Pets and children, what should we differentiate?

Socializing children and cats | Pet Advice | Medivet

In many families pets are considered children, somewhat furrier.

Animals: a love at first sight that repeats itself daily

"Today 80% of people who live with an animal at home admit that they consider it that way, like a child", says Guido Guerzoni, Professor of Museum Management at Bocconi and author of "Pets. How pets have invaded our lives and our hearts ".

Let's say it is a little fruit of that process of humanization of animals that has been going on for about fifteen years. The motivations? They are different, but the author captures a psychological implication that is probably at the center of this phenomenon and that should make us reflect.

"In a world where romantic relationships are becoming shorter and relationships with others increasingly mediated by technology, that of pets is a warm, physical, authentic presence ..."Guerzoni comments. «They become a kind of anchor for us, emotional stabilizers. They are the only ones who are always close to us, expressing their love each day as if it were always the first time.

blonde girl with long hair in the yard hugging a cat

A cat is not the same as a dog

The "Excesses" of humanization They are generally more towards dogs, especially if they are small. The most common mistake made with cats is rather to think of them as if they were dogs. It's not like that. They have very different characteristics, as well as their way of communicating is different. If you ignore it, you risk major misunderstandings, which complicate coexistence.

Hugging them is not always a good idea. There are cats that are more cuddly, others less. In principle, however, the cat sets limits and makes you understand what it wants. If while we caress it, it stops us with its paw or with a small bite, it is saying 'stop'. Better to hear it. We must teach our children to listen to the language of our pet.

Exaggerated physical contact and "always being together" is not good even for the dog, even if the latter shows that he likes it. It actually creates a strong sense of dependency.. The consequence will be an insecure dog and unable to stay away from the owner.

On vacation or at home?

When the family goes on vacation, the best may seem take your furry friend with you: but if this is good for the dog, it is not so good for the cat. Taking him out of his territory, where he has already marked the different areas of his daily life (where he eats, where he defecates, where he sleeps ...) means generating discomfort, forcing him to do everything again and moments of stress. The best thing would be to leave him at home alone, with a good supply of food and a trusted person who checks every day that everything is in order. As much as our children insist on taking it with them everywhere.

Avoid tantrums with food

In both our children and the animals, indulging them too much with food creates an imbalance that can lead to tantrums. Do not give what you want to the animal and then forbid the child according to what things. You will not understand why the pet can and he cannot.

What is the risk of holding them?

It is a mistake that is made especially with very small dogs, such as Chiwawas. Thus we run the risk of giving too much authority and create in him an attitude of superiority. The consequence may be that he wants to dominate the owner, forcing him to do what he wants. We have to teach our little ones that they are the ones who guide our pet, not the other way around.

girl with dog in bed

Sleeping in bed: yes or no?

It is a choice of the owner, provided there is consistency. Letting him sleep in bed only on certain occasions is pointless and disorienting. You can sleep with our little one without any problem, but the first few times we will have to see how he dermen to avoid possible scratches or that he breathes his face.

How to face your fears

If a puppy is afraid of the vacuum cleaner, you have to get used to it little by little: first show him the machine, without moving it, then in operation at a distance, and so on. And this is something that our children should also learn, to be taught the new things that come into the house little by little, so that they become familiar with it. Another thing that our children must learn is that pets sometimes hide out of fear, especially cats, and that we must leave them that moment, that space, without overwhelming them. That they will calm down and leave.

The truth is that having pets and children helps our little ones learn to relate to animals and love them without overwhelming them. They also learn to value things, to teach others (not only they should learn) and to know how to do it with affection, etc.


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