r/TikTokCringe • u/GhostofTinky • Aug 25 '26

Discussion This is a disaster waiting to happen.

The dog isn’t allowed to be around a toddler because he growls at her. I don’t get it. A family dog is supposed to get along with the whole family. Why are the parents concerned about why the dog “doesn’t like her”? What about the child’s safety?

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u/throwbackxx Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 25 '26

You know, what my cats do when they don’t like a child screaming?

They go away and hide. They do not get aggressive and try to chew the kid.

Either you have animals that can handle a child, or you don’t have one of them

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u/1zzyBizzy Aug 25 '26

My dog does absolutely nothing when a child screams. She also doesn’t respond to fireworks or thunder, or other sudden loud noises.

It’s because she’s deaf. It can be very convenient honestly.

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u/ObsessedWithSources Aug 25 '26

My dog is not deaf, but also does nothing. If he does something, it is leave the room. And I get it. I don't want to sit in the same room as screaming children and my ears aren't half as good as his.

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u/DarknMean Aug 25 '26

My dog hated fireworks and would go hide on my daughter’s bed with her in it. She was 12 and her bed was his safe space as long as she was next him.

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u/TrashCanSam0 Aug 25 '26

my two cats are also autistic and do not like loud noises. or children. or me, really, until i feed them.

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u/JoyArk Aug 25 '26

It must be awesome to have autistic cats! Aren't metal illnesses so cool and hip?!!!?

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u/JosieMew Aug 25 '26

TiL all my cats have undiagnosed human mental health challenges. Granted I would too having to live with me but still.

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u/TrashCanSam0 Aug 25 '26

considering i'm diagnosed adhd and on the spectrum, not really. but i guess your own experience says differently.

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u/Tarkanos Aug 25 '26

They're mocking you because your cats aren't autistic.

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u/TrashCanSam0 Aug 25 '26

it was a joke but reddit's gonna reddit.

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u/KoorlandSlaughter Aug 25 '26

https://giphy.com/gifs/jXD7kFLwudbBC
Cats can’t be autistic. Stop “humanizing” your pets. It’s not healthy.

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u/Timely-Cancel921 Aug 25 '26

Your cats aren’t autistic lol 

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u/Thin_Salary1153 Aug 25 '26

There's a book a lot of cat folks read called "All cats have Aspergers". I think it was partial reference/joke.

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u/Timely-Cancel921 Aug 25 '26

Ohh, that makes sense

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u/throwbackxx Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 26 '26

Haha that got me

Well my cats are easily scared. They don’t do it when they can see the child crying or screaming. In that case they will approach the kid and try to calm them down (they do it to adults too). Only when the child is outside and screams, they get uneasy and typically have an alerted behavior. They’re tiny and I absolutely get why they get scared at noise they can’t understand.

Whenever I did catch them growling or hissing, I could easily interfere and they never bite or scratch humans. I can literally pick them up and they bury their faces in my sweater and hiss / growl quietly haha. It’s actually adorable because they’re literally tiny creatures fearing everything lol

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u/vegweg25 Aug 25 '26

We have 3 cats. We also have an almost 2 year old nephew and friends who just had a baby in July. The cats are all fascinated by the small humans, will investigate and I assume try to figure out if there's anything to do to help if there's any crying or screaming going on, and look for the small humans after they go home

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u/ztomiczombie Aug 25 '26

It's possible that cats and dogs have different sensitivity to different frequencies so for a cat a child's scream could be overwhelming but for a dog the frequency could be to low or high to be as painful.

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u/DiabeetusDeletus Aug 25 '26

Honestly my dog going deaf was one of the best things that ever happened to her. She was way less anxious.

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u/Remarkable_Town5811 Aug 25 '26

One of my cats is an old man and has gone Deaf. It's often convenient. He gets so offended when I “surprise” him though, aka touch him without him hearing me. He acts like I snuck up on him.

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u/eleanor61 Aug 25 '26

Or on the other side of this, they can be more easily startled because they can't hear. Although some dogs are just unbothered mushes, regardless.

