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Right, in your religion.
So not everyone needs to abide by your religious rules or beliefs.
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Do you consider your cats to be your children?
- Thread starter tabbysia
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So not everyone needs to abide by your religious rules or beliefs.
Well she said " So according to you..." so I answered according to me. If you don't agree with that, then don't do that. But that's what I believe and if somebody asks me then I'll tell them and there's no reason to get offended by it.
Well it is fairly offensive to tell people that they're selfish for not having kids. You have to expect some pushback. Most people don't just sit around letting people insult them without saying something.
"Don't be offended when I say something offensive!!!"
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"Don't be offended when I say something offensive!!!"
In Latin, yes. Not very useful for those who don't speak Latin
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That's not what I meant. I think it's selfish to replace having children with having pets instead because it's more convenient for you . Which is what that whole article was about, if you read it.Well it is fairly offensive to tell people that they're selfish for not having kids. You have to expect some pushback. Most people don't just sit around letting people insult them without saying something.
"Don't be offended when I say something offensive!!!"
In Latin, yes. Not very useful for those who don't speak Latin
“I’d rather have a dog over a kid,” declared Sara Foster, 30, a Chelsea equities trader who says her French bulldog, Maddie, brings her more joy than a child.
“It’s just less work and, honestly, I have more time to go out. You . . . don’t have to get a baby sitter.”
You don't think that sounds a bit selfish? Claiming that a dog brings more joy than a child? So you can go out more? Yea I don't think so. I do not agree with replacing children with pets and if that offends you, you have a serious problem and maybe need to be offended.
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As I said before, I don't think anyone is "replacing" children with pets. They choose to be childless and have a pet to fawn over. I don't think Sara would be popping out kids if she couldn't have a dog, but of course only Sara can tell us that.
I don't presume to tell people what brings them more joy. Kids are a lot of work. Many people don't find interacting with kids to be a joyful experience. I'd much rather they refrain from having kids than be an impatient or abusive parent. We've all known those kinds of parents, and it would have been much better for everyone if they had just gotten a dog.
I don't presume to tell people what brings them more joy. Kids are a lot of work. Many people don't find interacting with kids to be a joyful experience. I'd much rather they refrain from having kids than be an impatient or abusive parent. We've all known those kinds of parents, and it would have been much better for everyone if they had just gotten a dog.
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MeganLLB
- I'm aware that His Holiness, Pope Francis cautioned the Catholic faithful against substituting animals for children, and remarked (ex-cathedra, mind you) the "people in need deserve more love from us than the animals do," but again, his remarks were ex-cathedra. In his encyclical, Laudato Si, he specifically addressed Pope Pius IXths misconception that animals had no Souls, and wrote, "eternal Life will be a shared experience of awe, in which each creature ["ubi omnis creatura"]¹, resplendently transfigured, will take its rightful place ["locum suum occupabit"]²."Even before Francis' encyclical, Pope John Paul II remarked (though once again, ex cathedra) that, "animals must have Souls, as they were created by God’s breath," recalling the earliest Hebrew texts of Genesis 1:28 ("...be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and guard it: and take stewardship over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth...).
Personal opinion: John Paul II's remarks - without pointing a finger back in time at Pope Damasus I, Saint Jerome and the Synod of 382 which would forever change both the wording and the meaning of the Holy Scriptures - were intended to reinforce for the Catholic faithful the fact that God created Life - all Life - to be a part of His everlasting plan.
In whatever event - and in whatsoever light Francis' encyclical is seen by outsiders - the belief in Papal Infallibility requires Catholics to no longer see cats and dogs (and, indeed, "each creature...") as existing sine animæ, but instead, to understand and to accept as Doctrine that they too were created by the very breath of God, and that they are - as Humans are - destined to one day be, "resplendently transfigured..." and to 'take their rightful place' in the Kingdom of Heaven.
¹ ² Edited to include the original text (in brackets), from Chapter IX ['Beyond The Sun'] paragraph 243, from Francis' encyclical letter, courtesy of the Vatican website:
Laudato si'. De communi domo colenda (die XXIV mensis Maii, anno MMXV) | Francis
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MOD NOTE: Please keep your comments civil--no personal attacks. Also, this thread isn't about people's religious beliefs on having children. It's about how people feel about the pets in their lives.
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Again, no one is required to have children. And if someone prefers a dog to a child that’s completely fine. Some people respect and love animals the same way they do humans. Just because you don’t agree doesn’t make it selfish.
So yes, I do consider myself a type of caregiver figure for my cats. But that doesn’t mean I’m replacing children with them. I’m well aware that cats aren’t human.
Yes I consider my cat my child. Lol! Whenever people talk about their kids and ask if I have any, I say I have a 4 legged kid.
My kitties are definitely my children! I have a magnet on my car that says "My Children Have 4 Paws", and I love it! 
We don't have kids, but I have two fur babies. What more could I want!
