Ah, the joys of parenthood. You wake up early, make breakfast that your kid throws on the floor, drive them to school, pick them up, deal with the drama they brought home, and then rinse and repeat. It's a long life that these animal parents can also relate to.
It's not often we see ourselves so perfectly in our animal counterparts, but these worn-out critters will definitely have you saying "I've been there" as you're reading. All these animal parents need is a good 8 hours of sleep and a little privacy –– they'll probably never get either.
Motherhood Really Transformed This Cat
Some days you wake up as a mother and you don't feel quite human. Maybe your kid put cereal in your bed while you slept so you would have some bright and early, or maybe you got a solid 20 minutes of sleep the night before and you think you've transitioned into the spectral realm. It happens.
This cat can attest to that. The internet has affectionately dubbed this cat-mom "Cathulu" and yeah, that's pretty accurate for the kind of supernatural being that motherhood's transformed this little lady into.
No Corner Is A Safe Corner When You're A Mother
We've all got our little hidey-holes we go to when we want to be alone. For some of us, it's the supply closet at work and for others, it's far away downstairs in the bathroom when you think no one will find you. They will, by the way. Locked doors don't stand a chance against toddlers.
This dog found this out the hard way when she backed herself into a corner trying to get away from her puppies. Look at that tired out face desperate for some peace and quiet. She's only going to get it when they're all asleep.
When They Gotta Go They Gotta Go
You know how kids are –– if they're not announcing to the world they have to use the bathroom then they're going right ahead and using it then and there regardless of what's going on. Looks like that might be true for ponies as well. Either that or this baby is doing a little yoga.
This mom is so used to her kid just going wherever he likes in whatever chaotic state he chooses that she's not even batting an eye as he's going right next to her. Hey, it's better than going directly on her. You've got to pick your battles as a parent.
The Joys Of Parenthood And Plexiglass Barriers
Being a parent changes your preferences –– your favorite things become baby pens, cribs, and knee-high plastic gates. Basically, anything to keep the child mess in the other less important rec room while your nice paintings and couches stay clean in the living room. It never works for long though, does it?
This proud mama dog just bought an awesome new plexiglass gate to keep her adorable little ones in the other room while she does important dog stuff like sleep for 10 minutes before letting them out. It was nice while it lasted though.
The Face Of A True Warrior
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. This is especially true if you have the soul of a mama dog that's been up for days with 7 puppies hanging off of her. If she got her soul read at that moment it would read "dog-tired."
Do her eyes say "help me" or "end me?" Either way, she's just barely hanging in there with the sheer force of two paws on the ground and a leveling gaze at a human off camera. She's probably questioning why we have time to invent cars but not to help her out.
You've Definitely Made The Face This Stressed Out Opossum Is Making
This opossum has a great expression because it perfectly sums up how all parents feel and how we all feel taking public transportation. Both are exercises in trying to stay calm despite the person beside you spitting on people and throwing their juice on the ground.
Look at how calm her babies are while she's caught in the middle of whatever tornado life has thrown at her. She's probably just gotten back her bill for the chiropractor that she had to start going to because of her kids. Unfortunately, she can't play dead for this one.
This Cat Who Just Realized This Isn't Her Baby
We've all done it. At some point we've called our kid by the wrong name, mistaken them as someone else from a distance, or accidentally left them in the car for 20 seconds. Very few of us forget our kid, bring home a different one and raise it as our own. But that looks like that's exactly what this kitty mom did.
She was in the middle of bathing her strange feathered kitten when she looked up and appeared to realize this wasn't exactly her baby. The owl looks surprised too. If this isn't my kitten, then whoooo is this?
This Dog Babysitter Didn't Sign Up For This
This dog may not be the parent of these rowdy goats, but that makes no difference to them and they're going to treat him like he's family. That means doing parkour stunts off his face and climbing all over him. Doesn't every warm welcome come with a hoof to the face?
This is a screenshot from a 5-minute long video of the goats doing just that. The best part is the dog doesn't wake up at all during the rowdiness. It must be a parent itself and used to sleeping through literally anything.
