how are most cats with children??

Question

My son is only 14 months, he loves animals.we used to live in a house with a small dog and he loved her and liked playing with her.but since we mover my dog stayed with it's owners , and now we live in a apartment that doesnot allow dogs. If I got a kitten, do you think he/she would like young children concidering it would grow up with my son? any suggestions on keeping a cat? i have only grew up with dogs

Answer 1

First off, kittens are cute, but VERY high strung. They like to lunge at and attack things with their adorable (but pin-like) claws.

Normally, cats kind of flip out around children, because they like quiet, consistent, non-disruptive environments, but if they've been around children their whole lives, the two can co-exist much more peacefully.

That's why it could be the perfect time for a kitten. The best way to teach a cat ANYTHING is to do so from its youth. Your son is old enough to understand directions from you (such as "be gentle with the kitty") and I think it would be great to have a kitten in the house. Cats make such wonderful pets.

Just be prepared for the first 10 or so months, where the kitty is likely to be climbing everything and very wound up. On the PLUS side, kittens sleep a lot. Heck, ALL cats sleep a lot :)

My only warning would be make sure to have plenty of patience with your new kitten, since those little kitten bodies come with a LOT of energy! A small scratching post would be a good idea, and a water bottle to gently discourage bad behavior (clawing of furniture, biting.) Don't go overboard with the water bottle, and it's probably best not to let your son use it on the cat; just you. ;)

Getting a cat (or any pet) is also a great way to teach your son responsibility as he grows up. It will be fun for him to help feed the kitty while he's young, and then help with additional cat care/chores as he gets older.

I strongly believe that showing children how to love and respect animals is a natural and effective way to help them grow into responsible and loving adults.

I hope this was helpful, and good luck with your new pet :)

Answer 2

I also only grew up with dogs but I can tell you a kitten would be fine. What you have to understand is that your son may hurt the kitten accidentally so you have to monitor both. I have 4 female cats, only had 1 male, he was quite aggressive. I would suggest a kitten aged 8 weeks (female). I would not leave the kitten with your son un-attended (the kitten is much smaller). Teach your son that the kitten is only a baby and they will be fine together.
Do not let the kitten sleep in the same room as your son.
My daughter is 28 and my son is 24 now both love cats

Answer 3

Cats are great! I have 4 and watch my 3 nieces. The girls were taught to respect them, I taught them to watch the cat for signals if it walks away, swats, hisses, or growls it does not want to play, LEAVE IT ALONE. The girls were taught to NOT use thier hands or fingers as toys, only play with the cat if the cat came up to them first, DO NOT chase or hit the animal. I never said to the girls "be nice", I always used we have to be gentle when petting an animal. A cat or kitten will usually only swat, hiss, growl if it it being hurt or is afraid. Let your child have a kitten if you think that is what you want but maintain a watch over both of them. It will be a good opportunity to teach your child about mutual respect and responsibility and unconditional love. I have never had a problem with either the kids or the cats (some were kittens when we got them). Good luck.

Answer 4

I have always had at least one cat. I have found that they got along fine with my three children. I would suggest getting a kitten. In that way your son and the kitten will grow up together and become good friends. My cats tolerated a lot of tail pulling, dress up, being carried around and hauled around in an assortment of toys. Usually if our cats were not in the mood to be played with they would just find some place quiet and hide for awhile. Very rarely did they either scratch or bite. But I will have to say that they all were very good cats. I have even had several Siamese, which most people feel are not very friendly. BTW: I have always had female cats, but all were spayed.

Answer 5

I wouldn't recommend a kitten because they like to play rough, scratch and bite since their teething and such, but go to the humane society and get a cat and it should be fine. I have three kids 7, 5, and 3 and they love our cat but we got it as a kitten and we had the problems I listed also they were not properly rehearsed in holding a kitten correctly etc and that poor thing didn't know to run away so she had a couple of bad experiences though they were quickly resolved the scratching wasn't

Answer 6

For one, if you get a kitten, make sure it has something to scratch. The one thing kittens love to do is play around with anything it sees. They just love the feeling of running around with socks, shoes, and jumping on furniture. One thing you should do before you get your kitten...is put cover over your furniture. My kittens would jump from couch to couch, wanting to find a loose piece of string from it. A good way to handle there scratching is de-clawing them, but if you don't like to spend that much, just clip their nails (at an early age, so it will get use to the clippers). Also, when you get your kitten, hold it all the time, and just pet it like there's no tomorrow. When my cat was a kitten, I would make a clicking with the front, roof of my mouth and my tongue, so she would learn that it meant I was going to pet her. Now, when I sit down, she always comes to me when I make that sound. The last thing you need to know is that if your cat does something wrong, you can't wait too long to show they did something wrong. IF they bite you, you have to tap their nose the second it happened. If you wait a couple of seconds, it will forget and think you were hitting them for no reason at all. They can turn out to be wonderful pets, just as long as you love them unconditionally!!!

Answer 7

I love cats and have three, but I advise you against getting a kitten. Your son is just too young to always be gentle (not saying he isn't a wonderful child, just too young). Kittens are really easy to hurt, much more so than puppies. If you want to get a cat, I would recommend getting one that is at least half grown, if not adult. And you must understand that if someone hurts a cat, even by accident, most cats will scratch and bite to protect themselves. It would probably be better to wait a couple years until your son is old enough to understand how to not to accidentally hurt a cat.

Answer 8

I agree with the one who says to take you son to get the cat. But I say let him play witht the cats at the pound. If I a kitty hisses when he pets it wrong or picks it up it is prolly not a good cat for kids. If the kitty purrs and doesnt seem to mind, that might be a better pet for your youngster.

Answer 9

Your son is still too young for a kitten. Not only could your son easily kill a small, fragile kitten ... the kitten could scratch your son's eyes. Your son would more than likely be sporting numerous scratches ... all the time. :(

Answer 10

it depends on the cat, you should pick one out with your son, if it is friendly & not scared it would be a good choice. and make sure he knows how to properly handle a kitten (get an older one, 6 months or older). kittens are more fragile than puppies.