Published May 25, 2026
We’ve all been there. You do something your cat likes once, and they demand for it to become a daily routine! For Toulouse and his dad Joseph, that thing is cuddling in Joseph’s wheelchair.
Hurry Up, Dad!
Cuddles in the wheelchair are Toulouse’s favorite thing ever.
Harpo, Joseph’s other cat, will sit in the wheelchair while he’s out of it. Not Toulouse! He meows, loud and demanding, until Joseph sits down so he can crawl into his lap.
And if he hears the wheelchair squeak or roll across the floor? He has those noises memorized, and comes racing across the house for attention.
He’s clearly built a positive association with the wheelchair, and wishes his dad were in it all of the time.
Training for Parenthood
Joseph jokes that Toulouse is training him for (human) parenthood, since he and his wife are expecting a baby. By teaching his dad how to multitask while holding someone in his lap, he’s being a good big brother even before his human sibling is born. To make extra sure his dad gets enough practice, he snuggles for as long as he’s allowed and sometimes longer.
His dad sets him on the ground and he climbs right back up, like he couldn’t really want to be apart from Toulouse! Once, Joseph had to remove him from his lap four times on his way out the door.
He describes Toulouse as childish, no matter how old he gets. He’s like the Peter Pan of cats! Toulouse is also loving and gentle. All he wants is love, particularly from his dad.
Meanwhile, his sister Harpo is a mama’s girl, though she’ll settle for their dad when Mom is out of town. Joseph’s childhood cat, Molly, is the more independent of the three.
The Power of Cats
Joseph says that the cats have changed his and his wife’s lives for the better, and that having cats provides them with much-needed routine and structure. They’re responsible for the cats, but the cats also give their humans something to rely on each and every day.
It’s hard to be sad when you have a snuggly fur baby at home, ready to provide you with unconditional love the moment you walk through the door.
Joseph and his wife are far from the only ones to express this sentiment! Studies show that having a pet improves your mental health, makes you more empathetic to the people around you, and is even healthy for your heart.
