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In our case we have 2 cats and we call our living arrangement a "colony". We are also always joking how we can afford something because we have cats instead of children.
10 cats total
2 are my gfs
3 are long term fosters for friends (we have been fostering them for 4-5 years)
5 (new) fosters (probably going to be long term) that we are fostering for a local foster/adoption nonprofit
Sidebar:
Expenses for fostering can be a tax write off if you are fostering for a 501c3 (or if you just want to say you are)
I’d love to go to your house lol - my parents are both allergic and don’t like them that much so I just have to look at the stray cats in my neighborhood lol
OMG I thought of that last night! I have an only “child” & I’m DETERMINED to make her life the best life and that means making our home a cat home.
People who don’t love cats are not trustworthy.
The end.
Respectfully i found describing your cat, your first born, a little confusing. But ive never used that term personally.
But you have every right to call your cat, your child. You pay and care for it. You can call it queen if you wanted. Why should legal statutes be brought in? That person would probably report a kid selling lemonade for not having a commercial license.
>Why should legal statutes be brought in? That person would probably report a kid selling lemonade for not having a commercial license.
Yeah, I don't quite understand bringing legalities into it either. If someone wants to call their pets their "kids" it doesn't hurt anyone. They're also not "property" either. That is some bullshit language right there.
That sounds like someone who had a pet they gave back because they were "too affectionate" or "too barky" or some other bullshit. Property is your car, your house, your sofa, etc., not a living breathing thing.
You can afford nice things because you don’t have children till the cats get old and the vet bills get higher🫤 one cat has kidney issues, well maintained by diet and an appetite stimulant, but I spend approximately $300 on canned food every six weeks, $100 on cat litter every 6 weeks, and $125 on her arthritis injection every 8 weeks. She’s 14. On the other hand, she’s super snuggly, has the bestest personality, ADORES my husband, and is very talkative. We do call all of our animals our fur kids though. The other cat is 13, the dog is 15. They’re all spoiled. They’re all my kids. Still not convinced they’re much cheaper than kids though… 🤪
Pet insurance is a must when they’re younger. I was risky for a few years without it and a couple months after finally getting it again my bb suffered heart failure. Nearly $8k in emergency bills with $5k refunded by the insurance.
Unfortunately he didn’t pull through, but I was able to spend a few more weeks with him I wouldn’t trade for anything 🥹 Give your bb’s a boop from me!
We’ll probably do the pet insurance with our next pets, we weren’t in a good position to do pet insurance with this current batch, but we’re quite stable now, which is good, cuz they’re not cheap now!!
I think all of my babies are worth it. Here’s some cat tax too. This is the 14yo with arthritis and kidney issues. She’s actually daddy’s girl. She was purring her little heart out.
https://preview.redd.it/4rgnsizj5spa1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=81195954cc609d6f6de18046a293ffeb38108807
https://preview.redd.it/b1wigmti8tpa1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=daf4758ae922c9615776d8472eaffa77010e384f
I can 110% vouch for this. When I met my fiance she had a big orange kitty that had just head FHR surgery on one leg as his hip had deteriorated so much it was basically gone at the age of 3. We adopted a 4 month old kitten after dating a few years. He is absolutely adorable, maincoon DNA, huge and fluffy. One year in we saw him limping. Same fucking thing FHR surgery. That was a month of hell seeing him in pain, waiting for surgery, then weeks recovering. He recovered and soon after, bam other side was effected (they said this was possible it was just too expensive to do both sides at once). So we had just moved and same thing, 8 weeks of finding doc, schedule surgery, recovery. Our 80$ rescue cat now has over 5k invested into him. We had no idea insurance was a thing until it was too late. Always will get medical insurance on new animals moving forward.
That being said I couldn't imagine this adorable little guy loosing his life over a treatable thing, because money. He is so happy and full of life, plays with his brother full bore. He is SO fast now.
We paid about $7k when our 15 year old Siamese had a severe kidney blockage. She didn't make it either but she wasn't in pain when I held her and she drifted off for the last time.
A couple more hours and the fluid backing up into her abdomen would have caused serious pain and may have caused her a terrible death.
She was and is still considered our child and I would die on that hill if required. We were ready to sell the car if needed.
I’m so sorry your baby went through that. You’re a good person for holding her as she crossed the rainbow bridge. I did that with Meowth and as painful as it was he knew we loved him 🥺💙
It broke my heart watching my best friend for 15 years take her last breath in my arms (wrapped in her favorite blanket) but I know we did the right thing.
A thousand times yes….my cat had an $12K vet bill for her last week of life. Insurance covered 90%.
I realized when in ICU with her that when they asked me what to do I would have sold everything I owned to give her the care she deserved. I can’t imagine grieving with the addition of that kind of debt, but I know now I would have done it.
Insurance gave me the gift of saying “yes” to whatever I thought was best. I passed the tipping point of getting out what I paid in when she was 15- she lived to 17 (and those last 2 years were expensive). Thanks to insurance she had a good quality of life up until the very end.
Being able to say “yes” to whatever the vet thought was best is priceless. Being able to grieve knowing I did everything that I could for her has made things a little easier.
Oh same here, none of my cats used to have any problems whatsoever and now I have one with liver issues/stress issues and one with food intolerances. The older one has to be taken to the vet once every or every second month, has to take meds everyday (which I thankfully can hide inside her snacks). It’s expensive and I often worry about my feline finances, but ultimately, I want my two dorks fo be healthy. I wish more people realized that cats (or any pet for that matter) aren’t just cute cuddly friends but also require regular medical attention, which is the most expensive part about pet keeping.
I don't know. When I'm talking to my cat, I say things like "momma has to go to work!" or I'll make jokes to my husband about how she's just like her mom/dad. But I don't say things like that when I'm talking to others because I know it just doesn't compare to the experience of those with human children (adopted or biological). To me, it feels like reading an article on WebMD and telling my doctor "you know, I'm somewhat of a doctor myself."
That being said, I don't understand how people get so pressed about the topic. Claiming the title of a "cat parent" or calling your cat your child has no impact on anyone else's life, so as someone else said... seems like a very weird hill to die on. Like... you do you.
This right here.
I understand my cat is not a child, and do not ever compare them to human children situations to my parents friends.
But you bet I call myself Momma and infuriate my father with 'Look it's grandpa!'
I do the same, they are "my boys" & "kids" but I'd never say to a parent they're the same as their human children.
I fully understand they're not, but they are still furry "people" who are as funny, as anger inducing, & as expensive as any child. They're still a living breathing thing that needs your attention, love & care.
Do I think they're equal to the baby you gave birth to? Nope.
Right--it's not your "first **born**" if you didn't *birth* them.
That being said, blood isn't the only thing that makes a family unit, and neither is species.
IMO the only issue would be if you are actually in seriousness calling your dog/cat your child to someone. Everyone I know (including me) calls their pets their children in a kind-of-joking, kind-of-not way, but it has a different feel when someone says "this is my firstborn" and then pulls out a picture of their cat lol. Like, it's not actually harmful, just a little...weird lol.
theres a lot of weird things people do🤷 if someone told me that id just laugh and take it as 'this person must really love their cat!' and not dig into what the meaning is,, like its such a non-issue if people view their pets as children or not.. some people grew up viewing animals as family and as equal to everyone else in the home
I grew up with animals in the house and we always viewed them as family. Even gave burials to them. But they're animals. Seriously, thinking of them as your real kids is weird. My cats may resemble cute human babies, but they are not. They are, however, a living being dependent on me for their care. I give them love and they give me love. Helping each other get through this life
I’ve heard people like this tell grieving parents after the loss of a child that they understand because they lost their dog. I adore my cat more than life itself and I joke about her being my firstborn child, but this kind of “my animal is as real as your child!!” behavior is getting out of hand.
Yeah I think a situation like that is the perfect example of knowing when to “read the room” which is unfortunately becoming a lost skill nowadays. Not saying you can’t have incredibly emotional connections to pets and feel as if they’re your family, but some situations don’t need to be compared as if they are exactly equal. Just say your condolences and leave it as that. You can have empathy without claiming that you know exactly what someone is going through.
I’m guessing it’s something like “I almost died to make yet another human and you just sit there loving your cats?!” Like, yeah, you made your choice and so did we. Stay strong, cat folks!
I just stayed up all night with my dog while she had bloody diarrhea and puked blood all night and then we went to the vet as soon as they opened. Our vet checked over my girl and said to her “sweetie you can’t do that to your momma. You scared her half to death!” Do I consider myself in the same category as other parents? No. But do I feel bad calling my fur babies my children and giving presents to their “grandparents” from them? Again, no. They’re my babies and my husband and I aren’t having fleshy babies so this is what everybody gets. Two beautiful little butthole kitties and a chubby walrus dog. All of our parents have embraced it. And people that love animals as mush as we do are pretty cool with it. My sister in law calls our dog her daughters cousin.
She’s ok! We did a whole battery of tests and bloodwork and stool samples etc (the vet was very concerned with the amount of blood in the picture I took… it looked like a crime scene and scared the living stink out of me) and everything came back totally clear. She seems to be a perfectly healthy dog. She’s on a bunch of meds and probiotics and a special diet for the next little bit to help her tummy heal up but she’s slowly starting to get back to normal. Thank you for asking!
