Catster

Tamar Arslanian

Tamar began I Have Cat three years ago as a way to chronicle her life as a 30-something NYC singleton looking for love despite the complication of owning cat (s). Guys came and went but the cat(s) remained and with them spurred new thinking about life, food, and even men of the two-legged variety.

“I Have Cat” reads like “Sex and the Kitty” and has brought together thousands of like-minded people from around the globe.  The name of her blog was a response to the way people spoke of single women of a certain age with cat(s). In hushed tones and never in mixed company -- “Oh, did you hear? She has shingles,” “She had gastric bypass, “ “She has … cats!”

Tamar refuses to fall prey to the crazy cat lady stereotype and wears her cat-hair-free black clothing as a badge of honor (though she admits to investing a small fortune in lint rollers). She strongly believes that being social and stylish need not be mutually exclusive from cat ownership. 

Before moving to New York City to pursue her dream of working in advertising (for which she blames Melrose Place), Tamar grew up petless in Minnesota (unless you count goldfish and a hamster). When not drinking wine in the company of her cats, writing about cats, or looking for love albeit sporadically, Tamar can be found working at one of the largest and most prestigious New York advertising agencies. She’s sad to report that her very un-Mad Men-like life does not involve three- or even one–martini lunches but rather a strict diet of leftover conference room catering. 

Full Name (Including Embarrassing Second Names): Tamar Arslanian. The closest thing I’ve come to in terms of nicknames are “T”, “Tam” or “Tommie.”

Location: Manhattan, New York, NY

Where You Can Find Me on the Internet: My blog I Have Cat, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest 

What I Do for a Living: Make television commercials.

What I Do for Fun: Travel (I just got back from my first African Safari!), go out to eat with friends, and of course chill with the kitties. 

The Furry Members of My Household Are: Kip, a brown tabby and my first cat ever, also known as Kippie, Kipper, and Good Looking; Petie, my chunky monkey gray tuxedo. Luckily we’ve had a bit of luck and he’s down to 17.5 lbs from 20. He also goes by Fatty Pants, Peter and Petie Pantaloons; and last but not least, my failed foster Haddie. She had a raging eye infection as a little baby found on the street and as a result has a very pinchy looking face due to the scare tissue in her eyes. Also known as Little Girl and Pinchy Face. 

My Favorite Things to Write About Are: Things that happen to me that sound made up but really happened (particularly in the realm of dating). It’s true what they say -- truth is stranger than fiction. And cats, of course!

My Pet Peeves Are: People who can’t say “sorry” followed closely public nail trimming and nose picking and spitting (gross!).

My Guilty Pleasures Are: Wine, Margaritas, Guacamole, Cheese (even though I’m trying to be a vegan!), dark chocolate, sleep (lots of it), and deep tissue massages. 

How I Deal with Cat/Dog Hair: Lots of lint rollers and wet rags. I try and be proactive by using the FURminator as often as the cats will allow. I also recently purchased a Dyson and I’m seriously in love with it. But the honest truth is that it’s an ongoing battle and some days it does feel like a losing battle! 

What I Want to Be When I Grow Up: Content. A few cats and a two-legged furless man by my side wouldn’t hurt either!