Forget the bib, I need catnip
Are men becoming obsessed with cats at the expense of making babies?
Are cats the new babies? IKEA’s latest video advertisement spotlighting a horde of mousers frolicking in their London store seems to play at this very real idea.
The signs are there, animals, as life companions, seem to be a trending idea, especially among men. Apparently, women have sinuous rivals to deal with now.
So, why cats and not dogs? Well that’s easy — dogs, like babies, are high maintenance. Cute cats are also easier to find than dogs. Like blondes, it’s easy for felines to squint or turn your head on the side to set those cute signals off.
Don’t get me wrong — I love dogs (and brunettes).
I had one earlier this year (a dog, not a brunette) until I had to give him up to focus on my budding career in journalism. I miss him, but he’s probably happier now. I gave my three-month-old Catahoula puppy to a family down the street from my parent’s house in Houston.
It was during spring break in San Antonio, when our lives became one. He was a gift from my older brother, who rescued a litter of six puppies from the murky streets of San Antonio. In our first 30 minutes together in my car, an incredible surge of motherhood struck me.
“If anyone were to kill my dog, I’m pretty sure I would obliterate their entire family,” was my only thought during my drive to Houston.
I thought our time together would be everlasting, but reality soon caught up to me, alongside graduation in May.
Census data from 2008 shows children of the baby boomer generation having fewer kids than their parents, or simply not reproducing at all. Birthrates in 2009 dropped to 13.5 from 14.3 births per 1,000 people in 2007.
IKEA’s kitty campaign includes a behind-the-scenes look at the production of the video. Cats are shown fighting in the aisles. One gets stuck between display walls. All of these cats are lovable, but the real heartbreaker is the ending scene of a kitten tucked in a chic IKEA bed.
Watch out Junior, I hear felines are hot for milk!
The spot that started the debate:
