My Cat Scratched My Baby...I Need Advice
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THIS!
If you ever watch My cat from hell on animal planet, there is a lot of training you can do to help this problem.
Declawing is cruel. I did it once when I lived with my mother and the cat attacked her twice. I have suspicions that she would "sweep the cat out of the way which he viewed as a threat, but I couldn't prove it and I needed a place to live. Anyway. talk to the vet and check out a few cat boards on ways to correct the behavior.i'm not really a cat person so maybe i'm suggesting something impossible, but could another option be to talk to a vet or some kind of animal trainer, to determine if there's a way you could gradually get your cat to warm up to your little boy? or maybe this suggestion is even crazier, but i think they do have medication now that you can get for your pets for anxiety (through the vet)...maybe that would make her a little less scared of him.0 -
You failed both your son and your cat. It is your responsibility to make sure the cat always has access to a safe place. You should also be assuring that the cat's nails are properly clipped so they are not sharp enough to do any real damage. Declawing is absolutely not necessary if you are willing to take responsibility for proper care.
I'm sorry, but you misspelled "child" in your second sentence.
Um, no. The child always has a safe place. The cat doesn't. The cat is not the aggressor. Neither is the kid, but see it from the cat's perspective here. You're just sitting somewhere, chilling and this larger organism starts bugging you. You have nowhere to go to escape this organism. They won't leave you be. You're trapped. What do you do? The cat reacted like a normal cat does when they feel trapped. Neither is at fault, but to punish the cat by ripping its claws out, putting it outdoors or abandoning it altogether is wrong.
That would make perfect sense....In an insane world where house cats and human infants are equals.
And clearly the child does not always have a safe place as it was clawed by the cat.
"Well the cat felt annoyed, so it clawed the kid's face. It's the kid's fault."
I don't own any pets. I hope you never have children.
Agreed I think Sterilization needs to happen from some of these responses. Poor babies :-(
Really? So because I understand why the cat did what she did, I would make a bad mom? Wow.....and people think I and others who are able to decipher cat behavior are the bad ones? You're suggesting we shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
And people who have no kids shouldn't comment on a thread about kids! 'Nuff said!
But to the cat people this thread is about the cat. They don't really care so much about the child. Isn't that obvious?
Yes it is and it's SAD! Like you said, great to know your parents put the cat ahead of you! (And for the record, I AM a cat person...but my kid comes first. PERIOD.)0 -
Good bye cat.0
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My kid once banged her head on the door.
Should I get rid of all the doors in my house because the door HURT my CHILD?
You could take them to a no-kill door shelter?
I'm a cat lover. I have two. I'm currently in the process of trying to rehome my sofa because my big ginger cat scratched it.0 -
Never trust a cat
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Did I say they were equals? NO. The child got swiped because he cornered the cat. How is this not understood at all? I also DID NOT say it was the kid's fault. He's a toddler. They don't know any better. Don't flipping put words in my mouth.
Whether I reproduce or not is none of your goddamn business. Just because I actually understand feline behavior, doesn't mean I'll be a bad mother. I seriously wish this site allowed cursing because you really deserve a couple of expletives for what you wrote to me.
Oh it's understood. I just don't make excuses for people or pets who harm children.
Understanding feline behavior is about as useful as knowing how to play the recorder. Nobody really cares to hear it, but they'll smile politely at you if you insist.
You can feel free to curse at me, publicly or privately. It's not going to bother me much. I promise not to hit report, I'm not the type.
If/when you do have kids, you'll understand how silly this whole business is. The love for your child makes the love for a pet seem almost silly. I'm not saying you'll be a bad mother. Provided you get the message that no matter what is going on in the mind of your cats, the kid comes first. If the cat is harming the child, the cat has to go. Same for dogs, birds, people, etc.
Your responsibility as a parent is to your child. First, foremost, and last.0 -
SmartHe said, verbatim, "You can't have a dog in the house that bites your baby."
i would have said you are too stupid to have a dog in your house myself, but to each his own!
