a very good weekend

[hev]

had a really fab weekend with steve and i honestly think it due to the kitten he loves her so much and when hes around her shes so calm,he stayed in and normally hes thinking of something to do which usually involves trouble not this weekend though

when he left for school he gave sophie a big kiss and went straight past me got a picture of her on his phone,its lovely to see steve like this,i really got kitten for kate,didnt enter my head about steve being interested

anyone else found this with pets and kids?

[ASue67]

Thats good to here! We went to look at kittens at the RSPCA yesterday and are taking one home with us next weekend (fingers crossed). he is 10 weeks old and adorable. Mike is so excited and made up about getting him and one of the reasons for getting a pet is for Mike.................. so I hope it has a gd calming effect on him like yours has had with Steve.

 

Glad you had good weekend <'>

[Bard]

I've said this before, but... B's cat is the centre of his existence, and for a long time was the only creature whose comfort and wellbeing mattered to him.

Our little ginger tomcat is the best �30 I ever spent, and he's been with us for over three years now.

Often, he's the only one B will talk to after a hard day.

[Flora]

hev, I think for some troubled kids, pets are excellent therapy. Sometimes when Bill is stressed or down he doesn't speak at all. His voice just stops working and all he can manage is a croak or a whisper and even that's an effort. But I've noticed, that even when he is like that, he can still talk in an animated voice to the dogs and cats we have. He always speaks in a flat and montone voice but when he talks to the animals there's real animation (hmmmm, he's sounding like Dr Doolittle

 

Flo' XX

[cmuir]

Hi

 

That's fabulous. I think that animals can have a very therapeutic affect on people.

 

Unfortunately, I'm allergic to anything with fur, but I would have loved my son to have had a dog. My mum and dad and my sister all have dogs and it's lovely watching R interact with them. Seems to really mellow him.

 

Caroline.

[oxgirl]

Jay couldn't be less interested in our moggy if he tried. We got her when she was a tiny bitty kitty when Jay was 4 and she used to sit up close next to him and watch him play all the time and he totally ignored her and always has. They're pretty indifferent to each other now, but if she should dare walk into his room when neither me or DH are in there as well, we'll hear him say, 'GO AWAY' in a very stern voice! It's a shame really, we hoped he could be friends with her but he just finds her totally uninteresting and at worst annoying.

 

Now, my DH, that's another story. He grew up never having had any pets at all, whereas I always had pets as a child. It was me who said I wanted a kitten and eventually he agreed, albeit rather reluctantly. Well, as soon as we got her home he went totally gaga and soppy over her, he absolutely adores her! She's 10 in a couple of weeks, so not too many years left, DH will probably cry buckets when she goes, much to his mother's bafflement.

 

~ Mel ~

[soraya]

I got a westie puppie for Nick when he was at his worst about 3 years ago and it was the best thing l ever did He is called Scoobie and he is everything to Nick, when he got really bullied at school he would come home, grab scoobie and go to bed with him, it calmed him down right away. The only thing is he is very obbsessed about him and l do worry if anything happened to him Nick would be distraught as his whole world centres around scoobie!!

[Bard]

I agree, given a choice between saving his father or the cat, B wouldn't even have to think about it!

I live in fear of the cat being run over or eaten, B once tackled a dog that chased his cat into our front garden.

Picked it up by the collar and threw it over the wall, and he was growling louder than the dog.

[bid]

When I was a child my cat would come and 'comfort' me when I was upset, and now our little rescue cat does the same if I cry.

 

Has anyone else noticed this with their cat?

 

I love cats.

 

Bid

[Tally]

When I was a baby we had a cat called Hydrangea. She thought I was her kitten. Whenever I cried, the cat would go running to me, and get there before my mum did. One time I was ill and my mum as holding me and trying to get me to stop crying, and the cat went and bit my mum!

[bikemad]

My lad has 2 goldfish and a hamster n they do great for him cos he loves sitting calmly watching the fish n loves brushing the hammy.

[warrenpenalver]

I think with children its because pets only demand food, care and attention (or love depending on perspective) so its an easy relationship to build and keep. pets usually are very loyal. the more you put into the relationship with a pet, the more you get out usually. Humans arent so easy to work out or reliable!!!

 

 

I want a nice bunny or a cat when i leave navy.

 

:robbie: :robbie: :robbie: :robbie:

[Enid]

Hi Hev, so glad you had a good weekend, we have 2 cats, I dog, I rabbit, I guinea pig, 2 tortoises and 3 chickens! all the kids love them all, lot easier than the kids most of the time! had a c**p night with DS. His younger sister had bought a dvd, Barbie! surprise surprise, which she had bought with her pocket money, �2 a week for doing reclycling bags bless, he wanted to watch tv in lounge just to be awkward, so I said she could watch it on my new laptop, he was sulking, all doors were locked, then I went to get washing in at 7 and he sneaked out, came back at 9pm and got cards out! I said I dont think so. Am soo mad as he went to play on school grounds, and he is not allowed as he was excluded from there, he knows this is an unbreakable rule. So will have to be a big consequence. All calm now till the next time! watching BB with a large glass or red, bliss. Enid

[soraya]

Oh Enid, sorry you had such a bad night, hope all is calm now. When Nick was 12 we used to have to lock all the doors to stop him escaping, it is horrible isnt it especially in the summer when its hot.When Nick has a disagreement or if me and richard argue he still runs out of the house without telling us, sometimes he does it really late at night but l cant lock him in at nearly 15!!, things are much better now, and as l said on my other thread l am sure puberty plays a big part. I do hope Hevs ok

[baddad]

I agree in principle - but a word of caution...

 

A few years ago we took pity on a kitten who was being tormented by a toddler and living a very unhappy life

He moved in with us, and spent the next 3 months being tormented by Ben

He didn't mean too, wee fella, he just loved it sooooooo much and wanted to play with it sooooo much and found it soooooo intriguing. You couldn't blame Ben - it was like giving him a PS3 on Christmas morning and telling him he couldn't play with it until his Birthday in August...

The major incompatabilities: The kitten was too traumatised from the toddler to ever want to be near a kid again and ben was just emotionally unready to give the cat the space it needed. After 3 months, feeling very guilty and sad, we called the CPL who found kitty a nice, quiet new home...

 

Last year my Brother's cat had kittens and we acquired Tabby Links. It's still sometimes a battle for Ben to curb his enthusiasm, but it's managable, and this Cat goves as good as she gets and has a completely different attitude about it all. She sleeps on Ben's bed every night, and she's the last person he says goodnight too and the first person he says hello to. He adores her, and she loves him (sometimes grudgingly, sometimes full on) back most of the time As time goes on I think it will only get better, and Ben's learning so much from her (respect for the feelings of others, compassion, responsibility).

 

So yes - kids and pets a great idea, but a bit of match-making re temperaments and a lot of thought about timing are big factors too.

 

[Enid]

Yes, its hard to keep all doors locked with other kids going in and out Soyora, Hev if youre reading, What did the school want! <'> Enid

[loobylou2]

Pleased you had a good weekend Hev. we have cats and dogs and my dd has her own cat called Fred! She is the only person that he listens out for and comes zooming into the house when he hears her voice. He makes a beeline for her bed at night when he comes in and has been known to hide under the duvet when we try and find him! Its great for her as she tells him everything thats going on and there is a real bond between them that there isn't with any of the other animals.