How to teach child to be gentle with pets?

Question

My son is very rough with our 2 cats. He has body slammed them, dragged em around by one leg, hit them, kicked them..all around just very rough. I have resorted to sending them (the cats) to stay with my mom until i can get this resolved. I want my cats to come home, but obviously dont want them injured being here! How do i explain this to my son...i tried telling him about how cats have feelings too...how would he like it if i did that to him, etc. And how do i reintoduce the cats? Any ideas?

Sorry, he is old enough to understand, he's 4

Answer 1

You can only teach them so much, depending on their age, and for toddlers it's only a limited amount. They are just not mature enough to be left alone with small animals, no matter how much you explain proper treatment.

The principle is the same in other areas. Children can handle only so much responsibility in accordance with their age.

You've done the right thing in explaining to him how to treat animals. But your cats should not be banished - how will your son ever learn to interact with animals if he's separated fromt hem?

Bring them back home and only let your son be around them when he's supervised. I would not expect him to be able to handle anything more than that until he's older. And make sure the cats have a "getaway" or quiet place to go.

Do NOT let him interact freely with the cats so that he gets bitten or scratched to "teach him a lesson." That will give him a negative association towards animals, and it will turn your cats into aggressive nervous pets.

Punishing a child or putting him in time out is not effective because basically you are punishing him for "being immature." That would be like leaving a 5-year-old at home alone and then coming back and punishing him because he turned the house upside down. What else would you expect?

Another good example of this is when a new baby comes into the house. Little children must be supervised at all times b/c they simply aren't old enough to handle a baby no matter how well you teach them.

Answer 2

Well, This is when I agree with spanking. I hope you read my whole answer before you give me a thumbs down... If nothing else has worked then he has to understand this is unacceptable behavior and you are not tolerating it and why you will not tolerate it. If you don't stop it now he will be hurting children at school and by then it will be harder to stop. He needs to feel the pain the cat feels. I mean to a point. A child sometimes needs to get his feelings hurt through the bottom, because it is what they will understand as unsavory as it is to you. Depending on how long you have let this go on, he may be really mad at you and cause quite a ruckus. To me this would mean one more spanking a little harder to give him the message that this is it ... the end. Hopefully you will never have to spank him again, and he will know what is expected of him. This sounds cruel even to me, but you know when another living thing is being hurt, then I don't believe in pussy footing (exuse the pun) around. I raised my kids on a farm where there were animals, big machinery, ponds, electric fence. The kids had to listen and listen fast and do what they were told. There are no second chances sometimes. They had to learn respect for the animals and honestly all the lessons of life were there on the farm. Most of them they figured out as they grew, some we gently explained things, and some like going to the tractor while it was still running, well they got pulled back and given a spanking and then the explaination.

Answer 3

Teaching your son to be gentle with the cats is not going to be easy because he is still young but someday he is going to learn to treat these cats kindly and as i said its not going to be easy because he is young because right now he still probably is not understanding the way these cats need to be treated. But you could try letting him know that if he keeps doing this the cats are going to get really hurt. You can also help your son by teaching him the term of "being gentle" you could also try getting him a stuffed animal and teaching him to love it and care for it so he knows what its like etc. its a good idea to use a stuffed animal because if he learns to care for a "fake" animal then he might learn to love a real one and you will need to actually teach him a lesson (just dont be too hard on him because you want him to understand the meaning of "being gentle" )and it will take time to get him to actually understand the term so you're going to have to be patient Good Luck!
P.S. I know this is not the best answer =( sorry! this was all i could come up with

Answer 4

my son went through a spell recently of torturing the dog which is not only cruel but dangerous, i had to be pretty firm with him as the " aww poor Cody" thing wasn't working if he pulled at the dog i would immediately scoop my son up quite sharply and set him down firmly on the couch and tell him that it is very wrong to hurt the dog and then very sternly tell him not to move until i said so, i would then go and comfort the dog so that my son would see my concern for him and also that he is the one who misses out if he hurts the dog. then when i had done that i would tell my son to get down from the couch and bring him over to the dog and show him how to pat him and I'd praise my son for being so gentle and kind then we'd all go and play ball or something, it took like 2 days of this (i mean it was like every 5 Min's my son was on the couch) and i was getting scared I'd have to get rid of the dog in case he would turn on my son some day but it seem to have worked well, there's the odd time when my son is over excited where he might go to grab at the dog but i just tell him no don't hurt Cody and he stops!

Answer 5

I know it sounds strange but I taught my son to "hit" the dog. You see he wasn't old/strong enough to hurt the dog by "hitting" (basically patting), but of course pulling hair/ears, poking eyes, etc would have hurt.

People thought I was insane when I would tell him to "hit" the dog but it worked.

However your son sounds like he is probably a bit older than mine was when we had a problem. Honestly kids don't really develop empathy until age 3, so I wouldn't expect that to work unless he is about that old. I think you are just going to have to be on your guard and redirect him EVERY time until he gets it. Also make sure the cats have plenty of places to get away from your son while also being close to you.

Answer 6

First sit him down and show him the proper way. Its very important he understands this. Also tell him what happens if hes to rough with them.
Sec. Let things be, the cat's will in time teach him. You'll have to take the cats side. When they scratch they **** out of him say well be nice.
buy alot of first aide supplies

Answer 7

They are kids and they will be ruff at first. My 3 year old was like that I have a puppy and a kitten. When ever he goes to hold either one I always remind him to use gentle touches and to be kind and gentle with the baby. He has done well so far. Now the kitten just lets my son carry him around the house. The puppy is younger and is still getting use to it. Just show your son how to be gentle and what gentle touches are. Kids are smarter than you think.

