Tugging on a child’s ear is a form of discipline as old as time. It causes enough discomfort to get a kid to behave without causing any actual pain, and it seems like humans aren’t the only ones to use this technique. Parents of the animal kingdom will often carry their offspring by the ear when they aren’t behaving.
That’s exactly what this mama bear is doing as she carries her child by the ear. While there’s no way of being certain if she’s bringing her furry child out of their cave for some fresh air or back into the cave where it’s safe, this mom has their best interest in mind. It may look harsh, but it doesn’t hurt, and it’s a common way polar bears carry around their young.
Mama Rhino Multitasking
One of the most difficult parts of being a new parent is waking up every night to feed the baby. While humans are stuck powering through these first few months, mothers of the animal kingdom have figured out a way to multitask so that they don't even have to move when their offspring get hungry. Take this rhino, for example.
While she's in a deep sleep dreaming about what life was like before she had a kid, her newborn can safely feed itself without disturbing Mom. This gives a whole new perspective to late-night feedings! If only humans could figure out a way to feed their children without having to wake up.
Whose Baby Is This?
Every mother or father has at one time, or another called their child by the wrong name. It's only human nature! However, it's not often that parents forget what their children look like and take home a different kid by accident. But that's totally what this kitty mother just did!
This cat mistook this owl for one of her kittens, and it took her a while to figure out her mistake. Too long. It wasn't until she started bathing the strange feathered kitten that she even took a second look at her baby. This photo was caught after the cat paused, suddenly realizing this wasn't her child. Hilariously enough, the owl seems to be quite surprised too!
The Child Leash
While child leashes have caused controversy in the past, it's not uncommon for monkeys to use their child's tail to keep tabs on them. Human parents use them to ensure their kids don't wander off in grocery stores or destroy another vitamin display at the pharmacy.
This monkey mom likely had different intentions when she grabbed onto her kid's tail, though. Perhaps he was misbehaving, running off into the jungle without his mom's permission. If people who put their kids on leashes don't change their minds after seeing this, then they never will! They'll just go on living looking as silly as this monkey.
When You Hug the Wrong Mom
Standing just a few feet tall, it's not uncommon for toddlers to accidentally wrap their arms around the wrong calves when out in public with their parents. From their perspective, most legs look the same, and it's easy to get confused. It appears that these poor kittens have made a similar mistake.
As long as they're getting fed, the kittens don't seem to mind where the milk comes from. This new dog mom, however, appears to be quite confused by her pups' new look. Combined with the exhaustion of taking care of her own babies and the kitty intruders, it's possible this dog will think this is all just a bad dream.