Team Pick: Before There Were LOLCats, There Was ‘PURRRRR!’

Cat loving queers of the world (so, all of us), rejoice, for today is a very special day. Today I share with you important news about a cat publication that is a mixture of brilliance, innocence, humor, and wit. No, I have not found a new website filled with perfect cat memes. Better: I have discovered PURRRRR!, the “premier cat newsletter of the 1980s.”

via Carol Page & Atlas Obscura

Yes, you read that right. Before we all obsessed over cats on the internet, thousands of humans obsessed over cats in a newsletter. Bless this world friends, some things are still pure and good, truly.

And how did I learn about PURRRRR!, you may ask? Via Autostraddle’s very own former More Than Words columnist, Cara Giaimo! Cara now works at Atlas Obscura and published a profile over there featuring the creator of PURRRRR!, Carol Page, who just so happens to be Cara’s neighbor.

The profile is, suffice it to say, a gift.

via Carol Page & Atlas Obscura

There are so many good parts of the profile I don’t even know which bits to quote for you. You should just go read the whole thing and learn how Page chose the name PURRRRR!, what each newsletter featured, and why Page believes people will always find a way to read about cats.

And when you’re done, the most special treat: Cara and Atlas Obscura have digitized the first issue of PURRRRR!, so we can all indulge in the best cat publication from the years 1982-1991.

via Carol Page & Atlas Obscura

We can only hope Cara plans to digitize the entire collection. It’s the least she could do to make up for never writing another installment of More Than Words, ya know? (JK CARA WE ARE VERY GLAD YOU ARE THRIVING ELSEWHERE WE JUST LOVE CATS AND THIS NEWSLETTER AND ALSO YOU AND YOUR WORDS OKAY?!? OKAY.)

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Vanessa

Vanessa is a writer, a teacher, and the community editor at Autostraddle. Very hot, very fun, very weird. Find her on twitter and instagram.

Vanessa has written 404 articles for us.

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