Children
and Cats: Important Information for Parents
Living
with a cat can be beneficial to children. Cats can enhance children's
self-esteem, teach them responsibility and help them to learn empathy. However,
children and cats may not always automatically have a wonderful relationship. Parents
must be willing to teach the cat and the child acceptable limits of behavior in
order to make their interactions pleasant and safe.
Selecting a Cat
What
age is best? Many people have a warm and fuzzy image of a kitten and a child
growing up together. If you have a young child and are thinking of adopting a
kitten (less than 1 year old) there are a few things you need to consider.
·
Time and energy: Kittens require
a lot of time, patience and supervision. If you have a young child who already
requires a lot of care and time, you should ask yourself if you will you have
enough time to care for a kitten as well.
·
Safety: Kittens, because
they're babies, are fragile creatures. A kitten may become frightened or even
injured by a well-meaning, curious child who wants to constantly pick him up,
hug him or explore his body by pulling on his tailor ears.
·
Rough play: Kittens have
sharp teeth and claws with which they may inadvertently injure a small child. Kittens
also tend to climb up on small children and accidentally scratch. All interactions
between your child and kitten will need to be closely supervised to minimize
the chances of either being injured.
·
Advantages of
getting an adult cat:
Adults cats require less time and attention once they've adjusted your family
and household routine. You can better gauge how hardy and tolerant an adult cat
will be of a child's enthusiasm and you can work with your local animal shelter
to adopt a cat that has previously lived with children.
As
a rule, if your child is under six years old, it's best to adopt a cat that's
over two years old. Although kittens can be a lot of fun and it's exciting and rewarding
to help them grow into wonderful companions, they do require significantly more
time to supervise than an adult cat.
Who Will Care for
The Cat?
It's
unrealistic to expect a child, regardless of age, to have the sole responsibility
of caring for a cat. Cats need basic things, like food, water, shelter and
litter box maintenance, but they also need to be played with and given opportunities
to exercise on a consistent basis. Teaching a cat the rules of the house and helping
him become a good companion is too overwhelming a task for a young child. While
responsible teenagers may be up to the task, they may not be willing to spend
an adequate amount of time with the cat, as their desire to be with their
friends usually takes over at this age. If you're adopting a cat "for the
kids," you must be prepared and willing to be the cat's primary caretaker.
Starting Off
Right
Below
are some guidelines to help you start off on the right foot. Remember, small
children should never be left alone with a cat or kitten without adult supervision.
v
Holding: Because kittens
often squirm and wiggle they can easily fallout of a young child's arms and become
injured. If held too tightly or forcibly restrained, the kitten may respond by
scratching or biting. It is safest for everyone if your child I sitting down
whenever he wants to hold the kitten. For adult cats, have your child sit in
your lap and let the cat approach both of you. This way you can control your child
and not allow him to get "carried away" with pats that are too rough.
You are also there to teach your new cat to treat your child gently. Some cats
do not want to be held, but will sit next to you and your child if offered treats
or petting. Keep in mind that the cat should always be allowed to leave when it
feels like it.
v
Petting and giving
affection:
Children often want to hug cats or grasp them too firmly. Your cat may view this
as a threatening gesture, rather than an affectionate one, and may react with scratching
or biting. You should teach your child to let the cat approach on his own terms
and pet lightly. You should also teach your child to avoid starting at, or looking
directly into, your cat's eyes.
v
Giving Treats: When children
offer a treat from fingers held together as a pincher the cat may accidentally
bite fingers instead of only taking the treat. Have your child place the treat
in an open palm, rather than holding it in his fingers. You may want to place a
hand underneath your child's hand to help guide him.
v
Supervising play: Cats interpret quick
and jerky hand movements as an invitation to play. You should teach your child
to offer the cat or kitten a toy on a string to maximize the distance between
the child's hands and the toy. Encouraging a cat to play with hands and fingers
may result in scratches or bites.
v
Be patient: Your new cat
may take some time to feel comfortable with your child's actions and sounds and
will approach when he feels ready. Your cat must also learn which behaviors on
his part are appropriate and which are not. Punishing your cat for
inappropriate behavior will not help. If he learns that being around children
always results in "bad things" happening to him, he may become
defensive in their presence.
If your cat is growling,
hissing or biting at your child for any reason, the situation needs IMMEDIATE
attention. Punishing your cat is likely to make matters worse.
