A kitten

[~Lisa~]

We might be getting a Kitten for the children, Their about three weeks old now so we only have a few weeks left to decide. I'm not sure the kids are old enough yet, but i think they should be okay! Dh really wants to get them one.

[Faith]

How old are they now? I'd say a kitten is doable at any age (in all honesty). If you are vigilant, you can teach the kids to be gentle, the proper way to pat and carry them (if you even let them pick them up), how to feed and water them - it's a great learning experience, as well as the emotional effects of having a pet.

Just be extra careful and vigilant the first month or two - after that they will be more able to hold their own with the kids, lol.

We've had somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 kittens go through our house in the last 18 months - newborns through whne they leave (7 weeks through 4 months). You can teach a very small child to be gentle with a tiny kitten - and the younger you teach them (both the child and the cat) the more second nature it is for them to deal with each other. If you have any questions just ask, lol.

[~Lisa~]

Will do! Thanks!

My kids have just turned four and three. I'm sure they will be okay but it still worries me a little bit. LOL.

[Chan]

Give it a try! I think you'll do great and kittens learn quickly. If a kid is too rough with them, they're just going to run when they get near and the kitten will stay safe. If I were you, I'd talk to them about the possibility first or go to someone's house who has a gentle cat and see how they do with holding it? If they can be nice, then take that as a sign they'd be just as gentle with a kitten. :)

[disnut8]

I agree with Chan. A cat is a cat. Dogs have masters, cats have staff. Cats don't like to travel - they prefer right where they are - the center of the universe. If a cat doesn't want to be bothered, she won't be. You might want to consider closing doors to extra rooms to begin with and then opening them one by one as the kitten gets used to his surroundings.

This is highly controversial but before you bring the kitten home, you should consult with a vet on whether to have the cat declawed - at least on the front. If the cat is never going to be an outdoor cat, that will help with the initial clawing and it would be a safety move for the kids.

Even if you don't have the declawing done, your kids need to be told about the dangers of a cat's nails. They are razor sharp. And cats know how to use them. All our cats are front declawed but those back claws are still harmful. Rich has some recent scratches to prove that. Nemo scared Belle and she used Rich's stomach as a launching pad. Think of a more painful paper cut anywhere on your body. That will be the biggest danger to your kids.

We are lucky to have four cats that are pretty affectionate. Belle likes her privacy, though and spends most of her time in our bedroom. The other three roam all throughout the house. Gus loves to lay with me while we're watching TV, Meeko loves to bug Rich and sit on the arm of the couch next to him, and Nemo is, well, Nemo the Imp. He does what he wants and when he wants to.

Not all cats will be that way so prepare your kids for the possibility that the kitten won't want to be a lap cat. I cannot pick up Belle, Gus or Meeko. They hate it. I can't rub the sides of Gus' face. Every cat has a distinct personality and it will become evident as the time passes. You can't change the personality at all.

And I probably shouldn't tell you this but experts recommend getting two kittens so they have feline companionship. Littermates are the best.

[~Lisa~]

We already have two cats, We had them since before the kids were born. They are good with them but a kitten is so much smaller and that's the bit that has me worried. They are our next door neighbours cat's kittens, So they can still visit. LOL.

Our cats are inside and outside cats. They like to go out the back with the dogs.

At one stage we had the cat's the dogs and four rabbits all playing together in the back yard!