How to Handle a Puppy or Kitten

Bringing home a puppy or kitten can be an exciting event for everyone in the family, especially your children. But it is a good idea to lay down some ground rules before picking up your new family member. Remind your children that puppies and kittens are living creatures that need gentle, consistent care. Puppies and kittens are babies that will need to be trained, and your children will need training in handling them.

Instructions

    • 1

      Read a book about puppies or kittens. Talk with your child about how the animal has feelings and that it will need to be handled carefully so that it is not hurt. Use a realistic stuffed toy to show your child how to place one hand under the animal's chest or tummy, while using the other hand to support its back legs. Explain that if the puppy or kitten gets dropped it can be hurt badly, maybe even killed, so it needs to be held securely.

    • 2

      Sit with your child while she is holding a real puppy or kitten on her lap. Show her how to stroke the baby animal's fur or scratch behind its ears. Explain that although the baby will want to wrestle and bite at her hands, allowing puppies or kittens to play roughly when they are babies can encourage them to be aggressive and mean when they are adult animals. Remind her that sudden motions and loud noises can be scary to a puppy or kitten when it is getting used to a new home.

    • 3

      Show your child how to play with the kitten or puppy with a toy. Show him how to throw a ball for the puppy to chase or dangle a feather on a leather strap for a kitten to chase. Explain that animals do not like to share their food dish, and that neither puppies or kittens should be interrupted when they are eating or drinking. Remind your child how hard it is to be awakened to go do something. Explain that puppies and kittens feel that way, too, so he should not interrupt the new pet's nap time.

    • 4

      Help your child gently practice picking up the kitten or puppy and gently putting it down. Have her help with feeding your new family friend. Ask her to take the puppy out on a leash or show her how to use a plastic scoop to clean the litter box. Explain that these are things that need to be done every day so that the baby will grow up healthy and strong, and will enjoy living in your household.

    • 5

      Supervise all animal and child interactions. Even children who are used to animals sometimes ignore warning signs that the puppy or kitten has had enough. Explain that a puppy that has tucked its tail is very sad, and that one with its ears laid back is getting upset about something. Let your child know that even though puppies wag their tails when they are happy, cats lash their tails back and forth when they are upset. A cat that lays its ears back and hisses, even a kitten, is saying "Leave me alone."

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