Why is everyone so stupid??0 -
You failed both your son and your cat. It is your responsibility to make sure the cat always has access to a safe place. You should also be assuring that the cat's nails are properly clipped so they are not sharp enough to do any real damage. Declawing is absolutely not necessary if you are willing to take responsibility for proper care.
I'm sorry, but you misspelled "child" in your second sentence.
Um, no. The child always has a safe place. The cat doesn't. The cat is not the aggressor. Neither is the kid, but see it from the cat's perspective here. You're just sitting somewhere, chilling and this larger organism starts bugging you. You have nowhere to go to escape this organism. They won't leave you be. You're trapped. What do you do? The cat reacted like a normal cat does when they feel trapped. Neither is at fault, but to punish the cat by ripping its claws out, putting it outdoors or abandoning it altogether is wrong.
That would make perfect sense....In an insane world where house cats and human infants are equals.
And clearly the child does not always have a safe place as it was clawed by the cat.
"Well the cat felt annoyed, so it clawed the kid's face. It's the kid's fault."
I don't own any pets. I hope you never have children.
Agreed I think Sterilization needs to happen from some of these responses. Poor babies :-(
Really? So because I understand why the cat did what she did, I would make a bad mom? Wow.....and people think I and others who are able to decipher cat behavior are the bad ones? You're suggesting we shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
And people who have no kids shouldn't comment on a thread about kids! 'Nuff said!
But to the cat people this thread is about the cat. They don't really care so much about the child. Isn't that obvious?
Yes it is and it's SAD! Like you said, great to know your parents put the cat ahead of you! (And for the record, I AM a cat person...but my kid comes first. PERIOD.)
:drinker:0 -
You failed both your son and your cat. It is your responsibility to make sure the cat always has access to a safe place. You should also be assuring that the cat's nails are properly clipped so they are not sharp enough to do any real damage. Declawing is absolutely not necessary if you are willing to take responsibility for proper care.
I'm sorry, but you misspelled "child" in your second sentence.
Um, no. The child always has a safe place. The cat doesn't. The cat is not the aggressor. Neither is the kid, but see it from the cat's perspective here. You're just sitting somewhere, chilling and this larger organism starts bugging you. You have nowhere to go to escape this organism. They won't leave you be. You're trapped. What do you do? The cat reacted like a normal cat does when they feel trapped. Neither is at fault, but to punish the cat by ripping its claws out, putting it outdoors or abandoning it altogether is wrong.
That would make perfect sense....In an insane world where house cats and human infants are equals.
And clearly the child does not always have a safe place as it was clawed by the cat.
"Well the cat felt annoyed, so it clawed the kid's face. It's the kid's fault."
I don't own any pets. I hope you never have children.
Agreed I think Sterilization needs to happen from some of these responses. Poor babies :-(
Really? So because I understand why the cat did what she did, I would make a bad mom? Wow.....and people think I and others who are able to decipher cat behavior are the bad ones? You're suggesting we shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
And people who have no kids shouldn't comment on a thread about kids! 'Nuff said!
It'a indirectly about a kid. The main issue is actually the cat, and how the OP can manage the cat's behaviour. So maybe people who don't have a cat shouldn't comment here? Oh no, wait... it's a public forum.
Seriously. She's asking what to do about her cat, not what to do about her kid.
Someone with a cat is a whole lot more likely to understand cat psychology and options for dealing with a cranky cat than someone who just has a kid.
And I have both! Would still put my kid before my cat!0 -
Seriously, reading these posts make me understand why there is a phrase "Crazy cat lady". Wow.
No kidding. Some of you people are bat s**t crazy. This shouldn't even be a topic. Kid > Cat
Where did someone seriously advocate getting rid of the kid? Do you think a child's life is worse for having a pet or that there is no other solution than getting rid of the cat? Then say that, but don't act like people were saying "screw your kid, he'd look great with an eyepatch."
if your pet is hurting your child, then there absolutely is no other solution other than getting rid of the animal...
