Kittens w/young children...

2688 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by jusjim, May 15, 2012

shw104

Discussion Starter · May 14, 2012

We are going from a family with two cats to a family with no cats in the last month. Our oldest cat passed away last month and the other is in the end stages of cancer. Both were indoor only and parts of the family. It’s more difficult as my kids (6-4-2-2) are very close to them. The kids have always had the cats around and the house will be partly empty without them. There is a high probability that the kids will want to adopt a new cat (or 2) though I have some reservations.

When we got the cats originally, we did not have any kids. We also lived in a smaller apartment. They were our children before children and we had a lot of time to spend with them. Any animal in my house will get a lot of attention (from the kids and us) but the adults won’t be able to watch out for them as much as we did when we didn’t have kids.

Concerns:

1. If we get kittens… we will most likely get two from a litter. I am concerned how they will handle life in a very busy house with (2) two year olds who will do everything they can to play with them. We also have a 6 year old and a 4 year old. Our basement is off-limits to the kids and our previous cats would access it via the cat door. It ended up being their place in the house away from the kids. Their litter boxes and food is there as well. Until they get a bit bigger… kittens may not be able to get down to the basement easily. Does anyone have any experience with kittens and young children? This is my biggest concern.

2. Our cats where kittens a long time ago… my memory is failing me at the moment… how much trouble can the kittens get into? We have a fairly big house with lots of hiding places and places to get into trouble. It was easy to kitten proof a small apartment.. more difficult a large house with a lot of children’s toys and such everywhere.

3. We definitely won’t be in a rush to get new kittens though I’m sure our kids will think differently. Where is the best place to find a good, pair of healthy kittens? We got one of our previous cats as a stray from a friend and the other was from a fostering family that was attached to a rescue league in West Virginia. I think I’d really want to get kittens that are currently with a foster family if possible. How do you find them?

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shan841

· #2 · May 14, 2012

A great place to start would be petfinder.com. Many rescue groups and shelters use the site to showcase pets that they have available. That will also link you to the names of rescue groups and shelters close to you. It will also tell you a little bit about the cat, like if the cat is good with kids. Many fosters have children that interact with the cats. You can call rescues or shelters and tell them your situation and they should be able to recommend something for you. It shouldn't be a problem finding the perfect cat(s) for you. There are so many great cats in need of homes right now. It sounds like an older pair would be better for you since kittens are definately a handful and can get into loads of trouble in a big house.

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doodlebug

· #3 · May 14, 2012

Young kittens and that many young children are not a good match. I've done adoption counseling for our local shelter and honestly, I would not adopt kittens under the age of 9-12 months to you. The two year olds will chase and pick up kittens who are very fragile. They might get stepped on, fallen on tripped on etc. I'm sure your kids would not intentionally harm them, but kids are kids and young kittens would be in danger in your home.

Look for older kittens or young adults who have been around kids in their previous home. It will also eliminate the problems of kitten proofing the house, being able to go downstairs etc.

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shw104

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 14, 2012

All good points... i think we'll definitely spend some time with kittens and cats of all ages before officially adopting any.... the vet though gave me the opposite advice.. she said she'd go with two kittens. my youngest two are almost 3. we'll see though.. not rushing into any decision at the moment.

doodlebug said:
Young kittens and that many young children are not a good match. I've done adoption counseling for our local shelter and honestly, I would not adopt kittens under the age of 9-12 months to you. The two year olds will chase and pick up kittens who are very fragile. They might get stepped on, fallen on tripped on etc. I'm sure your kids would not intentionally harm them, but kids are kids and young kittens would be in danger in your home.

Look for older kittens or young adults who have been around kids in their previous home. It will also eliminate the problems of kitten proofing the house, being able to go downstairs etc.

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dweamgoil

· #5 · May 14, 2012

I agree with the above posters. Kittens would not do well in your home. A cat around the 1 year mark would be a better fit.

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BotanyBlack

· #6 · May 14, 2012

shw104 said:
how much trouble can the kittens get into?

HAHAHAHA. More then you can even imagine.

I agree with the other posters. Get a cat that is out of the teen age.

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shw104

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 14, 2012

yes... i'm leaning that way as well... now only if we could bypass those years with the kids..

BotanyBlack said:
HAHAHAHA. More then you can even imagine.

I agree with the other posters. Get a cat that is out of the teen age.

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LeeLuMonster

· #8 · May 15, 2012

I never had problems with my kitten and kids. Leelu is 19mths and my kids are 2 and 3. Yes the kids tried to pick her up and play with her, but nothing crazy and I gated off the laundry room (with a space for her to crawl underneath) so that when they were overwhelming she could escape, which she did! She is more tolerable than any other cat I've had, and I think it's because of the kids!
I went with a certain breed and a kitten so that I would have some idea of the personality, and so that the kitten would grow into my specific environment.
I don't think you should not get a kitten just because you have 2 toddlers, I think you need to get the best kitten/cat to fit with your family! It didn't take long for my two kids to learn to be gentle and tbh they didn't really bug her much after the first initial couple days.
Good luck with whatever cat or kitten you choose!!

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Poetess

· #9 · May 15, 2012

Well, with having that many younger children, and a big house, why not go for a couple of young-adult cats? You could adopt a cat(s) at a rescue or shelter. Maybe a 1 1/2 - 2-year-old would be a better age-rage. They'd still be young enough to adapt easily with children and have energy to play, but they wouldn't be quite so naughty kitten-ish and you wouldn't have to worry about the size and etc.

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MowMow

· #10 · May 15, 2012

A LOT OF TROUBLE.

I agree with Doodlebug, very young children and little kittens= heartbreak.

I would get a nice pair of year old cats. I'm thinking of my Book who is a few months over a year and he would just *LOVE* having 2 year old human playmates. He could stalk them, chase them, and play fetch with them all day.

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Penny135

· #11 · May 15, 2012

When I was growing up we had kittens and puppies (our dalmation had 13 puppies). There were 7 children in my family and we all did quite well with them. Of course my parents were no nonsense parents (60's and 70's). So we were given boundries and stayed within them. If your kids are given boundries there should be no reason to not get kittens.
My suggestion is to do what you feel you are comfortabel with. Kittens do take a lot of work though!

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jusjim

· #12 · May 15, 2012

One of my earliest memories is having a kitten to play with me. (I had two older brothers, and an older sister.) It's such a long time ago, but I remember the kitten was mine. I think he wandered off, as male kittens often do. (This was the City of London -- not just London which is a huge metropolis. Very important distinction. Grin.) We also had Whiskers, an adult b&W male. My father's cat he disappeared during The Blitz.

I can't recall any problem with the kitten and although I won't go into detail, my mother would often tell the tale of us enjoying playing together.

Then there was the young cat that my brother gave to my younger sister. It scratched her; possibly because she annoyed it. She is now a dog person. I don't think young adult cats take kindly to having their tails pulled, which is a likely method a two year old might use to stop it running away. Now I think a three year old child might handle a kitten differently to a two year old. No personal experience other than my younger sister, but I think a three year old is beginning to understand things and is able to realize that a kitten could be hurt.

Kittens might bond better with children, so perhaps it woulld be better to wait until the young ones have their third birthdays, if you go for the kittens.

I suppose what it boils down to is your ability to assess how your children will treat the kittens. A number of years back, when my wife was still alive, we visited her sister on the farm. The kids were quite grown, and they'd been treating a beautiful grey kitten abominably, so a lot depends on the kids.

Just thought I throw in my thoughts.

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