I agree with Catmama, it does seem as if General has become the "teen hangout of PT" not that there is anything wrong with that! Please, I'm not trying to offend or insult the younger folk here. I love all of our younger PTers and have on more than one occasion reminded them to be careful about how much personal information they post - if I didn't care I wouldn't have posted anything about too much personal information getting out.

Anyway, I can see how people want a place that is a big general hangout of PT. Thats great in theory, but like in life, teens and older adults don't always hang out in the same places. My kids hang out in the local diner or swimming pool and my husband and I hang out at a different set of places. Its just whats going to happen when people with different experiences gather. Yes, our pets are our common bond, and in life we gather together under common bonds too, but its different.

I think that a lot of things in Cat General are placed there instead of General because a lot of the people might not want to intrude into the "vibe" the younger folk create in General. Yes, I am well aware that older people post many threads in general too, but it seems as if the ratio of younger PTers to older is different.

Perhaps we could have two generals - one for the teens to hang out in and another for their "parents" ? Seriously! If its in general, there's nothing to keep a teen from going into the adult general, or adults into teen general. Many of us "parents" have enough teen related issues of our own at home with our own kids, we don't want to listen to the teens bickering here, or whining there about the same things our own kids are whining about. If I wanted to hear whining about a nasty teacher, a bratty brother, or a grumpy mother, or so-and-so not getting along with so-and-so, I would have stayed offline and listened to my own kids.

Seriously, how often have I wanted to post about something big in my life, but didn't because I felt it was too much for the younger ones to relate to or sympathsize? OFTEN. I'm sure that many others have felt the same way... "should I or shouldn't I make this post?" Let me tell you, I have soooo wanted many times to scream in anguish over the antics of my own kids. But I don't because I am not comfortable exposing my parental angst to the younger PTers. Though they seem to have no problem complaining in reverse. (sorry guys, its true.)

Ahhh, that feels better.