Cat assist/rant required 🙁
I’ve two indoor/outside cats (regular right here within the UK), practically 7 years outdated. 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 definitely not a pushover. He has typically clawed at/bitten me once I’m simply stroking him, and extra incessantly if making an attempt to get him into his basket/administer meds and many others.
The opposite cat is so placid he’s mainly a canine. I consider he has scratched earlier than, after 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 the entire children every now and then, however significantly the center one. As soon as my son turned cell, he would hug/headlock the cat or seize at him and get scratched – normally on the face. I feel the explanation he received 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 dwelling on a regular basis and issues had been busy – not what the cat was used to. Additionally most likely I used to be simply much less vigilant with a second little one.
My husband has received much less and fewer tolerant of the cats through the years. He’s pressured by having kids and the ensuing chaos and the cats are simply an additional burden/expense/duty to him. He’s received more and more wrought up in regards to 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 methods to work together appropriately. However in fact it’s about to begin another time with our child.
She received her first scratch from the cat right now (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, form 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 mentioned she thinks it was the Scratcher as a result of she noticed him close by and he scarpered. I’m positive 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 in regards to the grabbing) and he swiped at her to get her off.
It’s sophisticated by the truth that Scratcher adores the kids. He’s at all times coming to them for strokes and cuddling as much as them after 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 kids’s and so they’ll all shake down collectively as the children develop. I’ve by no means been significantly involved about an damage he’s given them – in fact it’s disagreeable however they heal up simply tremendous and the children haven’t been traumatised.
Husband nevertheless needs to rehome the cat. He says the cat is harming our kids, he might take their eye out, and he’s clearly pressured 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 will not be attacking like he would assault prey, though he has often accomplished 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, significantly once I bothered them, and love(d) them nonetheless. I feel it’s tremendous for kids to study the laborious manner if needed that animals are folks 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 particular person – he likes them nicely sufficient however wouldn’t have gotten them if not for me and definitely wouldn’t hold them now we’ve got the children.
Argh I’ve already written an essay – sorry. TL:DR husband needs to rehome Scratcher, I vehemently don’t need to (and suppose it’s irresponsible to do away with a cat you took on when it will get inconvenient). What would you do and/or any recommendation on methods to forestall scratches higher?