Tabby – The Cat Person’s Dating App has now been launched on the HubStars new next generation dating platform. Our team have worked closely with Dig Dates, Inc. to bring their branding, design and vision to life after successfully applying to our Million Dollar Dating Project.
Nathan and Sterling from the Tabby team answered some questions on the Tabby brand and their own dating lives as cat lovers!
Nathan Kehn @NathanTheCatLady
Sterling Davis @The_Original_TrapKing
How would you describe Tabby, besides a new innovative dating app?
NATHAN: I would describe Tabby as the first safe place for cat lovers to meet and share without fear of being judged or stereotyped. This is really the first step in showing the world how many cat lovers are out there and finally showing people it’s ok to love cats.
STERLING: Dating apps are getting more specific, but none are like Tabby because us cat people are a special breed. Our kitties are family to us, and it’s important to be able to have a dating app where everyone already loves and accepts your kitties! Besides being a place for cat lovers to find furrever mates, it’s also a place to meet friends and interact with others.
How did your idea for Tabby emerge?
NATHAN: The idea for Tabby has been in the works for a long time, after years of negative stereotypes and countless rejections due to a love for cats. I can’t tell you how many times girls have made some rude comment about not wanting to date a crazy cat guy. Then finally enough was enough and the idea was formed to give cat lovers their own space.
STERLING: When Leigh and the team approached me, I was super excited. Working in cat rescue, a lot of people suffer from compassion fatigue and burnout. Rescuers can be so wrapped up in trying to save every kitty that they don’t get out to meet people or do things for themselves. I’m always trying to create fun ways for cat people to work together and have fun, so as soon as we started talking about it I was like IM SO IN! 😻
What are some key features of the app that users can look forward to?
NATHAN: Some cool features of the app that people can look forward to are things like the cat tree where people from all over the world can share pics of their cats and meet new fun friends. We also have a section where your cats have their own sub profile with things they are allowed to do or not such as sleeping in your bed or climbing on the counters. The app is also very new so it will continue to grow and new features will be added all the time.
STERLING: So, I think a lot of people will love the fact that you can describe/talk about your cat’s personality and habits which is cool because you want to make sure your kitties can get along. The Cat Tree is cool too because people can just share pics and chat without the pressure of dating right away, it’s almost like a “cat Instagram” Lol!
Do you have to own a cat to get involved or is being a cat lover enough?
NATHAN: One of the best parts about Tabby is that you do not need to own a cat to join. Some people may just want to find someone with their own cats or maybe even find someone to love and get a cat together. The whole point of the app is just to weed out the people that don’t like cats.
STERLING: No not at all! You may just like cats but haven’t adopted one of your own yet and that’s fine.
What are your roles at Tabby?
NATHAN: My role with Tabby is to help spread the word to all my cat loving followers, create content that people will want to share with their friends and also be a member of Tabby and share my experience with people. Being an influencer gives me access to over half a million cat lovers that I hope to drive to the app. Also since I am used to being in front of the camera as an actor and an influencer I will handle a lot of the on air interviews with news outlets.
STERLING: For me, being in cat rescue, I really want to do things that help combat compassion fatigue and burnout; fun apps like this helps our rescuers relax a little and chat with some other cat lovers. It’s also yet another way to get the word out about rescue and TNR (Trap Neuter Return) which is the humane alternative for death/euthanasia for stray/feral cats. It prevents overpopulation and spreading disease.
Sterling and Nathan, how have cats changed your dating life? Is it harder to find love?
NATHAN: Having cats most definitely makes the dating scene a lot harder. I have had relationships end because the girl I was with did not want to end up living with cats some day. I have had girls on other dating apps tell me right off the bat “This isn’t going to work, I’m a dog person”. In fact I had a girl try to match with me just a few weeks before the app launch, and her profile even said “Dont hate me if I hate cats”. I don’t know when it became so trendy to hate cats, but it definitely puts up a roadblock in dating for us cat lovers.
STERLING: Dating can really be a task these days, a person can spend hours looking for potential dates and mates. For cat people it’s even more difficult because you can see someone that checks all the boxes except for the most important one which is “does this person like cats?!” Tabby is set up to where your profile picture introduces you and your cats. A lot of apps are just swipe left or swipe right but the Cat Tree makes Tabby a much more interactive app!
Do you have any secrets or exclusive Tabby news that you can share with us?
NATHAN: At the moment I don’t have any top secret news about the app that I am able to share. But as soon as I am able to share with the public the first place I will be sharing it is on my Wine Wednesday live stream every Wednesday at 6:30pm PST.
STERLING: There will actually be a section that gives information, tips and advice on your cats. I think for people that do rescue or may be dealing with different behaviour issues it will be really helpful. Also stay tuned to me and my bro, Nathan the CatLady for different discounts and events. Can you imagine something like virtual cat speed dating?!?! 🙀
How is Tabby different from other dating apps?
NATHAN: Tabby is different then other apps because you already have something in common with the people you are looking for. In other apps you have to try and find a starting off point. We not only give you prompts about you and your cats to get the conversation going, but the fact that you even met on this app means you already know they love cats and that’s a great place to start.
STERLING: Dating can really be a task these days, a person can spend hours looking for potential dates and mates. For cat people it’s even more difficult because you can see someone that checks all the boxes except for the most important one which is “does this person like cats?!” Tabby is set up to where your profile picture introduces you and your cats. A lot of apps are just swipe left or swipe right but the Cat Tree makes Tabby a much more interactive app!
In regards to Covid, how is Tabby handling the current situation for meetups or information for kitty playdates?
NATHAN: With Covid making things hard for people to date in person, we will be giving suggestions of cat friendly zoom date ideas and possibly even hosting our own zoom singles events. We want all of our members to be safe during these times but we don’t want these times to stop them from finding love.
STERLING: Right now with the Covid pandemic still an issue, most things are going to go virtual so we’re planning a lot of virtual dates and events. Being that Nathan and I do a lot on social media we have a ton of fun ideas to connect with others without actually being in the same room.
Where and on what devices is Tabby accessible?
Tabby is available online everywhere at TabbyDates.com. It’s also available in most countries for IOS and Android from the App Store or Google Play.
How are you making a difference in finding adoptable cats a new home?
We are partnering with a bunch of nonprofits, such as CatCafe Lounge in LA, to help them display their adoptable cats on the app, at Tabby events, in co-promotional campaigns and more to hopefully find their cats homes and support their operations. We also feature adoptable cats in our advertising from Jefferson SPCA and Animal Rescue New Orleans.
Check out Tabby here.