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By Melissa Fleur Afshar
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A cat's way of helping his owner after she gave birth has delighted viewers on TikTok, with the feline becoming an unexpected symbol of solidarity for sleep-deprived new mothers on the platform.
The candid video showed the cat gently moving his paw to pump breast milk for his owner, who had recently given birth. The post, shared by the pet's owner @j.44.4 on April 24, has amassed more than 25.3 million views and 5.7 million likes to date, turning the sleepy cat into an internet sensation.
An overlaid text on the video drew further attention to the hilarity of the moment.
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"Me getting annoyed at my cat but then I remember he helped me pump post partum," the text read.
Viewers were able to see the cat operate the pump, before letting out a wide, lazy yawn, prompting hundreds of comments from amused viewers who recognized the shared exhaustion.
"Postpartum is hard even for the cat," one viewer had commented, while another added: "It's the fact that he yawned and acting like he is exhausted."
Though the video is only a few seconds long and lighthearted in tone, it has tapped into the emotional and physical exhaustion that new parents know all too well—and the often-overlooked support that pets can provide during postpartum recovery.
This particular cat's involvement borders on slapstick, but the underlying message has clearly struck a chord. To date, more than 11,000 TikTok users have commented on the post, with many voicing their comedic takes on the viral moment and the cat's obliging demeanor. The yawn, in particular, has become a defining moment of the clip.
"He was so sleep deprived too," one viewer said, while another added: "Yawning and pumping, he was tired."
"And he was exhausted at that but still did the night shifts you," a third viewer shared. "What a king."
"Damn it really do be taking a village," another added.
"That's not a step dad that's the dad who stepped up," another said, while another commented: "This is deadass the smartest thing I ever seen a cat do."
"A single mom who works two jobs," a different viewer joked, in reference to Reba McEntire's 2001 song "I'm a Survivor."
"Doing it even though he's tired what a king," another viewer said.
"The yawn," another said, "he was overworked."
Newsweek reached out to @j.44.4 for more information via TikTok and email.
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