How to teach a toddler to be gentle with pets?
Nelson Emmerich
2025-05-28 04:38:20
Count answers: 4
The keyword is gentle.
In fact, when it comes to animals, gentle is the first word a child should learn.
The best way to teach gentle in relation to a cat or another pet, is to show the child what gentle means.
Stroke the little one’s arm gently and let them know how nice it feels.
Then have them do the same to your arm.
You can teach even very young children the concept of gentle, and once they get it, it makes interacting with cats a lot more pleasant for everyone.
Always Supervise Interactions between Cats and Young Kids
Even the gentle toddlers and young children don’t fully understand the implications of handling a living, breathing creature, so an adult needs to be present for any interactions.
Parents can do the same, it’s an easy way to correct rough behavior without making the child feel bad or wrong.
Give the child the opportunity to calm down before approaching the cat, who is probably stressed out by this behavior.
Remind them that the cat needs the child to be gentle.
Remind the child that the kitty needs gentle pets and a happy time, and they can only be with the kitty if they can do that.
Practice what gentle strokes are when the child is calmer and then try again with the cat.
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