Cat dubbed 'best dad' after supporting his baby cat mama during labor: 'Baby daddy goals'

It is easy to be a father but harder to be a dad. Any male parent can be a father, but to be a dad, takes responsibility, love and hard work, and one cat on TikTok has perfectly illustrated what it is to be the best dad in a touching video. Santos, a sensitive black tomcat dad, has gone viral on social media, with millions swooning over the new dad who seems to know what his baby mama needs from him during labor and in those first weeks of parenthood. In the clip, shared by the TikTok account (@santospoppy), cat mom Poppy can be seen sitting in her birthing box as Santos pops his head over the side of the container before jumping in beside her.

In the video, which received over 4.4 million views, Santos gently massages Poppy with his paws to ease her pain during labor. “Baby daddy goals,” the caption reads. “Best dad award goes to Santos.” Like other human dads during childbirth who get anxious or scared of the entire ordeal, Santos, on the other hand, was calm and collected. The black tomcat was also calm after the litter was born, showed no signs of restraint and threats and went to the vet and got neutered without any drama. In another video titled “Baby Daddy Goals 2,” Santos seems to have taken over childcare as he gave baths to their children while Poppy takes a well-deserved mom break.

Generally, male cats are the best parental figures when it comes to taking care of their kittens. Domestic male cats displaying paternal concern toward the litter is rare, as they are not involved in rearing kittens, especially in the wild. According to The Nest, male cats typically don't participate in raising kittens besides siring them. In fact, there have been instances where male cats have killed kittens, particularly those that they didn't father, as part of an evolutionary strategy to prevent rival genes from spreading. Therefore, if you have both male and female cats in your household, it's recommended to exercise caution and not leave the male cat alone with the newborn kittens. Supervision is necessary to ensure their safety.

However, the TikTok account did confirm in a comment reply that Santos is never left unsupervised and that duo does not go outside. People in the comments section praised Santos for being such a wonderful dad and partner. "He wanted to get first looks at the kittens to see if they were truly his," said @mmiranduhh. "That kitty has more affection than all my ex's put together!!" shared @xcatcrazycax. "What a supportive birth partner," noted @tpatching. "That male kitty was a better support than my husband was during my labor," joked @amandahartlove. "The best cat baby daddy ever he's better than most human dads no offense to human fathers," added @essencemiles1.