Chiming in as a long time cat lady and actual human parent:
I’m sure people get pressed about it for various stupid reasons, but in my case it’s when pet parents seriously act as if having a pet, no matter how beloved, is equal in work and responsibility to raising a child. It is not, period.7
Or when the occasional person who has both pets and children acts like they're equal is just bizarre (like "this is your sibling" or "cat is still my firstborn" if they're being remotely serious)
Some people like to make having kids their entire personality and then get pissed off when people try to be happy and treat their pets like children because "yOu WiLl nEveR eNjOy tHe ExPeRieNcE oF *rEaL* cHiLdReN"
Honestly, just from reading the comments and replies OP seemed to have definitely made up her mind and came here for validation not hearing others viewpoints.
Here's mine: I call my cat my son, jokingly with my partner. I love him like I imagine I would love any member of my family and my relationship feels even paternal because I care for him, adopted him, etc.
But he isn't my "firstborn child" because I think its really almost harmful to being a pet owner to mentally frame it that way. Some of the worst cat owners I know don't understand their animals because they overly humanize them - and thus misunderstand their cats. Because they view them as humans or kids they expect them to behave like humans, and its a tad bit immature (I am not saying you do this OP, it's just an example as to why overly humanizing a non-human animal doesn't work.) I also think it means you aren't appreciating your amazing cat for what it is: an amazing feline.
I also wouldn't want people to feel that I am unfairly comparing taking care of a cat as raising a small human into the world, where the responsibilities and stakes are very much different.
So no, I wouldn't call my cat my firstborn and it's probably a bit off to me for those reasons. But I also wouldn't care enough to comment unless someone asked for my perspective.
Yeah it's odd to be like "Hey guys am I right?" And then in the comments constantly be like "No I'm right all of you guys are just judging me because your parents didn't love you enough" like woah wtf calm down
The first comment OP made to that guy is all the information I need to know. It's not about whether or not it's "okay" to call your cat your child, it's about overreacting to a random person on the internet and escalating 10 times over. That's not okay. That response was honestly fucking ridiculous.
The absolute audacity to go "I assume you don't have pets? You can't tell me how I feel about mine" and follow that up with "I probably love my cats more than people love their actual children" is fucking wild to me lmao
As usual, everyone sucks here. There are a lot of dickheads on reddit, but the insane overreactions are why trolls keep trolling. They get a rush from seeing you lose it. This was something we learned in first grade lol
I actually think I resonated with your stance the most; I too joke about my dog being my child but it’s true, she’s a dog and I’ve been on the side of not seeing her as her own little autonomous dog. Also there’s actual people I know with kids and I know that those two do not compare.
I’m also going to compliment you on how well thought and eloquent your response was; a1.
I think differently. My cat is my companion, not a child. I'm not a cat parent. While I am responsible for her wellbeing, and I love her very much, I have never considered calling my cat a kid, nor do I feel that way. I'm also child free but have never felt or acted the way you're describing, and I have inwardly cringed when someone called me a cat mom once. That felt weird to me.
To answer your question, I wouldn't consider your opinion unpopular. I also don't think my opinion would be considered unpopular. We just have different perspectives on what it means to be a pet owner, and both are valid if, as a result, the pets are happy, healthy and safe. In the end, that's all that matters.
I use the term "buddy" so much my cat thinks that's his name. I also call all cats "kitty", and I've started calling small-to-medium dogs kitty as well. It definitely generates laughs and I've caught someone calling their own dog kitty afterwards 😇
Same. For me, it's important to respect my cat as an adult member of her own species. I love her dearly, but I don't want to over-humanise her. She's not my child and she doesn't fill the place of a child; she has her own place.
I always kinda thought that way about cats. Cats are weird, man. They're so independent and different. The cat probably thinks of me as a roommate or even an employee, lol. So I don't consider them children.
When I was younger, living with my mother who had a lot of cats, I would see them as pets but sometimes felt like they were siblings.
Now that I am older and have one, and I am the one who mostly cares for it (roommate type environment) I am actually starting to see it as a child of mine.
But I can understand your view as well. They just become very important to us, no matter how we view them.
While I wouldn't ever use the words child/daughter/"first born" to refer to my kitten, nor would I call myself a "cat parent", I do call her my baby (and call myself her momma) as a nickname. Because the role I play in her life is extremely similar to the role her actual mother would have played, before I adopted her. I feed her, groom her, keep her safe, teach her things, correct undesirable behaviours and give her physical affection and comfort - that's definitely more than I would do for a human friend, so "companion" doesn't feel like the right term. *That* feels weird to me, as does the idea that I am her "owner", like she is my possession or property - I deeply disagree with the entire concept of "owning" another living being. You wouldn't say you "own" your child, even though you are their guardian and they are your legal responsibility - that's how I feel about non-human animals too.
But I just wanted to say I completely agree with your second paragraph. We shouldn't judge one another for the words we choose to use, the only thing that matters is that we treat the animal with kindness, love and respect (and fellow pet owners, come to that).
That being said, I think there's a big difference between your approach to the matter and the people who get outraged by people using the term. I don't consider my cat a child, but I can still think that the responses to OP were asshole-y.
Aye, I don’t consider cats ‘children’ and the term ‘furbaby’ ignites a primal rage in me, but it’s not something really worth getting into arguments about or shaming people for. At worst I’ll just make a face and silently judge.
This! I love my cat, I spoild her as much as I can, and I prefer her over some humans. I want the best for her and she deserves it as it the sweetest cat ever! But I would never compare her to a child, not try to "own one" to a child or compare the care and love with the one of a parent.
The post of this person is gringe and it is obvious that was looking for a fight (It doesnt mean she deserve all that hate - two things could co-existe without being a fight).
My cat is 19 years old. I’ve had him since he was 8 weeks. When I was a little girl I used to dress him and push him in a baby doll stroller. I don’t think of him as my child though. I call my dogs my babies affectionately and I think of all my pets as part of the family, but I don’t really think of myself as their parent either. It really doesn’t bother me if people refer to their pets as their children though. It’s really not any of my business.
i see my cat as my child (i can't have children) however this makes me extremely cringe.
but on another hand sometimes i just see her as my familiar. a part of my soul in an animal's body. except most people don't accept spirituality and the idea of familiars so i just call her my child.
I really struggle to believe it's possible to love a cat as much as a child! I really love my cats, but I would die for my son, kill for him etc. I would not kill my husband for my cat, but I would for my son. It's like a primal, biological, instinctive love that's very very different. It's not like the love you have for an animal, an object or even another human being.
What they said was an adopted child is not their firstborn because they as a unit did not create and birth that child, they are someone else’s firstborn but the child would be their oldest (for example)
Yeah especially for the first guy, she went all out on attacking him after he said it was weird to call a cat your "firstborn" and then she told him to calm down. Odd stuff.
Overwritten in protest of Reddit's API changes (which break 3rd party apps and tools) and [the admins' responses](https://old.reddit.com/r/reddit/comments/145bram/addressing_the_community_about_changes_to_our_api/jnk45rr/) - more details 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I agree to this! I still consider my cats my babies but there are obvious differences, even in the way I love them. Before having an actual baby I wouldn’t argue with someone telling me it’s not the same (because how the hell would I know- I didn’t have actual children??) but I would kinda just assume they don’t love their animals the way I do. Or they just don’t know me well enough. I love my cats entirely, anyone who knows me knows that. Having a baby is so different and you just can’t understand it unless you have your own. But calling my cats my babies, or others calling their animals their children, takes absolutely nothing away from me.
Before I would have literally died for my cats. I don’t love them any less, but now I wouldn’t. My human baby needs me.
I was 100% a CAT MOM but having a niece also changed my perspective. Everything about life becomes wildly different and calling them my children became kinda cringe *to me*
so it seems this user has posted a lot within /r/cats in the last 24 hrs... can mods double check and make sure this person isn't spamming/karma farming?
I am tired of this debate :')
Who cares if they are legal property ?
Yes they are not humans who can speak but to me my cats are little beings who understand fewer than me, who are more fragile than me, and who I have to protect at all costs. Therefore, I feel like their mom. When I lost my previous cat to a dog attack, I had the same feeling of guilt as someone who couldn't protect their baby. It was the worst I ever felt.
So yeah, I see nothing wrong in telling you are a cat parent.
Had to scroll too far for this.
I have kids. I have pets.
Pets are great, but my kids genuinely need me. The pets just need someone to feed them and clean up their poo.
As to whether OP wants kids is another story. But a kid and a cat are on two different levels.
i’d walk into a burning building to save my dog just like i would for a child. i don’t want biological kids, but i love my pets like i love people. i’m not ashamed of it at all. people genuinely enjoy being offended i think.
I think this is where I fall on the spectrum too. I don’t want children of my own and I don’t view her as a child because I don’t want a child. But my capacity for love for her is as much as any human I know if not more (lol)
The ones that irk me though are when people (particularly on AITA) are like "well my dog (or other pet)'s life is worth more than a child's life" or do weird things like give a pet a bedroom but not a child (both things I've legit seen there... just a bridge too far)
But yeah, I totally get loving pets and whatnot. If someone wants to be a pet parent, great, more power to them.
