I used to consider myself a dog person. I like big dogs but when I first started living with my partner and the subject of having children was discussed she told me that she had concerns about my large Labrador around a baby. I had committed myself to look after the dog that I adopted for life. Moreover Labradors are known to be very good around children. But I understood her concerns. My dog died about a year later and it broke my heart. She got a cat. I had never had a cat before and it got some getting used to. But I grew to like cats too. Before that I did not even know how to approach a cat or how to pick it up. Unfortunately we lost the cat in an accident.

But nowadays I like cats too and where I live there are a couple of feral cat colonies. A few women look after them, by feeding them and having them sterilised.

Today one of the cats approached me and allowed me to pick her up. I had this sudden idea of taking her home to look after her but more importantly to surprise the mother of my son. As I opened one door of my car to put the cat inside a woman started shouting that I was stealing a cat. I immediately let go.

These are feral cats, and they are present because some irresponsible people threw out their pets. I know that I could have just ignored the neurotic woman but I did not think that it was worth the trouble. We men seem to have this stigma of hating cats.

I know that this is a minor issue compared to some of the problems we men face. But it kind of annoyed me that my act of kindness (to give a homeless animal a home) was met with neurotic panic. It is reflective of how we men are viewed as uncaring and violent beasts.