I think cat-to-kid introductions are important as when they go wrong it can lead, in the worst-case scenario, to cat relinquishment. To put it another way, parents can decide to give up the new family cat to a shelter or worse if they’re not committed to cat caregiving if and when their child is scratched by the newly adopted cat. Here is an infographic which covers some points. Please share your thoughts and experiences as I am sure they will be useful. I have only covered some important points, which can be expanded.
I am sure that there is a need to ensure that kids are educated, at least a bit, about cat behaviour and particularly how to interact with cats. A lot can go wrong and a lot rides on the outcome.
I also think the idea of putting some rules or notes on the fridge door about ‘family rules’ in relation to cat caregiving is a nice reminder to children.
Children are the future of animal welfare. Those of us who are concerned with animal welfare, don’t want to read stories of people who fear cats (ailurophobia) because they were badly scratched when they were young. And they were scratched because they mishandled the family cat. It might take just one very bad experience for a person to fear domestic cats for the rest of their life.
It is the next generation who can improve animal welfare provided they are educated properly now and provided they don’t take up their parents’ ideas if those ideas are prejudiced against animals and domestic cats in particular.
Perhaps the first thing that a child can do when interacting with a new cat is to feed the cat and that first step might lead to further steps of caregiving which will introduce the child to domestic cats in general if that is the first occasion that they’ve cared for them.
Parents should not even think about the possibility of declawing the family cat in order to protect their child. That would be entirely wrong and cruel. The only way forward is to educate their child to avoid scratches. Everyone including children can avoid them with the proper technique.
Lastly, cats are very beneficial to children. It allows a child to learn about nature and the natural world because the wildcat is just below the surface of the domestic cat. And, in general, the research on kids handing cats and babies sleeping with cats is that cats are beneficial to children. And I think you’ll find many instances of young children with conditions such as autism benefiting from a relationship with a companion animal.
Below are some articles on children.