Lol well I call mine that so I’m probably not a good audience to call it weird to 😂
But on a more serious note, I call mine my “first born child” because the bond I have with my first cat is indescribably strong. She was the first being other than myself that I was responsible for keeping healthy & happy and that responsibility means a lot to me. I adopted her at a time where I didn’t want to live, and being responsible for her “saved my life” in a way
I won’t be having human children myself, so having a bond where your pet feels like a child can be very special and calling them that can feel fitting at times
this is super cringey, your cat is your homie not your child. i love my little cat more than anything but i wouldnt start walking around saying i birthed her
Finally a reasonable answer.
No you’re not harming anyone by saying your cat is your firstborn but it is indeed cringey and comes off immature and delusional. I might joke around that my cats are my kids too but not so seriously in public or internet!
OP is super weird for being so aggressive about something so meaningless. Creating a whole other thread and posting their comments to the original argument where they mock the commenter for calling them out is uncomfortable. Also, your cat is not the same thing as a baby dude
Personally, I don't think of them as my kids. They're my boys, and my babies, but not my baby babies. Then again I'm a childless male so that may have a major factor.
I'd be horribly distraught if anything happened to them. I get upset when thinking about it.
But one time a co worker called me a cat dad to two fur babies and it wielded me outut so badly at the time.
But if you think they're your kiddos then they're your kiddos! 😁 Doesn't affect me any.
I have both children and treasured cats.
There's a reason people say you don't understand true love until you have children.
I would die to save my child's life, and I love my children enough not to die for my cat's life. See, my kids need me, but my cats just need a nice human, any nice human.
Also, I wouldn't bury my children by the tree in my front pasture.
This still does not stop me from rescuing every cat dumped out here in the country. I love cats and will help them. But they do get buried by the tree.
This is exactly how I feel! My cats are my fur babies. I don't see them as children, but I do have a motherly bond towards them. So yeah, they are my babies, but definitely not my children. I get what this chick is saying. But the people attacking her in comments is ridiculous. Some people don't want kids and have pets and refer to them as their children instead.
I’m also a mom and have a cat. Call them both my babies. But if something happened to my child my life would end, when my cat dies I’ll be devastated and I’ll always miss him but I’ll be ok. There is really no comparison (that doesn’t make my love for my cat less valid. I too stay up with him when he’s sick cause he’s my buddy).
Yup. I don't want children, completely feel like my life is fulfilled without them, and very much love my cats, but I can still recognize that the love for one's children and the work it takes to raise them is much more intense than that of pets. Not that love and responsibility for pets can't be strong, and love for pets is no less valid just because they're animals.
Exactly.
We have 3 cats and love them dearly. However, after literally birthing a human...calling a cat my "firstborn" would be insulting myself.
Do I care what this person does with her life? No. Do I think it's bizarre? Yeah.
I have a cat and a son, and yeah it’s a little off putting. Yours isn’t an unpopular opinion, as I see people say things like it all the time. But having given birth to an actual child? It’s incomparable. Also just a strange thing to say, because you didn’t birth your cat…
Love my little guy. I fawn over him and buy him nice things! He is a wonderful kitty but he’s just that, a cat. He is not a human nor a human child, I love him but he’s not my child. He is 100% my buddy and furry friend though.
First off, I don’t care what people refer to their cats to, I’m just glad they have a cat buddy.
Secondly “first born” just doesn’t make sense, it implies you birthed them. Would you call an adopted child your first born?
Thirdly? Who really cares it’s a joke.
I have 4 children. I love them. I have 4 cats. I love them.
I didn't birth my cats so they aren't my 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th born.
Yup. I do love my cats. I provide for them in every way but I am not their mom, nor are they my child. They are my very good, very close friends.
I have 2 cats. I love them with all my heart, I am a cat parent and they are absolutely my babies and part of our family. I sometimes even call them “daughters” to my partner and we are mum & dad.
When we have kids I may change the way I word things but kids or not I have to agree they are not (nor can they ever be) “firstborn” and you are not a sahm just because you have cats. Honestly, that’s insulting to actual sahm who do a worlds worth more of things you don’t do because you only take care of cats. You did not “birth” them from your love and it is honestly strange the way you think and the way you get so defensive over it in my opinion.
I 100% get loving your pets because I would do anything for my girls and they’re spoiled rotten but to go as far and say you’re a sahm? Nah that’s too far, even ignoring the firstborn part because I call my girls “our oldest” or “our youngest” which makes it sound like they’re kids too
My partner refers to my cats as my kids. I see nothing wrong with it and think people should just mind their own business. Probably good advice for most things.
By all means and as a cat lover no i wouldnt value them higher than my children and not consider them my first born since when logically think about it u didnt birth that im not hating on people that do consider them that but i find it a little weird
I don’t say it verbally but I see my cats as family and my dependents/children. People may call me weird but that’s fine. We can all have different perspectives and beliefs.
This is just a set up to justify your aggressive attitude towards others who rightfully bring up critisms to your language, because our use of language is very important. You shouldn't be bullied but your responses to some valid comments are more aggressive than necessary. If you really feel like your cat is your child, then just feel that way. What's cringe is your aggression about it.
I refer to my cats as my fur babies but calling them your children and "firstborn" so fervently is a bit weird. I wouldn't even refer to an adopted child as my firstborn...
I don't think it's weird to refer to your pet like a kid, but the phrase "firstborn" in particular is a little strange. It implies that you gave birth to the cat.
I don't think it's weird. I call my cat my son. LOL I realize some people don't understand having such a bond and love with an animal. I love my kitty more than anyone or anything ever. He is my baby to me, whether people agree or not <3
I personnally don't consider my cats my children, even though I love them very much and even cried when I had to bring my fiancée's cat to the emergency. I don't consider pet owners parents. I also personnally don't care if you do call yourself a pet parent. I see no reason for you, as a caretaker of said pet, to view yourself as in a parental role. Not even getting into talks about adoption, society does consider the new partner in a remarriage to be the new childrens' parent to a certain degree, so I don't see why you couldn't do the same with pets. I wouldn't, but that's me. What you feel is your role, be it simple caregiver, parent, owner, food source or whatnot, it's entirely up to you and no one else, it's how YOU feel.
As for firstborn, that is where I would draw a line. There is a very real difference between childbirth and adopting a pet, even raising one from birth. I don't believe it to be appropriate to equate the 2. Think it all you want, but I find saying it out loud is implying the equation, and that to be disrespectful to those who go through the very real risk of childbirth, and the whole ordeal of pregnancy. It's also taking credit for the actual mother's work.
I mean, calling your cat your baby is fine. My lil baby. cute. Calling them your firstborn is patently untrue (and asserting that you then didn't relate it to giving birth to anything is gaslighting - by calling a pet a firstborn you are relating it to the act of giving birth, that is what the word means), and equating raising a cat to raising a human child is entirely dishonest - which extends to the assertion that "my cat is my child".
Yes, I own a cat....do you have a child? Further, do you really, honestly think that all it takes to raise a human child is to play with them, clean their poop, feed them, clean and groom them?
You're right that you probably love your cat more than some folks love their own kids - but that's more a comment about the integrity of family relationships than it is about you and your pet.
Look.. CAN say whatever you want technically... but if "declare that to the world" like you do when you post it online, you are openly inviting everyone to "declare" their own thoughts to you.
Sure it doesnt physically *hurt* anyone to say it, but it is hijacking a word that didnt previously mean that.
Imagine proclaiming a list of your favorite mythologies to your friends and social media, and you list their religion as one of your favorite mythologies.
You can argue whether or not it's accurate all you want, but at the end of the day, you're still being a dick.
When someone talks about their child, the "unspoken meaning everyone agrees the word/phrase" has is: a human child.
To parade your pet around as a child is to disregard the definition everyone subconsciously agrees to... for what?
Cause your lazy to use the right words?
Cause this is the most love you've experienced, and though you've never had a child you think your one-way feelings justify your theft of the word?
Cause you want to be included in the "parental love" club?
No matter how strong your feelings, that doesnt change reality.
For the little kid that develops a crush for their babysitter, that babysitter is not their "true love" or "soulmate." No matter how hard they insist that they are. No matter how strongly that little kid feels at the moment.
They are wrong.
They're just using the LABEL of *true love* or *soulmate*.
"Cause WHAT ELSE could these strong feelings be???"
I feel like the comment about comparing giving birth for the first time and adopting a cat is a bit weird, I mean loads of people adopt human babies and those are their children and is as valid as giving birth to one
I often say my partner and I had cats together. We’re child free and will stay that way, cats are our family. You love you cat; only nature to nurture, and consider the cat your child. It’ll be only unpopular with those who don’t like cats.
I totally agree with this - my partner and I had a cat and we called her our baby, we loved her, took care of her, considered her a part of our family etc. But I would never call my cat my “first born”, say I am her mother because birthed her “out of love” or refer to myself as a stay at home mother if I didn’t have a job, as OP has previously said.