This Photo Is Where We Get The Expression "Dog Pile"
Remember how we would all love to get into bed with our parents in the cold mornings? Well, dogs like doing the same thing. Except when we would keep our hands and feet to ourselves when our moms told us to stop kicking them, dogs just don't. Their idea of personal space is more of a shared one.
This poor mom on the bottom is entering her happy place and not worrying about everything that's going on around her. Oh, that snapping noise was my spine dislocating under the weight of my kids? Doesn't matter, just breathe in and out.
Blink Twice For Help
This mama dog named Snickerdoodle is definitely trying to communicate something with her eyes right? Is it "more kibble?" Is it "take me out on a walk?" No, it may be a subliminal message for you to save her from her kids. Every parent can definitely read between the lines here.
This photo has major Creation of Adam energy. Except, this dog created her puppies and is now reaching towards the person behind the camera for help. It's a new take on a classic Renaissance scene, just with added canine parenting anxiety.
The Child Leash Also Exists In The Animal Kingdom
This mama monkey has apparently had enough of her monkey child wandering around the Walmart touching things it's not supposed to touch, so she brought out the animal equivalent of a child leash. Enough, we're walking away from the Bluetooth headphones now.
If this doesn't make people re-think putting their kids on leashes, nothing probably will. Hopefully, they know that it makes them look as silly as this monkey. Good luck little monkey. Maybe if you're quiet in the car your mom will still take you out for ice cream.
These Adorable Parents Are Total Lovebirds
No, seriously, they're actually lovebirds. These two are less like the stressed-out parents on this list and more excited about the kids they're having. They must not be running on no sleep and the power of Quaker's apple cinnamon oatmeal yet.
This sweet little goth lady got together with this mango boy and they produced some adorable pastel goth children. There's no mistaking who the parents of these birdies are. Maybe their personalities are half and half too, and they answer every question both punk and gleeful with "whatever, I don't care. Love you."
This Cuddly Husky Cinnamon Bun Of Love
We're used to hearing that moms will give the shirts off their backs for their children, and it's no different for husky-moms over here as well. This wolf-like dog will literally give her body heat to keep her pup nice and toasty during those cold winter months. That's essentially the same thing.
Look at how happy and warm this little pup looks curled up in the center of the cinnamon bun that is his mom. This is a no-stress cuddle zone. Except for the fact that the mom is probably gritting her teeth being an amazing parent.
This Dog Is Majorly Traumatized By Parenthood
Kids, no matter how adorable they are, don't really care about what you're going through. If your car died, your shirt ripped, or your income taxes came back in the red, it's still playtime with Mommy at 3 pm and that's that. Kids are organized if nothing else.
This dog looks like it's seen some stuff during its parenthood trials and tribulations. Those eyes look wide awake and ready to relive every traumatic instance their pup has put them through. It's a big contrast to all sunshine and playtime in the puppy's world.
This Mama Rhino Learned To Multitask Quickly
A sign of a good leader is that they know how to delegate. Usually, that means assigning tasks like building a presentation. For this mama rhino, it means appointing her child in charge of milk supply and distribution –– to itself while she's sleeping.
Hopefully, she's dreaming about something other than the daily dairy demands of her customers. This poor tuckered out lady deserves a break after the quarter she put in for her team. Moms don't get breaks though, so she'll probably just chew her grass a little slower than usual.
But Mom, Everyone Else Is Going To The Dog Park
There's an age-old struggle between kids and the word "no." No matter how good the question sounds in their head, sometimes it comes out way too wild and the infamous "no" answer from a parent is lurking on the horizon. I'm already 5, what do you mean I can't stay out until midnight with my friends in the 7/11 parking lot?
This puppy looks like it's asking its mom a very important question about where they can go and how much money she can give them to go have fun. Hopefully, the little guy is using his powerful puppy-dog eyes.
No, Let Me Just Get It. You're Not Helping.
What's more chaotic than a kid on a destructive rampage? A kid on a helping spree. Though they have really good and sweet intentions, they're really making everything worse when they try and help their parents. We all know what the kitchen looks like when they try and cook you breakfast in bed.
This little kitten saw that her dad was trying to steal food from the counter so she decided she'd help as well. The only problem is she's a little short and she's going to get their cover blown. Quick, act purrfectly natural.
