Frankly, we don’t want to start a catfight, but we thought it might be fun to give our guys the opportunity to be perfectly honest about if they prefer a kitten or a cougar when it comes to the maturity of a woman. Meow!

The 30s Guy
Hmm, I’m going to have to place myself firmly on the fence on this one. I know many women from each category, and they all have their own positive and attractive qualities. A broad-brush question like this is tough to answer, as each group includes women who are wonderful and attractive, and at the same time there are some in each group who I would rather stay far away from. So let’s look at each group to try to define some differences. 

Kittens: In general, they’re more playful and fun-loving. Spending time with a kitten can be unpredictable and exciting; there’s an adventure around every corner. She may be more likely to giggle at your jokes, but she’s also much more likely to best you on a Wii! Her adventurous nature will excite and attract you, and it will be fun trying to keep up with her.

Cougars: They know what they want and how to get it. They’re mature in their needs and wants, and they aren’t afraid to let you know this. A date with a cougar involves well-planned romance with the finer things in life like fine dining, fine wine, sensuous music, deep conversation and dancing close. Making sure she knows she’s the most important thing in your life is vital because then the opportunities that open up are endless.

It’s not possible to have this discussion without broaching the physical attraction topic, but I must admit that I’m decisively split on this, too. Kittens may be more cute and perky, but it’s hard to pick these qualities over the elegance and sensuous curves of a cougar. Do you flirt with a firefly, or do you slip your hands over the shapes of a Venetian sculpture?

I have to admit that at the end of it all, I like all women – young or old, kitten or cougar.

The 40s Guy
Although I haven’t read the 30s or 50s guys’ articles, I’m quite sure they’re firmly entrenched in one camp or the other, strictly based on their ages. Meanwhile, I’m stuck floating in a limbo-like state somewhere in-between: not quite young enough for a “kitten” and just old enough to be interested in a “cougar.”

I can remember dating the so-called kitten and while she can certainly be a lot of fun, a sheer pleasure on the eyes, delightfully sexy and a major ego boost for those of us moving closer and closer to the middle of our lives, I actually find myself more and more attracted to the mature woman. And why shouldn’t I be?

The cougar (inappropriately nicknamed due to her forthright personality and confidence having been misconstrued as predatory) has so much going for her – and for any man lucky enough to be involved with her. After all, the cougar is often a confident and financially secure individual not dependent on others for her day-to-day needs (emotional or fiscal) nor easily influenced by other people’s opinions of her. She knows who she is and what she wants, both in life and in the boudoir – especially in the boudoir! I remember the fumbling and embarrassment that sometimes accompanied entanglements with less experienced women and I’m extremely happy to leave those moments in the past. When you’re with a cougar, you know where you stand because she’s not afraid to tell you what she likes and wants. And she expects the same from you.

The cougar is also more interesting to spend time with outside the bedroom. Being from a similar generation as mine, she tends to have the same cultural references and interests, and this makes for more stimulating and engrossing conversation. It’s awkward when your date – upon hearing that you enjoy listening to The Beatles and The Who – responds, “Oh yeah, my mom likes them too!” And especially if she always speaks with exclamations marks, as many kittens do. Surely you’ve heard them exclaim “I love this song!!” or “Don’t you just adore babies?!” or “I’ll have a double-tall, low-fat, half-sweet latte!!!” You get the idea.

But what I like best about dating a cougar is her poise and grace under fire. She has an unshakable self-confidence and a well-developed sense of perspective that allows her to laugh at difficult situations and minor misunderstandings; she easily takes troubles in her stride. I greatly admire self-confidence and resolve in a woman, and these qualities are considered a prerequisite for a cougar, at least in my opinion.

I’m looking for a friend in the women I date but at this time in my life I’m also looking for a partner; someone I can depend on when the chips are down and who will be able to carry her share of the load both financially and emotionally. Cougars have these qualities in spades. I guess I could sum it up by saying that I prefer a woman who wants me but doesn’t need me. Now that’s sexy.

The 50s Guy
A few years ago I was attending a recruiting function at a university. I distinctly remember, upon seeing a beautiful young lady, thinking to myself, “Wow, would I ever like to meet your mother.” It was at this point I realized that I wasn’t interested in young women anymore. It isn’t that I don’t find them beautiful – they just don’t “cut it” for me. I find them cute but not in a way that attracts me to them. For the most part, I find the way they dress and wear their hair and makeup, the way they talk and their mannerisms all a bit of a turn-off.

There was a time when I couldn’t have imagined thinking, let alone saying, such a thing. I distinctly remember when I saw the movie The Graduate and thinking it was nonsense that a 21-year-old would have an affair with a middle-aged woman. It seemed ludicrous! I shuddered to think that one day I might find myself sleeping with someone that old. Years later, when I found myself waking up with a 39-year-old, it was pretty good. A lot better experience than I could have imagined way back when.

The women from the movie Calendar Girls have more appeal to me than those in a Playboy calendar. The older women may not have the perfect bodies but they’re a whole lot more sexy. Recently, while looking for something good to watch on television, I came across the Hooters 2008 beauty pageant. I watched for a few minutes before I was bored to tears. If it wasn’t for plastic surgery, Botox and silicone, most of the contestants couldn’t earn a second glimpse from a guy.

I also recently had lunch with two attractive “cougars.” We met at a popular restaurant that features a bevy of young girls working as hostesses and servers and dressed in tight black outfits. I didn’t know so many men went to lunch these days! Obviously, the kittens are the selling feature of this eatery, as I’m sure it isn’t the food or the prices. Honestly, I couldn’t see the attraction, at least not when I was seated with two women who were very attractive, well-dressed and successful.

So I think I’ll leave the gum-chewing, hair-twirling, young gigglers for the boys their own age, or for those who don’t want to act their age.