Watch Adorable Moment Fussy Toddler Gets Balloon Back Thanks to Sweet Cat

By Amanda Thomason January 7, 2019 at 6:00am

We often ask people if they’re “cat” or “dog” people, but perhaps dogs and cats also fall into one of two categories based on whether they prefer the company of adults or babies.

Dogs and babies are cute in a fluffy, goofy sort of way. Most successful kid/dog friendships are built on mutual high energy, silliness and love for toys.

Successful kid/cat friendships are a bit different. Most of the time, a cat who deigns to be around children lets itself be put into a variety of compromising situations because on some level, it appreciates the attention.

A dog might feel dutiful enough to stay seated in a Barbie horse trailer while a kid wheels the contraption around, but no cat would remain in place unless it really wanted to. You can’t force a cat to do anything. They feel no sense of duty. Their only allegiance is to Self.

Cats and kids bond generally because the cat allows it, though some kids are every bit as mischievous and clever as a feline.

They’re both attracted by the same sorts of things, too. Shiny, moving objects are kryptonite to them both, encouraging one to crawl and the other to pounce.

When it comes to balloons, both critter and baby are enthralled with the floating object, though usually for different reasons. Babies focus on the balloon, seeing the attached ribbon as merely a way to draw the balloon closer.

But for cats, that dangling little string hanging in the air is life. It is everything.

There’s a cute clip going around of a baby looking rather defeated, sitting on the kitchen floor, a balloon having drifted to the ceiling. Its tether is out of reach for the tot, but the lithe cat sitting next to the child has a plan.

It has some things the baby does not: claws, springs-for-legs, and arguably better paw-eye coordination. With an easy leap, the cat is up on the counter, batting at the ribbon before catching it in its teeth and jumping back to the floor, where the baby gleefully swipes the balloon back.

Fear not, small human! Here is your balloon. from r/aww

You can see this one of two ways: The cat saw the baby’s distress, retrieved the wayward toy, and brought it back down to the floor, staying still so the baby could take it back.

The other way to read this is that cat and child are more like siblings, taking turns stealing the balloon from each other. Either way, this is a cute example of somewhat clumsy (but adorable) teamwork to achieve a common goal.

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