Wild Child: Animal Parents That Could Really Use A Day Off

By Farah J

Being a parent seems like a breeze—that is, until you actually have kids. Yes, it’s rewarding, but parenthood is a full-time job. There are no breaks, sick days, or personal time. Sounds pretty stressful, right? Because it is! Humans aren’t the only ones who know this struggle.

Creatures big and small across the animal kingdom know about the sacrifice and fatigue that comes with raising little ones. In fact, we’d say they have a harder time. Aside from dealing with the same threats that come with survival, wild mommas (and papas, in some species) have multiple babies, no babysitters, and claws and teeth scrambling about.

Join us as we look at some of the tired, albeit loving, animal parents and their curious kids.

Nowhere to sleep

Kids are rewarding, they say. But they don’t tell you the price you’re going to pay to get that reward. By the looks of this mama cat, she is contemplating her decision to have kids. She probably wasn’t anticipating her kid falling asleep on her face!

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Just one eye open is enough to tell her how tiring it is being a parent. She can’t even move now – that’s the sacrifice she’s willing to make for her kid to sleep soundly. The little fluff ball seems ever so comfortable sleeping on the top of mama, too!

Second thoughts

This fluffy momma looks terrified! Or is that regret and second thoughts we see here? Maybe it’s a blend of all them. Mama probably didn’t anticipate her motherhood would be like this: with four little balls of cuteness to endure daily.

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Well, she’s a mother, and she loves all of her creations. But that doesn’t mean a mother doesn’t need a break! This momma definitely needs one; she looks like she’s rethinking the moment she decided to have children. Let’s hope it gets better for her in the future.

Listen to mama

These little marshmallows look so well-mannered! All of them are sitting in a straight row, in the same posture, with the round blue eyes looking straight ahead. Well, that’s probably the mother’s strict teachings on their behavior. Surely, she can’t have her kittens looking anything less than fabulous.

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The mother’s eyes said it all: ‘listen to me at once!’ She’s a serious one who doesn’t mess around when it comes to her children’s manners and etiquette. Whoever has this whole fluff of a family is a lucky one. This adorable family is greatly loved, we can tell.

Hyper duo

If “hilarious” was a picture of a parent and kids, this would be it! The tired look on the mother’s face while her kid annoys her by jumping on her is evident enough to make us laugh our butts off. She’s so used to this hyper duo.

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This mama leopard was born with an incredible level of patience, for sure. It’s pretty clear that these two keep annoying her every day and that she doesn’t even bother to knock them off of her anymore. She is like, “Here we go again!”

Bonding time

First of all, how gorgeous is this duo of doggo mama-baby! Second of all, this doggo mama looks like she’s tired of her kid sucking on her lip, but something tells us that she’s had it worse. The little blue-eyed pup clearly knows how to annoy mom.

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But we guess, when you become a parent, you grow 10 times more patient than you used to be. Well, this doggo mama is proof of that because this, for sure, isn’t the first time her kid decided to “bond” with the momma by testing her patience!

No scrappy catty

Kids – humans or non-humans – will do everything that you forbid them not to do, especially in front of others. And well, we all know “the look” mothers give us after when we pull some ill-mannered prank or do some dirty deed.

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Like, this mama cat who is giving her scrappy little kid a stern look, which could be counted as “the look,” from behind. She knows that she’s going to have to teach her little storm some manners later. The little one better have some explanation for this.

Bull-y dog

Parenthood is a stressful and tiring job. You don’t get to sleep, or even pee, in peace! The moment you think you are free to lie down for a few minutes, your kid comes up and starts tugging on your clothes, demanding attention.

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And apparently, this isn’t just us humans. This bulldog doesn’t want his mother to sleep either! The way he keeps tugging on her ear, he probably wants her to take him out for a walk. Well, looks like the tired mother isn’t going anywhere until she has her beauty sleep.

An escape

We all need an escape from the loud world at some point, parent or not. But parents need it more frequently, and they deserve it too. And the best hiding spot in the house is always the bathtub. You can just lie in there and calm down your nerves until you’re ready.

