How To Teach Kids to Handle a Cat (Advice From a Therapy Cat)

As a therapy cat, I do a lot of work with kids of all ages. I also spend time with them pretty often at cat shows. I’m very, very tolerant so I’m probably the best kitty a child could spend time with. And honestly, I like the little humans a lot!

But that doesn’t mean that every child I meet is well behaved. Sometimes they aren’t — they’re grabby, or they want to play with my ears, tail or paws. It’s not their fault. It’s just that they’re learning — or that they haven’t yet been taught the right way to handle a cat. So I have some pointers that I hope will be helpful.

A Child Is Never Too Young to Learn How to Touch a Cat

The keyword is “gentle.” In fact, when it comes to animals, gentle is the first word a child should learn. The best way to teach gentle in relation to a cat or another pet, is to show the child what gentle means. Stroke the little one’s arm gently and let them know how nice it feels. Then have them do the same to your arm. Actually, it’s a sweet bonding moment for a parent and child even before adding a pet into the mix. This is a nice and illustrative way to show that this is the way a cat likes to be touched.

You can teach even very young children the concept of gentle, and once they get it, it makes interacting with cats a lot more pleasant for everyone. I run across toddlers pretty often, and I promise, not all of them are wild and grabby! Even at that age, a lot of them already know how to be gentle.

Always Supervise Interactions between Cats and Young Kids

Even the gentle toddlers and young children don’t fully understand the implications of handling a living, breathing creature, so an adult needs to be present for any interactions. Never leave your little kid alone with a cat or any other animal.

Even though the parents are present when I visit with children, my human always keeps her hands on me when I’m with the young ones. That way, it’s easy for her to slip her hands underneath fingers that might grasp at or pull my ears or tail. Parents can do the same. It’s an easy way to correct rough behavior without making the child feel bad or wrong. It’s very important that interactions with a cat should be learning moments that are as helpful and positive as possible.

When Children Are Too Excitable or Rough

Sometimes little kids just get too excited when they see a kitty, and start shrieking or being rough. Give the child the opportunity to calm down before approaching the cat, who is probably stressed out by this behavior. Remind them that the cat needs the child to be gentle. If the child can’t settle down, it’s best to keep them and the cat separate for now. Remind the child that the kitty needs gentle pets and a happy time, and they can only be with the kitty if they can do that. Practice what gentle strokes are when the child is calmer and then try again with the cat.

Even if your cat is like me, and is tolerant of rougher handling, it’s important for children to learn to be respectful of a cat’s needs. Not every cat they might encounter will be as nice!

Learning Cat Signals

Once a child is past the young toddler stage, you can start teaching them the signals cats give, positive and negative, to human touch. Purring, leaning into petting, rubbing against a hand or a child’s body — all these are indications that the cat wants to interact. Ears back, a tail swishing back and forth or hidden under their body, are all indications that the cat wants to be left alone. These signs are easily identified, and every child should learn them.

There are certain areas that are not comfortable to most cats. That includes the ears, feet, tail and belly. Let your child know that touching these areas is not pleasant for their kitty friend, and redirect them to the cheeks, chin, and body strokes.

Picking Up the Cat

Kids almost always want to pick up a cat by their front half, leaving the cat’s bottom half hanging or dragging on the floor. Of course, this is totally uncomfortable for the cat, and the exact wrong way to hold them! So don’t allow a child to pick up a cat until they are old enough to do it properly, gently hugging the cat’s front end with one hand, and cradling the cat’s bottom end with the other.

Bonding With the Cat

Include your child in your cat’s care, to the best of their age and ability. Let them help you at feeding times, and show them how to play with the cat. Cats love being on a schedule, and having routine times for care is also helpful for kids too.

These are just the basics of teaching children to handle a cat, but I hope they are helpful! The parents that have taught their kids to be gentle with kitties certainly make my work easier, and it will make your cat’s, and child’s life happier.

Here are more posts about cat-human relationships: