According to the World Animal Foundation, two-thirds or 66% of American households have either a dog, a cat, or both. Chances are, they’ve learned how to get along if you already have pets and kids. But if you’re considering adopting a new cat, it’s worth an overview of kid and cat safety tips. After all, cats have sharp claws and kids aren’t always gentle with cats.
Yet, there's an easy way around that: to teach your children how to respect cats as living creatures and interact with them in a positive way.
As you know, it’s not difficult to recognize kitty behavior and know when to give them some space. It's important to know the signs. The beauty is your kids have lots of control over this since they can learn how to approach the cat and when to leave it alone.
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Children Have a Wonderful Opportunity When it Comes to Cats
When children are gentle and kind, friendly cats will come to trust and appreciate them. But if the children are loud and unpredictable, then the cat is going to make itself scarce.
The opportunity then is for the child to learn how to approach a cat in a friendly manner, which may mean not approaching the cat at all, but allowing the cat to come to them instead.
As Hillspet reminds us, “As adorable as she may be, she's a living companion who has just as many feelings as her human housemates. And although cats can become frightened of kids if they are too rough, playing gently on her terms will make her more likely to enjoy their company. It's up to the child to show the cat she can trust them not to cause any harm.”
This is a very empowering stance. If you have young children, you can teach them to remain calm when around cats. They can put out their hands and allow the cat to come to them if the cat is willing. Older children will be able to recognize the cat’s body language and know when to give the cat its space. These are valuable lessons for children.
Reading a Cat’s Body Language
Learning to read an animal’s body language is a good life skill to have, and if you’ve spent any time with cats, you know they rarely lash out without warning.
Children of all ages can learn to distinguish between a friendly cat and one sending “danger” signs. Hissing, a swishing tail, and flattened ears are just some of the common signals that say, “Stay away!”
As you may know, cats often telegraph their moods through their tails and ears.
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Petfinder.com shares these tips on cat ears. These are three ear positions to watch for that say, “Leave me alone!”
- “Ears turned back – Watch out for this kitty! He might feel irritated [or] overstimulated, so it’s probably a good idea to leave him alone.
- Ears turned sideways or back – This cat is feeling nervous or anxious about something. Use caution around a cat whose ears are in this position.
- Ears back and flat against head – This is a sure sign that a cat is scared and defensive.
- Ears flat against the head may also indicate an angry or aggressive cat. Either way, ears against the head means don’t mess with this guy!”
A happy and relaxed cat will have upright ears or be slightly turned forward.
Likewise, the tail is a major giveaway. A swishing tail, or one that is hanging low between the legs, indicates annoyance or anxiety respectively. Of course, the famed “Halloween-cat” stance - with the tail upright, fur standing on end, and an angry stare - definitely means leaving the cat alone.
When children learn to “read” these signals, they’ll know when to back off and leave the cat alone.
The Importance of Ground Rules
It’s important to use common sense and establish boundaries with any pet and the people in your household.
One approach that works well with cats is to give them an escape route. Whether that’s an open door, a high shelf, or an enclosed cat tree, the kitty can escape if he feels threatened, and this can help prevent misunderstandings.
Of course, a lot depends on the age and temperament of both your children and cat. Supervision is a good idea while the two species get used to one another. Like any personality, everyone is different and it’s up to you to facilitate them learning to live together in harmony.
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