I mean if I'm being totally cynical and honest here, I think some of it is that ours is the first generation to not have quite as much social peer pressure into having kids and we're all collectively realizing that unless you REALLY want them it's kind of a raw ass deal. Like putting the obvious issue of cost aside, even if we had full fucking socialism and having a kid cost nothing, it's basically shitting out a tumor you're chemically addicted to that you have to dedicate all your life energy into caring for because if you fuck up one thing it will turn into a demon hell spawn creature that hates you and will go on to make other people's lives a living hell.

I don't blame people for just wanting a fucking cat.