Pets - Staten Island,NY

My cat raised my son until he was 4.

I've yet to meet a (normal, as well as most special needs) child who can't be taught to be gentle/appropriate with animals, although many parents don't.

It takes time, energy, and awareness to teach a child how to deal with animals. A toddler won't know that you can't hug a goldfish or a kitten/puppy/cat/small dog without killing them. Or that certain body parts (like tails) aren't handles. You just have to spend the time to teach them.

We have had cats and dogs since day one. They are part of the family. We also have 4 kids.
I think if you want a cat, get a cat. You can teach the child to pet nice and the cat will learn to run when the child comes near it.

Yes - just leave the cats claws on so it'll have some protection!

and lots of supervison. My kids have had cats since birth. You might want to rescue a 3 or 4yr old. Calmer and tougher :)

It can be done. We have done it successfully, more than once. Our most recent cat we got when my daughter was 20 months old. They are the best of friends! We currently have 4 cats and have had 2 others that recently died of old age. We had cats before we had kids.
But there are several caveats. It is not simple and does take a good deal of effort on your part. You have to take a very active role in teaching your child safe and gentle handling and you need to teach the cat what the boundaries are as well. You should take your son with you while looking for one. You want one that isn't going to shy away or hide from him but instead is inquisitive and affectionate. The cat should belong to the family, not him.
If you are willing to put in the time it takes it's a wonderful idea.
I love when my littlest kitty climbs up on my daughters and my lap while I'm nursing her. She loves it and pets him until she falls asleep on so many occasions. He sleeps on the dresser next to her bed when she's sleeping. He does not get in the crib! We taught him immediately that this was not allowed.

Yes, Unless you already have pets, two is young to introduce one as THEIR pet. Some people get pets with young children and it works, but many don't. Remember, kittens and cats have sharp claws (and teeth) and don't know how to differentiate between a real threat and an exuberant toddler. Two year olds often don't yet understand how to always be gentle and handle an animal properly. I urge you to wait a few years.

I am assuming you don't mean to take care of because really that is too young. So far as being too young to have a pet in the house he is fine. You will find that cats and kittens are darn good at hiding from children. Just watch him when he does find the kitty.

We had pets in the house before we had kids so obviously even a newborn it not too young to have a pet in the house.

By the way my youngest was around your son's age when my older daughter brought Stinky home. He is no more neurotic than any other cat. Just don't make the kitten your son's pet, that is just silly.

I love that my 3 year old loves our pets, but I caution against getting a kitten (or puppy) as a first pet for a young child. Even though my son adores our cat, he still can pet roughly, pull a tail or push him off of the toys. Our cat is 15 and takes everything with stride, only using his claws if necessary, like to get my son off of his tail (and only twice, although if i were that cat, i would have used them more often!).

However, when we went to the shelter last month to look at kittens, they were clearly not for us. They use their claws A LOT, sometimes just to hang on, and they are also learning how to behave. I would suggest an older cat, at least a year. There are so many advantages to older kitties, including already being litter box trained and a little more mellow. They still play with toys and show a lot of love. A good shelter will let you know if the cat or kitten of your choice is good with young kids and you should definitely take your son with you during the process.

Good luck!

Save yourself a lot of frustration and wait til he is 4 or 5. A toddler requires constant supervision around pets. Any toddler will (innocently) torment an animal and any animal can snap once its had enough.

If you are thinking about getting a cat... then no. Big fat NO.
You said he sometimes pulls the ears of the puppies.... well cats have claws dear, and your precious little toddler will get scratched (badly) the first time he mishandles a cat (intentionally or accidentally). Then, the cat will have nothing to do with him. (Dogs are better about forgiveness...or else they are just dumber, lol). The cat will stay hidden away from him and then what is the point of getting the cat for your kid to have a pet? He STILL won't have a pet.

