For younger families in our community, we know that the worlds between “parent” and “pet parent” can be incredibly similar. From messy livingrooms to unpredictable emotional outbursts - both children and cats require a lot of attention of their own; but how do you combine the two under one roof? For some families, the choice to adopt a pet often creates a great opportunity for parents to teach their young ones about the importance of responsibility. When adopting a new feline friend from a shelter home, the amount of responsibility taken on can be unequivocally amplified. For this reason, we have done some research to help guide our new pet-owners navigate their way to creating a safe and loving household.
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1. Be sure to discuss your new pet 
For households with younger children, it is important that they understand that this new animal also has thoughts and feelings - and can behave in ways that we do not always understand. Whilst they may already have the basis such as “don’t pull kitty’s tail” down pat, make sure to discuss your new household member.
 
2. Enforce clear boundaries and interactions with your pet
Whether you settle on fun-sized ball of fluff and energy or a mature-aged cat with wise eyes and a softened heart - in some cases our animals have already endured a rocky road to reach the warm embrace of a new home. For this reason, teaching the children how to interact and look after their new friend is pivotal step in the transitioning to their new environment.
 
3. Encourage recognition of pet’s behaviours and traits 
In addition to setting boundaries, this step is important to teach your child how to recognise times where it might be unsafe to approach their pet. Practice speaking about how your pet may be feeling when they respond or behave in certain ways and urge your child to recognise them too. Dependent on your child’s age, this may also be a perfect time to use animal-specific dialect to educate your child about their pet. For example, teaching them about kitty’s “predator” instincts and  
 
4. Ensure plenty of positive reinforcement 
Just as you may when training your new family pet, don’t forget to give praise for gentle and kind interactions with the family pet. By keeping the experience of interaction light and joyful, your child is more likely to develop a more nurturing relationship with the pet.  
 
5. Find a way for the two to create a bond.  
The friendship between a child and a furry friend can be one of the most rewarding experience in both of their lives. According to Batter Sea, a great way to encourage bonding is to practice non-physical forms of interactions such as playing with cat toys or basic training.
 
Most parents will understand the sometimes frightening joy of the uncontrollable and unexpected moments in their daily lives. IWhilst there are certain to be bumps and jumps along the way, what you are most likely to find at the end of the path is unwavering bond between your children - both fur and no-fur. So, what are you waiting for? We have a number of cats just waiting to be snatched up by a new loving family at any time - you can find them here.


Picture from Unsplash.
Written by Gabrielle Bott-Banas for FFRAQ

While a human can pick up a phone and book a doctor’s appointment to have their medical concerns taken care of, our feline companions lack the ability to easily access healthcare this way. By taking your cat to the vet every year for a check-up from nose to tail, you can help them live a long and healthy life purring beside you. Here are some things that make this trip important:

Teeth
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Wild cats take care of their teeth by eating meat from carcasses, the bones of their prey acting like a toothbrush and removing debris and plaque from their mouths. However, domestic cats’ diets of biscuits, wet food and treats often forget to take care of their teeth. Providing cats with dental treats and brushing their teeth regularly can prevent your cat from developing dental problems, but it is always best for a professional who sees kitty teeth every day to check them and make sure your friend’s teeth are ready for more food.

Vaccinations

Keeping your cat’s vaccinations up-to-date is vital to ensuring preventable diseases don’t stop your cat from chasing their favourite toy. Top-ups of cats’ vaccinations are needed to keep them effective. Whether your cat spends their time inside your home (as we recommend) or outside, vaccinations can save your cat’s life and your bank account from the expensive vet bills associated with treating diseases. Furthermore, most boarding facilities require up-to-date vaccination records of your cat before you go on your holiday. So if you plan to take a trip this year and send your cat on a vacation of their own, make sure they’ve had their shots. 

Weight
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Keeping a cat on the scales in the vet’s examination room long enough to weigh them often proves a challenge, but the task is just as important as everything else in the check-up. Most cats love food and find it easy to overeat and become overweight, however if too much weight is gained they can find it difficult to move and have issues breathing. Underweight cats often have an underlying health issue that is decreasing their appetite, and a visit to the vet can ensure that nothing sinister is going on under your cat’s fur. 

Coat 

Almost every breed of cat is covered in a coat of fur. This seemingly mundane part of your cat’s body can actually hold a great deal of insight into your cat’s wellbeing. A coat that is dirty, full of loose hair and hasn’t been cleaned in a while by your cat can indicate that your cat is feeling down, while anxiety and boredom can lead to an overgroomed coat with bald spots. Having a vet check over your cat’s coat can show them what’s going on in your cat’s mind and can help you discover how you can improve their happiness just by paying a little more attention to their coat.