Cats and Kids: A Special Bond
While most people know the amazing benefits pets have for adults, few have explored the effects cats as pets have on children. Brad Kollus shows how pet ownership for children helps them blossom into better adults.
Roughly 75 percent of all households with children have pets. Anyone who watches children play with their cats can see the value of this wonderful interaction. However, the benefit to this relationship is far greater than most of us realize.
LEARNING TO CARE
Cat ownership teaches young children nurturance and fosters empathy.
The idea of learning about nurturing things that are different from you is something that children are not born with and they have to learn, says Gail Melson, Ph.D., author of Why The Wild Things Are: Animals In The Lives Of Children.
In the past, children learned nurturance by living in large families, caring for younger siblings or grandparents.
The opportunities today children have to learn about nurturing others increasingly may be coming from the pets in their home, Melson says.
Many studies found that pets can help develop childrens sense of empathy. One study of 826 4- to 8-year-old children found that those with high attachment to their cats or dogs had higher empathy scores than children without pets. Another study found that children with cats or dogs had higher levels of social sensitivity and interpersonal trust.
**For the full article, pick up the June issue of CAT FANCY**