The Cats Protection have launched a new campaign aiming to encourage prospective parents not to give up their cats. A recent survey showed that 1 in every 12 parents decided to give up their cat because they were having a baby or had young children. The survey also showed that two thirds of these went on to regret their decision. The #kidsandkitties campaign is offering advice to parents, sharing information that will promote safety and happiness for the children, cats and themselves.
Owning pets has many benefits for families. The Cats Protection receive hundreds of calls each year from parents wishing to rehome their cats. The parents often read or hear conflicting advice about cats, children and pregnancy, leading to stress and often the heart-breaking decision to give up the family cat. Daniel Cummings, the behaviour officer at Cats Protection said that cats and children can live in harmony with some simple considerations. Having cats can also be a benefit to the child and family, teaching responsibility and compassion.
Cats Protection offer simple advice for cats and pregnancy, cats and babies, cats and kids and toxoplasmosis over on their website. If you are expecting a child or have small children, we highly recommend visiting the website for accurate information on how you can all live together safely and harmoniously. There’s also a short video with some easy dos and don’ts to follow.
Do you have cats in your young family? Come and share your tips over on our Facebook page and help encourage other parents to keep the cats in the family.