Just Hold Still... I'm Going To Close My Eyes For 5 Minutes
We've been making jokes about overtired parents but this is seriously the result. This tired mama bird ran out of caffeine and couldn't get the Keurig brewing in time so it began to power down right on top of its baby, but that's just par for the course, right?
Can you spot the baby underneath its mom? This little guy is taking this impromptu weighted blanket like a champ, probably because he understands and appreciates all the stuff his mama does for him. That's just heartwarming.
Annnnddd, Play Time Is Over
Part of the delicate parental balancing act is knowing when the fun has gone too far –– that means keeping one eye out for danger, one out for fun, and another out for our own sanity. That's 3 eyes? Parents grow one in the back of their heads.
This mama cat sensed that things were getting too wild between her kitten and a toddler, so she scooped her baby up and took it away. You can see how much the cute toddler wanted to keep playing with the kitten. Too bad there's 20 lbs difference between the two.
I Told You To Stay In Bed
It looks like this baby polar bear didn't do what they were told, and now they're being reprimanded by their mother. Although it might look harsh, trust us, it doesn't hurt the baby at all, that's just how they transport them around at a young age.
This is the polar bear equivalent of a parent picking up their child and leaving the store after they throw a temper tantrum in the middle of the aisle. Hopefully, this baby learned its lesson.
How Am I Going To Get Down?
Anyone that has more than one child can feel this opossum's pain. Not only are all of her young crawling all over her, but she's doing her best to balance at the top of a very narrow gate.
She looks like she's looking at the ground, worried about how she's going to get all of her babies and herself safely down. They look a little young to do it themselves, so this mother is definitely in a pickle. We hope everything worked out!
They've Taken Everything From Me
Being a mother is not for the faint of heart. Not only do your children take up your time, but also your body, and at the end of the day, your spirit. This mamma cat looks like she's accepted her fate and recognizes that this is her life for the foreseeable future.
She figured she might as just lay on her back and get it over with than try to even put up a fight. Hopefully, before long, the babies won't need their mother to eat anymore.
If Your Child Never Took Naps You Can Relate To This
We all know what it's like when 8 o'clock rolls around and you're trying to put your child down for bed and they just won't sleep. So you lie next to them and hope their eyes will shut and their limbs will stop flailing. Begging never hurt either.
This adorable parent-child duo is going through those bedtime growing pains themselves. Look how the baby hedgehog is clearly not sleeping while the parent is pretending to sleep. They're definitely trying to will their own tiredness onto their child. Just close your eyes...shhh.
Leave Me Here
If there's one picture that sums up motherhood, this might be the one. This poor cat is trying to get some rest at any chance that she can, even if it means sleeping in positions that most cats wouldn't dream of doing.
It looks like her babies fell asleep after eating, so she saw this as the perfect opportunity to catch some shut-eye as well. She better sleep as much as she can, because you know those kittens are going to wake up hungry, starting the cycle all over again.
My Special Place Has Been Compromised
Before welcoming his litter of kittens into the world, you know that this sink was most likely this cat's favorite place in the whole house. It was private, quiet, and not to mention comfortable.
However, that all changed the second the kittens were able to open their eyes. Now, his once-peaceful spot has been compromised and turned into a circus. No more mid-day naps for this poor guy. His best bet might be to try and find a new spot that his kittens don't have access to. Any dad that's had to sleep with a baby in the bed knows how this feels.
Both human and animal babies will sleep just about anywhere, even if it's at the detriment to their parent. What makes it worse, is that the parent never wants to wake the baby up or else they'll have to get back to their parental responsibilities.
This dog looks like they feel they made a mistake having a baby, something most people might think when their child is sleeping on their neck. However, we can't blame the puppy, they sure look comfortable!
Nobody Told Me About This!
Unfortunately for cats, there aren't any books to prepare them for motherhood or what to expect. It seems like this cat definitely didn't get the memo about feeding her kittens, and she looks taken aback by the whole situation.
We hope that she gets used to it because she's going to have to do this numerous times a day for a good amount of time. It's also possible that she woke up to this happening and this is her natural reaction.
Don't You Talk Back To Me!
