While older, single men get lovely monikers like ‘bachelor’ and ‘playboy,’ women get stuck with names like ‘spinster’ and ‘cat lady.’ Can you say unfair? But there may actually be a reason why the title ‘cat lady’ (as opposed to ‘dog lady’ or ‘fish lady’) became such a big thing.

According to the Journal Behavioural Processes, there is a very special bond that exists only between a lady and her cat. Researchers observed how 41 cats and their human families interacted, noting their behavior, personalities, and impact on each other, and they found that, while cats interact well in general with both males and females, women interact with kitties far more–and vice versa.

Manuela Wedl, an author of the study from the University of Viena, told Discovery News:

The cats approach female owners more frequently, and initiate contact more frequently (such as jumping on laps) than they do with male owners…female owners have more intense relationships with their cats.

Even though cats are sometimes stereotyped as cold and distant, the researchers found that cats actually remember when people are kind to them and will return the favor later. And, over time, you even begin to mutually understand each others “inclinations and preferences,” which, perhaps, can be more than what’s said about some romantic relationships…

Do you think cats get along between with women than men?