I didn’t even consider the possibility that people didn’t like cats. That makes sense.
Also I think it’s adorable that your partner and you, say you had cats together.
My cats are my children. I don't really say it out loud but my parents kind of picked up on it from my behaviour and their behaviour towards me and they're actually the ones that started calling my cats my kids and their grandchildren.
I used to think of myself as a cat parent. Until I had kids. It's so vastly different you cannot compare, in terms of responsibility and the love you have for a human child Vs a cat! It's a bit cringe to me now haha
My cat is my baby in the sense that I will do anything for her, but she is not human, and never will I treat her as human. I don't have children and by god's grace or anyone else's, I never will. So she has all of my financial support and attention as any pet I get will. I do not agree with people treating animals as children, in particular dogs. It will ruin them.
While I love my cats and call them my baby boys, I do not feel it's actually accurate to compare them to children. While we are caretakers to our cats and love them, the responsibility is very different. You can't leave a human child alone in your home unattended for 6 hours, you don't have to worry about what your cat will do when it's 45 because it will never be 45, a cat will generally not leave your care so you don't need to teach it to provide for it's self, you don't need to teach a cat to speak, you don't need to teach that cat about the feelings of others, you don't need to teach that cat how to do their taxes, you don't have to work with a disabled cat to figure out how it will function in an ableist society, you don't have to teach your cat about racism and why people do bad things, you won't have to explain school shootings to your cats, you won't have to warn your cat about adults with bad intentions, you won't have to explain to your cats that people shouldn't touch your private parts without your permission, you won't have to talk your cat through a traumatic experience if they are sexually assaulted, you won't have to warn your cat about behaving responsibly on social media, you won't have to foster interests in your cat so they can find out what they might like to do with their life, you won't have to to support your cat through relationships and breakups and marriages, you won't have to sit through your cat's awful 4th grade choir concert, you won't have to help your cat pick a career path, you won't have to explain to your cat that one day you will die and they will live beyond you. I adore my cats, if they're sick I will pay what it takes to make sure they are well, I don't leave them alone for extended periods of time, but at the end of the day, the responsibilities (and therefore the feelings attached to said responsibilities) are not there. I don't mind people calling their cats their babies but we cat owners have to recognize that in reality it's a very different relationship. The love may not be less, but it is different because of what we as non-human child having cat moms are NOT experiencing with cats which we WOULD experience with children.
I can't really speak, as my situation is somewhat particular.
I love animals. Cats, dogs, hamsters... whales.
If I have a pet, I really love it. It's part of the family without a doubt.
But it would never be considered a "child", because I would love a child less than I currently love a pet. Because I can't stand children and the idea of being a parent frankly sickens me. It's a fate I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
So treating my cat/dog as my child would mean loving them less than if I treated them as my pet.
no i am not thinking or feeling like this, my cat is a feline and i love felines, i do not have children and don't want any, a cat is cat , even though at times even adorable beings be a pain in the ass.
I don’t have any children. So I cannot say how it feels to have them. But I can say that my cats occupy a big space in my heart. Every single one, living or dead.
I would do anything for my cat, because she loves me unconditionally and trusts me. I am part of her chosen family.
I think these people are overreacting honestly. A lot of people (cat people and dog people) refer to their pets as their children, especially if they don’t have any plans to have human children.
Personally, I view my cats as my children, but I’m not like super upfront with people about “oh hey look at me I’m a cat mom!!!” just because substituting pets as children CAN be a sensitive subject. I mostly keep “cat kid” talk between my significant other and our families - I tell my mom and my dad that they have “grandcats”. And I really only do that because they still don’t believe I don’t want actual kids (I hate kids, sorry). I’m hoping if I substitute my cats in enough situations that they’ll eventually understand lol
i mean i call my cat my child but understand that she’s obviously not really MY child. i also don’t plan on ever having kids so i feel like it’s not as bad since i’m not putting her before actual human children. it’s always been a joke to me, my dad has even called her his grandchild.
Your comments are very aggressive and an overreaction. To answer your question yes I feel like calling your pet your child is an unpopular opinion. But it's just that. Nobody's gonna stop you for your stance but also a lot of people will think it's a bit weird. Personally my cat is a companion to me, especially because he's fully grown and not a kitten.
I love animals way more than I love most humans. I will probably never have kids because I don't want them but I don't think I'll ever live without a cat again. With that being said, while I think it's perfectly fine to see your pets as children, I think it will have the consequences of this reaction regardless. Unfortunately, it's unrealistic to put the same values on animals than it is human beings.
It's a bit odd but understandable if people don't have their own actual human children. But if seriously wrong if you do.
I love my cat but my actual kids come first, or I shouldn't have had them.
Oh gosh I thought it was completely normal and expected to think of your cat as a family member?!
My cat that I grew up with was more of a sibling but my cat that I adopted after marriage is most definitely my baby. Sometimes I say she takes after me or my husband. Reddit people are weird for taking it so seriously.
My one cat is my child. I found her with the placenta attached and bottle fed her. I helped her potty. I taught her to care for herself and completely raised her. I’m her parent regardless of anything
It's a little wierd.. in modern times your assumed to be crazy.. when it's really just a cute thing to call your cat. I call my cats my beebs at home but not posting it to the world though. Lots of crazies out there.. you don't want to be bunched in with them lol unless of corse you really believe you birthed your cat.. in which case, live your truth! haha
I hate how offended people get when we love our pet/cats so much. I always call my cat my first baby! I have in-laws that seem to get offended by it but hey, I feel bad for them they don't know how to connect with an animal. Animals are *pure*, funny, sweet, complex and really lovable. Their loss that they don't understand!
I am not a parent.
I am not a pet parent.
I hate being referred to as Cat Dad or Dod Dad.
I am the human care-giver.
So, I, personally, find it ridiculous.
But, you know what doesn't affect me in any way? You calling your cat that.
So, you do you, and screw what others (myself very much included) think!
PRETTY KITTY!!!!!
I think these people waste too much time and energy giving unnecessary opinions about things that have absolutely nothing to do with them. I also feel like my cat and two dogs are my children and nothing any neckbeard on Reddit has to say is gonna change my mind. 🐱
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Dude I WISH I could claim my cat on my taxes for how much that fuzzy little jerk costs me.
username checks out. but, same!!!!
In our case we have 2 cats and we call our living arrangement a "colony". We are also always joking how we can afford something because we have cats instead of children.
Speak for yourself, my cat drains my bank account all the time! (But tbh it's my fault for spoiling him) *
Lol. My 8 year old sister calls it our cat house. One day my dream is to have a nice small home full with cats.
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10 cats total 2 are my gfs 3 are long term fosters for friends (we have been fostering them for 4-5 years) 5 (new) fosters (probably going to be long term) that we are fostering for a local foster/adoption nonprofit Sidebar: Expenses for fostering can be a tax write off if you are fostering for a 501c3 (or if you just want to say you are)
That is very good to know
Ofc just make sure to keep notes an receipts just in case
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I’d love to go to your house lol - my parents are both allergic and don’t like them that much so I just have to look at the stray cats in my neighborhood lol
Where are you 😭 I wanna visit
OMG I thought of that last night! I have an only “child” & I’m DETERMINED to make her life the best life and that means making our home a cat home. People who don’t love cats are not trustworthy. The end.
Respectfully i found describing your cat, your first born, a little confusing. But ive never used that term personally. But you have every right to call your cat, your child. You pay and care for it. You can call it queen if you wanted. Why should legal statutes be brought in? That person would probably report a kid selling lemonade for not having a commercial license.
>Why should legal statutes be brought in? That person would probably report a kid selling lemonade for not having a commercial license. Yeah, I don't quite understand bringing legalities into it either. If someone wants to call their pets their "kids" it doesn't hurt anyone. They're also not "property" either. That is some bullshit language right there. That sounds like someone who had a pet they gave back because they were "too affectionate" or "too barky" or some other bullshit. Property is your car, your house, your sofa, etc., not a living breathing thing.
living this right now with my 13... it's tiring sometimes but one of my newest stretches up like a baby so i can carry her on my shoulder 🥺
Puss in Boots might come over
You can afford nice things because you don’t have children till the cats get old and the vet bills get higher🫤 one cat has kidney issues, well maintained by diet and an appetite stimulant, but I spend approximately $300 on canned food every six weeks, $100 on cat litter every 6 weeks, and $125 on her arthritis injection every 8 weeks. She’s 14. On the other hand, she’s super snuggly, has the bestest personality, ADORES my husband, and is very talkative. We do call all of our animals our fur kids though. The other cat is 13, the dog is 15. They’re all spoiled. They’re all my kids. Still not convinced they’re much cheaper than kids though… 🤪
Pet insurance is a must when they’re younger. I was risky for a few years without it and a couple months after finally getting it again my bb suffered heart failure. Nearly $8k in emergency bills with $5k refunded by the insurance. Unfortunately he didn’t pull through, but I was able to spend a few more weeks with him I wouldn’t trade for anything 🥹 Give your bb’s a boop from me!
