These days it's increasingly popular to self-identify as a "cat dad" or "dog mom". Take, for example, Instagram, where literally millions of photos are hashtagged as such or Etsy, home to thousands upon thousands of t-shirts and throw pillows emblazoned with the same.
And why not? These handles are cute, funny and decidedly less sterile than something more traditional like "pet owner". But what would happen if you turned that equation around and pets imagined humans as their parents?
That's the idea behind our favorite new caption meme, which can be found in use across a wide variety of public and private groups on Facebook.
The funniest examples of this joke format generally position the cat as aggrieved in some fashion — tired, hungry, or some combination of the two — and eager to voice their disgust or displeasure with parentals who aren't meeting expectations.
“Möther bamboozled me with treats, now I am here.”
Like any good meme, this one is constantly mutating as it spreads — think deliberate misspellings and linguistic embellishments such as umlauts (that double dot above a German, ö) — and new adopters put their own stamp on it.
Below, we've cobbled together 16 more of these catty captions for your scrolling enjoyment.
1. "Momther, why must you disturb my sacred solitude"
2. "Möther, where is my salami?"
3. "Release me from this tedium, fathër"
Ten seconds and some well-timed paper crinkles later: "The picture I was trying to capture😅"
4. "Attention passengers, möther pspspspsed too much, so now the flight will be delayed due to an existential crisis."
5. "Mayday, mayday, interference with landing gear! Enemy möther attacking! Will engage defensive maneuvers if provoked further!"
6. "Why must you mock me, möther."
7. "Möther says flying is dangerous. She won’t allow it, hence the leash. For now, I can only dream of the day I’m free for takeoff."
8. "May Day, May Day, we are experiencing turbulence from möther for attacking the curtains"
9. "I said, NO pictures, möther. I'm far too regal for such foolishness and triviality."
10. "That face you make when möther mentions calls the dog a 'GOOD BOY'"
11. "Why did you make it WET outside, MOTHER. These elements tire me."
12. "You never asked me if I WANTED a sister, Möthêr."
13. "Mother?..Mother!! What the devil are you doing up THERE behind a force field?! Come back, post haste! I require my second breakfast."
14. "Tower, momther will NOT release me, send assistance or i may be forced to go into fighter jet mode and activate the bitey swipey protocol"
16. "Queen Airlines politely requesting departure, pilot is reporting the runway is 'very comf' but would like the MÖTHÊR copilot to please be respectful and thus SILENT [sometimes but not all the time but usually] in the presence of royalty. 👑"