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Human parents best understand this mama doggo’s situation. The tired “escape much needed” look on the mama’s face is so visible that we want to give her a big hug to show our love and appreciation. Someone keep her pups away for a while; she needs rest!

One versus six

No one ever said that being a parent was easy, and this mama cat is showing just how hard it can be. There’s not much energy in her; her eyes are practically screaming for help. She’s worn out, tired after all those sleepless days and nights.

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Well, there’s only one to feed six little fluffy dumplings; it takes a toll on you. The horrified expression on the cat’s face; we all should’ve seen it coming. Especially when all six of them are nibbling onto the helpless mother, how can she not be tired?

Family nap

This family photo of cats is a great example of Mendel’s Law of Inheritance! This picture is a wonder of nature. You see, there are fluffy little gray and white kittens like the father, and then you have the two cats with stunning leopard fur, like their mother. 

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These felines look like one big, happy, sleepy family. Nothing is better than a good, long nap, both for parents and kids. They all need to recharge before they wake up to a new day for new activities and new fun! Parenthood isn’t easy, but it’s always worth it in the end.

Ditto

It’s always an adorable sight when we see a young one copying their parents’ moves and actions (well, unless they are bad). And it is not uncommon for children to mimic their parents’ dialogues or behavior. Human or furry animal, it’s cute!

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This picture of a mama doggo and puppy is a perfect example of that. The adorable fluffy duo looks like they are yawning or trying to catch a treat. Whatever they are doing, this pup is a perfect copy of the mother, and we are fawning over the cuteness!

Chillin’ with dad

We’d be chilling and stress-free, too, if we had little mini fur balls crawling all over us. Just like this adorable father of adorable kittens. Look how unbothered he is of his children climbing on the top of him. Its tail is in his face, yet he doesn’t give a dang.

Source: lorettabritishcat/Instagram

The dad catto is either too tired to care, or he’s just completely used to them being stuck to him all day. The little kittens are having the time of their life on the top of their father’s head. We can look at this view all day. The cuteness here is unmatched!

Heaven on Earth

When the Lord talked about making heaven on earth, He was talking about this. We don’t think heaven is any less than this view right here. The parent doggos are sleeping soundly with their four adorable pups on top of each other; what could be better than this?

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If the magical part of parenthood was to be defined by a picture, we’d vote for this delightful goodness. It must be a tiring day for everyone when this dog family is up and about, but we are guessing it’s worth it at the end of the day!

Deal it with calmly

Well, we’ve all seen how animal children are just like human children: full of energy! And more often than not, it’s the parents that have to deal with the release of all that energy. Now, parenting is deciding to either deal with it through anger or with zen.

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This mama rhino is choosing the better option: calm. Good parenting is letting your children grow to bond with you until it’s too late. This mama rhino knows that. She’s taking her break while her super energetic and adorable kid plays on top of her!

Parent nightmare

We’d be glad to step in as a nanny and take some burden off of the mother of these seemingly six hyper ginger fur balls. She clearly is pushed to her limits and needs an urgent nap. Some peaceful and undisturbed sleep would be great.

Source: Facebook

Her face is the perfect description of what it’s like to go through the nightmarish side of parenthood. It’s exhausting, and sometimes, it takes the best of you. You can’t help but scream for help and some break. This mother of six quite frankly deserves a break!

Motherhood

This picture sums up what it’s like to be a mother so perfectly! We are crying over this heartwarming picture of a mama doing her best to feed her little ones. She’s the epitome of motherhood, and we’re here for it.

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This little dearie was so worn out from the daily hustle and tiresome caring for her adorable puppies and she couldn’t find the chance to take a break. She decided to take a quick nap while she fed her little ones, instead. This mother deserves lots of treats and cuddles!

At last!

We don’t know what happened throughout the day, but this cute family sure does look like they had a tiring day! The little duds must’ve annoyed their mother by running around, climbing on top of her, and even nibbling on her for milk.

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Mama looks like she’s dreaming of the peaceful days before she gave birth to those pups. She clearly needed this break when all of her little ones were asleep, and there was no one to disturb her by constant barking and suckling. 

