The term has been trending on the micro blogging site Sina Weibobecause of a hit Chinese television programme, "Tiger Mom Cat Dad".

Others saw the dad as a weak character who wasn't compatible with his wife: "I think the tiger mother and the cat dad should divorce, " one viewer wrote.

"Just as their names suggest, cat Dad prefers a gentle approach to children's education, while Tiger Mom and Wolf Dad believe that education is a painful process," says Vincent Ni of BBC Chinese.