If you want to get a cat...then wait until he is old enough to control his impulses enough to ONLY treat the kitty gently EVERY time. I'd recommend at Least age 4 or 5. And if he thinks pets are creatures to be chased, you are going to go insane trying to correct his behavior--or else be punishing the animal for your son's behavior. Correcting your son 30 times a day about the cat will get very old, very quickly. And "correcting" your pet for using its natural defenses is just cruel.

If you then decide to go with a dog, be absolutely certain that you are willing and ABLE to properly train it. Not such an easy task with a toddler in tow. Have you potty trained your son yet? If not... then definitely wait on ANY pet. You'll have your hands too full to deal with both at the same time.

I vote no unless your bored and need some excitement in your life. Cats do not tolerate getting picked on and can get aggressive and small kids will have a hard time leaving the kitten alone. I would take him to a shelter to pet the dogs and cats or go look at them at a pet store. Wait till he is older. We have three dogs and a cat, had them all for years before we had our first child. We now have three kids(4 and under) My kids have never been rough with any of our pets, even as babies it was never allowed. My son does like to lay on our big dog but the dog seems to like that, and our kids have never been allowed to pick our small dog or cat up, ever, so kids and pets can be a beautiful thing.

Personally I would wait until he is 5 or 6...at that age he should be better able to control his impulses, know what it means to "be gentle", and hopefully not have to be supervised constantly around the kitten. I usually don't recommend bringing in new puppies or kittens into a home if there are any kids under 5 years old. You can wait until your son is 5 and he and the kitten will still be growing up together, especially since cats can live from 15 to 20 years in some instances.

For your own sanity I would WAIT.

Trust me on this one...

Definitely too young. He will hurt the kitten and kittens also tend to scratch (that how they play) so he might get hurt too. Why not get a Zhu zhu pet? They are so fun, without being a real animal that could get hurt.

My suggestion would be to get a full grown cat instead of a a kitten for someone so young. I would also provide the cat with some sort of shelter or secure area that it knows it can go when it has had enough and get away from everything. Introduce the 2 of them slowly monitoring your son and the cat whenever they interact

I'm an animal lover and so is my husband. Both of us have always had dogs in our lives so it was only natural when we got married to get a dog and then a cat. Not only are they great companions, they also teach the kids about responsibility and to be loving and nurturing. Cats are great, they don't require a lot of care, although 2 of my 3 do as they act more like dogs and kids then cats and our 2 dogs (German Shepherd and Black Lab) are just full of love. If you get a cat get a kitten and let your son learn to love it. Yes he might get scratched a few times and learn his limits but he will be fine just as mine did. I have a 15 year old son who made me drive from the middle of CT to Westfield, MA, an almost 2 hour drive each way, to get a kitten he saw on Petfinder. That was 5 years ago, his Cali is the apple of his eye, he carries her around like a baby, she sleeps with him, and get this, she makes him burp her every day, it is so cute. You have to see him he is this big 6'2" kid who should be a quarterback and yet he is the most lovingest and gentlest kid I know. He will tell you he grew up with cats, dogs, ferrets, hamsters and rabbits too at one point and learned to love animals. The only one who has ever gotten scratched is me and that was because our calico is a tough cookie and I tend to push my limits with her so I guess you can say I deserve what I get; she does however love my husband and loves to play hide 'n seek with everyone who comes over including the plumber, phone company, electrician etc. We also have another cat who likes to give his paw like a dog. If you can't have a dog now then start with a kitten, you will love it, just keep your son away from the kitty litter and please keep the cat indoors so that a) it doesn't get hurt and b) bring home anything especially fleas, ticks, mice, disease. I don't agree with letting cats outside unless you live on a farm and have barn cats.

Way too young in my opinion. Most kids that age just don't have the control to handle a kitten (or small animal) properly and it's real easy to hurt kittens.

Why not wait until he's older and asks for a pet and you choose one together? That would make much more sense.

A lot of supervision. Expect lot of claw marks, stock up on band-aids. Kittens tend to be a little bitey and claw happy.
The kitten will end up being your or your husband's cat since a 2 year old isn't going to be able to care for it properly yet. I would recommend an older cat though, one who is already calm and not prone to claw and bite first.