Answer 8

Is your son old enough to even understand "be gentle" or old enough to understand that his actions could be hurting that animal? My son is 14 months old and even though we say "be gentle" it is our job to protect our son when he grabs one of our 100 pound dogs by the face and bites it on the nose. My FIL has a cat he does the same the cat moves away. I understand how ppl feel about their cats (although Im not a cat person) but maybe its best you keep the animals out of the home until he is older and able to control fully his actions. I know my son doesnt mean to hit our dogs its just how he pets them. I know that him biting them isnt ment to be mean he thinks he is playing because he giggles.

Answer 9

well sweetie , As babies grow into toddlers and then become young children, parents need to remember that their children are learning at every moment. Children watch, and will imitate everything the parents do to the cat. A routine ear cleaning can turn into a painful and dangerous situation for both your child and your cat. Even the best of cats can lash out if hurt.

Training advice can also create potentially dangerous situations. It is still common for some trainers to recommend, "corrections." Unfortunately, many children will imitate what they see, only to be bit. Children learn what they see. Most experts recommend methods in positive reinforcement. Not only are they effective in teaching a cat how to behave, many programs have found a positive impact on the people involved in the training process.

Sit down with your child and teach them how to interact with cats. There are many great resources to help make learning fun and effective. Take advantage of resources like books and games available from many trainers like, "Meeting Milo."

Think ahead. Even if your cat loves to be hugged by your toddler, you may want to discourage hugging. Children at this age will attempt to hug all cats, and other cats may not be as welcoming.
Dogs, cats and other pets are animals, NOT HUMANS. That means that pets do not think or act the same way as we do. It also means that animals can do things that are unsafe for humans, especially a child.

For example, it is normal for:

a dog to lunge and bite at food.
a cat to defend itself with its claws.
birds, monkeys and ferrets to "go to the bathroom" wherever they are.
all animals to instantly attack an aggressor.

These examples of normal animal/pet behaviour are totally unsafe for a baby or a child. All parents have the responsibility to make sure that their pets do not harm a child.

Rules For Success

Always supervise when children and animals are together. Any child may squeeze too tight, or lose their footing. Any animal will react if frightened. A parent can prevent this.
Keep your pet's food and toys away from your child.
Teach your child how to act around animals:
- Walk slowly. Never run up to an animal or away from it.
- Never grab an animal by the feet, ears or tail
- Pet an animal safely: Slowly lift your arm and let the pet sniff your hand. Gently touch the side and then the top of the head.
- Stay away from baby animals.
- Stay away if the animal looks angry: (ears back, growling, hair standing on end).
- Stay away from stray or unknown animals.
- Stay away from an animal that is injured.
Correct improper behaviour right away (whether it is your child or your pet).
Always set good examples when teaching animal safety to your child.
The reward for teaching respect for animals is a child who is both gentle and safe around animals.

DOGS

Don't let a child with food (in their hand or mouth) go near a dog.
Don't leave a child alone with a dog.
Don't approach, pet or talk to a strange dog, especially if it is tied up.
Don't pet a dog on a leash unless the owner gives permission.
Don't touch a dog that is eating, sleeping or chewing on something.
Don't let a dog lick a child.
Don't tease or take away a dog's toy or bone.
Don't go into a house, yard or stick your hand in a car if the dog owner is not there.
Don't go near a mother dog with puppies.
Don't approach a dog from behind to pet it.
Don't lunge at a dog.
Don't try to stop a fight between two dogs (or cats) - you could get seriously injured.

CATS

Cat's claws are weapons - they can cause severe damage (especially when they feel threatened).
Never try to hold a cat if it wants to go.
Stroke a cat softly from head to toe.
Never try to roll a cat over to rub its stomach.
Keep the cat litter box out of reach of children and pregnant women.

WILD ANIMALS

Wild animals should never be touched, no matter how cute they look, they will bite!

WHAT TO DO IF YOU OR YOUR CHILD IS BITTEN BY AN ANIMAL

Wash the area with soap and water.
Get the owner's name, address and telephone number. Find out when and where the animal had its last rabies shot.
Get medical attention. Some wounds require stitches, and a shot for tetanus (lockjaw) may be necessary.
Call your local Health Unit to report an animal bite. Have the following information ready:
- Type and description of the animal.
- Owner's name and where they live.
- How the bite occurred.
The Health Unit follows up on all reports of animal bites to ensure that an animal is healthy and if
necessary will order rabies vaccine for the person who was bitten.
Call your local Animal Care and Control Centre if the animal is running at large. They will want to know if the animal has been seen in the area before and what direction it was last seen heading.
I hope this helps , I have 3 kids . So I know how you feel . Good luck . Good question . -B-

Answer 10

I'm surprised your cats haven't bit him or scratched him.
You need to be firm with him and punish him when he gets too rough ( time out, take away toys, no tv). Be consistent. Show him how to pet them gently, and tell him if they want to leave, to let them.
Some cats are very patient with children. I had one I could dress in doll clothes and put in the doll stroller.
You can also get one baby gate and put it in the doorway of one room, so the cats can jump over it and get away.
Bring your cats back home, because he won't learn with them away.