I think they’re celebrating Patricia’s birthday.

And a baobab tree!

Oh, no, pretty soon I’m going to be gushing over pictures of cute little kittens, aren’t I?

(via National Geographic)

Cats can’t do this.

Also, if cats could shed their skeletons, they wouldn’t be considered a delicacy.

It’s not just a big dangerous-looking weapon, it’s an electrosensory organ.

My wife remembered, so she sent me a video that reminded her of all the things I’ve done as a parent: the egg tending, the fungus gnawing, the battling of the interlopers, the affectionate clashing of chelicerae. See, this is what fatherhood is all about.

In case that’s not enough for you, National Geographic has a paternal gallery. None quite as adorable as me, but the cockroach does come close.

I have to give credit where credit is due, and this isn’t entirely an anti-cat post. I’ve had cats; I’ve had to clean up their puke and hairballs, I’ve had to change their litter boxes, I’ve found the secret places in the house where they go to pee, so I know what they’re like. And I know the cat dream, and what they aspire to, so here, for all the cats out there, is a goal.

Dream on, kitties, dream on.

Although I promise, if ever I have an anesthetized cat on my hands, I won’t be giving it electric shocks to make it excrete slimy stuff.