This is the theory:
Women in America are becoming better educated and becoming more ambitious. The educational advantage leads to better jobs. Jobs for women are becoming better paid than jobs for men. This has lead to a dramatic increase in the percentage of households in which the wife earns more than the husband. This has lead to an increase in house-husbands because if one partner is to stay at home to raise the kids it must be the lower earner in a democratic and sensible household. This leads to more men looking after the family cat. We know that, in general, men prefer dogs and that, in general, women prefer cats. We know that the classic good cat caretaker is an intelligent, independent minded woman. We know that men lean towards the pack animal mentality. These are generalizations, of course, but in America there are more and more men looking after the family cat and that is less good than the wife doing it. So goes the theory.
To all feminists – please don’t take this article too seriously. It is just playing around with an idea that came to me as a consequence of reading a news item. I don’t really believe that American feminism is bad for the cat…
However, overall, life is improving slightly for the domestic cat, in America, because there are more divorces. This leads to the cat having a higher status in single person homes.
You can add some detail to the above “flow chart” type argument:
- The economy has changed in the USA. Jobs that men could have relied upon no longer provide a secure income.
- Mothers have become the main or sole earner in 40 percent of American households. A record figure.
- For married couples with children, 23 percent of wives earn more than their husbands.
- Men don’t really like to be house-husbands because they are hard-wired to be breadwinners. This means a dissatisfied man is looking after the cat while the wife is at work, working hard and getting in late.
- The shift towards an overall equality in earning power grates the feelings of man and woman because the millennia-old traditional roles are being reversed and undermined. This may cause stresses that work against good cat caretaking.
- Some women are embarrassed that they are the breadwinner.
Something similar: We are becoming more stupid….
My thoughts are that it takes a very special man to admit how much he loves cats, these are my favourite men because they don’t care that other men who think loving cats is unmanly, may mock them.
It’s very old fashioned stiff upper lip for a man to pretend he doesn’t like cats and couldn’t stay at home and be the househusband.
It’s like saying men shouldn’t cry. Why not if they are sad?
Women’s lib has moved on with women wanting equal rights in everything and doing what men do, so men need to unashamedly move on too and show their sensitive and caring side like Michael and some PoC regulars do.
I like this comment because what you are saying is that feminism should loosen up men and make them big enough to break out of a stereotype if they want to. I completely agree with that. All people, male or female, should be confident enough to be true to themselves. Life is better like that.
There came a moment in my life about a year after qualifying as a solicitor (late in life at about aged 45) when I totally became myself. Since then I try and be reasonable but have a take it or leave it attitude. We should try and be relaxed in our own skin. It certainly helps.
Perhaps what you are implying is that a lot more men could be excellent cat caretakers if they stopped trying to live a stereotype. The world does try and pigeon hole us though.
Why do You think, Michel, that you R are worth more. Because you feel for my cats?
No, I don’t have any strong feelings about this story. The figures and trends indicate more house-husbands and from that I made the deduction 😉 The deduction may not even be true but it is fun to make it nonetheless. Men should be big enough to be themselves and not live a stereotype.
You should uphold INTEGRITY, up above, all.
Shoot, Micahel. you raise the shackles on the back of my nieck. my C6 and c4. What are you worth. I devote my life to the pain that i live. WHAT do you do. live in the human ego that comes YOUR way?
Caroline. Calm down and make a fresh comment. Why have I raised the shackles on the back of your neck? Why have I annoyed you? I am just reporting information – fact and making a simple deduction from that information.
Michael, i am learning a bit of American culture through “P.O.C” although have visited America as a tourist on a few occasions when employed on Ocean sailing ships.In Indian culture i personally feel that most men would feel humiliated if unemployed and their wives earning the family income.Indian society is more chauvinistic in both , the wealthy and poor economic classes.Although women in India, akin to their First world counterparts have made great strides in education and economic emoluments its still very much a man’s world in most Asian societies including India.Regarding upkeep and maintenance of cats, yes, i personally feel that women are better suited to care for cats and hence cats are always mostly associated with women.In my house, both my cats are more attached to my house-keeper Sabina as she feeds and pampers them more than i do.Yes, women are better care-takers of cats then men although its better that both the men and women have either equal income or the man employed even if earning less than his spouse.Yes, “WOMEN’S LIB” in First World Country’s and now in the developing World is definitely changing the social structure of society including pet maintenance and upkeep.
Nice comment. Thanks Rudolph. To a Westerner, India does seem male dominated and women tend to be “in the shadow” of men. I am sure in India there are very few cases of a wife earning more than her husband. America seems to be the leading country for women’s liberation. Is it a matriarchal society?
Michael I believe the dinosaurs you refer to, there are many, would not be willing to stay at home as the under earner. I would conclude in some cases that you have to be a little open minded to be a man willing to take that role. Just in some cases – just an important thought – but the general gist is true. However the ingredients you propose being the man being forced unhappily into a household role are a disaster for cats I would guess. I just think many men wouldn’t accept it because they can’t, they would feel their egos have been crushed. Personally I think it shows strength against cultural definitions for required roles and freedom from oppressive systems of thought in general if you can move on in the best practical way forward regardless of social conditioning.
I also think the statistc refers to ‘the american household’ – women being the main breadwinner – at the moment it should be considered that single motherdom is actually in fashion. So many girls want to be single mothers I see it all around me everywhere. Some for the welfare money and others just because they want company or a reason to live. I know many single mothers who never planned it any other way – they got pregnant and decided to keep it for themself regardless of the man involved.
….but I digress. Just the term ‘household’ is quite open.
I understand your really interesting point. However, I think these statistics and trends applies to households where there are two potential earners because of the phrase “main breadwinner”. That implies more than one.
That said, I agree that single motherhood is a growing trend and “household” can mean a person with a cat. This comment really is about the increased divorce rate and the status of the cat being improved because of it.
I think the trend is not good for cats. I am not sure it is a disaster but this gentle trend is not good for the domestic cat. I don’t know where it will end up.