Mommy Moments

Woof, Meow

By Melanie Lewis

Pets, the other “kids” in our lives. You know this if you’ve had pets. Prior to having children, these pets were the center of attention. Now these pets have had to take a back-seat to the new “kids” on the block. Or, maybe you’re contemplating getting a new cat or dog.  When and how will you add a pet?

There are many prevailing opinions about pet ownership when it comes to children. Some shelters won’t consider you for adoption if you already have small children.  The pets usually have a disadvantage over a human child. Kids are notorious for trying to ride on dogs like a horse.  What baby can’t contain the urge to grab fluffy’s tail?   I’ve seen kids trying to put a cat in a kitchen drawer.  Children quickly learn lessons about the front end of fluffy.   These incidents are minimized by  rigorous parental watch and guidance.  Pets may be mistreated or even ignored.  It’s up to the parents to consider how they are going to deal with the extra work.

There are a couple of techniques that help ease the transition of a new pet.  Pets are territorial, especially cats.  We’ve had it both ways; owning the cat first and having the child first. When the animal has had the territory first, the new infant is seen as a threat. If you are introducing a new baby to your pet, try to get the smell of clothing from the occupants of the house to the pet before introducing them.  Bring clothes home from the hospital to the residing pet to sniff.  If you already have children, obtain a kitten or puppy, rather than a full grown animal.  A kitten or puppy to tend to adapt to little kids quicker than an adult pet.  The baby animal grows with the infant and adapts to the lifestyle.  Look, kids and cats both like to hang out in boxes!!