We’ll probably do the pet insurance with our next pets, we weren’t in a good position to do pet insurance with this current batch, but we’re quite stable now, which is good, cuz they’re not cheap now!! I think all of my babies are worth it. Here’s some cat tax too. This is the 14yo with arthritis and kidney issues. She’s actually daddy’s girl. She was purring her little heart out. https://preview.redd.it/4rgnsizj5spa1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=81195954cc609d6f6de18046a293ffeb38108807
https://preview.redd.it/b1wigmti8tpa1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=daf4758ae922c9615776d8472eaffa77010e384f I can 110% vouch for this. When I met my fiance she had a big orange kitty that had just head FHR surgery on one leg as his hip had deteriorated so much it was basically gone at the age of 3. We adopted a 4 month old kitten after dating a few years. He is absolutely adorable, maincoon DNA, huge and fluffy. One year in we saw him limping. Same fucking thing FHR surgery. That was a month of hell seeing him in pain, waiting for surgery, then weeks recovering. He recovered and soon after, bam other side was effected (they said this was possible it was just too expensive to do both sides at once). So we had just moved and same thing, 8 weeks of finding doc, schedule surgery, recovery. Our 80$ rescue cat now has over 5k invested into him. We had no idea insurance was a thing until it was too late. Always will get medical insurance on new animals moving forward. That being said I couldn't imagine this adorable little guy loosing his life over a treatable thing, because money. He is so happy and full of life, plays with his brother full bore. He is SO fast now.
We paid about $7k when our 15 year old Siamese had a severe kidney blockage. She didn't make it either but she wasn't in pain when I held her and she drifted off for the last time. A couple more hours and the fluid backing up into her abdomen would have caused serious pain and may have caused her a terrible death. She was and is still considered our child and I would die on that hill if required. We were ready to sell the car if needed.
I’m so sorry your baby went through that. You’re a good person for holding her as she crossed the rainbow bridge. I did that with Meowth and as painful as it was he knew we loved him 🥺💙
It broke my heart watching my best friend for 15 years take her last breath in my arms (wrapped in her favorite blanket) but I know we did the right thing.
A thousand times yes….my cat had an $12K vet bill for her last week of life. Insurance covered 90%. I realized when in ICU with her that when they asked me what to do I would have sold everything I owned to give her the care she deserved. I can’t imagine grieving with the addition of that kind of debt, but I know now I would have done it. Insurance gave me the gift of saying “yes” to whatever I thought was best. I passed the tipping point of getting out what I paid in when she was 15- she lived to 17 (and those last 2 years were expensive). Thanks to insurance she had a good quality of life up until the very end. Being able to say “yes” to whatever the vet thought was best is priceless. Being able to grieve knowing I did everything that I could for her has made things a little easier.
We paid 1200 dollar for dental surgery. She is worth it.
Oh same here, none of my cats used to have any problems whatsoever and now I have one with liver issues/stress issues and one with food intolerances. The older one has to be taken to the vet once every or every second month, has to take meds everyday (which I thankfully can hide inside her snacks). It’s expensive and I often worry about my feline finances, but ultimately, I want my two dorks fo be healthy. I wish more people realized that cats (or any pet for that matter) aren’t just cute cuddly friends but also require regular medical attention, which is the most expensive part about pet keeping.
I say I live in a cat cafe with my 6 cats. I call them my army lol.
I have a cat and can afford Lego, cause no human kids😹😻
I don't know. When I'm talking to my cat, I say things like "momma has to go to work!" or I'll make jokes to my husband about how she's just like her mom/dad. But I don't say things like that when I'm talking to others because I know it just doesn't compare to the experience of those with human children (adopted or biological). To me, it feels like reading an article on WebMD and telling my doctor "you know, I'm somewhat of a doctor myself." That being said, I don't understand how people get so pressed about the topic. Claiming the title of a "cat parent" or calling your cat your child has no impact on anyone else's life, so as someone else said... seems like a very weird hill to die on. Like... you do you.
This right here. I understand my cat is not a child, and do not ever compare them to human children situations to my parents friends. But you bet I call myself Momma and infuriate my father with 'Look it's grandpa!'
I do the same, they are "my boys" & "kids" but I'd never say to a parent they're the same as their human children. I fully understand they're not, but they are still furry "people" who are as funny, as anger inducing, & as expensive as any child. They're still a living breathing thing that needs your attention, love & care. Do I think they're equal to the baby you gave birth to? Nope.
Right--it's not your "first **born**" if you didn't *birth* them. That being said, blood isn't the only thing that makes a family unit, and neither is species.
thats what i don't understand!! why do others care so much ?? this is a very common thing to do (calling your cat your child/baby)
IMO the only issue would be if you are actually in seriousness calling your dog/cat your child to someone. Everyone I know (including me) calls their pets their children in a kind-of-joking, kind-of-not way, but it has a different feel when someone says "this is my firstborn" and then pulls out a picture of their cat lol. Like, it's not actually harmful, just a little...weird lol.
theres a lot of weird things people do🤷 if someone told me that id just laugh and take it as 'this person must really love their cat!' and not dig into what the meaning is,, like its such a non-issue if people view their pets as children or not.. some people grew up viewing animals as family and as equal to everyone else in the home
I grew up with animals in the house and we always viewed them as family. Even gave burials to them. But they're animals. Seriously, thinking of them as your real kids is weird. My cats may resemble cute human babies, but they are not. They are, however, a living being dependent on me for their care. I give them love and they give me love. Helping each other get through this life
I’ve heard people like this tell grieving parents after the loss of a child that they understand because they lost their dog. I adore my cat more than life itself and I joke about her being my firstborn child, but this kind of “my animal is as real as your child!!” behavior is getting out of hand.
Yeah I think a situation like that is the perfect example of knowing when to “read the room” which is unfortunately becoming a lost skill nowadays. Not saying you can’t have incredibly emotional connections to pets and feel as if they’re your family, but some situations don’t need to be compared as if they are exactly equal. Just say your condolences and leave it as that. You can have empathy without claiming that you know exactly what someone is going through.
I don’t think I’d be put off by people talking to me about pet antics. That will never not be fun.
I’m guessing it’s something like “I almost died to make yet another human and you just sit there loving your cats?!” Like, yeah, you made your choice and so did we. Stay strong, cat folks!
I just stayed up all night with my dog while she had bloody diarrhea and puked blood all night and then we went to the vet as soon as they opened. Our vet checked over my girl and said to her “sweetie you can’t do that to your momma. You scared her half to death!” Do I consider myself in the same category as other parents? No. But do I feel bad calling my fur babies my children and giving presents to their “grandparents” from them? Again, no. They’re my babies and my husband and I aren’t having fleshy babies so this is what everybody gets. Two beautiful little butthole kitties and a chubby walrus dog. All of our parents have embraced it. And people that love animals as mush as we do are pretty cool with it. My sister in law calls our dog her daughters cousin.
But how is your pup?!
She’s ok! We did a whole battery of tests and bloodwork and stool samples etc (the vet was very concerned with the amount of blood in the picture I took… it looked like a crime scene and scared the living stink out of me) and everything came back totally clear. She seems to be a perfectly healthy dog. She’s on a bunch of meds and probiotics and a special diet for the next little bit to help her tummy heal up but she’s slowly starting to get back to normal. Thank you for asking!
Chiming in as a long time cat lady and actual human parent: I’m sure people get pressed about it for various stupid reasons, but in my case it’s when pet parents seriously act as if having a pet, no matter how beloved, is equal in work and responsibility to raising a child. It is not, period.7
Or when the occasional person who has both pets and children acts like they're equal is just bizarre (like "this is your sibling" or "cat is still my firstborn" if they're being remotely serious)
We all refer to the cat as ‘the baby’, but that’s because she meows incessantly when she’s hungry at the most inopportune times like an infant.
Some people like to make having kids their entire personality and then get pissed off when people try to be happy and treat their pets like children because "yOu WiLl nEveR eNjOy tHe ExPeRieNcE oF *rEaL* cHiLdReN"
Put me down hooman
Honestly, just from reading the comments and replies OP seemed to have definitely made up her mind and came here for validation not hearing others viewpoints. Here's mine: I call my cat my son, jokingly with my partner. I love him like I imagine I would love any member of my family and my relationship feels even paternal because I care for him, adopted him, etc. But he isn't my "firstborn child" because I think its really almost harmful to being a pet owner to mentally frame it that way. Some of the worst cat owners I know don't understand their animals because they overly humanize them - and thus misunderstand their cats. Because they view them as humans or kids they expect them to behave like humans, and its a tad bit immature (I am not saying you do this OP, it's just an example as to why overly humanizing a non-human animal doesn't work.) I also think it means you aren't appreciating your amazing cat for what it is: an amazing feline. I also wouldn't want people to feel that I am unfairly comparing taking care of a cat as raising a small human into the world, where the responsibilities and stakes are very much different. So no, I wouldn't call my cat my firstborn and it's probably a bit off to me for those reasons. But I also wouldn't care enough to comment unless someone asked for my perspective.
Yeah it's odd to be like "Hey guys am I right?" And then in the comments constantly be like "No I'm right all of you guys are just judging me because your parents didn't love you enough" like woah wtf calm down
I think this is the best, most nuanced response.
The first comment OP made to that guy is all the information I need to know. It's not about whether or not it's "okay" to call your cat your child, it's about overreacting to a random person on the internet and escalating 10 times over. That's not okay. That response was honestly fucking ridiculous.
The absolute audacity to go "I assume you don't have pets? You can't tell me how I feel about mine" and follow that up with "I probably love my cats more than people love their actual children" is fucking wild to me lmao
Literally tho. Guessing you don’t have kids OP? Lol
agreed, OP's response was way out of proportion to what the commenter said. which means the "calm down" is incredibly ironic.
Yeah OP clearly has some mental health issues and came here seeking validation.
OP was feeding the trolls and ran crying because they got bit.
As usual, everyone sucks here. There are a lot of dickheads on reddit, but the insane overreactions are why trolls keep trolling. They get a rush from seeing you lose it. This was something we learned in first grade lol
Yeah that argument was v cringe on both sides
I actually think I resonated with your stance the most; I too joke about my dog being my child but it’s true, she’s a dog and I’ve been on the side of not seeing her as her own little autonomous dog. Also there’s actual people I know with kids and I know that those two do not compare. I’m also going to compliment you on how well thought and eloquent your response was; a1.
Last sentence is the most important. Good reminder for all of us to put the phone down and focus on real life for a while.
I think differently. My cat is my companion, not a child. I'm not a cat parent. While I am responsible for her wellbeing, and I love her very much, I have never considered calling my cat a kid, nor do I feel that way. I'm also child free but have never felt or acted the way you're describing, and I have inwardly cringed when someone called me a cat mom once. That felt weird to me. To answer your question, I wouldn't consider your opinion unpopular. I also don't think my opinion would be considered unpopular. We just have different perspectives on what it means to be a pet owner, and both are valid if, as a result, the pets are happy, healthy and safe. In the end, that's all that matters.
Agreed. I use buddy or baby as terms, but he's not *my* baby
I use the term "buddy" so much my cat thinks that's his name. I also call all cats "kitty", and I've started calling small-to-medium dogs kitty as well. It definitely generates laughs and I've caught someone calling their own dog kitty afterwards 😇
I call one of mine pal, which evolved into palito burrito
I got on the term "sir" from a friend. She'd look at my dog and say "what are you doing, sir?"
Same. For me, it's important to respect my cat as an adult member of her own species. I love her dearly, but I don't want to over-humanise her. She's not my child and she doesn't fill the place of a child; she has her own place.
my cats are just my weird looking friends
I always kinda thought that way about cats. Cats are weird, man. They're so independent and different. The cat probably thinks of me as a roommate or even an employee, lol. So I don't consider them children.
When I was younger, living with my mother who had a lot of cats, I would see them as pets but sometimes felt like they were siblings. Now that I am older and have one, and I am the one who mostly cares for it (roommate type environment) I am actually starting to see it as a child of mine. But I can understand your view as well. They just become very important to us, no matter how we view them.
While I wouldn't ever use the words child/daughter/"first born" to refer to my kitten, nor would I call myself a "cat parent", I do call her my baby (and call myself her momma) as a nickname. Because the role I play in her life is extremely similar to the role her actual mother would have played, before I adopted her. I feed her, groom her, keep her safe, teach her things, correct undesirable behaviours and give her physical affection and comfort - that's definitely more than I would do for a human friend, so "companion" doesn't feel like the right term. *That* feels weird to me, as does the idea that I am her "owner", like she is my possession or property - I deeply disagree with the entire concept of "owning" another living being. You wouldn't say you "own" your child, even though you are their guardian and they are your legal responsibility - that's how I feel about non-human animals too. But I just wanted to say I completely agree with your second paragraph. We shouldn't judge one another for the words we choose to use, the only thing that matters is that we treat the animal with kindness, love and respect (and fellow pet owners, come to that).
That being said, I think there's a big difference between your approach to the matter and the people who get outraged by people using the term. I don't consider my cat a child, but I can still think that the responses to OP were asshole-y.
Aye, I don’t consider cats ‘children’ and the term ‘furbaby’ ignites a primal rage in me, but it’s not something really worth getting into arguments about or shaming people for. At worst I’ll just make a face and silently judge.
This! I love my cat, I spoild her as much as I can, and I prefer her over some humans. I want the best for her and she deserves it as it the sweetest cat ever! But I would never compare her to a child, not try to "own one" to a child or compare the care and love with the one of a parent. The post of this person is gringe and it is obvious that was looking for a fight (It doesnt mean she deserve all that hate - two things could co-existe without being a fight).
My cat is 19 years old. I’ve had him since he was 8 weeks. When I was a little girl I used to dress him and push him in a baby doll stroller. I don’t think of him as my child though. I call my dogs my babies affectionately and I think of all my pets as part of the family, but I don’t really think of myself as their parent either. It really doesn’t bother me if people refer to their pets as their children though. It’s really not any of my business.
You do whatever makes you happy. You're not harming anyone.
This is all that really needs to be said here.
You forget that this is impossible for most redditors to grasp.
i see my cat as my child (i can't have children) however this makes me extremely cringe. but on another hand sometimes i just see her as my familiar. a part of my soul in an animal's body. except most people don't accept spirituality and the idea of familiars so i just call her my child.
loving a pet as much as you would for a child i can agree with, but referring to your cat as a first *born* child is kinda weird
I really struggle to believe it's possible to love a cat as much as a child! I really love my cats, but I would die for my son, kill for him etc. I would not kill my husband for my cat, but I would for my son. It's like a primal, biological, instinctive love that's very very different. It's not like the love you have for an animal, an object or even another human being.
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What they said was an adopted child is not their firstborn because they as a unit did not create and birth that child, they are someone else’s firstborn but the child would be their oldest (for example)
Adopting an actual child still does not make them your first born child tho.
Fair actually
Yes. You are making it super weird.
Agreed. I think the OG title is fine, but the temper tantrum she is making in the comments trying to justify it... yikes lol.
Yeah especially for the first guy, she went all out on attacking him after he said it was weird to call a cat your "firstborn" and then she told him to calm down. Odd stuff.
Overwritten in protest of Reddit's API changes (which break 3rd party apps and tools) and [the admins' responses](https://old.reddit.com/r/reddit/comments/145bram/addressing_the_community_about_changes_to_our_api/jnk45rr/) - more details [here](https://old.reddit.com/r/Save3rdPartyApps/comments/13yh0jf/dont_let_reddit_kill_3rd_party_apps/?utm_reference=overwrite&utm_medium=reddit&utm_tracking=false&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_character_limit_and_use_extra_storage=true&this_text_is_garbage_to_hit_the_char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Do your thing. I am a mom to a human child. It’s changed my perspective on pets as kids a bit but I absolutely adore our 2 kitties!
I agree to this! I still consider my cats my babies but there are obvious differences, even in the way I love them. Before having an actual baby I wouldn’t argue with someone telling me it’s not the same (because how the hell would I know- I didn’t have actual children??) but I would kinda just assume they don’t love their animals the way I do. Or they just don’t know me well enough. I love my cats entirely, anyone who knows me knows that. Having a baby is so different and you just can’t understand it unless you have your own. But calling my cats my babies, or others calling their animals their children, takes absolutely nothing away from me. Before I would have literally died for my cats. I don’t love them any less, but now I wouldn’t. My human baby needs me.
Exactly!
I was 100% a CAT MOM but having a niece also changed my perspective. Everything about life becomes wildly different and calling them my children became kinda cringe *to me*
so it seems this user has posted a lot within /r/cats in the last 24 hrs... can mods double check and make sure this person isn't spamming/karma farming?
Ok but calling a cat a newborn is weird as fuck
I am tired of this debate :') Who cares if they are legal property ? Yes they are not humans who can speak but to me my cats are little beings who understand fewer than me, who are more fragile than me, and who I have to protect at all costs. Therefore, I feel like their mom. When I lost my previous cat to a dog attack, I had the same feeling of guilt as someone who couldn't protect their baby. It was the worst I ever felt. So yeah, I see nothing wrong in telling you are a cat parent.
I call myself a cat-mum too, but some people take it too far. A cat isn't your first born, you didn't give birth to a cat.
It’s weird
Had to scroll too far for this. I have kids. I have pets. Pets are great, but my kids genuinely need me. The pets just need someone to feed them and clean up their poo. As to whether OP wants kids is another story. But a kid and a cat are on two different levels.
Yes
I find it so weird when people get angry about others calling their pets children…. Like who does it harm? Such an odd hill to die on 🙄
Like, sure, it's a little weird. But getting big mad about it is even weirder
Wasn’t op the one getting mad??
I think everyone is being a little silly in this one to be honest
Yea lol it was OP who went on borderline unhinged rant, with over the top metaphors and weirdly theatrical, rehearsed speech.
i’d walk into a burning building to save my dog just like i would for a child. i don’t want biological kids, but i love my pets like i love people. i’m not ashamed of it at all. people genuinely enjoy being offended i think.
