JK (I’ve never heard of him before) is an American former professional football player who spent his entire 13-year career as a center for the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s a bit of a celebrity and he has a Wikipedia entry. So, he has a bit of a voice which means that what he says can get listened to by gullible people or people who look up to him.
And the headline in the Independent newspaper is to me shocking. It tells us that JK admits he tells his daughters that cats are poisonous and that he thinks lying to your kids is important. Of course, telling them that cats are poisonous is such an absurd lie to tell vulnerable and innocent children. Good start in life, right?! 😱 He admits that he never wants to own a cat and he opened up about his distaste for pet cats.
And he doesn’t want his children, his three daughters, who are aged between 18 months and four years to have cats either.
He is very keen to turn his daughters away from wanting cats. He was speaking during the September 3 episode of his podcast, New Heights. He was speaking to his brother Travis I believe.
He said: “You know what my latest plan to divert our family from getting a cat is? I just keep telling our girls that cats are poisonous.”
Travis was shocked and appalled and he questioned his older brother about his philosophy. He said in response: “Why the F***would you tell them that?”
And in response JK said: “So that they don’t want cats. And I don’t have to deal with having a cat and make them terrified.”
His brother thought his tactics were sick but JK thinks that his idea to tell lies was a sign of good parenting. 😱 WTF! Good parenting to teach them how to lie? And make them scared of cats.
I don’t see anything else in this article worth reporting on other than what I have mentioned. JK likes to lie to his kids about cats and how horrible they are and he himself hates cats. Big deal. I’m not interested. Except it is terrible parenting.
I also hope that many others are disinterested in this. I’m only reporting on it because it is revolting in my opinion. It is completely unacceptable to lie to your children as it encourages lying. How can that be good parenting?
His children are going to ask other people whether cats are poisonous and they are going to say no they are not. And therefore, the children will learn that their father is lying. On that basis they are likely to start lying because their father taught them to lie through his irresponsible actions and behaviour.
I just don’t understand JK’s thinking on this. It seems to be very stupid, empty-headed and irresponsible thinking and parenting. Perhaps he said it to get news media coverage as it is so outrageous. I mean clickbait. Perhaps he has a falling audience. All the more reason to criticise him.
He should let his children decide whether they like cats or not and if they like them then JK should deal with it responsibly and nicely.
It is also possible to actually rehabilitate JK. It is possible that he doesn’t like cats because he lacks knowledge of cat behaviour. He doesn’t understand cats. Or perhaps he is a cat hater. Perhaps he has a fear of cats and we could therefore describe him as an ailurophobe. But it would be nice to get to the bottom of where his cat hate comes from. If you could cure that on the basis that it’s an irrational belief i.e. a pure example of ailurophobia then it should be cured and JK’s family could introduce cats into their home and his kids might love it.
Cat companions are great company for children provided genuinely good parenting is delivered which teaches them how to handle and care for cats. That would be well beyond JK’s abilities but perhaps his partner might do it?
Why is JK denying his children the possibility of living with and caring for a domestic cat? This is unfair. As mentioned, this is irresponsible parenting.
More: Mail Online’s clickbait title about domestic cat zoonoses is irresponsible
