Mayim Bialik: Out To End the Crazy Cat Lady Stereotype

Mayim Bialik wants to change everything you think you know about crazy cat ladies, those much-maligned, mythical, antisocial types who wear weird clothing and live with a creepy collection of kitties. The Emmy-nominated actress, who plays Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, recently welcomed cat Frances to her family. The experience has been so positive, Bialik is partnering with PetSmart Charities to share her support for cat adoption and to encourage others to unleash their inner cat person.

I spoke with Bialik earlier this month after her appearance at the first ever CatConLA (“like Comic-Con… but for cat people”), which featured about 100 exhibitors showcasing everything from cat-centric fashion–which included cat wizard hats for the feline Harry Potter–art, toys, jewelry, and furniture to cat-themed manicures (no, really). But lest you think contemporary cat people are all quirky as well, a recent PetSmart Charities survey reveals that the new breed of cat person is intelligent, independent, friendly, active, and trendy. Sort of like Mayim Bialik.

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Have you ever been referred to as a crazy cat lady?
You mean the stereotype of the crazy lady by herself with the rocking chair? Not really, and it’s unfortunate that there are so many negative stereotypes of cat people—that’s one of the reasons that so many cats go unadopted. I’m a huge cat lover. I read books on cats. I spend time with my cats. I post a lot on social media about my cats. I also post pictures of them. Cat people really do a lot with their cats! And some of it is pretty amazing, so we’re really encouraging people to send in pictures of themselves doing interesting things with their cats.

What are the amazing things you do with your cats?
Unfortunately, I don’t have the type of cat that I can take mountain climbing or on a bike. My cat is adopted. We think she was feral. She has a different personality than most of the cats I’ve had. And I think that she’s taught my kids a lot. And despite the reputation that most cats have, when no one’s around she’s happy to cuddle with me.

How do you choose which charities to partner with?
I’m a long-time animal lover. I’m vegan. I’ve adopted many cats my entire life. For me, adopting pets is a natural choice for promoting animal welfare and I think it’s really sweet that PetSmart thought of me. And I think it’s a good idea for us to team up to present this new image of a cat person. It’s a nice way to do serious things and fun things.

This partnership combines a lot of things about me. I do a lot of fun things. It’s a great combination of my more cerebral side and my more fun side. I get to do things to make the world a better place, like encouraging cat adoption, which is statistically less than dog adoption.

You seem incredibly grounded and down to earth. How do you manage your professional and personal lives?
I have a really neat and smart team of people I work with in my business world; most of them are really close friends who guide me and rein me in at times. It’s not something I do alone. Like most women, there are a lot of different sides to me. I’m grateful to have a different side to me other than the dress I’m wearing.

You’re pretty outspoken about your views on mothering, faith, politics; are there any topics that are off-topic?
There are things I won’t talk about. I’ve famously come under attack for discussing my belief that Israel has the right to exist. I feel that I should make the world just and fair, but I have to choose things to discuss publicly. I have to choose which beliefs to mention. Like all famous people, you hear what they choose to talk about or not talk about, but you don’t hear everything.

I’ve read a lot about your upbringing as a Reform Jew and some of your evolution in belief. What part does faith play in your own life?
There are lots of things I align with, but there’s a reason that I don’t wave that banner. I don’t live a life or schedule where I can observe the traditional Jewish calendar. I like to think of myself as post-denominational. I’m a strange smattering of tradition and belief. My social media goes silent on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) and holidays.

How do you explain that dichotomy and your particular belief system to your children?
I instill in them the traditional values of Judaism. We do the things that we can the best that we can. The world is a lot more complicated than we plan.

What’s up next for you?
I have a couple of projects and things that I’m working on, both in my writing and in my role as a scientist [Bialik has a Ph.D. in neuroscience]. It will be a big autumn for me. Not so much on the acting side, but I hope to also act. The truth is that you never know, as a woman in the industry who are character actresses…you cannot count on work.

Want to show off your own cat antics (catantics?) and prove that you’re an evolved cat person? PetSmart Charities and Mayim encourage you and your adopted cat to break cat stereotypes with their #MeowOUT Yourself contest. Until July 3, you can enter the contest by submitting a selfie with your adopted cat using hashtag #meowOUT on the contest landing page or via Instagram or Twitter.

Mayim will choose five of her favorite selfies; the winners and their adopted cats will be the face of today’s cats and cat people featured in PetSmart Charities’ promotional materials.

Now go ahead and declare your cat pride!