How to Teach a Child to Care for a Cat

Teaching responsibility to a child is an important lesson, and taking care of a pet is one of many ways to teach your child to be responsible. A cat is one of the easier pets to care for because cats pretty much take care of themselves.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Show the child how to feed the cat. Give the child a measuring cup and show her how much food she should put into the cat's bowl. Also, show her how to change the water. You can make a calendar and hang it on the refrigerator, so the child can check it off each time she feeds the cat.

2. Groom the cat. Buy a brush so your child can brush the cat each day. This will teach the child about grooming which will help her learn to groom herself. In addition, it will cut down on the shedding the cat does.

3. Teach the child to empty the litter box each day. Scooping out the litter box will help the child learn discipline. This is not a pleasant chore but a necessary one.

4. Help the child learn how to play with her cat. It is important that a child is not too rough with her cat or the cat will just run away and hide or scratch the child. Find toys that are appropriate for the child and the cat. Which toys are best for them will depend on the age of the child.

5. Be sure to follow up on the cat's care every day. Assigning chores to your child is great but children don't always do what they should. Therefore, you need to check and see that the cat is getting the care she needs.

Tips & Warnings

• Assign all or some of the tasks listed in the steps depending on your child's age. Small children may not be able to handle all the responsibility.