Life
While I understand why some cat and/or dog moms compare their experiences to moms with children, as someone who’s had both "fur babies" and human babies I can tell you that being a cat mom it’s totally different. I can’t leave my kids home alone all day with a bowl of food and water, and I can't lock them in the bathroom when they're sick. I do have to admit, however, that my toddler is basically a cat. From how he acts to how he tests my patience, the kid is a low-key feline in disguise, I am sure of it.
I actually think my kid has more in common with my cats than he does with his older human siblings. When I order a new toy he cares more about the box it arrives in, just like my cats. My toddler has a tendency to knock things off the table for literally no damn reason, just like my cats. My kid wakes me up in the middle of the night because he's lonely and wants to play, just like my cats. He even climbs up my bookshelves like it’s no big thing in an apparent desire to make my heart stop, just like my damn cats.
Both my cats and my toddler have no respect for my personal space, either, and frequently demand my attention in the most annoying ways. If one isn't following me into the bathroom, the other is probably sleeping on my face. It's a good thing my toddler — and my cats — are cute, because they definitely test my patience on a near-daily basis.
So while I can't say that being a cat mom and a mom mom are the same, I do have to concede the fact that my toddler — and likely yours — is basically a cat, and in the following annoying but also endearing ways:
The Have No Fear Of Heights
My son is a climber. When he's in a room he naturally navigates to the tallest possible spot. Unfortunately, for me, that means he climbs on the couch, up the bookcases (which we have reinforced and bolted to the wall), out of his crib, and on the table.
Luckily, he seems to have cat-like balance and nine lives, too.
Bathing Them Can Be Impossible
If my toddler doesn't want to take a bath, it's physically impossible to get him in the tub. Truly, there have been instances in which trying to give my cat a bath would've been easier.
They Adore Boxes
I honestly should just stop buying my toddler toys, because he’d much rather play with discarded boxes, toilet paper, and jingly balls on the floor.
They Beg For Snacks
My cats are constantly begging me for food, even if there’s food in their dish or scattered on the floor nearby or I literally just fed them five minutes ago. My toddler? Same.
They Look Out The Window All Day Long
If I let him, my toddler would spend the entire day staring out the window and looking at the squirrels, birds, and neighbor dogs. At least he doesn't have to do all that staring by himself — the cat is happy to keep him company.
They Knock Cups Off The Table
My cat, it seems, is always on the damn table, which is an irresistible piece of furniture to my son, too. They both seem to think it's hilarious to knock cups off and send them crashing to the floor, too.
I wonder if he’s learning bad habits from his feline siblings.
They Make Huge Messes
I feel like I am constantly cleaning up messes. Between the cats — who leave me "presents" in the form of dead mice and torn up paper — and my toddler dumping out his snacks on the floor, my house is never clean for long.
They Don’t Give You Privacy
As a mom, I get so little privacy. Unless I close and lock the bathroom door, I will inevitably have a toddler trying to climb on my lap while I use the toilet, or a cat ironically trying to jump in the shower with me.
They Find Your Laptop Irresistible
I don’t know what it is about laptops, but my cats and my child are drawn to them. When I'm not constantly saving my work I'm explaining away odd social media posts, courtesy of my toddler and/or kitties.
They Can’t Communicate Well
My son chatters all day long, and more often than not I’m the only person who understands him. Of course, there are days when I can’t discern what he’s trying to communicate. And, on those days, he totally reminds me of my cat, who similarly wanders around the house meowing at me incessantly.
They Don’t Care About Your Personal Space
My toddler has zero concept of personal space, so you can regularly find him sleeping on my face and climbing on my lap at inopportune moments, like when I am trying to drink coffee, eat lunch, or make a call.
Just like my damn cats.
They Bite & Scratch
There’s nothing worse than being scratched or bitten by your favorite feline. Except, maybe, being scratched or bitten by your toddler. I know neither of them can help it, because they have very few ways of communicating their displeasure, but it still sucks.
They Are Nocturnal
If my lonely cat isn't waking me up, my toddler is.
I really, really miss sleep.
They Seem Indifferent To Your Wishes
I know my toddler loves me. My cats do, too. Unfortunately, none of them seem to understand me when I ask them to do something. They just look at me, like I am an alien from another planet sent to annoy them.
They Are The Best Snugglers
I’m totally a snuggler, and it’s a good thing, too, because if my toddler and cats had their way I would snuggle with them all day long.
And sometimes I do.
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