My exercise bike gives me a calorie count and apparently they are a bit better because the bike can actually measure how many watts of power you are generating which is the dream scenario for any calorie counting device. However even then they are only 80-85% accurate in counting calories because apparently we humans are all differently efficient in converting calories into watts. Despite this I still use that calorie number, but not to measure how many muffins I can now eat post workout, but just to compare my different workouts to each other. Recently I have been doing 1k kcal per day. Who knows maybe I’m efficient and it’s actually 800kcal. But it gives me a goal to move towards each day.

Honestly a lot of that comparison from my wife’s brother would be okay. But once he claimed we had an easier time then him, I actually got a bit offended and this statement from him has since infested my mind for months. But as others have already said this is probably not the right place to post this drama and I guess they’re right. Thanks for your message.

I would define being a parent as either having adopted a human being or having conceived a human being. Why do I care? I think words should have a useful meaning. If we broaden it to anyone who has a pet then we would require a new word for those that have a human child because in some cases that distinction is important because it is truly fundamentally different in several ways. If someone organized a local meetup group for new parents it should be understood that people who have recently adopted a cat would not be welcome. If the word parent is broadened in this way what would we then have to call that group, a “new human parent group”?

I can ask you: what are you missing in the term “cat owner” that you feel you need to use “cat parent” instead?

I’m totally okay with counting them as part of the family as stated in my first comment. I had cats myself from 9 to 23. Thinking of getting cats again in the future. It’s strictly the parent label that irks me the wrong way.

I’m guessing your parents didn’t adopt you as an adult. Nevertheless I’m sick of this pet parent thing .I have a human child and when we were recently visiting my wife’s brother, who has 2 lovely cats, he couldn’t stop comparing his cats with our kid. Like when we were talking about how our kid is like this or like that, he would always reply “yes I totally understand, my cat is the same way!”. It’s so obnoxious. Like I’m super happy you love your cat but it’s really not the same! He even dared to say we had it easy because he and his girlfriend were both working full time while my wife currently does not work, so we must have an easier time caring for our newborn baby than they have caring for their two adult ass cats who sleep 16 hours a day! It’s insane. I’m going insane! It’s not the same!

Cat parents

Your cat is a grown ass adult. You’re a grown ass adult. You’re not the parent of your cat. It’s your pet, your friend, or your family member. But it’s not your kid.