Having a child can be a beautiful thing, but you might start second-guessing your decision once they learn how to talk back to you. With a mind and voice of their own, they eventually figure out that they can say no to their parents, that's when things get interesting.
Seems like this young kitten just realized the power of their voice and are showing it off to their mother. However, the mother looks less than impressed and liked things better when she could have some peace and quiet.
When You Hug The Wrong Woman At The Grocery Store
We've all done it, turn around for a second while you're in line at the grocery store, only to hug the wrong woman that you thought was your mother. This is what seems to be going on here, as this kitten has sadly mistaken a dog to be its mother.
The dog has to be more confused than the kitten in this situation and looks tired enough to have puppies of her own. If that's the case, she truly must be living a nightmare. Hopefully, the kitten's mom will help clear things up.
Personal Space, Please
Once you have kids, your personal space goes right out the window. Whether they need to fall asleep on you, be fed, or are just climbing on you just because they can, it can be a while before you get that sense of freedom back.
Clearly, this cat is experiencing this lack of personal space at this exact moment, with all of her kittens grabbing onto her and holding on for dear life. Chances are, they're hungry, and are trying to let their mom know even though she's well aware.
The Classic Pin Move
If you have a kid that refuses to take a nap, one trick that parents can utilize is the pin-down technique. All you have to do is hold them tight so they can't escape with the goal that they'll hopefully fall asleep.
Apparently, this isn't a new trick for gorillas who use it to calm down their rambunctious young. You can tell this gorilla is praying to any god that will listen for their baby to go to sleep so they can hopefully get a nap in too.
Comfortable?
We're sure that this rhino was enjoying an afternoon nap when their baby decided that nap time was over and that they wanted some attention. We don't blame the rhino if they continue to pretend to be asleep, hoping their young will get the message.
The baby better hope that their parent doesn't have a short temper, because the might find themselves in serious trouble. Nobody wants to wake up with someone jumping on their head.
The Lion King 2.0
We all remember that adorable scene in The Lion King when Simba tries to wake up his father by biting on his ears. Even Mufassa didn't appreciate that one very much! Well, it looks like that strategy doesn't only apply to animated lions since this little guy had the same idea.
We're not sure if this pupper is trying to wake up their parent or if they needed something to chew on and the ear was the first thing they saw. Either way, the big dog looks less-than-amused.
What Did You Do To My Child?
Animal or human, you never want to get in the way between a mother and her young. Looks like someone wasn't very nice to this lion cub, so their mom is going to set things straight.
Looks like the cub knows exactly what their mother is going to do and wants to be there for the action, except nicely shielded behind her. All we know is that we don't want to be whatever this lion is coming after, she might be the last thing they ever see.
No More Sugar Before Bedtime
This mother is certainly in a tricky situation. She looks as though she's as tired as can be while her cub has more energy than ever. All this mom wants to do is go to sleep, but she knows that she'll only be pestered by her young if she tries.
Looks like she might have to suck it up and wait for the cub to pass out from exhaustion. Ah, the joys of being a mother. One day the cub will feel its mothers pain and understand.
This Pig "Nose" How To Get A Good Night's Sleep
OMG, can't stand this cuteness! This little piggy has somehow fallen asleep while laying directly across her mama’s snout. And she seems to be resting peacefully as well, despite having a baby on her face.
That baby is like a "mini me" of her mom, right down to the precious blonde eyelashes. The pair of them appear to be in hog heaven right here. It’s said that pigs are really good at two main activities: sleeping and eating. This photo proves the sleeping part, at least!
Champagne Wishes And Kibble Dreams
Oh, to be a puppy asleep in a huge dish of food. That's everybody’s dream, right? Maybe not, but this baby pup seems to be totally content to have passed out while in the middle of a meal. The fact that her whole body is in the bowl might indicate that she needs a smaller dish, buts she’ll probably grow into it pretty fast if she keeps eating so much food.
I mean, a dish that large would probably hold her body weight in dog kibble at this point. After eating such a huge meal just about anyone would zonk out.
Cleanup On Aisle 12
It's really hard to tell exactly what is going on in the photo. It looks like the cat has passed out right in the laundry aisle of Target, but there are so many questions about how it ended up in this situation. Is this a human companion cat that is able to run errands for its owner but somehow ended up falling asleep on the job?
