There was a time when people did not admit to meeting someone online. Today 44 million+ people use the more than 1500 dating apps that range from “y’all come” to a select segment of the population. For instance, there are apps for Trekkies, clowns and those who love them, wearers and admirers of the mullet, furries (people who dress up as animals and interact with other furries), and gravediggers. So, the only question is: Why not a cat-lovers dating app long before now! A significant other, even a potential other, needs to love your Miss Ginger or Mittens or Tigger. A Democrat and Republican can live together, heavy metal and Debussy probably can exist in the same home, a cat-lover and a cat-hater—that twain is never going to meet! You might as well get that straightened out right from the start.
Sisters and co-founders, Leigh Isaacson and Casey Isaacson, along with brand managers, Nathan Kehn and Sterling Davis, launched Tabby, appropriately enough, on August 8, 2020, International Cat Day. Cat lovers can use Tabby to find a match, plan a cat-focused date; learn about special deals on new cat products and treats; share information (e.g., on caring for a cat, cat-friendly locations and cat-friendly events), photos and videos; and help cats get adopted. The Tabby crew wants their users to have a safe, compatible, reliable dating experience for the benefit of both humans and cats.
The Tabby dating works the same as many others. Users post a photo and enter age, profession, interests, etc. The difference is that you also post your cat’s picture and enter feline-type information, such as “lap cat,” “wanderer,” “hairless,” “patrols the kitchen counter,” “hairless.” You might be surprised how well you can get to know people through how they treat and how they talk about their cats. Besides, it’s not only about you. You are also looking for a good match for the cat you love. Where once a date had to pass the parent test, now he or she has to pass the pet test.
Tabby is free to join, then you can sign up for the premium membership if you want. Benefits include unlimited messaging, appearing at the top of searches, and priority access to deals for cat-related services and products. Premium members also receive VIP badges on their profiles to show others that they are serious about finding a cat-loving partner.
The Tabby Team
Leigh Isaacson (CEO), with her Master’s in Homeland Security, Terrorism and Emergency Response, was a TV news reporter and SE Louisiana Regional Director of the Coastal Conservation Association and taught Media, Terrorism, and Disasters at Tulane University. She was also named one of the top 24 most influential people in the dating industry worldwide. She first created a dog-lovers dating app when her sister Casey dated a man for months before finding out he hated her dog. Tabby is a natural spin off.
Casey Isaacson (Chief Creative Officer), stationed in New York City, graduated from the Pratt Institute with a BFA in Communications Design and has worked as an art director for advertising campaigns by such companies as American Express, Peloton, Samsung, Whitney Museum of American Art, Carnival, and Virgin Atlantic.
Nathan Kehn (Brand Manager) has four cats and more than his fair share of cat-related rejections. As a model and actor, he lives in North Hollywood. His alter ego, “Nathan the Cat Lady,” has hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok for his creative and clever cat videos—with all due credit going to his wonderfully theatrical cats. Nathan creates content for Tabby that he hopes his followers will share, and with his background as an actor and influencer, he does the radio and television interviews.
Sterling Davis (Brand Manager) quit his life as a rap artist to work at the Atlanta (Georgia) Humane Society and eventually started his own nonprofit, TrapKing Humane Cat Solutions, to humanely trap stray cats, get them neutered and microchipped, and return them to where they were found. When he finds friendly, docile stray cats, he finds adoptive homes for them. He operates from his RV, visiting predominantly Black neighborhoods throughout the metro Atlanta area, picking up strays as he educates people on caring for strays and on the importance of animal shelters, while chipping away at an old stereotype by demonstrating that “real Black men can love cats” and with his cat raps.
Nathan and Sterling also host virtual happy hours.
Tabby partners with many nonprofits to display adoptable cats on the dating site. All of the cats used in marketing and promotional materials are rescues or in a shelter waiting to be adopted.
UPDATE: Tabby is no longer in business.
