Cat assist/rant required 🙁
I’ve two indoor/out of doors cats (regular right here within the UK), almost 7 years previous. I even have 3 kids, 7, 3 and 5 months.
One of many cats is a scratcher if he will get scared. I wouldn’t describe him as an aggressive cat however he’s actually not a pushover. He has typically clawed at/bitten me once I’m simply stroking him, and extra often if attempting to get him into his basket/administer meds and so forth.
The opposite cat is so placid he’s principally a canine. I imagine he has scratched earlier than, once we needed to give him a shower, however that’s the absolute outlier. He lets the children roll on him and has by no means lifted a claw to them.
The cattier cat has scratched all the children occasionally, however notably the center one. As soon as my son grew to become cell, he would hug/headlock the cat or seize at him and get scratched – often on the face. I feel the rationale he bought it greater than my daughter might be partly their temperaments but additionally that my son was toddling in lockdown so we had been all at residence on a regular basis and issues had been busy – not what the cat was used to. Additionally in all probability I used to be simply much less vigilant with a second youngster.
My husband has bought much less and fewer tolerant of the cats through the years. He’s confused by having kids and the ensuing chaos and the cats are simply an additional burden/expense/duty to him. He’s bought more and more wrought up concerning the cat scratching my son. The scratching incidents have gone down in frequency since my son turned 3 six months in the past, as he’s lastly studying tips on how to work together appropriately. However in fact it’s about to start out yet again with our child.
She bought her first scratch from the cat in the present day (beforehand when cuddling her he’s stretched out an arm and frivolously grazed her cheek however not sufficient to interrupt the pores and skin and never on function). I wasn’t within the room this morning however she was on the ground with toys (on her tummy, type of leaning up on her elbows like they do- she’s not beginning to crawl but.) When she started crying I went in and he or she had a bloody scratch on the entrance of her scalp and a claw puncture mark on her brow. My elder daughter stated she thinks it was the Scratcher as a result of she noticed him close by and he scarpered. I’m certain it was him – my guess is he got here to kiss the newborn, she grabbed at him (can’t do open handed touching at her age, she’s all concerning the grabbing) and he swiped at her to get her off.
It’s sophisticated by the truth that Scratcher adores the youngsters. He’s all the time coming to them for strokes and cuddling as much as them once they’re asleep. He will get up of their enterprise as a lot as they do in his so I can’t simply separate them.
From my perspective, Scratcher’s behaviour is completely regular and so is the youngsters’s and so they’ll all shake down collectively as the children develop. I’ve by no means been significantly involved about an harm he’s given them – in fact it’s disagreeable however they heal up simply high quality and the children haven’t been traumatised.
Husband nonetheless needs to rehome the cat. He says the cat is harming our youngsters, he might take their eye out, and he’s clearly confused too. He says if it was a harmful canine we’d get rid. To me that is simply nowhere close to a harmful canine – canine kill kids. I’ve by no means heard of a cat taking somebody’s eye out, though I suppose it might occur. The cat shouldn’t be attacking like he would assault prey, though he has often completed that with me (attacking my hand once I stroke); he’s behaving like he would with a kitten that was bothering him.
However then I grew up with cats, was scratched every now and then, notably once I bothered them, and love(d) them nonetheless. I feel it’s high quality for kids to be taught the exhausting approach if essential that animals are individuals not toys (though the newborn is clearly too younger for this! I’ll be extra cautious about ensuring the cats not within the room subsequent time I go away her alone). My husband grew up with no pets and isn’t actually a cat individual – he likes them effectively sufficient however wouldn’t have gotten them if not for me and definitely wouldn’t preserve them now now we have the children.
Argh I’ve already written an essay – sorry. TL:DR husband needs to rehome Scratcher, I vehemently don’t need to (and assume it’s irresponsible to eliminate a cat you took on when it will get inconvenient). What would you do and/or any recommendation on tips on how to stop scratches higher?