The odd one out

The best part of seeing animals during their parenting years is that they have this loaded love and maternal care in them that they care for any little one who requires it. Even if they’re not part of the same family, or even species.

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For instance, this mama doggo gave birth to, what looks like, a dozen pups. And all of them are feeding on her at the same time. But there is one ginger cat among them too! Mama’s got a big heart. She doesn’t seem to care if the kid is hers or not.

Just like mama

This little colt seems to be in a hurry to grow up and look like its mama. And it’s already starting to pretend to be her, too! The little gem’s got quite an imagination to pull this adorable prank to look like his mother.

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The mother doesn’t seem to care what her kid is doing with her tail as long as it’s near her and is safe. She’s feeding on the grass, unbothered by the fact that her little one has got her tail on his head. She should look how adorable her kid looks right now with the “ponytail”!

Tired mama of four

Sometimes all you need is a static picture that says a million words for you to understand its depth. And this picture is one of those: mama cat’s face is proof of how tough it is to be a mother of four little scrappy cats. 

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We are sure that the little ones are loved and adored by their mother, but it must be a headache to take care of four of them at once! This mama cat has all the right to be tired. The babies are so cute; we’d love to cuddle them while she gets some rest.

Mama bear 

A black grizzly bear standing outside your house within a 50 feet distance from you is a scary sight. But if we see a mama bear carrying her little cub on her back while she searches for food in the woods, we’re going to coo over them.

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We wouldn’t mind if a mama bear showed up at our door for food, either, because this sight is adorable as it is! Bears or humans, a kid clinging to their mother is the cutest thing ever. The kid looks like he’s having the ride of his life.

Surprise!

Sometimes, humans go to the doctor thinking something is wrong, and then, much to their surprise, it turns out that they are just pregnant and don’t know it. It’s wild to think that that may have happened to this cat.

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Here’s hardcore proof of that. The cat looks like she didn’t see it coming or doesn’t know how that happened. Or maybe she’s having second thoughts about it. Well, probably because parenthood is a big step, after all. Hope she’s ready!

Back-pack!

A little one clinging to the parent like a koala hugging a tree is always going to be a sight that will never not make us swoon at the overwhelming cuteness! The level of adoration goes off the charts when we see a parent animal carrying their kid on their backs.

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Like, this little adorable blue-eyed pup just casually clinging onto his dad on his back while the dad does his thing melts our hearts! Parents get used to their kids clinging onto them after a few days of birth. Well, this dad is definitely used to it. Hence, the carefree posture.

Little beast awakens

No matter how much a parent loves their child, they always give out a frustrating sigh when the kid wakes up at an odd hour when the parent just went to sleep. That’s parenthood, we’re guessing. But parents deserve some break, don’t you think?

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Like, this guy is helping out the mama hedgehog by taking care of her baby while she sleeps. She was probably too tired that she didn’t hear the little sounds the baby was making. His arms are all the way up, and that is enough for us to see that the kid is full of energy!

Best cat bed

If this picture doesn’t show a mother’s love, we don’t know what does. A mother acting as a safe corner for one, and a whole bed for another, is the most precious thing we’ve seen all day. You can even tell how comfortable all three of them are!

Source: SWIMxGOD/Reddit

You know what they say, “a mother’s lap is the safest place in the world.” Well, this picture describes it perfectly. After feeding and taking care of her little gems, the tired mother even gave them the softest bed to sleep on at the end of the day.

Make her stop

We’ve all seen this face at some point in our lives. Either on our mothers, or someone else’s, or even your pet mama cat! Motherhood is the same all over nature. The unconditional love is there, but there are moments when the mother wishes for some alone time.

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This mama catto’s face says it all. The way this gorgeous little kitten is pulling onto its mother’s face while screeching shows how much she wants her mother’s attention. Children are born this way; we’re guessing: clingy and relentless. Somebody show her some love so mama can rest for a while!