If you really want a kitten, then go for it. Just remember the claws and teeth are going to happen.

I have to start by saying that I don't mean to come across as too harsh, but I feel strongly enough that I must always advocate for animals as thy have no voice.

I would also advise against a kitten at this point given your history & the age of your son. If you must get a cat, I agree with the suggestion to look for a more mature cat who is calm and experienced with children and still expect to spend a LOT of time correcting your son and instructing him how to behave. Remember that when you commit to a pet you are committing to providing a nourishing home for that pet's LIFETIME, which for a cat can be nearly 20 years! THat's a long commitment, please be sure you are ready for it. Vet bills add up, food adds up, so does litter, so you need to be financially able to support a cat for the next 14-20 years. Pet ownership should not be taken lightly.

Good luck!

From what you describe I'd wait. cats are not more tolerant than dogs in most cases. If you do opt for a cat I'd adopt a full grown cat instead of a kitten and get it from someone who knows that cat's temperament.

Good luck!

Thats about how old my son was when we got our 2 cats Wall-e & Eba :) and the boy cat (wall-e) is considered my sons cat because he loves my son more then any one! He will snuggle with him if he's laying on the couch or in his bed. We got the kittens becuase there was less risk of my son getting bitten if he was to rough..

Yes.

Kids this age, do NOT have, fully developed "Impulse-Control" yet.
So, if you expect a 2 or even 3 year old to act all nice with a pet... it will not happen.
They yank, pull, grab, tease, a pet. They don't have impulse control.
And even with humans, kids this age do not yet even have full 'mastery' over social situations or manners.

Cats/Kittens/Dogs... they bite. They also scratch. They are an animal. An animal if irked... will react. It is not their fault.

Some pets, DO NOT LIKE KIDS. Not all pets or breeds, do well with kids.
It depends, on the personality of the animal.
Some are mellow, some are not.

If your child is very active and impulsive, the kitten/cat may stay away from him.
I know a family that has a cat... their child is 5. He chases their cat around constantly. Their cat does not like their son. Naturally. Their child only teases it.

It depends on the dynamic of the child. And the pet.
I have had all kinds of pets and cats too.
They have all sorts of personalities.

And, you cannot expect a child this age (not saying you are), to take care of the pet and feed it nor clean up after it. The child is too young.

Go to an animal shelter. Like the Humane Society.
Sit in the cat room for awhile. Like an hour or more.
See which cats/kittens..... come to you/your child naturally. OBSERVE its personality and disposition.
ASK the shelter person, how the cat is. They usually know... which animal is okay with kids or not.

yeah, I think that is way too young. he does not understand yet what it means to hurt an animal... that some hurts can be permanent. also, kittens can be frisky and will likely scratch and bite him some until they learn better too. I would give it a few more years on a kitten. maybe a fish though? you will have to be the one to take care of cleaning the tank, but maybe he could "help" with that and also help feeding and stuff. Probably need to have it up someplace out of reach so he does not pull it down though.

I would wait unless you can find a tolerant kitten. Toddlers are rough, kittens are tough. they may not go together very well. I remember my cousin's child didn't realize that the kitten was real and locked the poor thing into the oven. Luckily my cousin found the poor thing before it suffocated in there. When he is 5 or 6 he can better understand how to handle the kitten and that kittens do scratch and bite as part of their play.

My daughter was born and we had an 80 pound boxer/pointer mutt and two super loving cats. They all thought she was another animal and immediately accepted her as a family member. That dog loved and looked out for her until the day I had to put her to sleep from mast cell cancer. Poor Mandy dog!

My daughter would push one of the cats in her little grocery cart!! Good times!

She did get bit my my mother in law's little terrier when my ex was there for dinner and I was at the Dodger game with friends. I offered to put it to sleep but it was on lock down when my daughter came over and the subsequent grandchildren.