Do you want to know how to help your child bond with a cat? It would be wonderful if we could develop strong bonds with everyone in our family. Cats are part of our families, too.
If you want everyone to get along, sometimes you need to take some extra steps to help facilitate the process. So, how can you help your kid and your cat bond?
How to Help Your Child Bond With a Cat
First, let’s establish a pecking order. Who was there first? If your cat was in the home first, there is a different process for introducing a new baby. If you already have kids and you adopt a cat, here are some ways you can help your child develop a bond with your cat!
Teach your child the basics. Before there is any interaction with your cat, you need to teach your child the basics of cat care and friendship. If your child is young, teach them to use a “kitty cat voice”, or a softer tone when speaking to the cat.
Young children tend to speak very loudly and this can startle a cat. Teach them the proper way to approach your cat, to judge if the cat wants petted, and how they should handle or carry the cat (only if your cat is okay with it).
Teach them they should never pull on tails and ears, or poke the eyes or face. All of these basics should be covered before your child ever interacts with your cat physically.
Teach about cat behavior. Your child will get along better with your cat if he understands your cat’s personality and why he does the things he does. Take some time to teach your children all about cat behavior and let them see it in action and learn to identify it.
Let your cat see you loving on your kid. You want to teach your cat that your child is part of the family and loved, too. Typically, cats want to make their owners happy.
You can show love for your child and love for your cat together and at the same time, and your cat will pick up on the message.
Reward your cat. Encourage your cat with treats and praise when he is well-behaved interacting with your child. This is great if your cat seems a bit skittish initially and you want to encourage her.
Allow them to love each other. At the end of the day, the bonds will form between the two of them naturally if they are given enough time to love one another and spend time together. Sometimes when all the basics are out of the way first, you just need to stand back and let them do their thing.
Keep in mind that older cats who have not had experience around children, especially small children, may have a harder time. Don’t try to force anything that isn’t coming natural to your cat or your child.
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