i've come across references to the 17th century usage of 'cat call' as a whistle to show disapproval in a theatre. i'm curious how it came to be used to describe the act of yelling or demonstrating sexualized comments or sounds at women on the street. it seems like cat calling went from a signal of disapproval to one of apparent approval, though perhaps the intentions behind cat calling cannot be described so bluntly.

i'm especially interested in how catcalling might be related to to wolf whistles and the cartoon wolf stereotype.