Giving a child sugar close to bedtime is a huge no-no in the parenting world. The unwritten rule helps to avoid overly hyper children and sleepless nights. Despite this, however, youngins will still get bursts of energy from time to time. Since a leopard’s diet doesn’t include sugary treats, this cub is likely just in the mood to play.
However, this leopard mom certainly doesn’t look like she’s in the mood for playing. Well aware of the fact that her cub will pester her until she caves, it looks like she won’t be getting sleep anytime soon. Ah, the joyous moments of motherhood! It’s only a matter of time before this little guy has his own cubs and will finally understand his mom’s pain.
Sealing a Kiss
Just like humans, animals also show affection to their loved ones with a kiss. Take these seals, for example. This new momma adores her newborn and shows her affection without any reservations. Simply adorable!
Every parent can agree that the first time they laid eyes on their child, they couldn't resist giving them a ton of hugs and kisses. This just happens to be how most animals react toward a loved one. According to Winnie the Pooh, sometimes the smallest things take up the most space in our hearts!
He Did What?!
No matter the species, you never want to get between a mom and her child. Moms across the animal kingdom are known to be aggressive toward anyone who threatens their cubs. They don't call women momma bears for no reason!
This lioness is certainly not messing around. She's on a mission to confront whoever troubled her cub, and she likely won't be taking any prisoners alive. The adorable cub clings to his mother's side in fear, using her body as a shield of protection from whatever seems to have startled him. You definitely don't want to be face-to-face with a lioness protecting her cub!
A Kiss From Baby
There are only a few things that are more precious than an impromptu kiss from a child. This momma hippo knows all about that as she steals a smooch from her baby. This tiny hippo is just a few weeks old and has a ton of charm despite being a newborn. He has character and charisma that are obvious by the way he affectionately pecks his mother.
This little hippo follows his mother everywhere she goes, as it's how he will ultimately become acquainted with basic survival skills. Whenever he wanders away, however, he does so under close supervision. Momma Hippo is never too far away!
What Have I done?
A large part of parenthood is learning new ways to handle the exhaustion. While as humans, we can hire nannies or get a babysitter for a night, our feline friends don't have the same privilege. Since those in the animal kingdom can't just leave their kids with a sitter while they meet up with their friends for a drink, they have to resort to other ways to work through their tiredness.
Perhaps this tired mom of several kittens is focusing on what life was like before motherhood. Back when her life was carefree, and naps were plentiful. Compared to what her life has become, surely she looks back at that time as the glory days. Surely the sight of her beautiful furry babies will remind her of the joys of motherhood, though!