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u/azure-heavens Aug 26 '26

My GSD does not care about fireworks, thunder, or any other loud noises.

Children, though? Terrified. I'm not going to be having kids, so it's okay. Just funny of all the things to be afraid of, it's kids.

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u/Allys_Phantom Aug 25 '26

I have one of the rare cats that does get aggressive when he hears high-pitched shrieking. His previous owners had a baby and he was returned to the shelter for that reason.

And you know what? That was a damn good reason lol. I’m sure they loved him but they made the best decision for their (human) baby. And they did this for a pet with far less destruction potential than the one in this video.

I think we as a society have become too lenient with certain behaviors over the past few decades, especially with dogs. Some people will watch this video and their takeaway will be that dogs with child aggression can be rehabilitated with the correct support. That’s not a risk I’d ever be willing to take.

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u/jameshardenisjacked1 Aug 25 '26

People on reddit always act like pets lives are more important that humans. Which like I've loved every pet I've ever had to death, but come on

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u/FederalCauliflower92 Aug 25 '26

My older sister had to rehome one of her dogs because her 3rd son had severe allergies. The way people would act like she did something WRONG was infuriating. She searched for a good home for that dog for MONTHS. She vetted the couple who eventually took the dog. The dog got to live with a retired couple who had a quiet life, and had a very happy life until she passed of old age. But the way some people went on, you'd think she dropped her off on the side of the highway because she just got sick of it.

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u/ReadytoQuitBBY Aug 25 '26

Yeah, it’s really creepy behavior. Love your pets all you want, but as soon as you start devaluing human life… you’ve just lost the plot.

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u/Adventurous-Put296 Aug 25 '26

Redditors will get behind Pet Lives Matter over supporting other humans

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u/jenniferjuniper16 Aug 25 '26

Also, sounds like it would have been a miserable life for the poor cat. Sometimes rehoming is the most loving thing you can do for a pet. Not to mention everyone’s safety.

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u/JustsomeOKCguy Aug 25 '26

It doesnt help too when so many people vilanize those who give up a pet that isnt compatible with a baby. Like sometimes you just don't know if a pet will be good with a baby. It is a different thing you cant really plan around since you dont know how they'll react. Giving up a pet to a home that can handle them is much better than just keeping them in a room by themselves away from a child all day

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u/koboet Aug 25 '26

We were on the other side of this. Our cat started to be aggressive about the sounds of my kid laughing, playing. etc.

...the cat now lives with my parents.

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u/Ok-Complaint2323 Aug 31 '26

One of my cats loves babies and children. She's very tolerant of grabby kids and kids who pet backwards. She always approaches them in a friendly manner. If they tug at her or push on her she may make a noise and walk away for a moment, but she'll come on back. (note I am always watching and actively discourage poor behavior from a child but they can be quick) She is one of the chillest cats I've ever known.

My other cat postures at grown adults. She growls, hisses, and spits at guests. If a guest approaches her she will lunge. If the guest is a man she doesn't even need an invitation to charge them.

What do I do before my toddler niece (or any other guest) comes over? I put the aggressive cat in a closed room and alert anyone who enters my home to LEAVE HER ALONE. That animal wants to bite you! She is waiting right behind the door to do so! She is only friends with me and the other cat. She will tear you to shreds. I even note it in my maintenance requests that there is an aggressive animal in the home and I put a sign on whichever door I keep her behind for them to not open during their visit.

If I can recognize and react preventively to a cat's aggressive tendencies why does it seem so hard to do for these large dogs? My cat will claw and bite someone terribly if provoked enough... but she's not going to rip your whole throat out.

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u/Positive_Type Aug 25 '26

My cats either run or are completely chill. My son is autistic and loves to scream and jump around them. If they were aggressive with him, they’d be rehomed and they’re just dorky little cats. I couldn’t imagine a muscular dog like that growling at my child and still living in my house.