Or maybe it’s a stray that had a little too much catnip and wandered into the local 7-11. That would explain the reason it’s right in front of the chip display.
That's A Serious Nose Job
At first glance, this dog looks totally comfy. She has a nice warm bed to sleep on and is so relaxed that she's just letting her head hang off gently with her ears back. But check out the way she has her nose pressed onto the floor.
Did she not notice that while she was drifting off to sleep? It seems like this would be a pretty painful way to take a nap. Wonder if her nose will be all pushed off to the side when she finally wakes up and lifts her head?
The Vet Was Too Much To Handle
It looks like this pup couldn't handle yet another visit to the vet! He did the best thing he could think of and played dead so that he wouldn't have to endure the poking and prodding of the vet's strangely cold hands. Well, it seems as if this corgi took playing dead a little too seriously since he ended up just falling asleep in the process!
At least now, he won't be conscious during his unbearable exam. Let's just hope that he won't wake up during it or else he will be in for quite a surprise!
Slothlike
Have you ever seen a sloth sleeping? If you've ever seen one awake you can probably imagine what a sleeping one looks like, since they move veeeeerrrrry slowly even when they are being active. This sloth seems to have completely conked out while walking from Point A to Point B and just had to sprawl out for a little nap to recharge.
Fun fact about sloths: you couldn’t guess by looking at them but they’re closely related to armadillos! Also, archaeologists have found skeletons of extinct sloths that were elephant-sized. Can you imagine how large those claws must have been?
Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner
Here's an animal that blends in perfectly with its surroundings. Orange walls, orange carpet, orange cat. So did the cat go into the corner to hide, using its special indoor camouflage, and just fell asleep while it was there? Or was it sent to the corner for "time out" because of something naughty it had done?
Either way, this cat appears to be completely comfortable hanging out there with its head propped up against the wall. But it will probably have a pretty severe crick in the neck once it wakes up from that catnap.
Boring Book… Yawn
This book must have been dullsville. It couldn't even keep this ferret engrossed. In fact, it was so boring that it completely put him to sleep. I did not realize that ferrets are avid readers, but apparently the smart ones do enjoy a good book every now and then. The book pictured is obviously not one of the "good" ones that ferrets prefer.
Maybe it’s a book about a dog or alligator or some other non-ferret animal. Yawn. The ferret looks pretty darn adorable fast asleep on top of that boring book though, doesn’t it?
Potted Hound
Now, this isn't something you see every day… a hound dog sleeping while stretched out between outdoor pots. This photo raises two different theories. First is that the dog used to sleep in just one of those pots when he was a lot smaller. And has simply spread out to put his head in the second pot now that he can’t fit in just one.
The second theory is that the dog knows that things tend to grow in pots, so is hanging out in there hoping that he’ll become a giant that can intimidate other neighborhood dogs. He’s probably not helping those flowers he’s completely smashed though.
The Straddler
It looks like this small dog might have gotten a little too settled into his latest Netflix binge and just fallen asleep. Lots of people drift off in front of the television. What makes this sleeping dog photo unique is the way that he's bridging the gap between the sofa and the table, with his body on the couch and head on the table.
If you look a little closer you can see that his face is right next to an inhaler. Remember people, keep all of your prescriptions away from your kids (whether they’re the furry kind or not).
The No-Frills Way To Nap
This is about as bare-bones as it gets when it comes to napping: simply lie down on the nearest hard floor and zonk out. Preferably with your paws held straight up in the air. That's exactly what this bunny rabbit has done… no bed, no grass, no blankie needed for this sleeping professional. Hey, they say it’s good for the spine to sleep on a hard surface.
And a rabbit should know about this since a healthy spine is very important when you spend your waking hours hopping around. Maybe we should all take a cue from this wise bunny.
Blinded By The Light
They say that curiosity killed the cat. It only put the cat to sleep in this case (thank goodness). This photo of a cat that fell asleep while looking out the window, probably bird watching, is completely hilarious. You know this guy's owner placed the kitty condo right by the window for this very reason, and it looks like a pretty relaxing place to take a snooze.
