As a hopeful future recipient of the "Parent of the Year" award, perhaps I shouldn't announce this to the world, but I can't resist. My toddler was enjoying a cup of milk this morning. This cup wasn't a sippy cup, it was a big-girl cup! No barrier between beverage and sweet lips today, and yes this big day has been noted in my family scrapbook.

My cat, Yoshi, has a keen eye and nose for his dairy product of choice. He trailed my toddler around the house, raising his paw towards the cup whenever he was able to catch up to her little size 5 feet. Suddenly, my daughter poured the cup of milk onto the end table in the living room, where she and Yoshi simultaneously started licking up the cold, white beverage on separate sides of the table (thankfully). Instead of scooping up my toddler, I grabbed my camera. Any thoughts of feline germs were put on hold until my laughter subsided.

Many toddlers are entranced by animals. It's hard to resist puppy breath or a dog's perky ears atop a head of soft fur. Whether it's a playful kitten or a cat who purrs too loudly, pets are attention-grabbing little souls. And when pets do attract a toddler's admiration, most know how to sit back and receive the love bestowed upon them.

Twenty-one-month-old Felicia from Baton Rouge, La. shares her dinner nightly with the family's fully-registered mutt, Ginger. "Last night I served beef stew with carrots and potatoes," says Felicia's mother, Dana. "Felicia ate the beef and carrots, but each time she picked up a potato, she licked at it, made a face, then fed it to Ginger."

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