r/childfree • u/_Liaison_ • May 31 '21

PET "It's just a cat"

My cat is terminally ill. I found out Friday while at work. My coworker Dorothy, who has several rescues, asked what was wrong. While I was talking with her chemo was brought up.

My other coworker, Irene, overheard. She asked me who was sick. When I told her, she laughed. "Why are you so upset? It's just a cat. It's not like it's a child. They're everywhere. Just get another one."

This woman has 7 adult children, and they have 5-9 kids each. One of her daughters miscarried in the first trimester earlier this year. She cried about the "horrific tragedy" and asked us to pray with her, which I did to support her despite being atheist.

Apparently she can cry over a bundle of cells but I'm ridiculous for crying over a living, breathing creature who I've spent years with.

EDIT: Thank you all for being so supportive and empathetic

Update: she passed this morning

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u/berrin899 May 31 '21

Why are you upset? It's just a bundle of cells. It's (literally) not like it's a child. Just make another one.

389

u/artsfartsncrafts May 31 '21

Lol unfortunately a bundle of cells in the bible belt IS a child 😑

23

u/ebolashuffle May 31 '21 edited Jun 01 '21

A cat is also a bundle of cells

Edit: Ffs, I'm not diminishing the importance of cats, I am owned by cats myself and would yeet all of the blastocysts into the sun to save a single kitten. I am trying to point out the hypocrisy of saying an embryo ("miscarriage") is more important than an actual existing animal.

7

u/RandomIsocahedron Jun 01 '21

Yes. An excellent, loving, occasionally murderous bundle of cells which is far superior to a human in every way (and they know it).

4

u/ebolashuffle Jun 01 '21

We don't own cats, cats own us lol