How to make a child with a cat so that no one gets hurt
Miscellaneous / / April 22, 2022
These tips will help homeowners avoid the most common mistakes.
How to prepare a cat for a baby
For a cat, an unborn child is a new and incomprehensible creature, and you need to set it up for the appearance of a tenant in the house in advance. These animals love stability, and any change puts them in a state of stress.
Therefore, it is important that all the changes do not fall on the cat at once. Therefore, the preparation process should take place in stages.
Usually, objects that smell like something unfamiliar make cats want to leave their mark on them (in other words, urinate). To prevent this from happening to your things, introduce the animal to the smells of baby lotion and powder in advance.
Some felinologists suggest this way: start using children's cosmetics yourself 2–3 weeks before the baby is born, so that the fragrance mixes with your smell, which is familiar to the animal.
In addition, your daily routine is likely to change over time. And this will happen before the baby is born. But even if the time for playing with the cat is running out, try to at least talk to him in an affectionate voice more often. A pleasant, soothing intonation will serve as a signal to the cat that the owner still loves her.
It is worth considering that after some time the child will grow up and begin to move around the house. For this reason, the space where the cat performs its natural needs must be safe and sufficiently closed. If this is not the case, start moving the tray gradually in advance - moving it a few centimeters a day until it is in the right place.
How to introduce a cat to a baby
You can introduce a newborn baby and a cat right away, but it all depends on the specific circumstances and situation, as well as on the nature of the animal. An example scenario might be as follows: you can launch a cat into the room while you are holding the baby in your arms. Sit on the sofa and let the animal come up and sniff the new family member.
It is very important that the child associates the cat with something pleasant. Therefore, to reinforce positive impressions, immediately give your pet a treat. If the acquaintance did not immediately start (for example, the cat was frightened by the sudden movements of the baby and ran away), do not worry - then you will try again.
To strengthen the bond between the baby and the cat, do not chase the animal away when feeding or swaddling the baby. On the contrary, let him study the little man and get used to his voice and movements.
But at the same time, never leave a cat alone with a baby, even if, for example, the animal is sleeping and the baby is peacefully playing nearby.
It is important to always look after the baby who is next to the cat. For the safety of both, especially as your child grows. The situation can become unpredictable very quickly.
Daniel Cummings
Cat Behavior Specialist
Older children who move freely on their own can also, unwittingly, harm the cat. For example, accidentally fall on a pet, inadvertently pinch it with a door, drop something on an animal. Therefore, it is better to start leaving children alone with a pet from the age of 7–8.
How to teach a child to communicate with a cat correctly
More or less meaningfully, children begin to communicate with animals from about three years old. But it is necessary to educate a child in empathy for living beings as soon as the baby began to show interest in a cat. Do not let the cat be stroked against the wool, poke in the muzzle, roughly grab the animal. Gently guide and control your child's movements.
It is very important to explain that the cat is the youngest member of the family, not a toy, and should not be pulled by the tail or pulled by the ears. He is not made for fun, he has feelings. Gently but firmly stop any hints of animal cruelty. However, a strong love for a cat must also be kept within limits: too hot hugs and squeals of joy will only harm the pet.
Toddlers still do not quite feel the position of their body in space and can easily not calculate the force by touching the cat. Start small - give your child a soft cloth, sponge or brush that you can run over the cat's fur without fear of harming the animal.
Older children, about three years old, can already explain the basics of animal body language. For example, if a cat twitches its tail, then this is how it communicates that it is annoyed. When the beast presses its ears to its head or greatly rounds its eyes, it is frightened.
Many children like to look the animal intently in the eye, once again provoking it to aggression. Therefore, it is very important to teach a child a technique called "cat hypnosis."
This is a smooth closing and opening of the eyelids, which in the language of any animal means "I will not attack, I am a friend." Observe: cats often show their friendliness to people in this way.
Marina Zherebilova
Zoopsychologist, felinologist
Tell your child about the basic rules of animal safety and explain why it is important to follow them. For example: a cat cannot be taken out into the street, because the animal can easily be lost there. Windows and an unglazed balcony should be closed, as a fall from a height can end badly for the cat.
How to help a cat adapt where there is already a child
If you decide to take a pet into a home with a child, be sure to give the cat all the necessary vaccinations first. In addition, he should not be on his own: on the street you can easily catch a dangerous disease, including rabies.
An animal can infect a person. But if it is vaccinated and is at home, the likelihood of contracting rabies is very small. Vaccinate your animals on time - and reduce the risk of infection.
Sergey Savchenko
Veterinarian, author of the YouTube channel "Children of the Fauna"
Make sure that the cat always has some kind of secluded place. For example, it can be a shelf where no one can get to the pet and where he will feel safe. It is better if such a bed is higher so that the cat can calmly rest and be alone when she needs it.
To prevent the animal from accidentally scratching the baby during the game, you need to cut its claws often - by yourself or by a veterinarian.
And in no case do not take a kitten into a house where there is a small child. Firstly, the immunity of a young animal is still too weak and the stress of adaptation can hit the body hard. Secondly, a very small cat needs almost the same attentive care as a baby.
If the job is done and the young cat is already with you, do not forget to take time for the animal, stroke it and feed it, keep an eye on its health. Teach children how to pick up a kitten and how not to, don’t let the animal squeeze uncontrollably and often remind that a cat is not a toy and needs personal space.
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