Our cats have dealt with a lot in their six years: four moves, a new dog, and, of course, two children. The first child was not so much a problem until the second showed up and proved to be prodigy in the fine art of chasing small animals, instructing her older brother on everything he had been missing.
The kids are not cruel by any means. Audrey loves the running part of chasing, and allowing another creature to determine direction and speed is a great adventure. Sebastian loves the hugging and holding part of chasing the cat which, in his case, normally happens first. Though sometimes he's disappointed when the feline object of his smothering runs away, most often he just joins in the chase. When the cat disappears into an unreachable crevice, he pouts.
We're trying to teach our kids basic appropriate affection with the cats. Simple rules like:
1. You don't need to hold the cat so tightly while you pet her.
2. Don't corner her in a box, drawer, end table, etc to pet her.
3. If you try to lock her in your room and she runs away, don't run after her.
4. Get out of her face.
5. Don't move or try to carry the cat's bed while she is on it.
Eventually we will let the children learn probably the most effective rule, which is "Cats have claws and they hurt." The kids are gentle and the cats have the patience of Job, so we haven't had to pull that one out.
I was hanging out in the living room, enjoying a few kid-free moments, when both children arrived to tell me that they needed juice, a request that was interrupted when Sebastian found Forte resting on the recliner with me. He ran up to her, covering her body with his hugging arms and went in to kiss her head. She leaned back and narrowed her eyes, poising herself to run.
"Heeeeeeyyyyy Bud, we need to be careful with Forte!"
"Okay Mom! I'm just giving her a hug!"
"Well, we need to make sure we just pet her gently, see? Did you know Forte used to be afraid of people?"
"Like when we chase her?"
"Not really, she was shy..."
"Or when we put pillows on her?"
"Huh?"
"Or when we throw our toys at her?"
"WHAT? When did you do that?"
"Yesterday... Look, she loves when I - HEY! She ranned away!"
"Do you blame her?" <silence> "How about that juice?"
Let me explain that my kid has a messed up sense of time - everything that's happened is "Yesterday," everything that should happen is "Tomorrow" - so I know he didn't do all that yesterday. But he's thought about it, and it's only a matter of time before Audrey tries it.
There is only one option here. The kids are obviously not taking to my basic affection lessons. I don't know how to begin teaching these new lessons without giving the kids new ideas. It's come to this. I'll have to conference with my cats, the patient creatures with claws.
I'll give the cats the first option of where they want to live, and then I'll just have to keep the kids locked away in a different part of the house.
Or see if a nice old lady wants to take in two crazy kids who are not good with other pets.
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