At my DBro's wedding, on of his new-IL aunts asked him "and when are you and SiL going to start having children". DBro looked at her slightly puzzled and said "we don't need children, we have cats". The aunt smugly told him that "cats are just a child substitute". Cue withering look from DBro - "other people's children are just CAT substitutes". End of conversation.
I have 2 cats, never had (or really wanted) children. They know the morning routine and apart from swarming round me as I collect up last night's bowls and get their breakfast ready, the only thing they want is a bit of stroking as they start to eat. No "mum mum MUUUMM" before I've woken up. No "where's my xxx" or "Oh I need to take a yyy (never before mentioned) to school today". No prepping breakfast, just empty a pouch into a couple of bowls & top up the dry.
Yes I do need to clean the litter trays at least twice a day, & change them completely every week. But I can compare that to how many loads of washing I would have to do every week with 2 kids, making sure they shower/bath/clean teeth etc. Yes the odd vom, usually on the laminate flooring, vs. tidying up endlessly - I have enough of a problem tidying up after myself!
I know roughly what they cost me every month in food & litter. The odd Molly's mouse. Annual MoT, jabs and worming/fleaing (indoor only so only once a year as a "just in case". No nappies when young, no growing out of clothes like nobody's business, no demands for whatever the latest trend is, my Gods the cost of children's SHOES, no taking them places & paying to entertain them. No ferrying them to/from school, clubs, friends homes. DSis looks after mine if I go away (mutual arrangement), but if they did need to go into a cattery that costs less than taking the kids with you on holiday.
Yes I worry about them if anything seems not right, yes I do get very disapproving stares if I'm home from work later than my curfew (set by Girlcat). But isn't that the same for Children?