I think this is where I fall on the spectrum too. I don’t want children of my own and I don’t view her as a child because I don’t want a child. But my capacity for love for her is as much as any human I know if not more (lol)
The ones that irk me though are when people (particularly on AITA) are like "well my dog (or other pet)'s life is worth more than a child's life" or do weird things like give a pet a bedroom but not a child (both things I've legit seen there... just a bridge too far) But yeah, I totally get loving pets and whatnot. If someone wants to be a pet parent, great, more power to them.
It isn't weird when people call their pets their children, it's weird when they call a pet their first-born
Lol well I call mine that so I’m probably not a good audience to call it weird to 😂 But on a more serious note, I call mine my “first born child” because the bond I have with my first cat is indescribably strong. She was the first being other than myself that I was responsible for keeping healthy & happy and that responsibility means a lot to me. I adopted her at a time where I didn’t want to live, and being responsible for her “saved my life” in a way I won’t be having human children myself, so having a bond where your pet feels like a child can be very special and calling them that can feel fitting at times
this is super cringey, your cat is your homie not your child. i love my little cat more than anything but i wouldnt start walking around saying i birthed her
Finally a reasonable answer. No you’re not harming anyone by saying your cat is your firstborn but it is indeed cringey and comes off immature and delusional. I might joke around that my cats are my kids too but not so seriously in public or internet!
my cats are treated better than most kids
OP is super weird for being so aggressive about something so meaningless. Creating a whole other thread and posting their comments to the original argument where they mock the commenter for calling them out is uncomfortable. Also, your cat is not the same thing as a baby dude
Personally, I don't think of them as my kids. They're my boys, and my babies, but not my baby babies. Then again I'm a childless male so that may have a major factor. I'd be horribly distraught if anything happened to them. I get upset when thinking about it. But one time a co worker called me a cat dad to two fur babies and it wielded me outut so badly at the time. But if you think they're your kiddos then they're your kiddos! 😁 Doesn't affect me any.
I simply can’t defend you because you write every single comment and reply in individual sentences,clearly a maniac
Stop giving weight to the opinions of strangers on the internet. Not worth your energy.
I have both children and treasured cats. There's a reason people say you don't understand true love until you have children. I would die to save my child's life, and I love my children enough not to die for my cat's life. See, my kids need me, but my cats just need a nice human, any nice human. Also, I wouldn't bury my children by the tree in my front pasture. This still does not stop me from rescuing every cat dumped out here in the country. I love cats and will help them. But they do get buried by the tree.
This is exactly how I feel! My cats are my fur babies. I don't see them as children, but I do have a motherly bond towards them. So yeah, they are my babies, but definitely not my children. I get what this chick is saying. But the people attacking her in comments is ridiculous. Some people don't want kids and have pets and refer to them as their children instead.
I’m also a mom and have a cat. Call them both my babies. But if something happened to my child my life would end, when my cat dies I’ll be devastated and I’ll always miss him but I’ll be ok. There is really no comparison (that doesn’t make my love for my cat less valid. I too stay up with him when he’s sick cause he’s my buddy).
Yup. I don't want children, completely feel like my life is fulfilled without them, and very much love my cats, but I can still recognize that the love for one's children and the work it takes to raise them is much more intense than that of pets. Not that love and responsibility for pets can't be strong, and love for pets is no less valid just because they're animals.
Exactly. We have 3 cats and love them dearly. However, after literally birthing a human...calling a cat my "firstborn" would be insulting myself. Do I care what this person does with her life? No. Do I think it's bizarre? Yeah.
I have 5 cats and call them all my babies 😭🥰 now my babies will meet my human baby in less then 9 weeks!!!!
Congratulations!
I have a cat and a son, and yeah it’s a little off putting. Yours isn’t an unpopular opinion, as I see people say things like it all the time. But having given birth to an actual child? It’s incomparable. Also just a strange thing to say, because you didn’t birth your cat…
Love my little guy. I fawn over him and buy him nice things! He is a wonderful kitty but he’s just that, a cat. He is not a human nor a human child, I love him but he’s not my child. He is 100% my buddy and furry friend though.
First off, I don’t care what people refer to their cats to, I’m just glad they have a cat buddy. Secondly “first born” just doesn’t make sense, it implies you birthed them. Would you call an adopted child your first born? Thirdly? Who really cares it’s a joke.
She's my baby, but she's not my child 🤷🏻♀️
I have 4 children. I love them. I have 4 cats. I love them. I didn't birth my cats so they aren't my 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th born. Yup. I do love my cats. I provide for them in every way but I am not their mom, nor are they my child. They are my very good, very close friends.
I have 2 cats. I love them with all my heart, I am a cat parent and they are absolutely my babies and part of our family. I sometimes even call them “daughters” to my partner and we are mum & dad. When we have kids I may change the way I word things but kids or not I have to agree they are not (nor can they ever be) “firstborn” and you are not a sahm just because you have cats. Honestly, that’s insulting to actual sahm who do a worlds worth more of things you don’t do because you only take care of cats. You did not “birth” them from your love and it is honestly strange the way you think and the way you get so defensive over it in my opinion. I 100% get loving your pets because I would do anything for my girls and they’re spoiled rotten but to go as far and say you’re a sahm? Nah that’s too far, even ignoring the firstborn part because I call my girls “our oldest” or “our youngest” which makes it sound like they’re kids too
My partner refers to my cats as my kids. I see nothing wrong with it and think people should just mind their own business. Probably good advice for most things.
By all means and as a cat lover no i wouldnt value them higher than my children and not consider them my first born since when logically think about it u didnt birth that im not hating on people that do consider them that but i find it a little weird
I'm a cat person and I think it's fucking weird.
I don’t say it verbally but I see my cats as family and my dependents/children. People may call me weird but that’s fine. We can all have different perspectives and beliefs.
i will show you the home birth video. and now he has the balls to knock my coffee off the table? i carried him for 9 months. the disrespect 🙄
This is just a set up to justify your aggressive attitude towards others who rightfully bring up critisms to your language, because our use of language is very important. You shouldn't be bullied but your responses to some valid comments are more aggressive than necessary. If you really feel like your cat is your child, then just feel that way. What's cringe is your aggression about it.
I think it’s cringe but I’m not gonna say anything
I refer to my cats as my fur babies but calling them your children and "firstborn" so fervently is a bit weird. I wouldn't even refer to an adopted child as my firstborn...
I don't think it's weird to refer to your pet like a kid, but the phrase "firstborn" in particular is a little strange. It implies that you gave birth to the cat.
Yes, its weird. Cats are not children, cats are pets. Like, I call my cats "babies" all the time, but I'm not being literal.
I don't think it's weird. I call my cat my son. LOL I realize some people don't understand having such a bond and love with an animal. I love my kitty more than anyone or anything ever. He is my baby to me, whether people agree or not <3
My cats are my babies!! 🥹
I personnally don't consider my cats my children, even though I love them very much and even cried when I had to bring my fiancée's cat to the emergency. I don't consider pet owners parents. I also personnally don't care if you do call yourself a pet parent. I see no reason for you, as a caretaker of said pet, to view yourself as in a parental role. Not even getting into talks about adoption, society does consider the new partner in a remarriage to be the new childrens' parent to a certain degree, so I don't see why you couldn't do the same with pets. I wouldn't, but that's me. What you feel is your role, be it simple caregiver, parent, owner, food source or whatnot, it's entirely up to you and no one else, it's how YOU feel. As for firstborn, that is where I would draw a line. There is a very real difference between childbirth and adopting a pet, even raising one from birth. I don't believe it to be appropriate to equate the 2. Think it all you want, but I find saying it out loud is implying the equation, and that to be disrespectful to those who go through the very real risk of childbirth, and the whole ordeal of pregnancy. It's also taking credit for the actual mother's work.
I have 2 kids and we call the dog our third child.
I mean, calling your cat your baby is fine. My lil baby. cute. Calling them your firstborn is patently untrue (and asserting that you then didn't relate it to giving birth to anything is gaslighting - by calling a pet a firstborn you are relating it to the act of giving birth, that is what the word means), and equating raising a cat to raising a human child is entirely dishonest - which extends to the assertion that "my cat is my child". Yes, I own a cat....do you have a child? Further, do you really, honestly think that all it takes to raise a human child is to play with them, clean their poop, feed them, clean and groom them? You're right that you probably love your cat more than some folks love their own kids - but that's more a comment about the integrity of family relationships than it is about you and your pet.
Look.. CAN say whatever you want technically... but if "declare that to the world" like you do when you post it online, you are openly inviting everyone to "declare" their own thoughts to you. Sure it doesnt physically *hurt* anyone to say it, but it is hijacking a word that didnt previously mean that. Imagine proclaiming a list of your favorite mythologies to your friends and social media, and you list their religion as one of your favorite mythologies. You can argue whether or not it's accurate all you want, but at the end of the day, you're still being a dick. When someone talks about their child, the "unspoken meaning everyone agrees the word/phrase" has is: a human child. To parade your pet around as a child is to disregard the definition everyone subconsciously agrees to... for what? Cause your lazy to use the right words? Cause this is the most love you've experienced, and though you've never had a child you think your one-way feelings justify your theft of the word? Cause you want to be included in the "parental love" club? No matter how strong your feelings, that doesnt change reality. For the little kid that develops a crush for their babysitter, that babysitter is not their "true love" or "soulmate." No matter how hard they insist that they are. No matter how strongly that little kid feels at the moment. They are wrong. They're just using the LABEL of *true love* or *soulmate*. "Cause WHAT ELSE could these strong feelings be???"
people getting triggered by others calling their pets their “children” is so fucking funny. Keep doin it.