Mama Pug needs help

For some reason, this picture looks like a dog mother has it worse than a human parent. Not in a bad way, more like a tiresome way. That little adorable mama pug is handling six little pug-lings at a time, and all of them need to be fed at the same time, too! 

Source: Ticklebiscuit/Reddit

We wish we could be of some help to this adorable mama and her six pug pups. The look on her face is everything – the cuteness on one side, but the “help me!” face on the other. We aren’t sure we’d be of much help here, though.

Happy and proud

Have you ever seen a smiling parrot? Well, even if you have, we’re going to show you one anyway. It is worth looking at. If ‘happy’ was a picture, this picture of a proud parent parrot and its perky featherless little one would be it.

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The little one doesn’t even care if it hasn’t gotten all of its feathers, and neither does the mama parrot – they’re both proud and happy! This adorable yellow family shows that you can be happy even if you haven’t grown into yourself yet. This picture made our entire year!

Responsibilities

This was us when the responsibilities of adulthood crashed onto us, leaving us horrified and clueless. Whether we are entering adulthood or parenthood, this cat represents most of us: terrified and alone. She probably wasn’t expecting to have these many kids.

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It looks like it just hit her that she has to take care of all of these little kittens on her own. She’s probably thinking of a way to get out of her responsibility as a mother, probably contemplating her decision too. It’ll get easier, little one!

Soft and warm mama

If you missed the little sheep sleeping on top of its mama, welcome to the club. We can’t blame this lamb for using its mother as a bed because that furry bed looks super soft and comfortable. We’d choose this cuddly mama, too, if only we could. 

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Since the lamb doesn’t have much fur of its own yet, it is probably using its mother for warmth. And it’s getting the coziest sleep of its lifetime, too. That ewe doesn’t seem to mind either, as long as her kid is safe and warm.

Gimme a break!

Someone watch out for this family because it looks like the momma dog is going to crumble down any second now! The droopy eyes and slumped body looks like she needs a long, undisturbed nap. She’s worn out by feeding on those little pups.

Source: allthekos/Reddit

Does anyone know what dogs take as an energy booster in the morning? Whatever it is, somebody bring it now, or else these little pups are going to squish underneath their mother when her legs give away from under her. Her tired eyes are begging for some peace and quiet!

Tail hugsie

We all need a soft plushy hugsie to cuddle with at night, just like this little kitten. She’s soundly asleep while hugging mama cat’s soft tail. Mama cat probably is enjoying the peace that comes when her kitten is quiet and tucked in.

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The fun part is when mama cat looks like she’s partially annoyed that she can’t move her tail and is partially affectionate and loving the kitten’s adorableness! We can’t say that we blame her because we are pretty much uwu-ing ourselves here.

Roar!

In case you are having a bad day, here is a picture of a little kitten attempting to ‘roar’ like her mama. Well, the mother was probably just yawning, but it seems like the little gray tyke tried mimicking her and gave out a little roar.

Source: camymilla/Imgur

The proud mama awarded the mini-her an approving look, which you can see in the picture’s second half. Children are always looking up to their elders for new behavior to learn. Seems like the animals do it too, and it is an ever-so adorable sight!

The Cat in the Hat

Sorry, we were torn between naming this stormy little kitten sitting on the top of her mother’s head while others sleep, such as “The Cat in the Hat” and “the Wild Child.” The former serves this picture better as the kitten looks more like a hat than a cat!

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What we find funny about this picture is that in the first half, the mother is sort of annoyed by that one wild child. Yet, in the second half, the mother accepted the fact that her little ones were going to be this way, and she better get used to it.

Energy level: zero

This father cat looks like he’s going to need a long vacation where there is peace and calm, when he can reminisce his good ol’ days. We totally feel you, Mr. Ginger Fluff. Even though we aren’t the ones with children to take care of, we can imagine your struggle.

Source: Facebook

‘Struggle’ is the middle name of parenthood, and the look on this dad’s face can confirm that. Even though the tiny gingers look so sharp and active – and not to mention well-mannered and calm – the dad’s face says otherwise. His face is like, “it’s not what it looks like!” Well, clearly!