Incidents between pets and kids, sadly they are not uncommon, and the consequences can range from minor to devastating. As pet owners, it’s our obligation to keep both kids and pets safe, and there are several steps we can take to achieve that.
Respect personal space and don’t force interaction
One of the most important things when it comes to preventing incidents between pets and kids, is providing and respecting personal space and not forcing interactions between the two. As an adult, you are the voice for both, and the enforcer of boundaries. So what would that look like?
When you notice that your child is not in the mood to interact with the pet, but the pet is pushing itself on them, they should be removed from the situation. If your dog or cat doesn’t listen to verbal cues, or respond to distraction offered, place them in a safe space, like a different room, crate or pen. By removing the pet from the situation, the child does not have to resort to movements which could be provoking, or rough handling to protect their personal space, which could result in an escalation of the situation.
Just as the child’s personal space should be respected, the pet also has a personal space which should be respected. Pets are also not always in the mood to interact. Children can’t always read their pet’s body language correctly, and might force themselves into the pet’s personal space and/or forcefully interact, which can lead to risky situations. When a child is missing pet body language cues, the supervising adult should guide the child into seeing what indicates the dog or cat is uncomfortable, and redirect them so that the pet can be alone.
The way kids interact can also pose an issue, hugs and kisses while meant well, are often not perceived by pets in a way that a human would, and through a pet’s eyes are too constricting and invasive. When your pet and child interact, you should always keep a close eye and intervene when you notice either one is uncomfortable, and help your child show affection in a way that is appropriate for the pet.
Last but not least, as the responsible adult, you should never enforce interaction between kids and pets. A sad, but common occurrence, is that adults force interaction because they want their pets and kids to get along. Examples of this are pets getting held so kids can pet them, or even worse, they get dragged by the collar to the kids, or get scooped up and placed in the arms of kids. We also tend to ignore body language signals when it comes to getting that perfect picture or video, like in the picture above where the dog appears to be uncomfortable being hugged. While we all want our pets and kids to get along, we should never compromise safety, and interactions like this eventually will create a strained relationship between child and pet, which in some cases can even lead to incidents between them.
Teach kids basic dog and/ or cat language and etiquette.
When having cats and/or dogs as pets in combination with kids, it’s important to teach both of them basic etiquette for interaction. For example, if your child is eating, pets should give them space and not interrupt them. This also applies the other way around, if the pet is eating, the child should not touch or approach them. Kids and pets need to learn boundaries of when one should not be interrupted, such as during eating and sleeping. General behaviour around the pet should be taught such as not making loud noises or making sudden and unexpected movements.
It will also be useful to teach kids how to behave around pets, or strays, outside of the home. Especially when kids have pets themselves, they might be very excited to greet any animal they come across. If an animal has an owner, permission should always be asked if the pet can be approached and touched. Kids should learn that not every pet wants to interact with them. When it comes to stray animals, it will all depend on the judgement of the adult if the animal should be approached or not.
Depending on the age of the child, it will be useful to teach them the basic body language of the pet they have. This way they can safely interact, and know when their pet is happy, excited, uncomfortable, or even scared. To be able to teach dog or cat body language to our kids, we as adults will need to know our pet’s body language as well. Sadly, many pet owners miss the subtle signs their pets send them indicating they are feeling uncomfortable, which can lead to risky situations and incidents between pets and kids. Did you know that lip licking in dogs is a sign they are uncomfortable? To know more about dog language, read our articles “Calming Signals, Stress Signals, and Displacement Signals Seen in Dogs” and “Understanding Dog Language and Signals”. And to know more about cat language, read our article on “Cat Language and Signals”
Lastly, show the child how to interact with the pet. It’s advisable that the pet approaches the child, not the other way around. For dogs, let them approach the child and sniff their hand. If they seem inviting to petting, this is preferably done on the chest, and one should never bend over the dog. Cats often prefer to be petted on the back, and even though they might show their stomach, they generally don’t like to be touched there. Make sure kids avoid touching and holding sensitive areas such as the tail and paws. Teaching children how to physically interact with the pet is extremely important to having safe interactions between the two, which means no pinching, pulling, tugging, and poking.
Setup of the house
A great way of helping both kids and pets get along, is creating a suitable setup in the home. Even kids that know how to behave around pets, sometimes lack impulse control, which depending on their age, is developmentally normal. All pets should have a space that is fully safe for them. A space the kids can’t reach, and where they can retreat to when they need rest and/or space. We as adults should also respect this spot, and leave them be when they retreat there. Creating a safe space can be achieved by for example placing gates to separate a room, which is extremely suitable for cats. Cats will be able to jump over most gates, and there are even gates available with little doors in them for pets to go through. For dogs, gates, pens, or crates can be used, but in most cases will need active intervention from the adult to teach the child to not enter the safe space. By providing your pet with “escape” routes, you prevent them feeling trapped or cornered.
Conclusion
By taking the right steps, we can facilitate a good bond between our pets and kids, and prevent incidents in the process. The only way to achieve this, is by respecting the personal space of both the pet and child. As responsible adults, we play a vital role in enforcing boundaries to achieve this.
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