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I'm kind of surprised to say this, but I think that I actually do consider my cat to be my kid. I'd never felt maternal instincts in my life before I met this cat. The apartment cleaning and rearrangement that happened before I brought her home could almost qualify as nesting. She's the first pet (besides fish) that I've gotten on my own, rather than being a family pet. I chose to adopt her and bring her into my apartment, and her health and happiness are my responsibility alone.
I never want children; I dislike babies and young kids and avoid them whenever possible (though I actually do fairly well with older kids/teens, so someday when grad school is over I might try some sort of mentoring in my community). Maybe I'd feel maternal instincts for a baby if I had one, and maybe it would be different if it were my own, but that seems to be a rather cruel experiment to subject a baby to, and I'm all for people not having kids if they don't want them, so I guess I'll never find out. And my wonderful kitty is family enough for me (though I'd love to get her a little sibling if I had the space for one...).
I never want children; I dislike babies and young kids and avoid them whenever possible (though I actually do fairly well with older kids/teens, so someday when grad school is over I might try some sort of mentoring in my community). Maybe I'd feel maternal instincts for a baby if I had one, and maybe it would be different if it were my own, but that seems to be a rather cruel experiment to subject a baby to, and I'm all for people not having kids if they don't want them, so I guess I'll never find out. And my wonderful kitty is family enough for me (though I'd love to get her a little sibling if I had the space for one...).
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For what it's worth, I don't think it's selfish at all to choose not to have kids. Children should be raised by parents who want them and are prepared to be the best parent you can be. If you know that you are not prepared to provide a child with all of the guidance, love, stability and nurturing required, "substituting" with a pet is a very wise and selfless choice in my opinion. There are way too many children who are born to and neglected by people who didn't really want to be parents in the first place.
But back to the topic at hand...I don't have kids, but I also don't consider my cat my kid. She's part of our family and I'm committed to fulfilling all of her needs to the best of my ability for the rest of her life. I love her, I'm glad she's a part of my life. But she doesn't think we're her parents, and I tend not to anthropomorphize her in that way. We're adult companions of a different species and provide each other with affection, fun, company, love and (for her) food.
But back to the topic at hand...I don't have kids, but I also don't consider my cat my kid. She's part of our family and I'm committed to fulfilling all of her needs to the best of my ability for the rest of her life. I love her, I'm glad she's a part of my life. But she doesn't think we're her parents, and I tend not to anthropomorphize her in that way. We're adult companions of a different species and provide each other with affection, fun, company, love and (for her) food.
I'm still a student so it's not exactly convenient for me to have children now, though I hope to have some in the future - so for now I do consider Toffee and Fudge as my children! 
Even though Toffee and Fudge aren't humans I feel responsible for them as much as I would do for a human child. They're my two little furry babies
Even though Toffee and Fudge aren't humans I feel responsible for them as much as I would do for a human child. They're my two little furry babies I agree with this - you've said how I feel about this matter much better than I could've done.
My cats are my friends, not my kids... However, my cats are also farm cats and they are not under my care, so perhaps that alters my view. They have their own jobs: to hunt mice. They provide for themselves. They aren't pets. (Though we are always pleased to offer a treat or give them a dewormer).
Don't misunderstand me, I adore my cats and if we miss a weekly visit to the farm I miss them dearly, but I am a friend to them, not a mother. At most, I'd consider myself a sister to them.
However, I can understand why some cat-owners consider themselves moms and dads.
Don't misunderstand me, I adore my cats and if we miss a weekly visit to the farm I miss them dearly, but I am a friend to them, not a mother. At most, I'd consider myself a sister to them.
However, I can understand why some cat-owners consider themselves moms and dads.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #136
Choosing to not have children is not selfish. Just because a woman has a uterus, it does not mean that she is obligated to have a child. It would be more selfish to choose to have a child knowing that you really don't want one or can't care for one. Devoting your life to and caring for an animal is a SELFLESS act.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #137
If someone actually DID have human children (UNLIKE the people in the article) but gave more time and attention and a higher quality of care to their pets than to their children, then that would indeed be selfish. However, if someone doesn't have human children and simply wants to pamper his or her pets, then I don't see your point.
If a woman knows that she is not ready for a child and the inconveniences and lifestyle changes that would come about and chooses not to have one because of it, then that is called being self-aware, not selfish. Why bring a child into the world that you don't want or are not ready for? THAT would be the epitome of selfishness.
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Just the other day someone at work implied it was weird to consider your pet as a member of your family. As someone who does consider my cat to be my family, I was offended by this. Especially since I've had to take off from work or had to work from home due to her health issues. I feel like people judge me when I do that, and think I'm weird and crazy, but I'm responsible for taking care of her and love her so much. Am I supposed to leave my cat when she is having breathing problems or vomiting and having diarrhea all night? Absolutely not. If your pets are disposable to you, then you shouldn't have any.
My family won't say it, but they probably think I'm weird with how much I talk about Maya. (But, she's my (fur)baby!)
Before I had a cat, I saw a Mother's day card that was from a cat to a human. I rolled my eyes, but now I get it. But for me it's more of the "nurturing feeling" that makes me feel "mom-ish." I'm not sure if human children are in my future, but after having my cat I feel like I would be a pretty good mom to a human too.