Yes, there is a solution. It's called soft caps that can be put on the cat's claws. The cat is acting like a cat when it is threatened. It's not the cat's fault OR the baby's fault since the baby doesn't know any better. The solution is to cover the cat's claws until the baby is old enough to be calm and pet the cat nicely without threatening it. Since the OP is having more children, then the soft caps need to stay on until all of the children are grown. Think of it like baby-proofing the outlets, cupboards, and toilet. You wouldn't get rid of your power outlets, would you?
People who get mad at animals for acting like an animal are ridiculous. That's like getting mad at a tiger for biting a kid's hand when the kid sticks its hand through the bars at the zoo. I don't have to have kids to understand basic biology and animal behavior.0 -
Pain is an excellent teacher, and the universe is not a friendly place. Learning to be cautious is almost as important as having two eyes. Protect your children as you wish, but understand that you do neither them nor the world any favors if you rear an idiot who cannot find his or her *kitten* with both hands and expects the world to adjust to him or her, instead of knowing how to move smartly and successfully through the world. Also, 14 months is old enough to learn that one cannot just do whatever one wants, free from cause and effect.
Oh. My. God. I seriously seriously hope you are being sarcastic in this post.0 -
Pain is an excellent teacher, and the universe is not a friendly place. Learning to be cautious is almost as important as having two eyes. Protect your children as you wish, but understand that you do neither them nor the world any favors if you rear an idiot who cannot find his or her *kitten* with both hands and expects the world to adjust to him or her, instead of knowing how to move smartly and successfully through the world. Also, 14 months is old enough to learn that one cannot just do whatever one wants, free from cause and effect.
*claps*
thank you! I've been saying that for 14 pages!
:laugh:
and apparently, I am no longer allowed to BREED now!
:sad:0 -
OP, if you opt to get rid of the cat because your child got scratched for the love of all that is good DO NOT go out and get another kitten/cat. The next cat WILL eventually scratch the child when the child aggravates it. Then you'll abandon that one, and so on. That's horribly unfair to the animals.
First, teach the child to interact with your present cat appropriately. Second, give the cat someplace to escape from the child when the child interacts inappropriately or the cat is sick/tired/overstimulated. The cat door to a room the child cannot enter but that has the cat's stuff is a great idea. Eventually the child will learn that kitty likes to play with stuff stuck under the door or through the cat door. I almost guarantee you a child raised to respect an animal's boundaries will be more cognizant of other people's boundaries.0 -
You failed both your son and your cat. It is your responsibility to make sure the cat always has access to a safe place. You should also be assuring that the cat's nails are properly clipped so they are not sharp enough to do any real damage. Declawing is absolutely not necessary if you are willing to take responsibility for proper care.
I'm sorry, but you misspelled "child" in your second sentence.
Um, no. The child always has a safe place. The cat doesn't. The cat is not the aggressor. Neither is the kid, but see it from the cat's perspective here. You're just sitting somewhere, chilling and this larger organism starts bugging you. You have nowhere to go to escape this organism. They won't leave you be. You're trapped. What do you do? The cat reacted like a normal cat does when they feel trapped. Neither is at fault, but to punish the cat by ripping its claws out, putting it outdoors or abandoning it altogether is wrong.
That would make perfect sense....In an insane world where house cats and human infants are equals.
And clearly the child does not always have a safe place as it was clawed by the cat.
"Well the cat felt annoyed, so it clawed the kid's face. It's the kid's fault."
I don't own any pets. I hope you never have children.
Agreed I think Sterilization needs to happen from some of these responses. Poor babies :-(
Really? So because I understand why the cat did what she did, I would make a bad mom? Wow.....and people think I and others who are able to decipher cat behavior are the bad ones? You're suggesting we shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
And people who have no kids shouldn't comment on a thread about kids! 'Nuff said!
It'a indirectly about a kid. The main issue is actually the cat, and how the OP can manage the cat's behaviour. So maybe people who don't have a cat shouldn't comment here? Oh no, wait... it's a public forum.
Seriously. She's asking what to do about her cat, not what to do about her kid.
Someone with a cat is a whole lot more likely to understand cat psychology and options for dealing with a cranky cat than someone who just has a kid.
And I have both! Would still put my kid before my cat!