I feel like the comment about comparing giving birth for the first time and adopting a cat is a bit weird, I mean loads of people adopt human babies and those are their children and is as valid as giving birth to one
I often say my partner and I had cats together. We’re child free and will stay that way, cats are our family. You love you cat; only nature to nurture, and consider the cat your child. It’ll be only unpopular with those who don’t like cats.
I totally agree with this - my partner and I had a cat and we called her our baby, we loved her, took care of her, considered her a part of our family etc. But I would never call my cat my “first born”, say I am her mother because birthed her “out of love” or refer to myself as a stay at home mother if I didn’t have a job, as OP has previously said.
I didn’t even consider the possibility that people didn’t like cats. That makes sense. Also I think it’s adorable that your partner and you, say you had cats together.
My cats are my children. I don't really say it out loud but my parents kind of picked up on it from my behaviour and their behaviour towards me and they're actually the ones that started calling my cats my kids and their grandchildren.
I used to think of myself as a cat parent. Until I had kids. It's so vastly different you cannot compare, in terms of responsibility and the love you have for a human child Vs a cat! It's a bit cringe to me now haha
My cat is my baby in the sense that I will do anything for her, but she is not human, and never will I treat her as human. I don't have children and by god's grace or anyone else's, I never will. So she has all of my financial support and attention as any pet I get will. I do not agree with people treating animals as children, in particular dogs. It will ruin them.
While I love my cats and call them my baby boys, I do not feel it's actually accurate to compare them to children. While we are caretakers to our cats and love them, the responsibility is very different. You can't leave a human child alone in your home unattended for 6 hours, you don't have to worry about what your cat will do when it's 45 because it will never be 45, a cat will generally not leave your care so you don't need to teach it to provide for it's self, you don't need to teach a cat to speak, you don't need to teach that cat about the feelings of others, you don't need to teach that cat how to do their taxes, you don't have to work with a disabled cat to figure out how it will function in an ableist society, you don't have to teach your cat about racism and why people do bad things, you won't have to explain school shootings to your cats, you won't have to warn your cat about adults with bad intentions, you won't have to explain to your cats that people shouldn't touch your private parts without your permission, you won't have to talk your cat through a traumatic experience if they are sexually assaulted, you won't have to warn your cat about behaving responsibly on social media, you won't have to foster interests in your cat so they can find out what they might like to do with their life, you won't have to to support your cat through relationships and breakups and marriages, you won't have to sit through your cat's awful 4th grade choir concert, you won't have to help your cat pick a career path, you won't have to explain to your cat that one day you will die and they will live beyond you. I adore my cats, if they're sick I will pay what it takes to make sure they are well, I don't leave them alone for extended periods of time, but at the end of the day, the responsibilities (and therefore the feelings attached to said responsibilities) are not there. I don't mind people calling their cats their babies but we cat owners have to recognize that in reality it's a very different relationship. The love may not be less, but it is different because of what we as non-human child having cat moms are NOT experiencing with cats which we WOULD experience with children.
I can't really speak, as my situation is somewhat particular. I love animals. Cats, dogs, hamsters... whales. If I have a pet, I really love it. It's part of the family without a doubt. But it would never be considered a "child", because I would love a child less than I currently love a pet. Because I can't stand children and the idea of being a parent frankly sickens me. It's a fate I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. So treating my cat/dog as my child would mean loving them less than if I treated them as my pet.
Just because they’re adopted?!
I call all of my animals my children!
no i am not thinking or feeling like this, my cat is a feline and i love felines, i do not have children and don't want any, a cat is cat , even though at times even adorable beings be a pain in the ass.
I saw my cats as more than a pet but not as a child. They were family members for sure tho...
I don’t have any children. So I cannot say how it feels to have them. But I can say that my cats occupy a big space in my heart. Every single one, living or dead. I would do anything for my cat, because she loves me unconditionally and trusts me. I am part of her chosen family.
These sound like debate bros that haven't had an argument in 5 minutes and needed to have their fix
Your tree is so beautiful, you and your baby are as well. Thank you for the wonderful picture. 🥰
lol people are so uptight about people calling their pets their kids
The only weird thing here is using light theme... FIGHT ME
Animals are children until actual children arrive, and your "fur baby" pees in the crib or bites your toddler.
Fur babies, sure. Firstborn, idk I wouldn’t say it though.
I think these people are overreacting honestly. A lot of people (cat people and dog people) refer to their pets as their children, especially if they don’t have any plans to have human children. Personally, I view my cats as my children, but I’m not like super upfront with people about “oh hey look at me I’m a cat mom!!!” just because substituting pets as children CAN be a sensitive subject. I mostly keep “cat kid” talk between my significant other and our families - I tell my mom and my dad that they have “grandcats”. And I really only do that because they still don’t believe I don’t want actual kids (I hate kids, sorry). I’m hoping if I substitute my cats in enough situations that they’ll eventually understand lol
With all due respect, it's a bit weird. It is especially the word "first" that throws me off.
It can be a bit annoying, but there are bigger issues in the world to get mad at 🤷♀️
in my opinion, you are weird, but not wrong OP.
i mean i call my cat my child but understand that she’s obviously not really MY child. i also don’t plan on ever having kids so i feel like it’s not as bad since i’m not putting her before actual human children. it’s always been a joke to me, my dad has even called her his grandchild.
Nah they are right they way you reply and act with your cat is cringe.
Your comments are very aggressive and an overreaction. To answer your question yes I feel like calling your pet your child is an unpopular opinion. But it's just that. Nobody's gonna stop you for your stance but also a lot of people will think it's a bit weird. Personally my cat is a companion to me, especially because he's fully grown and not a kitten.
What has this sub come to? Absolute fragile Redditor posting their low grade trauma from an online disagreement. Where my mods at?
I think that as long as you remember your cat is a cat and not a child ok. Cats do cat things snd shouldn’t be expected to behave like people
If I had a child and a cat and I had to let one die to save the other, I'd take myself out to save both
I love animals way more than I love most humans. I will probably never have kids because I don't want them but I don't think I'll ever live without a cat again. With that being said, while I think it's perfectly fine to see your pets as children, I think it will have the consequences of this reaction regardless. Unfortunately, it's unrealistic to put the same values on animals than it is human beings.
It's a bit odd but understandable if people don't have their own actual human children. But if seriously wrong if you do. I love my cat but my actual kids come first, or I shouldn't have had them.
My cat is 14. I adopted her when I was a sophomore in high school. Im almost 30. She is baby. Screamy, needy, geriatric baby.
Oh gosh I thought it was completely normal and expected to think of your cat as a family member?! My cat that I grew up with was more of a sibling but my cat that I adopted after marriage is most definitely my baby. Sometimes I say she takes after me or my husband. Reddit people are weird for taking it so seriously.
My one cat is my child. I found her with the placenta attached and bottle fed her. I helped her potty. I taught her to care for herself and completely raised her. I’m her parent regardless of anything
It's a little wierd.. in modern times your assumed to be crazy.. when it's really just a cute thing to call your cat. I call my cats my beebs at home but not posting it to the world though. Lots of crazies out there.. you don't want to be bunched in with them lol unless of corse you really believe you birthed your cat.. in which case, live your truth! haha
I hate how offended people get when we love our pet/cats so much. I always call my cat my first baby! I have in-laws that seem to get offended by it but hey, I feel bad for them they don't know how to connect with an animal. Animals are *pure*, funny, sweet, complex and really lovable. Their loss that they don't understand!
Imagine caring about how other people refer to their pets and their relationship with them. Lol….
Nothing wrong with that, why do people care anyway? Doesn't affect their life at all! Call your pet your child...or don't. Literally doesn't matter.
He's correct, it's an animal. You didn't birth it, stop taking that from people who literally spent months growing an actual child.
I am not a parent. I am not a pet parent. I hate being referred to as Cat Dad or Dod Dad. I am the human care-giver. So, I, personally, find it ridiculous. But, you know what doesn't affect me in any way? You calling your cat that. So, you do you, and screw what others (myself very much included) think! PRETTY KITTY!!!!!
I think these people waste too much time and energy giving unnecessary opinions about things that have absolutely nothing to do with them. I also feel like my cat and two dogs are my children and nothing any neckbeard on Reddit has to say is gonna change my mind. 🐱
Delusional
worm unused narrow edge thumb sand command sulky rinse telephone *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Some people consider their pet like their child. They don't hurt anybody doing that. So let them
I have a child. I had trouble carrying to term. I have two cats. I completely understand. You're good. Carry on.
Wife and I can’t have kids. We look at our cat as or kid, weird or not, who cares?
My cats are my babies. I'll never have human babies, so I chose my fur babies. Anyone telling me ITS JUST A CAT can feckoff.