For many of us moms who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, we wish there was more footage of us when we were younger. Way back when, you might have had your photos taken on the first day of school or your birthday, and there are loads of vacation pics. But a random Tuesday photo shoot wasn’t really the thing to do back then. Now, moms carry a camera with us everywhere we go in our pocket. We document our kids’ entire lives, and it’s not uncommon to have thousands of photos and videos of them. Sometimes, we get so caught up in capturing the moments that we miss what’s actually happening. Just ask Lenore Coulter.
Coulter, who posts on Instagram as @life_as_lenore, was filming her twin daughters, Te Aokapurangi and Waimirirangi, in their backyard in Auckland, New Zealand. The girls had just started walking, and she wanted to get the sweet moment on video. As she watched Te Aokapurangi toddle along, a cat appeared and began to attack Waimirirangi.
Coulter told Newsweek she took her eye off the baby for just a second, but that was enough.
“I was trying to keep both of them on the screen, but I was more focused on Te Aokapurangi, the twin that’s walking away, because she was on the move,” Coulter said. “Out of nowhere, I saw Waimirirangi falling and then saw that the cat was the reason.”
Coutler explained the cat doesn’t belong to her family but was normally friendly. This interaction, however, didn’t seem so nice.
“Once I realized, I dropped the phone and ran to her,” she said. “She cried a little, but I think she was more startled than anything.”
Coulter posted the video on Instagram.
“I was just trying to capture some wholesome footage of my darling exploring the taiao,” she explained in the caption. “Next minute the neighbourhood cat rolls up out of nowhere and decides to pick a full-on scrap with my unsuspecting baby. She was totally unaware. I was too busy filming. By the time I clocked what was happening, I dropped the phone and sprinted.”
People in the comment section loved the video.
“I was like, ‘You clearly didn’t take your eyes off her you’re literally recording her’,” someone commented. “And then I realised I had taken my eyes off the other one.”
“I’m more concerned about the one who’s making an escape,” an Instagrammer joked. “Good luck. Your hands are full.”
Some people with cats assured Coulter her daughter likely wasn’t in danger.
“From a person who’s owned cats their whole life I think actually the cat was trying to pick up the baby like a kitten,” one person explained.
After reading the comments and reviewing the video, Coulter told Newsweek she had a message for other parents. “I want people to know that life is short, be present and enjoy every moment,” she urged.
