Some parents are happy for their children to sleep with the cat curled up at the foot of their child's bed.
Other parents are horrified by the thought of all the dirt and germs, not to mention the thought of suffocation.
Who is right? Are kids and cats a good mix? From a health point of view, the exposure to a little bit of dirt and a few germs is actually good for your children.
Studies done on infants found that 19% of infants brought up in a home with pets developed allergies where 33% of infants bought up in homes without pets went on to develop allergies.
Doctors believe the exposure to small amounts of dirt and germs helps to strengthen the child's immune system.
This makes them less likely to catch illnesses and if they do, they are better able to overcome the illnesses.
Naturally, if you keep pets in your home you will keep them free of fleas, worms and other parasites.
These can be very uncomfortable for your pet and the diseases they carry can harm you and your children.
There are many easy to use preparations available to treat your pet so there is never any reason for your pet to have any parasites.
Not only is a pet good for your child's physical health, it is also good for your child's emotional health.
Sometimes children feel unnoticed and unloved.
A cat can help your child to feel loved and appreciated just by snuggling into his lap.
Stroking a cat releases hormones that make people feel relaxed and happy.
When he wakes up at night, the cat sleeping on the end of the bed reassures him that all is well.
Cats can teach children responsibility.
If your child is given the task of feeding the cat, he will learn that others depend on him.
It will help him develop a sense of responsibility.
Naturally, you need to supervise in case the child forgets.
In the case of a younger child, perhaps their job could be to see the cat always has a bowl of clean water.
Whenever children and animals are together, an adult should supervise the child.
Some children would not intentionally harm their pet but they can still hurt them.
Babies should never be left with any pet.
They pinch, pull hair and bite pets.
Toddlers too need careful supervision around pets.
As your child gets older and shows more responsibility and understanding, they can be supervised less.
By the time a child starts school, they should be able to be left with the family cat.
They should understand how to hold the cat and when to let him loose.
They should be quiet so the cat will come and sit with them.
I think that as long as a child and a cat are taught to understand each other, there is no better friend for a child than his pet cat; likewise, no better friend for a cat than his pet boy.
Other parents are horrified by the thought of all the dirt and germs, not to mention the thought of suffocation.
Who is right? Are kids and cats a good mix? From a health point of view, the exposure to a little bit of dirt and a few germs is actually good for your children.
Studies done on infants found that 19% of infants brought up in a home with pets developed allergies where 33% of infants bought up in homes without pets went on to develop allergies.
Doctors believe the exposure to small amounts of dirt and germs helps to strengthen the child's immune system.
This makes them less likely to catch illnesses and if they do, they are better able to overcome the illnesses.
Naturally, if you keep pets in your home you will keep them free of fleas, worms and other parasites.
These can be very uncomfortable for your pet and the diseases they carry can harm you and your children.
There are many easy to use preparations available to treat your pet so there is never any reason for your pet to have any parasites.
Not only is a pet good for your child's physical health, it is also good for your child's emotional health.
Sometimes children feel unnoticed and unloved.
A cat can help your child to feel loved and appreciated just by snuggling into his lap.
Stroking a cat releases hormones that make people feel relaxed and happy.
When he wakes up at night, the cat sleeping on the end of the bed reassures him that all is well.
Cats can teach children responsibility.
If your child is given the task of feeding the cat, he will learn that others depend on him.
It will help him develop a sense of responsibility.
Naturally, you need to supervise in case the child forgets.
In the case of a younger child, perhaps their job could be to see the cat always has a bowl of clean water.
Whenever children and animals are together, an adult should supervise the child.
Some children would not intentionally harm their pet but they can still hurt them.
Babies should never be left with any pet.
They pinch, pull hair and bite pets.
Toddlers too need careful supervision around pets.
As your child gets older and shows more responsibility and understanding, they can be supervised less.
By the time a child starts school, they should be able to be left with the family cat.
They should understand how to hold the cat and when to let him loose.
They should be quiet so the cat will come and sit with them.
I think that as long as a child and a cat are taught to understand each other, there is no better friend for a child than his pet cat; likewise, no better friend for a cat than his pet boy.
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