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By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
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Children often hound their parents about getting a pet, and one mom has gone viral after sharing the sweet moment her daughter brought her very own animal home—but this was no kitten or puppy.
Jamie Smith posted a video on Instagram (@thosesmithsisters) revealing the moment her 4-year-old daughter, Landry, wandered over with a tiny creature in her hands. She was so delighted with the "pet squirrel" that the family cat, Indi, had given her, but when her mom got a closer look, she realized it was, in fact, a chipmunk.
Smith wasn't entirely surprised to see her daughter playing with a creature as she's a huge animal lover, but she told Newsweek that she was "absolutely not prepared" to see a chipmunk of all things.
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"I could see Landry playing, and I could tell she was carrying something, so my initial thought was that she had found a small animal that the cats had caught and then left, probably a mouse or shrew," she said.
"I think Indi had caught the chipmunk and was playing with it, and when Landry went over to see what he had, he dropped it into her hand."
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Smith jokes that Landry and Indi have a very "special bond" because they're both 4 years old and have grown up together. Landry often goes outside with the cat and befriends any bugs or mice she spots, but this was her first encounter with a chipmunk.
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She was certainly pleased with Indi's gift to her, and she even asked, "Should we keep him?"
Unfortunately, the friendship was only short-lived, and Smith released the chipmunk back to the woods near their home. She noted that it looked unharmed and didn't have any scratches, but one thing that caught her by surprise was just how calm it was in Landry's hands.
As soon as Smith took hold of the chipmunk, it started squirming and trying to escape—the total opposite of how it was when Landry held it.
How Did Social Media React?
At the time, Smith started recording as she had a feeling her daughter would "have a good story" for her, and she certainly didn't disappoint. Smith initially planned on sharing the video with her close family, but then she couldn't resist sharing it on Instagram, too.
The clip has gone viral, with more than 26.7 million views and over 1.4 million likes so far.
"I thought it was pretty cute, but I never would have imagined it going viral," she said. "By and large, the video was well received—so many comments likening her to a Disney princess. People think she's adorable and love her raspy voice."
Smith has been amazed by the positive reaction to the video online. Many people commend her parenting and for staying so calm throughout. It was incredibly encouraging to receive so much positivity and warmth from total strangers.
She told Newsweek: "I think when you have kids, you desperately want to raise them right and help them grow into good humans. I question if I'm doing a good job multiple times a day, so to read so many comments talking about her empathy and gentleness warmed my heart."
With over 15,400 comments on the viral video, many social media users praised Landry for being so gentle with the wild creature.
One comment reads: "Her words express your parenting. Thank you for speaking kind words to your daughter."
Another person commented: "Ma'am were you aware your daughter is a Disney princess?"
An Instagram user wrote: "Probably the cutest kid I've seen on the internet yet!"
Do you have any funny and adorable viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
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