Cat Lover Gifts World Newsletter

 Newsletter for Cat Lovers         December 2006            vol. 12 no. 3

Cat news from

catlover-giftsworld.com

While you are at the Christmas party, your kitty can be entertained with her own DVD

Holistic pet care's time has come, by George! Read about Pet's Unlimited and their approach to Holistic Veterinary Medicine

A Christmas cat's holiday dream come true!! She'll love you for a Kitty Gift Box of tasty,  healthy treats

Kids, Christmas and Cats

Put these three ingredients together and you have a very potent mixture. As you already know, your children are counting on you to protect them. Not only do your children count on you, but your kitties do too. And, as always, knowledge is the best protection there is.

At this time of year many families will be considering a new pet. Let's say, a cat. Bringing home a cute, cuddly Christmas kitty, as well intentioned as the thought is, presents a slight paradigm shift in the order of the family universe. Coming home with a new pet is, in itself, a simple act... but, what really happens is that a whole range of knowledge now has to be grasped by everyone in the house. Even by any other pets!

The greatest responsibility rests with the adults in the house. It's the adult parent/pet owner who must teach the children how to be respectful of the new kitty, and, the pet must also be taught to not fear the children. Neither children nor pets can be expected to "figure out" how to get along. It's fundamentally unfair to expect a cat to reason like a person or a child to think like an adult.

Never leave a young child alone with any pet, including cats.

Now, I'm not a child psychologist... not even a cat psychologist. But, here are some things that seem pretty evident to consider while monitoring child/cat activities:

• Very young children do not have the maturity to control their aggressive and angry impulses. Such reactions can have very bad consequences for both the child and the pet. A bad move on the child's part can elicit a bad move on the cats part. Guess who ends up in the shelter facing the executioner. More importantly, children should learn that there is a place for the emotions of aggression and anger, both of which need to be kept in check in order for one to get along in the world. Learning this through the interaction with a pet is an invaluable aid to the adult parents teachings.
   

• Parents must realize that after bringing home a kitty for a child, many times the parent will end up to be the one who takes care of the pet. If this is not acceptable, then don't get kitty in the first place. Too many cats end up in shelters for this reason. Of course, the adult needs to know what proper care for a cat is anyway, before she can teach proper pet care to a child.
   

• Children need to be taught that cats, like people, need food, water, and exercise. These requirements cannot be neglected because the result would be the same as if the child were deprived of these necessities.
   
• Be aware that the children are learning from you by watching how you interact with kitty. Children learn responsible pet ownership by observing their parents responsible care and handling behavior. If the adults neglect or treat the cat badly, don't be surprised if the child treats her badly, too.
  
• No child should be expected to be able to care for a pet until they are mature enough to take care of themselves. No matter what promises or agreements an adult receives from a child, remember that they are still only children, and will need help from their parents to keep those promises and agreements.

Many positive aspects of a child's growth can come from developing a responsible relationship with a new cat, or any pet for that matter. Children can gain healthy self-esteem, self-confidence and learn to develop trusting relationships from being a successful care provider. A healthy pet relationship can also aid in developing non-verbal skills such as intuitive communication, compassion and empathy. Of course, as any cat can tell you, they are the trusted keepers of children's secrets and private thoughts which are held in high confidence, never to be revealed to anyone.

A pet kitty can provide important lessons about life including reproduction, birth, illnesses, accidents, death, and bereavement. In this way, caring for a cat provides a connection to nature and teaches respect for other living beings.

As for Christmas and kitty...

Remember, she has to be extra careful about this special time of year:

• Keep kitty away from the tree. Ornaments are not safe from her and can cut her if they are broken. I hang small bells as lower decorations to let me know when she is investigating around the tree.
  
• It's best to provide a separate, safe room for her to stay while you are away.
  
• She isn't safe from ingesting ribbons, tinsel or metal garland decorations, and ornament hooks. But, a wadded piece of wrapping paper can be loads of fun for her to bat around.
  
• Candy and especially chocolates are off limits. Definite no-no's since some are toxic to kitty.
  
• If you have a live tree, kitty needs to be kept from drinking the tree water.
  
• Table scraps such as dressing, gravies and sauces are too rich for a cat. You will spend a lot of time with her on the tread mill in January if you're not careful.
  
• If you use real candles, don't leave the cat in the same room unattended.
  
• With so much coming and going at this time of year, the ruckus of activity can be disturbing to your cat. Keep her ID tags on her so that if she runs out the door she'll be quickly identified and returned home if she becomes lost.
  
• Keep her away from anti-freeze (or oil) leaks. Keep the garage floor wiped of any such spills. Cats are attracted to the sweet taste... but, it's very lethal to them.
  
• And finally, don't let her chew on any electrical cords or tree lights for obvious reasons. Wow... what shock that would be.

May you have all the Joys the Season can bring and have a Grand New Year.

See you next time.

Robert J Gallegos

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Kids and kitties love to play.
Just be sure they have the proper supervision to keep play safe

Is there anything as curious as a cat??
Yep... any child I know

Do you hear that??
Sounds like sleigh bells. But, I sure don't see any snow around here...

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