A COUGAR who doesn’t want to start a family has told how people call her selfish for focusing on herself.
Patsy Mennuti, 52, reckons she looks hotter than ever and values her own health and well-being above everything else.
But that doesn’t stop others from being judgmental about her decision to steer away from a more traditional relationship.
The life coach, who runs her own business HellaCougar, remains unapologetic over her less conventional lifestyle.
She says: “Society has done an amazing job at convincing women that they need to have a husband and kids in order to have a fulfilled life, that they are not complete without these things.
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“When in fact, motherhood and wifehood are very very very hard work, and women still do not get the emotional and physical support they need from their partners.
“In many cases, they get one more body they have to keep up with and care for. I have met countless women over the years who are so lonely and isolated in their relationships with their husbands and so many feel that they 'have to do it all.'
“Motherhood and wifehood can be rewarding with the right partner, but so many studies now show that the happiest individuals on Planet Earth ... are single women.
“I am proof positive that that path can be exceedingly rewarding. Sometimes I call it radical selfishness.”
Despite receiving backlash for dating hunks 30 years her junior, Patsy refuses to feel bad about going for her what she likes.
She explains: “I prefer dating younger men because of their energy.
“They have this energy of endless possibilities ahead of them, and I love being I’ll around that because even though my life is more than half over, I love to wake up every day with this energy of potential.
“Younger men also have typically taken better care of themselves physically and are usually up for any fun activity.
“They haven't been burdened by all of life's responsibilities, they aren't heavy and stuck, and this makes for a fun, playful dynamic.
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“The cougar lifestyle means I am an independent woman who has a full life, and I have full power and autonomy in my choices.
“I get to pursue who I want to pursue, and I get to determine how long that liaison will last.
“From the time I was a younger girl being raised in a fundamentalist Christian home, I saw my prescribed path laid out for me. That path included marriage, kids and servitude to the church, my husband and family.
“Even at 14, I wasn't buying into the fact that I was a second class citizen and never wanted to take a back seat to a man or an institution.
“So I decided then that marriage and kids weren't a path for me, and I have been very happy and fulfilled by that choice--for me.
“I knew a long time ago that I would have a series of relationships, and they would last as long as they needed to last.
“I have had several long-term relationships over my life with men usually older than me.
“About five years ago, I decided to almost exclusively pursue younger.”
