. Cats have lived in the homes of many famous people, including Abraham Lincoln, Vladimir Lenin, Freddie Mercury, and T.S. Eliot. Today, cats feature in poetry, literature, and film. There is a long history of felines appearing in paintings, films and literature, and cat cafés have opened in cities around the world. Cat videos and memes proliferate on social media. People have developed an online cat pidgin (lolspeak) to accompany memes with phrases such as: If it fits, I sits & I can has cheezburger. Many cats, such as Grumpy Cat or Lil Bub have gained immense social media followings.

Cats entertain and distract us and can help in therapeutical settings as emotional support animals. Often considered to be members of the family, many experience “peternal” feelings toward them. We try to communicate with cats by interpreting their vocalisations and tail positions, and when they die, they are often mourned in the same way as human family members. We are also endlessly fascinated by the social lives of cats. At the same time, there is a darker side to our association with felines. The stereotype of a cat lady can have a negative connotation, and people have been known to hoard, torture, or kill cats. Others might suffer from ailurophobia (fear of cats) and feel anxiety with the proliferation of cats throughout society.

The purpose of this two-day interdisciplinary conference is to investigate cats in society, social media, literature, film, TV series, music, language, history, and every-day lives. We invite scholars to analyse what cats signify to us, how they are represented in various discourses, how we interact with and talk to our cats, and how cats influence our health and wellbeing.

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