3 Year Old Mean to Cat

If the cat has a sheltered place she can go (like under the bed), then don't worry about it. Cats are resilient and will leave when they want to.

It doesnt sound fair to the cat, I'd make sure she has a high spot to roost and relax away from him. That way she can call the shots, sometimes they dont mind being chased around but she should have a spot she can get to that he cant where she can be comfy.

No, your cat needs a break and a safe place for her own well-being. I'm with the others - make sure Kitty has some places to go where your son can't follow. Treat the cat as you want your son to treat her, and say out loud how nice she is when she's treated well. Praise your boy when he behaves properly toward her. Can you find the picture book by Clare Turlay Newberry called THE KITTENS' ABC? I'm not sure if it's still in print or not, but it's very cute and has little three-year-old-level rhymes about cats.

The other big issue besides your cat's health, of course, is your son's inattentiveness to your words. When Mama says, "Stop," he really needs to STOP, no matter what it is you tell him to stop doing. If you work with him on always being attentive to you in other matters, it will make a difference in how he interacts with the cat, too.

I would ensure that the cat has somewhere to go that he can't follow - like a basement door with a kitty door in it and a high latch that your son can't unlock.

My stepdaughter used to remind me of Elmyra on that cartoon show "I'll love him and hug him and call him George". It took a lot of reminding, but she quit annoying the cats so much. I would keep up with the time outs and tell him he is being mean to the cat and that's why they cannot play. I would also praise him any time I saw him being kind to her and doing what you want them to do. I find that sometimes I'm at fault for not telling the kids what TO do when I tell them what NOT to do.

Also, are there other things your cat likes to do? Would your son enjoy "kitty fishing" where he MUST stay on the couch but can "fish" for the cat off the side?

Yes, make sure kitty has a place to get away. Other than that - as long as he isn't hurting her - I'd leave it alone. If he does something to her to upset her - she may scratch him and well - that may teach him to not be so rough or do whatever it was that got him scratched? I'm a huge believer though if a child is hurting a family pet that the pet needs to be kept safe and away from the child. If she isnt' getting hurt though, I'd probably leave it alone. Our cat has several places in our home she goes to to get away from it all.

My son is 2.5 and loves chasing our cats around and trying to pet them. They, of course, scatter the minute he enters a room.

I would suggest that you continue encouraging him to be gentle and hold the cat while he pets gently. If he's deliberately mean, then a quick time out. Make sure the cat has a "quiet spot" that your son can't access- inside a closet.

We found a great book called "How Dinosaurs love their Cats" at B & N. My son loves it- toddler/preschool level- and it gives examples of how to be a good pet owner.

Can she get somewhere high? Do you have an upstairs that could be the cat's during the day or something? She needs to have a place to go. Keep re-enforcing gentle touch and not chasing, but the little ones do love to chase the pets! We have a 2 and 4 year old and the 4 year old has gotten much better over the last year (so it will happen), but the 2 year old still wants to chase. He's not chasing to be "mean" but he wants to constantly pet our cat or the dogs. The dogs love it when they're outside and can really run, but find it annoying after awhile inside. The cat just hides!

Uh, get rid of the cat? It also isn't fair to your child to be constantly disciplining him over something that can easily be replaced with things that he IS allowed to play with. Maybe one of those FurReal Friends things that are constantly on the commercials. That way he can still chase it and it will move and play and "interact", and be a positive factor instead of always telling him "no, no, no".

Ahhh, the thrill of the chase! My 4yo can at times be the sweetest most gentle boy with the cats and then out of nowhere he will scare them and chase them laughing hysterically at their antics to escape. I'm with Grandma T on this one, make sure the cat has a safe place to escape but still admonish your son's behavior letting him know that kitty deserves to be treated with kindness.

The cat needs a safe place to retreat to and you need to supervise child/pet interactions. You can't blame the pet if it scratches/bites in self defense.

Maybe the next step after time-outs and toy withdrawal don't work... physical discipline. I know I punish my 5 y/o physically if she hurts my cats. At 3 y/o - he knows what you said too, but he also knows he gets very little punishment for breaking the rule you stated.

You are correct, your son's behavior is NOT fair or healthy for the cat. Stress can cause some major health problems in a feline. You need to be more stern and consistent with him about treating animals with respect, care and love.

My 4 yo son is the same way. I tried everything I can think of to get him to leave the cat alone. I finally gave up and figured if the cat is too stupid to hide or get up high (and he has plenty of places to go), then he deserves the aggravation by my son. But he just sits right there and takes it. What can you do?

Make sure she has a place to hide that he can't reach her. If she has claws, she'll use them when she gets fed up - and your son will learn quickly enough that she means business.

Is he in a playgroup. He needs peers to learn how to play fair with others.
Have you looked at the cat problem from the cat's point of view. Maybe she hates kids.
Who is more important to you the cat or your son? Cats can be jealous. She may not want to be seen with him.