Most of us with cats have had cats all of our lives. We had cats in the household as a child and when our own children were growing up. Is this a good idea? Shouldn’t we oust the cat when a new baby comes into the home? Won’t toddlers harm a cat? Will a cat hurt the children or make them sick? Here’s a site that covers all of your fears and may support your common sense ideas on this topic. http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/cats-and-children-10-things-every-parent-should-know/
Basically, the 10 points at this site boil down to the fact that we were right all along—it’s
good for kids to grow up with cats. Cats can be an emotionally healthy aspect of childhood. According to Pam Johnson-Bennett, author of Cat Wise, there are ways to prepare a cat for the arrival of a new baby. She suggests wearing baby powder and other scents that will be prevalent in your home even before the baby arrives, so your cat will be accustomed to the scents. Decorate the nursery early so the cat will get used to the furniture.
I know of more than one cat who decided that the nursery was set up for him or her and began sleeping in the baby’s bed. You probably don’t want to encourage that. Ms. Johnson-Bennett suggests creating a cat-friendly, no-kid zone for the cat so he and the baby each have their domain. She provides good advice for introducing cats to older children, as well. One thing she stresses is to teach by example. Children will treat the cat like you do and relate to the cat as you do. So make sure your message of compassion, caring, and gentleness come through in your daily interaction with your cat. And do not expect the child to take care of the animal. Sure, you can encourage them to help and you should. But it is not fair to the cat, nor is it reasonable to expect a small child to take full responsibility.