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u/Luna_bella96 Aug 25 '26

My cats will sometimes bite my son if they can’t get away, such as if he’s holding them and annoying them or if the space is too small for them to quickly escape. And even then he’ll get a lot of vocal warnings from both me and that cats that he’s being very annoying to them. When they do get to a point of biting it’s never hard enough to break the skin or even leave a graze mark. Thankfully he’s only had to be bitten a handful of times to understand what the cats do not tolerate, and trust me they tolerate a lot, especially his cat.

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u/Thin_Explanation1334 Aug 25 '26

You should be teaching your son not to hold on to animals that don't want to be held down, hopefully, like hello they are just little beings too who want to be free and happy 

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u/Natural-Pattern-5240 Aug 25 '26

People always say cats are the biggest assholes and dogs are nothing but angels. In my experience dogs are the bigger assholes. Dogs regularly lunge at and aggressively bark at people for no good reason. They also maim, disfigure, and kill people all the way from infants to the elderly. If cats don’t like you they just run away.

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u/squintintarantino__ Aug 25 '26

My dog goes O_O and then looks at me like “do…do I scream too?”

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u/throwbackxx Aug 26 '26

Hahaha adorable

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u/DhaniM Aug 25 '26

of course, cats can also bite and scratch, but I see your point.

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u/WoodenHarddrive Aug 25 '26

Absolutely. My dog didn't like our new baby, basically just whined and left the room whenever we brought the baby in. General avoidance until the baby was old enough for a high chair and the dog found out about the bounty that would fall off the high-chair tray into the floor domain.

Repeat with next three kids, once they hit the high-chair stage the dog suddenly loves them and never stops. Avoidant behavior, totally acceptable; what we're seeing in this video? You need to choose safety for your offspring.

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u/catmamaO4 Aug 25 '26

The child is in the room with his family. That’s likely why he isn’t leaving. The dog is seeing a threat among his family and doesn’t want to leave them alone with said threat.
They need to take the time to train the dog and teach him that the kiddo is just as safe as them.
I have a feeling this dog has some trauma that makes it overprotective.
They really need to train the dog that the girl means no harm to the family.

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u/dearDem Aug 25 '26

I have 4 cats, and after moving in with my partner, two of them hide from his kid. The other two let him pet them while periodically growling & hissing. But they won’t run away, I don’t get it.

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u/throwbackxx Aug 25 '26

I think while they growl and hiss, they’re too scared to actually attack. They will grow on the kid. In the meantime, just observe it and if one cat seems to get hostile, intervene

9/10 they’re just spooked out of their mind

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u/Sufficient_Fan3660 Aug 26 '26

I've always though the primary reason for animals to attack is they are afraid. Just like a bully human is a bully because they are afraid and think acting tough will keep them safe. Abused animals, dogs belonging to grandparents that are not socialized properly, and animals suffering from mental illness (they get the same problems humans get, but they don't have pills or therapist), are the ones to watch out for.

I let my son when he was a toddler play with a giant alaskan husky that would grab him by his jacket or shirt, bite it, and jerk his head sending my son falling down in the grass. My kid loved it. Was some of the most fun he had ever had when we would visit family and he got to play with that dog. Dog would chase and body check him, send him spinning around. My son cackled non-stop. Same dog would bite my sons shirt or pants and keep him from getting too close to the edge of a pool. Even when tired of playing he would keep an eye out for my son to make sure he didn't fall into the pool. Baby mamma would be pissed off because my son would have scratches all over, not like bleeding, just normal boy stuff plus giant dog with giant paws that would wrestle and jump up on my son and knock him over She was always angry about me letting him play with the husky. My son loved it and would wrestle with the dog. I don't care if his clothes get ruined, I'll buy more clothes. He is a boy, ruining clothes is natural. Sweetest dog ever that knew exactly what kids were, how to play with them, and how to protect them.

A couple years later I found out baby mama had been having play dates between my son and a severely abused rescue pitbull. She tried to convince me to adopt the dog since she could not have it at her place, hell no. No way, no how. Not my problem, not a chance I would leave a pitbull that had been abused alone with my son. I'm pretty certain the pit bit him, or a pit from one of the guys she dated since she decided she loved pits and they are the best dog breed ever. Son has been afraid of dogs the past couple years now and does not want to be around them.

