Cats and Toddlers

[dullified]

Hi

My 14 month old has been scratched across the face close to his eyes twice in the past 2 weeks by our cat. On both occasions he approached the cat and the cat has taken offence. I know I have to keep a more careful eye on both of them but I?m wondering how practical this is? Other cats seem to sense it?s wrong to scratch a baby/very young child and generally move away. I was wondering how other people?s cats react when approached by an over eager toddler and how do you police child/toddler cat interactions?

Sadly neither incident has dented my sons sense of unbridle pleasure whenever he sees the cat. I also get the sense both times the cat knew I wasn?t watching him - first time they were alone in a room together, second time I had my back turned while drying my hair. Maybe I?m crediting my cat with too much malicious intelligence here but he?s never tried anything directly in front of me.

Thanks.

[alieh]

My cat did this to my son as well. It seemed to happen when he felt cornered, i.e. if he has a quick escape route he seems to run rather than scratch. It was right across the eye too (luckily just lid and below), which could have been quite bad!

I'm not sure there is anything you can do, except continue to explain to your son how the cat likes to be approached, and what he does when he gets scared or angry. It won't sink in now, but in a matter of a few months he/she will be able to understand so much more. We do loads of talking about the cats "See how much he likes it when you pat gently? Can you hear him purring? That means he's happy. He doesn't like that, see how he ran away., etc, etc, etc".

We also started getting our son to help with feeding the cats (he carries the scoop over and puts it in the bowls) and sometimes give him a bowl of cat treats to dole out to the cats. He loves doing this, and it means the cats associate him with food, which makes him more popular! Again, your son might be a bit too little right now, but you may be surprised how soon he could do something like this.

My son is now 19 months old and he mostly gets it now. He generally pats the cats gently and likes to give them a kiss.

[Claire29]

Our cat is 8 years old so not sure if that has anything to do with it but he has always been very tolerant with both my 2, the only time he has lashed out is when they have stood on his tail or paw by accident and given a quick swipe, which is to be expected. i always try and say gently when stroking the cat, and also our cat has learned while they are very young to just stay out of the way as it's too noisy and too much hassle having little un's wanting to come near you. hopefully your little un and the cat will soon learn to get on ok together without too many more scratches!

[Moi23]

We used to make a point of being very firm with our little boy about not chasing or cornering the cat, in front of the cat itself. Cats can be quite perceptive and I think he felt more reassured that we were 'protecting' him from the baby, he wasn't on his own there. Then again, our cat was a viscous fiend until the day we had a baby, then he totally mellowed out. Each cat has it's character.

[Saffron]

Wait until your kitty is sleeping then trim his front four claws (leave the inner thumb-claw untrimmed if your cat goes outdoors... he needs it for climbing). You can trim them with regular nail clippers, but turn them sideways. If you use them straight up-and-down on the claw, it can break the nail *ouch* ! Your vet can show you how if you're unsure.

Also, I second all the advice given on here. Lots of affection for kitty, and get your LO involved in giving food and treats. If you think your cat scratches when you're not watching, you're probably right. You cat will feel more threatened when he sees you're not around. But if he learns to associate your LO with food treats, he'll feel less threatened.

I had a stormy little tabby cat when I was a child, and I had more than one scratch from her. It didn't put me off though. I used to feel so rewarded when I could get her to purr. Now I have a super tolerant siamese who let's my 6 mo daughter pull her tail and bite her ears. It's true- each cat does have her own personality!

Oh- just a note on treating cat scratches in case you're unsure. Always try to let them bleed a little, as the blood pushes dirt out of the wound. Use only mild soap and water to clean them. When the wound is clean, blister plasters can be very soothing. They keep dirt out and stay on well.

Sorry about your LO. Hopefully if you keep being firm and gentle, kitty and baby will be fine before long.

Hang in there :-) And when all else fails... look your kitty sternly in the eyes and threaten to make kebabs and a pair of nice mittens out of him ;-)

[dullified]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. Reassuring to know it's all worked out in the end for everyone without any kitty cats being re-homed. Hopefully I won't have any more wounds to treat but Saffron thanks for the advice on the best method to treat them if I do. I'll definitely make sure my cat gets more love from me and a few treats from the boy too.