‘Stop doing whatever you are doing right now!’: Cat mom concerned by feline pawrenting her 2 yr old son asks Reddit if this behavior is normal

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Sep 28, 2026 8:45 AM EDT

The ins and outs of raising a cat kid are certainly complex. Our feline fur babies are incredibly complex creatures with rich inner worlds and opinions about literally everything. But when it comes to the interaction between a cat and a hooman kid, well, that is where things become even more complex. Felines have been known to actively attack or hide from their hooman siblings, but have less so been known to actively pawticipate in pawrenting as the cat in this story has done.

Some might argue that it is a question of biology. A cat is a communal creature and if it is a part of your family/community it feels responsible for the upbringing of the children in that unit. And while that explanation does go some way to explaining this situation, it fails miserably at explaining the more common cases of cat cruelty towards kids. So we are left with more questions to answer at this point than we began with but that is ok, it is the very reason this parent posted about their unique situation in the first place.  

So if you want to find out how and why a cat would suddenly care so much for a creature that does not feed it, does not play nicely with it, does not have seniority over it and in general is not too well suited to cats. We invite you to dive into this sweet tail and see for yourself what it is like to coparent with a cat.
 

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  • 01
    "He wants to grab the cat-she taps him to stop and keeps meowing."
    via NecessaryBSHappens

    Black cat with tongue poking out.

    Picture does not depict real parties.


     

  • 02
    This is a weird one, but I feel the need to ask I recently noticed that when my cat sees my son attempt something we tell
    via NecessaryBSHappens
  • 03
    him not to do or something we dont let the cat do, it taps him with a soft paw. They both seem to understand that tap as "stop doing
    via NecessaryBSHappens
  • 04
    whatever you are doing now". Is this normal? What are reasons it can be doing it, like from perspective of a cat being a cat?
    via NecessaryBSHappens
  • 05
    Cheezburger Image 10666843904
    via goldbacon
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    Sometimes they just sit before each other and she meows. He wants to grab the cat she taps him to stop and keeps meowing. Thing is,
    via NecessaryBSHappens
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    Cheezburger Image 10666843648
    via goldbacon
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    initially we were worried about either of them hurting the other but it never - happened Now, we never used that tap gesture for
    via NecessaryBSHappens

  • Ok, this is kinda wild and kinda wonderful all the same time. How in the heck has this cat come to care about this kid so much that it is actively and non-violently checking the kid’s behavior? We have heard about cats taking kids down when they have had enough of them. We have heard of cats evading children like they were the plague. But we have never seen a feline care this much, and at that a feline who displays such deep emotional intelligence as to know what the kid’s pawrents do not want him to do. Simply outstanding. 
     

  • 09
    neither cat or son. It is a new action. Cat never had kittens and overall she is pretty normal - outside of being more of a pillow than a cat. It lets
    via NecessaryBSHappens
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    claws out only when threatened multiple times, when annoyed usually just pushes away with a paw. And every morning it comes to be carried around
    via NecessaryBSHappens
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    Cheezburger Image 10666844672
    via goldbacon
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    on a shoulder - at 5 years she is still a lot like a kitten
    via NecessaryBSHappens
  • 13
    GamerLinnie Cat are notorious for co-parenting. It sounds like she is joining and doing her part. Cat and child seem to enjoy their bond so I would just enjoy it.
    via NecessaryBSHappens
  • 14
    theotherkara Cats are colony animals naturally, and help raise each others young. She doesn't care that your son is a different species, she knows he is a baby and is simply helping to co parent lol. I wouldn't worry about it at all, in fact it's pretty sweet. If
    via NecessaryBSHappens

  • Well, this is certainly an interesting pawspective on the situation. Though in a certain sense it only raises more questions than it answers. Sure, it does rather neatly explain how and why this pawticular cat is behaving in the way that she is. But it does little to explain the myriad of other approaches that cat kids have been known to take towards hooman kids. Where is that colony mindset when a cat flying kicks a kid out of spite? Or is that just a way of showing the kid how to defend itself?
     

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    Cheezburger Image 10666844416
    via goldbacon
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    _teeney_ I'm not an expert, but from my experience and observations, a cat will gently tap their paw on something/someone as a warning sign that means "please stop or I will attack you." My kitty will do that with me if I pet him on his tummy
    via NecessaryBSHappens
  • 17
    Federal Warthog_268 We have two cats, they are brothers. When I have to correct the naughty one for doing crimes, his brother invariably shows up and whacks him. How dares naughty brother ignore the rules!
    via NecessaryBSHappens
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    23--2-
    via goldbacon
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    AlDente My cat used to sit next to my kids when they were new babies. She was super gentle with them both. There's definitely a pack or parenting element. Cats know that the little one is part of the family, probably from the way we treat the baby/infant.
    via NecessaryBSHappens

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ask reddit doing behavior concerned cat mom feline pawrents stop normal son
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