In fact, it looks just like the position you’re supposed to be in to get a massage. Perhaps there’s a masseuse on the way to further relax this sleepy kitty.
A Prickly Position
Porcupines are nocturnal, which means they're more active at night. So during the day is when they’re likely to try and get some sleep. This prickly fellow passed out while stretched out on a tree trunk, high up in the air. It might seem like a weird place to snooze, but porcupines apparently prefer sleeping in trees, especially on hot summer days. He’s picked a perfect spot, too, since it’s nice and shaded.
Being high up in the trees will make it harder for predators to get him. Porcupine predators include wolves, bears, coyotes, and great horned owls. I would not want to end up on the losing end of a fight with a porcupine!
King Of The Jungle Doesn't Care If He’s Cool
When you're the king of the jungle, pretty much no one is going to try and mess with you. That explains why this lion has allowed himself to fall asleep in such a hilarious position. How absolutely un-regal of him! He’s fully splayed out on his back, with his legs sticking up into the air resting on the wall behind him.
He sure looks relaxed, at least. So relaxed we wouldn’t be surprised if he starts drooling soon. If that happened, I could picture some brave animals teasing him for it, king of the jungle or not.
Ice, Ice Baby
You might not believe it, but this cute little squirrel is sleeping in a bowl of ice. That's right – ice, the really cold stuff that we use to keep our drinks cold. And it looks like the squirrel is in absolute bliss. It turns out that this photo was taken in Oklahoma. The state experienced a severe heat wave, and one local woman felt bad for all the squirrels who were suffering through it.
So she began leaving bowls and cups of ice out for them so they could cool off. The squirrel in this picture was so grateful that he completely passed out while he was cooling himself off.
Uh Oh, Asleep On The Job
This is one of the most unlikely places to fall asleep: on top of a sheep's back. But that’s exactly what happened to this sheepdog! She looks completely content to snooze on the backs of the sheep she is supposed to be herding. I guess this means that she was asleep on the job.
Hopefully she doesn’t get a demerit for her innocent little nap and is allowed to keep her sheepherding gig! It would sure be a shame to get into any major trouble for doing something that’s so darn cute.
Rocky Raccoon
Well, if this sleeping beauty doesn't take the cake. The raccoon here, we’ll call him Rocky, is just about the cutest napper alive. Even if you take away the adorable pink tongue sticking out, there are so many other terrific things about this picture.
For starters, Rocky is wearing a tiny t-shirt and is sleeping in a bed. Second, Rocky’s pillowcase is totally awesome and we want the same one! Also, Rocky appears to be an architect (the best profession for a raccoon to get into) based on the scale model of a building he’s sleeping in front of.
Watermelon Zzzzzzs
There's a whole lot of "what?" going on in this scene. I guess these cats went to Japan to take a nap. One chose to lie on a wooden table and the other is trying to fall asleep while draped on top of a watermelon. I have no clue why a cat would choose to hang on a piece of fruit like that, but it actually looks like it’s pretty comfortable.
Maybe the watermelon cat will fall asleep soon like his lucky little friend already has. Wonder what kind of dreams you might have when you sleep on a watermelon?
Guess How Much A Giraffe Sleeps At Night
Now, this is something most of us don't see every day! This giraffe really doesn’t look too comfortable, does he? With that looooong neck, it’s probably pretty hard to find a comfy position to sleep in. That’s a part of the reason that giraffes in the wild don’t sleep much. In fact, they only need about half an hour a day of sleep!
Their necks also make them extra vulnerable to predators which is another reason they don’t sleep a lot. Adult giraffes even sleep standing up at times, in order to get away quickly if danger approaches while they’re trying to catch some zzzzs.
Care For A Walk?
Most dogs absolutely love to walk. Both of my dogs completely freak out when I get my special "walking hat" out, and continue to bounce around until they're leashed up and out the door. This dog seems to have a much different attitude about walking. He’s apparently so bored by the activity that he passed out right in the middle of his daily walk.
The expression on the woman’s face appears to say that she’s dealt with this exact situation before. I think it might be time for her to find a new running and/or walking partner! Leave this guy at home next time.