Toddler being unkind to cat
My LB has started to be really rough with the cat these last 2 days, picking the cat up by its arms and squeezing it and pushing it down with one hand. He knows it’s not kind but still does it and it’s stressing me out so much that I could cry and it’s making me think I have to get rid of the cat but that’s teaching him nothing. I’ve tried the redirection and showing him how we pet him, he’s been so good in the past so I don’t know why he’s suddenly being so handsy??
Any tips would be highly appreciated
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My son is doing this to my cat keep pulling his tail. I keep stopping him and telling him that the cats gonna scratch you one day if you keep doing that and it will be your own fault . Keep telling him to be gentle and showing him but he forgets now and again and the cat just moves out of hand reach so no injuries as of yet
I would keep showing him how to be kind to the cat. It will click. If the cat really is in distress they wouldn’t hang about in the vicinity. Maybe the cat likes it!! Failing that the cat will just lash out and that sadly will teach your child to be kind 👀
I completely understand how stressful this must be for you! My son went through a similar phase we have 4 cats 😅 and it was really tough to manage at first. What helped us was consistently showing him the right way to handle the cat and explaining that the other way hurts the kitty cat. It took some time, but with gentle reminders and supervision, he eventually learned to be more gentle. Maybe try modeling gentle petting, using phrases like ‘soft hands,’ and reinforcing positive interactions with praise. You’re doing great, and this phase will pass!