By Molly Snyder Senior Writer Published May 26, 2009 at 11:49 AM

Last week, I celebrated a birthday and, although I am still in my 30s, I was jokingly referred to as "almost of cougar age." This, of course, led to a debate about what age a woman must be before she falls into the cougar category.

I think a woman has to be 45 or older to join the cougar club, but a friend insisted any gal over the age of 40 is eligible for membership. Another friend, however, said 50 was the gateway to cougar-dom.

For the record, I wasn't a big fan of this label, which refers to an older woman who dates younger men, but it’s an unavoidable pop culture term that many women have embraced. So, OK.

Here’s an article I wrote last year if you want more information about local cougar dens.


Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.

Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.