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u/throwbackxx Aug 26 '26

I think they do attack when they’re scared. But it’s a big difference if they’re timid or if they’re actually in danger enough to strike.
And as an adult, one should know exactly when the energy shifts - like in this video. The dog is absolutely laying his ears flats and standing nearly still. He’s ready to strike. I wouldn’t let him near my kid again and would try to find a new childless home for the dog.

You always have to read the room with animals.

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u/AgitatedGrass3271 Aug 26 '26

I agree. My dog has learned that if she licks my daughter in the face then my daughter backs off. My dog then trots over to me and looks for my approval/protection. Now I dont let my daughter do anything hurtful. For example, my daughter was trying to put a headband on my dog earlier today when she did this exact thing. And I always intervene when my dog makes the help me face. If my dogs couldn't be patient like that, I wouldnt have them.

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u/throwbackxx Aug 26 '26

Oh that sounds adorable haha!
My cats do that too, when I tease them they get uneasy for a second and then just stand up. If I stop it immediately, they go back to a laying position. If I continue to annoy them (like tickling), they will look at me or my husband like „help?“ and when neither one reacts, they just get up and leave.

Actually, when they were really little I tried to provoke them because it was weird HOW lovely they were. They would never bite or scratch even when I really, really got on their nerves like several boopings on the nose or all over their faces or trying to „clean“ their teeth’s. They never did anything, which was even kinda concerning at first. But the good thing is, they’re easy during vet appointments.

But yeah. If I didn’t have patients little ones, I wouldn’t think about getting a child.

The cat of my parents gives 0 warnings before she scratches you and aims for your eye. That’s a whole different level. And I wouldn’t let my kid around that cat unsupervised. She sometimes attacks while you’re sleeping and she really always goes for the face and soft tissue. Kinda disturbing

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u/Takemebacktobreezy Aug 26 '26

I just had to rehome one of my kitty's bc she actually did try and square up every time my new baby cried and I was like girlfriend I'm sorry but no, this isn't bad girls club. So now she lives with my aunt, her second fav person besides me. Miss Keira knightly every day though

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u/lietajucaPonorka Aug 25 '26

The child has food in her hand.

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u/patienceyieldsfocus Aug 25 '26

This simply isn't true. Cats can be aggressive and defensive at noises and children, too. Don't underestimate a frightened or threatened animal.

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u/throwbackxx Aug 25 '26

Where did I write that cats can’t be aggressive?
If your cat acts aggressive towards children, don’t bring kids into your home. Wtf

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u/patienceyieldsfocus Aug 25 '26

Ah, I see, you said "my". Misread!

I'm a vet tech. I see people every single day that don't believe cats are capable of targeted aggression or even spontaneous aggression without reason.

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u/throwbackxx Aug 25 '26

Yeah no problem!
I was just confused, because I think one should know their own pets best and therefore consider any dangerous behavior before one brings animals and children into a home

I absolutely do believe that cats - even my cats - can get aggressive. But I know that I can control them and if I couldn’t, I wouldn’t bring a child into this

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u/Such_Confusion_3715 Aug 25 '26

they don't... cats are pure and lovely animals unlike dogs which are psycho horrible things that only want to eat children such as this one. fuck dog owners. single handedly killing children.

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u/Ayotha Aug 25 '26

Only if you are a bad owner and allow that

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u/patienceyieldsfocus Aug 25 '26

Allowance isn't the point. You can't always train instincts and genetics out.

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u/_30d_ Aug 25 '26

I've trained both my cats from a very early age so they know exactly what is and what isn't allowed in my household. The problem is they just don't give af.

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u/Ithurtsprecious Aug 25 '26

I have 2 cats. One hid for over a year and avoided baby like the plague and the other loves the baby and would use her body heat to nap and let the baby, now toddler basically body slam her, pet and brush her. The second either of them got aggressive they'd be gone.

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u/dustystarshine Aug 25 '26

Maybe don't let your toddler manhandle your cats if you don't want them to get aggressive? This seems like a situation where they might give a warning nip/swat if pushed far enough...