in which I play amateur anthropologist again

[randomlypsycho]

Okay, for the six or so of you that actually read this at this point, I have something I need to talk about. It is an epidemic plaguing our generation and has fascinating psychological and anthropological ramifications and I do not understand all of what is driving this need, and I cannot believe that Things White People Like has not covered this

Comments

[outlawferret]

yeah i adopted a cat. his name is jinx. he's an asshole. he bites me or pesters me overly. he meows in my ear when i'm sleeping or sits on my face when i'm reading. i had to adopt him when i moved into this place. afterall, he was jordan's cat. and since i loved jordan i decided to love the cat. whether or not i like him varies from day to day.

practice child? meh. maybe. most couples get a pet as sort of a practice child. we just have a cat and three ferrets for practice children.

[thecrazedhermit]

Speaking as one of the people you're talking about, I think Roz and I just both wanted a cat. She's never had pets before (her dad wasn't into them), so it was a long time coming for her and I, of course, have been a lifelong pet owner. This move seemed to be a good time to get a kitten.

It may have had the effect, however unintended, of further cementing our relationship since we are now the co-owners of small, predatory carnivores that can be expected to live, conservatively, for the next 10-15 years.

Are they our practice children? I'd say not. We joke about it, but neither of us are so deluded as to believe that feeding two cats twice a day and cleaning a little box every couple of days is in any way like rearing a human child.

I think it probably has more to do with the freedom aspect. Have your own house? Get a cat! Why the hell not?

We should talk soon. When are you around?

[virginredrum]

Sarah and I both had cats growing up. We both really like cats. So we got a cat when a friend wasn't able to find a home for her (Indy). We loved having one cat, and we thought she might be lonely, so we got another cat (Maddie). Cats are great critters--independent and sweet and cute all at once. We would get a dog if we had the room, and we would get more cats if we had the room. It's nice to be surrounded by furry, loving beings.

They are not practice children. I dislike children, Sarah dislikes them even more than I do. I wouldn't call them replacement children either. We just care for them and that's that.

[caitlinleah]

ok, so i gues there's one more to go after me, since i'm number 5. i grew up with cats and find them warm and fuzzy and cute, like krista said. i had allergic firends for years, so i never actively persued a cat, i figured the right one would come to me when necessary. and sure enough, one day my boss comes into work, saying do you still want a cat, because the pakistani one night stand i had last night has to get rid of his...

my cat is actually suffering with my relationship though- i'm spending so much more time at my girlfriends house, petting her cats instead of my own. perhaps it's the blended family aspect to your theory. i don't think so, though. i think: cats are easy. you don't need to walk them, or cage them, or worry about training. and they are so much more interesting and cuddly and interactive than turtles or snakes or gerbils.