Since you might not know your cat's history of or tolerance for different types of people and activities, please teach your kids how to act responsibly and respectfully around your new cat, and always supervise interactions between children and your cat.
Key items to share with your kids:
- Always leave your cat alone when they are eating or sleeping. Some cats may nip or bite if bothered while eating or startled while sleeping.
- Do not tease, chase or rile up your cat. This may frighten your cat.
- Only allow your kids to pick up your cat when an adult is there to help. Cats can become scared when picked up, and they sometimes scratch with their sharp nails, even though they don’t mean to cause harm.
- Be careful when opening and closing doors so as to not accidentally let your cat outside.