Why pets instead of children (pageants, legally, teenage, out of control)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Ok, I’ve discussed it with the cats, and here’s how we feel: Differences:
Cats fit on your lap better than kids.
Kids run around too much, and make us nervous.
Cats don’t have to be potty trained, and they’re considerate enough to dig a hole and cover their poop.
You don’t have tell cats to take a bath.
Cats are always dressed for the weather.
Kids don’t purr.
Kids have several long-lasting developmental stages, some rendering them unrecognizable, while kittens only take a year to become adults.
You don’t have to worry about cats around water.
You can’t count on kids to land on their feet.
Kids can’t see in the dark; cats aren’t afraid of it.
Catnip is not a gateway drug; I never have to worry about them going on to harder things.
Cats remind me how good a nap feels, and to stretch before you get up.
Kids love costumes, cats find them disgusting.
Similarities:
They both ignore me.
Neither do well on a leash.
Both hate rectal thermometers.
Both count on you to care for them.
Both run away from home sometimes.
Both have been known to damage furniture.
I've always thought it was interesting that people who decide not ot have children, instead have pets that they treat like their children.
So often, these folks treat their pets so well, that I wonder why they don't want to direct all that love and caring on little people - and they don't have to be their biological children, of course.
Obviously raising children is a far greater responsibility than caring for a pet, but with the over the top way these pets are cared for, it's clear that these pet owners have it in them to give and, dare I say, are misdirecting all that love to an animal, when it appears that they would be fantasticly loving parents.
I don't treat my cats like children. The fact that they are cats and not children is part of their appeal.
Even though I don't have any instinct to raise a child, I do have a nurturing side in me that comes out when I interact with animals. Why spread that love to cats and not kids? Well, why cats and not dogs? Who cares? All I can say is that it my love to give as I choose. I might be a great parent. But I don't want to be one. I like children, but I have no interest in raising them, and less than no interest in birthing one. Yet, I would go crazy without a cat in the house.
Wouldn't the world be fantastically boring if we all live, loved, and thought the same way?
I have no problem accepting their choice, my problem comes when they begin to speak about children and the responsibilty of raising children as if it were some horrible burdon that we gave no thought to, only conceeded to because we are mere followers of what society deems normal.
THAT'S where I take issue.
Dont go bashing my choice just to defend your own. May not be right for you, but that's just YOU!
Then MOMMAbear says, """I think the OP was asking a simple question. Why don't we keep this thread on a friendly level, shall we?""
In the OP the poster asked a loaded question and implied AGAIN that childfree people had some kind of problem.
.....and the F I R S T unfriendly thing was said by GASP! a MOTHER, KristyLiz. I never knew motherhood rendered you blind but it seems the pro-childfree in here ARE judged differently....
AND the OP is just plain ridiculous...that's why I asked "why do people have children instead of a nice pet"....making fun of an absurd statement AIMED at slamming the childfree.
Ok, I’ve discussed it with the cats, and here’s how we feel: Differences:
Cats fit on your lap better than kids.
Kids run around too much, and make us nervous.
Cats don’t have to be potty trained, and they’re considerate enough to dig a hole and cover their poop.
You don’t have tell cats to take a bath.
Cats are always dressed for the weather.
Kids don’t purr.
Kids have several long-lasting developmental stages, some rendering them unrecognizable, while kittens only take a year to become adults.
You don’t have to worry about cats around water.
You can’t count on kids to land on their feet.
Kids can’t see in the dark; cats aren’t afraid of it.
Catnip is not a gateway drug; I never have to worry about them going on to harder things.
Cats remind me how good a nap feels, and to stretch before you get up.
Kids love costumes, cats find them disgusting.
Similarities:
They both ignore me.
Neither do well on a leash.
Both hate rectal thermometers.
Both count on you to care for them.
Both run away from home sometimes.
Both have been known to damage furniture.
I've talked to my cats and they agree
thanks for a great big smile on my face!
__________________
The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it. ~Henry David Thoreau
Well yes, but I am not party to that interaction.
It's not necessary for me to have a partner in order to adopt or care for my dog because dogs do not usually spend their lives with the family they were born to and I can love and care for my dog on my own without any ill effects for him.
Should I decide to have children on the other hand, they most certainly would want and need to have their father around for their whole life.
UH OH! I just got a complaint from my landlord.
Seems they, and the neighbors, are not happy with my kitties hanging out on top of their vehicles, and they worry about their claws on the paint. The darn paw prints give them away every time!
I'm a pretty responsible pet owner, and if they were kids, I could give them a verbal warning, withhold allowance, put on restriction, etc.
But I'm not sure my kitties would learn from any of that...
I have a friend (used to anyways, shes literally nuts and I couldn't deal with the drama) who has 3 kids (all my age, so grown). This woman always gave her animals (and still does) more attention and nurturing than she does her kids.
And she wonders why she and her kids don't get along.
She is one, who should have remained CF.
In her mind, an animal will not get mad at you, grow up and leave you, or hurt you. Whereas people do.
In her case (not all cases, just hers specifically) she should evaluate how she treats others and she would see why she has such 'people problems'.
Bingo Mommie. I can call you Mommie, can't I?
I saw this show about a matchmaker and one of her clients had all these pets...turned out it was easier to relate to the animals bc they would never leave her and would always "love" her...how sad is that?
I then realized this is my MIL to a tee...she's always had pets and even though they make her house a disgusting pig sty, mostly bc she is too lazy to train them, let them out or clean up the pee, poo and food (did I mention my children have never stepped foot in her house?), she keeps them til they die of natural causes. And her relationship with my wife is pretty bad. And now my BIL is dating a girl who is in love with her cat...anyone see a pattern here?
My wife's stepmother was unable to have children and so doted on her nasty little smelly crotch sniffing dog. The first time I met her was at a wedding and she pulled out this huge photo album with pictures of the dog in his tuxedo, his halloween costume, etc. God I hated that dog. My FIL treated that stupid dog better than he treated his own daughter.
All of this just reinforces my never trusting people who carry photo albums of their pets in costumes...they just aren't right in the head. It's a shame their parents didn't do better by them.
I would also say some people prefer pets because:
You can dump a pet without going to jail
The commitment to most pets is under 15 years, cept for tropical birds, and bird owners just ain't right either
Last edited by orrmobl; 03-19-2008 at 11:09 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
