Cat Napping With 7-Month-Old Melts Hearts Online: ‘Protecting the Baby’
By https://www.newsweek.com/cat-napping-baby-melts-hearts-online-1697896#:~:text=CONTINUE,Quality
An adorable video of a cat taking a nap with a baby has melted hearts online, receiving more than 20 million views on TikTok.
Shared on Wednesday by TikTok users Kareem and Fifi—who use the handle dontstopmeowing—the heartwarming scene has delighted users of the popular video-sharing app.
With millions of views and four million likes, the video shows two-year-old cat Chase curled up with the 7-month-old baby.
Kareem and Fifi told Newsweek: “We were very surprised when we found Chase sleeping with the baby! He normally likes to cuddle with older kids and adults but this was the first time he’s cuddled with an infant.”
In the video, a voice behind the camera says: “Chase come on you’re gonna wake up the baby. Come on,” to which Chase complains with a long meow as she taps the cat to get his attention.
Delighted TikTok users commented on the video. One user said: “You’re the one waking everyone up – lol!”
Another commenter wrote: “Chase is a cat who really knows how to relax,” another comment said: “He’s so adorable,” and one viewer wrote: “He’s protecting the baby.”
Adorable pictures of cat Chase napping with the 7-month-old baby. A video of the nap time scene has received millions of views on TikTok and melted hearts.DONTSTOPMEOWING/TIKTOK
“My cat did this when I was a baby,” wrote another viewer: “He has been my best friend for years.”
Certified feline behavior consultant Jennifer Van de Kieft told Newsweek: “In most cases, cats and babies can get along fine. You want to supervise the interactions to ensure safety. As long as the interactions are being supervised, and you know your cat well, this can be perfectly safe. Not all cats will be this comfortable being this close to your baby. Every cat is an individual which is why it’s important to know your cat before allowing this to happen.”
When it comes to getting your kitty ready for a new human arrival, Van de Kieft has a few suggestions, including playing baby crying noises for short periods of time and pairing with high-value reinforcements such as delicious treats, being careful not to overload your cat with affection before the baby arrives as it will confuse your cat when they are no longer receiving so much attention after the baby comes home, and giving your cat places to hide so they can decompress from the stress of the household changes.