Photo by Dawn Young
As a mother of children with special needs, I have come to realize the relationship between children and pets can be a complex but inspirational connection. My youngest dearly loves our cat, and could follow him anywhere anytime. Our cat puts up with her most of the time, but not always.
Cats are funny animals, they aren't like dogs who like tons of attention. However, I often find our cat not running away when he is clearly able to do so. Often times when our daughter is loud or using a screaming voice, he will turn his head or run away, but not always. He likes the attention.
The attention she gets from the cat, the ability to hold him, show affection and love, and also have some control over the cat is good for her. Forging relationships with animals is beneficial. Having some control or dominance is also good as long as she understands the boundaries she has with the cat. He doesn't often let her forget either. A warning is usually given to our daughter when she crosses the line with the cat, and he isn't afraid to scratch to get away.
Children learn a great deal from their experiences with animals, including that there is a certain amount of responsibility involved in taking care of their pets. If you have a story of your own child and their pet, we would love for you to share it.
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