5 Lessons Kids Can Learn from Cats

Most families with kids adopt dogs if they want a pet. But cats are also a great option. Even though they’re very independent, cats can still teach kids some valuable lessons in life. Do you want to know what they are?

Here on MyAnimals, we don’t just want the best for animals, we also want the best for you and your family. So, today we’re going to show you why a cat is a great option for you and your kids. You won’t regret adopting one!

What lessons can kids learn from cats?

They might not be as popular in families, but cats are great at teaching kids the kind of valuable lessons that will make them better people later on in life. Below, is a list of five of these lessons, but most likely other cat lovers have lots more to add on to the list.

Respecting other species

Kids only know one way of life: the human way. Having a cat at home will show it that there are other ways too, in this case, the cat’s way.

They’ll learn that their little four-legged friend has different feelings and needs, and need their space. This will help your child understand that individual people are also different and that we all get along better with mutual respect.

Respecting the space of others

Cats’ independent nature can make them very selfish. They need their space, and won’t let anyone take it away from them. They may be very affectionate, but only on their terms, not ours. So, kids learn that, along with other people’s wishes, they also have to respect their personal space. 

Responsibility

Kids can also learn to be responsible from cats. They may not need as much care as a dog (walks, etc), but they do still need some things. So, kids can learn responsibility just by help caring for their cats. For example, you can have your child help you clean their litter box, give them food and water, pick up their toys, or making their beds.

Making your kid responsible by doing some of these chores and telling them when they need to do them will help make them become more responsible. This will help them a lot in the future, because they’ll end up being a responsible parent and a good worker, too.

Increase their love for animals

However independent they may be, cats know how to get you to love them. Your kid will learn to love animals and realize that there’s nothing superficial about to genuine love. Cats don’t have any biases towards other species. They can become friends with any other kind of animal, which will remind your child not to worry so much about their outside appearance.

Patience

The last of the lessons cats can teach kids, although some people call it a virtue, is patience. Kids want everything and they want it immediately. However, a cat can teach them that patience is crucial to getting along with others and in every other part of life.

Being around a cat can teach a child to be patient in getting what they want. Cats do need time to adapt to a new household, so they might end up hiding and try to be alone at first. So, even if your kid is dying to make a new friend, they’ll just have to learn to wait.

Plus, cats can spend all day sleeping. They actually do for about 2/3 of the day, so kids have to wait and wait if they want to play with their pet. This means patience and even more patience.

So, a cat really is a great choice even when your kids are really young. They don’t need as much care as a dog, and they’re also very patient with little humans. Don’t pass up the chance to adopt a cat and have a new member of the family that can teach your kids some valuable lessons in life.