Just a decade ago, the word “cougar” meant nothing more than a giant, unpopular mountain cat. Cougars were barely on our human radar, as they were always overshadowed by their cooler feline cousins: flashy tigers, menacing lions, shoe-brand pumas, four-door jaguars, and even the Carolina Panthers. Indeed, while tigers, lions, jaguars, and panthers enjoyed being professional team mascots, cougars wallowed in their relative anonymity.
Then, all of a sudden, the word “cougar” took on an additional meaning. A “cougar” soon became known as an older woman who preyed on younger men. The origins of the transformation are unknown: some believe it started with Demi Moore, while others just blame Canada.
All I know is that cougars are finally getting the love they deserve (referring to both cats and the predatory ladies). There is the TV series “Cougartown,” the reality show “The Cougar,” and countless cougar dating websites, including dateacougar.com and gocougar.com.
The emergence of cougars into our social consciousness has created an interesting double standard. Women who chase after young boys? Simply cougars. Men who chase after young girls? Sleazy, dirty, scumbag predators. Just think: no one would approve of a “Predatortown,” featuring a forty-something male protagonist trolling on high school coeds. Even reality TV wouldn’t go ahead with “The Predator” (instead, they would re-title this “The Bachelor.”)
But now that we have established a new definition for the cougar, other members of the feline family want to get in on the action. Whereas “cougars” are strictly limited to women over 40, women in their 30s who prey on younger men are being called “pumas.” Of course, the irony of naming cats after desperate women is not lost on a future cat lady like myself. So, what other cat metaphors can we come up with?
- Puma: Woman in her 30s who preys on younger men
- Cougar: Woman in her 40s who preys on younger men
- Cheetah: Married woman of any age who preys on younger men
- Snow Leopard: Woman with greying/white hair who preys on younger men
The “snow leopoard” is my favorite, and I admit that all credit is due to my friend Anthony who came up with the term. And given the ambiguity of meaning now afforded to these animals, I’ll just say that Anthony is a huge snow leopard enthusiast… and if you’re wondering if I’m referring to a cat or a grey-haired lady, I will leave that one a mystery.
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