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By Jack Beresford
Senior Reporter
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A mom has discovered that, while her toddler isn't yet speaking in full sentences, she's already fluent in "cat."
Ina, a mom of two based in Michigan, told Newsweek she has always loved filming the everyday "sweet and funny moments" involving her kids. Ever since she started to post these videos to TikTok under the handle @girlmom_travelsandfun, Ina has discovered she's not alone in enjoying these moments either.
One of her most recent videos, showcasing her toddler daughter's sweet interaction with their cat Mici has proven especially popular. It captures the young girl, who Ina has chosen not to name for this story, enjoying a full-blown conversation with her cat friend. The toddler isn't speaking English though, but instead communicating with a series of "meows."
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Ina's daughter appears to be offering Mici a blanket in the video, which has amassed more than 868,000 views since being posted at the end of last month. The two then exchange words, or meows, before Mici decides to head elsewhere. A caption on screen reads: "My child speaks cat before any other languages."
Ina, who only shared her first name, said she primarily shared the clip because the interaction looked cute. "My baby and our cat looked so adorable, it felt like they were having a real conversation," she said.
There is more to these interactions than just cute cat content. According to Ina, her daughter has developed a noticeable appreciation for the cat language. "Around 10 months old, I noticed my daughter starting to meow at the cat—it started off softly but got louder as she gained confidence in her 'cat language,'" Ina said.
Things have developed since then to sweet interactions much like the ones seen in this video. "Now, they have daily 'chats,' and what's even more adorable is that Mici, who's a very vocal cat, actually meows back!" Ina said.
Though developing her daughter's ability to "speak cat" may not be high on Ina's list of priorities as a parent, having Mici around is likely to be of significant benefit.
In 2006, a study published in the journal Anthrozoos found that developing a close bond with a pet from a young age was associated with higher levels of empathy in young children.
Mici has been a consistent presence in Ina's daughter's life. "My daughter just turned one at the end of March," Ina said. "She's grown up around our cat, Mici, who is 10 years old and came with us from overseas along with three other pets."
Ina knows there will come a day when her daughter will "outgrow" habits like talking cat, so is focused on sharing content highlighting "the special bond" they have and, hopefully, in the process, making a few people smile.
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