Mama Skunk Video Goes Viral and One Cat Mom Felt Completely Seen

The Video That Started It All

Sometimes a random video on Facebook hits different than you expect.
This week I came across a video of a mama skunk trying to get her babies safely across the street. The babies are running in every direction, completely ignoring her, and she is doing everything in her power to keep them together and out of harm's way.
It is adorable. It is chaotic. And that poor mama looked absolutely exhausted.

What I did not expect was to see myself in her.

Motherhood Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

Watching that skunk run back and forth after her babies got me thinking about how universal that nurturing instinct really is. It does not matter if you are a bird, a skunk, a cat, or a human. When you love someone you want to protect them. You want to keep them safe. Their well-being becomes your whole world without you even realizing it.

I watched that video and smiled. And then I moved on with my day.

Until Pepper got sick.

Full Cat Mom Mode Activated

I have been a cat mom for about a year and a half now and in that time I have learned that cats are a lot like kids. They get into everything. They keep you on your toes. They accidentally break things. And whether you realize it or not your life decisions affect their lives too.

This week my cat Pepper was not acting like herself. She was not eating. She was not drinking much. There were a few accidents around the apartment and hearing those little meows when she was hurting absolutely broke my heart.

The second I realized something was wrong nothing else mattered.

Suddenly I Understood the Skunk

I found myself constantly checking on her. Was she eating? Was she drinking? Was she sleeping comfortably? Did she seem a little more like herself?
That is when I thought about that mama skunk again.

She was not running around after her babies because she wanted to. She was doing it because she loved them. Because keeping them safe was her whole job in that moment.

As silly as it sounds, watching Pepper this week gave me a whole new appreciation for that video.

She Is Doing Better Now

Thankfully Pepper is doing much better and this mama is breathing a whole lot easier. But the experience reminded me that being a pet parent comes with all the same emotions that every parent feels. The worry. The responsibility. The love. The instinct to drop everything for someone who depends on you completely.

So if you have ever spent a sleepless night worrying about a child, a pet, or someone you love just know you are in very good company.
We are all just mama skunks out here doing our best. ❤️