HENDRICKS COUNTY, Ind. — Former WRTV reporter Phil Ponce took viewers along to an American Cat Fanciers Association cat show in 1982.
According to Ponce, 1982 was a somewhat controversial year for cats as cat-hater books hit the market.
One such book was William Cole and Tom Ungerer's work titled A Cat-Hater's Handbook.
Despite the rising tensions, most folks at the cat show were unfazed.
"People that don't like cats can't be very interesting people. They must not be very deep, a little bit shallow, in my opinion," said Gary Hollingsworth of Muncie.
One of the cat show attendees felt the anti-cat sentiment had deep historical roots.
"I think it goes back to mythology, where the cats were a handmaiden of the devil. They think they're sneaky; they're not. They're independent. They're too smart to do what their owners really want. They do what they want to do on their own terms."
