Children and cats or kittens seem to go together like strawberries and cream. It is a rare child who won't respond to a cuddly kitten or cat.
Studies have shown that giving your child the task of caring for a cat will help him or her become a responsible and caring adult. Having a cat has more benefits than this however. It gives your child respect for animals, and teaches them that love goes two ways - the more love and care shown, the more love and joy returned.
If you are considering giving your child a cat or kitten to care for, is is essential that some ground rules are established right from the beginning. These rules must include some 'tough love', you must not step in and care for the kitten if your child doesn't 'feel like it' today. He (or she) needs to learn from the outset that something vulnerable is relying on him for the basics of life - food and water at the minimum.
Of course it will be necessary for you to teach your child the proper way to care for his pet. No-one is born with this knowledge. However, once he understands what is necessary, let it become his responsibility.
The first time my children had a kitten to care for they were eight and five. My eight year old had been feeding our working sheep dog for a couple of years but that was the extent of his care as the dog was purely an outside one. Therefore, an inside pet and a kitten to boot were an absolute novelty for them both.
They were encouraged to play with the kitten (Twinks) before and after school and to feed and water it from day one. They were shown how and when to toilet train her and how much food was needed. The rule for feeding was the same as for the dog - your pet eats first. That way they don't 'forget'. Toilet training was the same, once Twinks had finished eating, she was taken outside until she had 'done her business' and then placed in her bed for a sleep while the kids ate.
Both children were taught from the beginning to keep an eye on how much cat food was on hand and to let me know when to buy more. This has taught them to plan ahead and to be aware of the importance of this. After dinner, they would brush and play with Twinks, establishing and growing the bond between them.
Among the many things the kids learned from this experience was how to respect other living things, how to be accountable in that if they didn't do what was required (their pet missed out, not them), boundaries (a cat soon lets you know when it's time to stop), self confidence and self esteem from knowing they have successfully raised a kitten into a well adjusted cat, and the understanding that pets are for life, not just when you feel like it. This has helped them form friendships with other caring people with similar outlooks in life as well as giving them the ability to plan ahead. They have also learned that in any relationship, you have good times (fun and playing) and bad times (cleaning up messes) but the good easily outweighs the bad and wonderful experiences can be had.
Perhaps the most important lesson they learned from having the responsibility of caring for a kitten was that love goes two ways. The more you love and care for something or someone, the more you get in return.
Kittens, kids and responsibility, a truly great mix.
Kathy is the author of numerous articles on cat problems and the care of cats. Visit her website at http://www.CatProblemsResolved.com today to find answers to problems you might be having with your cat or kitten
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