A mom has shared the bond between her daughter and pet cat after initially worrying the feline would hate having an addition to the family.
Leslie, originally from Germany, now lives in North Carolina with her family, which includes 3-year-old daughter Evan, and Opie, their 11-year-old cat. When Leslie learned she was pregnant, she told Newsweek she felt “really nervous” about how Opie would react: the senior cat was “not used to kids, and usually bolts when he sees them.”
“However, he was very affectionate with my pregnant belly, which gave me a bit more confidence,” said Leslie, who gave her first name only.
And while it naturally took some time for Opie to adjust to all the sounds and smells a new baby brought into his home, it is clear that Leslie had nothing to worry about, as proven by a viral clip to her TikTok account, @littlehearthhouse.
In the video, viewed almost 500,000 times and boasting more than 109,000 likes, Leslie says: “Thinking about how when I was pregnant I was so anxious my cat would hate her—then he was the first thing to make her belly laugh.”
And, sure enough, the clip shows Evan sitting on the floor, in absolute stitches, letting out loud, constant baby laughs, as Opie jumps around her, trying to catch something flying around the room.
Leslie told Newsweek: “It brings me so much joy to see their bond develop. I think we often build things up in our heads, and it turned out even better than I imagined.”
TikTok users loved seeing the duo’s bond in action, with one commenter writing: “Aw, they’re gonna be best friends. I’ll never forget the cats I grew up with.”
“My first word was ‘kitty’,” another shared. “I adored my grumpy cat more than anything.”
A third agreed: “Some of favorite memories growing up are of playing with my mom’s cats. I still remember when I was being too rough and he scratched me (very small scratch) and my mom made us apologize to each other lol [laugh out loud].”
And one comment read: “I swear every baby LOVES cats.”
Getting a feline used to a baby in the house takes time and patience, and begins before the baby is even born. Purina the pet food manufacturer advises beginning the decoration of the newborn’s room early and gradually, to allow the cat time to get used to changes in the house.
Introducing the feline to the smells and sounds of a new baby, by quietly playing infant sound effects and allowing them to sniff new furniture and equipment, can also help. The cat should also have its own space, with their feeding bowl and litter tray somewhere quiet and out of reach of a crawling baby.
“It did take him a couple of weeks to get used to Evan,” Leslie said. “He wouldn’t even enter the room unless she was asleep.
“But, over time, he adapted, and now they are best friends,” the mom added. “It’s heartwarming to watch them together—Evan will lay directly on top of Opie, and he just takes it.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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