That's your call. But that doesn't mean people who don't have kids shouldn't comment here.
lol0 -
Seriously, reading these posts make me understand why there is a phrase "Crazy cat lady". Wow.
No kidding. Some of you people are bat s**t crazy. This shouldn't even be a topic. Kid > Cat
Where did someone seriously advocate getting rid of the kid? Do you think a child's life is worse for having a pet or that there is no other solution than getting rid of the cat? Then say that, but don't act like people were saying "screw your kid, he'd look great with an eyepatch."
What we are saying is that if the cat scratched the kid, it is at fault. Not the kid, as MANY people have stated. The kid's safety and health is more important than a cat's. People were saying how mean and cruel it is to hurt the cat by having it declawed. Our point is, these people don't want to hurt the cat, but are fine with the kid being hurt? I stay firm on my kid > cat.
The world is full of dangerous things, of these a cat who scratched once is possibly the least of your worries. We share our planet with other organisms, we should learn that sometimes they bite.
If your kid got nipped by a crab at the beach, would you stomp on it because it is a bad crab?0 -
Pain is an excellent teacher, and the universe is not a friendly place. Learning to be cautious is almost as important as having two eyes. Protect your children as you wish, but understand that you do neither them nor the world any favors if you rear an idiot who cannot find his or her *kitten* with both hands and expects the world to adjust to him or her, instead of knowing how to move smartly and successfully through the world. Also, 14 months is old enough to learn that one cannot just do whatever one wants, free from cause and effect.
14 months is NOT old enough to learn that one cannot just do whatever one wants, that is when they start to explore their boundaries and even if they do understand it, it doesn't necessarily mean they will have it down to a fine art. Remember, toddlers all develop differently and at different rates..
That is a lesson that will take many years to learn, but 14 months old is the right age to begin. A 14-month old can't understand what boundaries are if they are not established. You wouldn't allow baby to touch the stove for his own safety. So why wouldn't you teach the baby not to harass the anti-social cat for his own safety?0 -
My kid once banged her head on the door.
Should I get rid of all the doors in my house because the door HURT my CHILD?
Weren't you the one to suggest bubble wrap.....that would solve the problem!!0 -
Do you have crabs in your house?0
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You failed both your son and your cat. It is your responsibility to make sure the cat always has access to a safe place. You should also be assuring that the cat's nails are properly clipped so they are not sharp enough to do any real damage. Declawing is absolutely not necessary if you are willing to take responsibility for proper care.
I'm sorry, but you misspelled "child" in your second sentence.
Um, no. The child always has a safe place. The cat doesn't. The cat is not the aggressor. Neither is the kid, but see it from the cat's perspective here. You're just sitting somewhere, chilling and this larger organism starts bugging you. You have nowhere to go to escape this organism. They won't leave you be. You're trapped. What do you do? The cat reacted like a normal cat does when they feel trapped. Neither is at fault, but to punish the cat by ripping its claws out, putting it outdoors or abandoning it altogether is wrong.
That would make perfect sense....In an insane world where house cats and human infants are equals.
And clearly the child does not always have a safe place as it was clawed by the cat.
"Well the cat felt annoyed, so it clawed the kid's face. It's the kid's fault."
I don't own any pets. I hope you never have children.
Agreed I think Sterilization needs to happen from some of these responses. Poor babies :-(
Really? So because I understand why the cat did what she did, I would make a bad mom? Wow.....and people think I and others who are able to decipher cat behavior are the bad ones? You're suggesting we shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
And people who have no kids shouldn't comment on a thread about kids! 'Nuff said!
I heart you :flowerforyou:0 -
here's the thing...
Training your child not to bother your cat is not putting the cat above the child, it's teaching the child necessary survival and social skills to survive in the world at large.
Yeah maybe if your son is planning to be the next Steve Erwin or Jack Hannah...? (wtf)
really?
cute, but have you thought about it?
how does a child learn not to touch the stove? or eat *kitten* it finds on the lawn? or run across the street?
Parents TEACH them.
how is teaching them not to pester and harm animals a BAD thing?0
This discussion has been closed.
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