Mandy Moore Credits Her Cats For Getting Her And Husband Ready For Parenthood

Mandy Moore is grateful for her pet cats, as parenting them prepared her and Taylor Goldsmith for parenthood. 

The "This is Us" star and "Dawes" frontman began their romance in 2015, and by November 2018, they walked down the aisle. After that, the duo expanded their family with two adorable children. In a recent interview, the doting mother-of-two admitted that she and her beau picked up helpful tips on parenting before they welcomed their two boys — thanks to their cats!

The "A Walk To Remember" actress recently chatted with PEOPLE magazine and discussed how she and her husband were privileged to get a head start on parenting by raising their cats.

"We have three rescue cats now who were our OG children, our OG babies before human babies came into the picture. So they're a very important part of our lives. Very, very important," the 39-year-old singer shared.

Buttressing her point, Moore added that her furries "really prepared" her and Goldsmith for the parenthood lifestyle and made them more responsible and selfless. The star further clarified that the cats' unique nature genuinely prepared them for the challenges of parenthood. 

"I like that you go on a trip, and it's not immediate like, 'Oh my gosh, you're back!' It's like, 'Hey, yeah, I'll come around when [I'm] ready.' I'm like, 'Cool, cool, cool. I'll give you your space.' But then when they choose you, when you're their person, it's no greater feeling in the world," she explained.

The "Love, Wedding, Marriage" actress included that the cats taught them "a lot about patience and responsibility and how to earn someone's trust and affection."

Before this exclusive interview, the publication in February gave juicy details about Moore's sons. Starting with two-year-old August, whose name was carefully chosen by his parents.

The "In Real Life" singer explained, "It was last August when @taylordawesgoldsmith and I found out we were having a boy (it's also Taylor's birth month), and we always loved the name ... so it was settled very early on in our book."

Speaking of Gus, who is musically inclined like his parents, Moore confirmed to PEOPLE in May 2022, "He has no choice. He loves it when Dad plays the guitar and when Mom and Dad sing to him. But the gibberish songs I sing to him while I'm changing his diaper, those will live in our house only!"

Not long after Gus turned two, Moore gave birth to his baby brother, Oscar. While pregnant, she was touring her "In Real Life" album but continued to keep up with her maternity appointments while on the road.

At his birth, the loving mother noted that baby Oscar "arrived a little late but with much aplomb (and an easier/speedier delivery than his big brother, much to the delight of his parents)." All in all, she is happy with her now family of four and pet cats.

As the "Midway" actress marked her 39th birthday, her man took to Instagram to voice his love and admiration for her via a touching birthday message. The 37-year-old posted a three-slide upload featuring himself, his wife, and their two kids.

The first snap saw Moore sitting on the carpeted floor while holding Oscar on her lap. August stood beside them. In the following slide,  the couple lay together on a long couch with their children on top of them. In contrast, the last image captured Oscar between his parents. All of them smiled happily at the camera. 

In the following caption, the musician called his wife the "most cosmically incredible woman/mother/wife/human" he knows. Goldsmith explained that he started the celebration early because it was past midnight at his location. He added:

"I'll never know how to tell you how crazy I am about you. But I'll never stop trying. I love you so much." 

Then the doting husband apologized for not being there in person as he was on tour, but he wished her the "best" day without him. In addition, he appreciated her for "holding down the fort" with their two sons and noted his realization for them to take more pictures together.

His fans immediately surged the comments with well-wishes for Moore and complimented the sweet post.