Cat and kids
Almost all children ask for a pet at a certain age. Ideally they want an animal to cuddle. Research has shown that it is good for kids to grow up with a pet. They are happier, find support and solace in it, they learn better to deal with setbacks and learn to take better account of others. Cats are wonderful friends for children, but just like any other animal you take home, there are some rules.
Cat and baby
Cats and babies go perfectly together. If during your pregnancy, you take a kitten in your house, it can grow up together with your baby. In such cases, babies and cats often get a unique bond with each other. But older cats as well usually accept a baby without any problems and find it quickly convivial. The only thing to watch out for is that you don’t let your cat alone in the baby room. He/she could go lie in the crib with your child and suffocate your baby accidentally. It will not happen soon, but you shouldn’t risk it.
Cat and toddler
Toddlers like being to crawl behind the cat in and to seize it by the tail. You run the risk that they get a scratch. Unfortunately many cats are discarded, because they would be false, but you can rest assured that cats do not intentionally hurt a child. They only do this if the child hurts them or if they feel cornered. Most accidents involving cats occur with very young children who have no idea how to deal with an animal. Or with older children who have not learned to respect the rules.
As a parent you can do everything possible to avoid unpleasant incidents. If your child gets scratched once by the cat, then that’s immediately good opportunity to explain why that happened. Explain that it hurts the cat when he/she pulls or hits his tail. It is simply not a stuffed animal, but a real live animal. Teach your child that cats can’t support noise and loud sounds can and that you should leave them alone if they are sleeping peacefully. Cats also don’t like it when you run after them and chase them. And teach a child that you shouldn’t disturb a cat when it’s eating. It's nice to teach your child the language of a cat. If he swings his tail, he is angry, so don’t touch him. He would be able to hit you. When he spins, he is happy and you can pet him. If his tail is straight in the air, he says hello to you. If he puts his ears back, he is out of temper. If he is lying on his back, you can very gently stroke his belly. Beware, because not all cats like this. He does find it nice though when you scribble behind his ears. This allows you make the handling with a cat a feast for your child.
Cat and older children
Older children often find it really enjoyable to help take care of the cat. You can learn them for example how to comb a cat, how you should feed him, but also how to change the cat’s box. You can’t leave the whole responsibility of a cat to a child until they know very well what it means. Some children are able to do this earlier than others.