The Traditional Cat Association, Inc.©¹⁹⁸⁷®^TM Official Website
Founded 1987, by Diana L. Fineran 

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CHILDREN AND CATS
Diana Fineran © December 2004

The most important parenting job is raising children and pets together in a never ending teaching mode. Most young children have an inner, essential nature to care about animals.  Of utmost importance is to nurture these feelings so outside influences, such as peer pressure, threaten to nullify them, children will still be able to treat animals with kindness. 

Crucial to this goal is role modeling.  If an adult hits, yells at, injures or scares an animal, a child will view this as acceptable and may do the same.  Laughing at or even ignoring an injured animal can lead children astray.  Too many parent condoned acts of cruelty in so- called “good” neighborhoods by “educated parents” are committed.  Eye witnesses report seeing parents standing by and watching, or even expressing approval, as their children torment animals.  Parents have the responsibility to correct, curb and stop this behavior.  Compassion and cruelty are similar, because if they are nurtured, they know no bounds.  There have been reports that cruelty to animals foretells violence in adulthood.  Serial killers such as the Boston Strangler to Jeffrey Dahmer had histories of torturing and killing animals. For such people, apparently the transition from killing animals to killing people is effortless for such people.  At one time they were children!     

Positive interactions with animals must be promoted at all times.  Daily opportunities for children to act humanely are provided.  No pets in your home, then consider visiting friends or family who do.  Encouraging older children to volunteer at animal shelters teaches them the plight of homeless animals.

There is a wealth of knowledge stored in books at your local library, so use this resource to read compelling cat stories to your young child.  This will furnish your children with guidance to make kind and compassionate choices throughout their lives. 

Teaching compassionate caring is so vital.  Make it a priority to teach your children that it’s never acceptable to injure or kill a living animal and that it isn’t a good thing when an animal dies.  When a child sees an animal is hurt, teach the child the proper response is to reach out and help the animal.  This is one way role modeling plays such a large role.  If you help sick or injured animals, your child will follow your lead.  Your child’s learned respect and concern for all living things extends into the child’s relations with other children. A personality of kindness and nonviolence, with a gentle disposition earns a good reputation.  Teaching empathy and compassion from the beginning of a child’s life shapes their personality. 

Children have a practical approach or problems and situations.  They can only seek to grow into the world around them.  Since we all want children to build a more caring society, then we must show them how.  Children closely watch their parents and imitate their smallest actions.  This includes bad habits.  To teach children to be humane, all of us must practice being humane even more than we preach it. 

Other influences such as TV shows, movies and even snack foods declare their desire to learn about and be close to animals. Sadly, wanting to learn and actually leaning humane things about animals doesn’t always happen. 

It is continual teaching that lays the foundation for a world we want children to learn from.  Parents are an essential part of the solution to prepare our world for a more humane tomorrow.

Merging the Love of Her Grandson &
Great Grandson with her Traditional Cats!

Doreen Boatch © July 2006

I have asked my grandson to send you some pictures of his Siamese, and Balinese cats, because I believe they have quite an interesting story to tell.            

I gave Kaos to Anthony and Julie Davidson about 10 years ago, while he was at the Univ. of Maine.    Kaos is a seal point Siamese, more like a dog than a cat. Kaos goes everywhere with
him.  After Anthony was married to Julie his army career took them to Oklahoma and then to Germany. Kaos was not able to go to Iraq, as he was needed as a companion to Julie, during that difficult separation.                                                   

Julie made a trip back to the states to get a sister for Kaos, Chloe is one of my Balinese, raised by my daughter Melanie , in Portland., Maine.  The "three Davidsons' went back to Germany to await Anthony's safe return from Iraq. The cats ruled the household, leash trained they went on walks with  Julie.                       

After his safe return, last winter, Anthony was posted to Ft. Huachuka in Arizona to continue training recruits for intelligence work. On June 26th, now living in their own home, they welcomed the arrival of their perfect little son, Brady Charles,  7lbs 3 oz. (MY GREAT GRANDSON}         

Even though Kaos is twice the weight of his new "brother", he is so gentle with him, no danger of "smothering " this baby. Chloe is not sure of the little person, who takes up so much of Julie's time .Chloe took to the tall timbers and stays out of sight.                                  

The happiness of the Davidson family is balm to my sadness over the tragic death of my daughter, Melanie, in April, just before Brady was born. Life goes on., and Melanie's spirit is watching over the baby, and, Chloe and all of us who are brought together through our love of children and animals.                                    

Dear Diana,

I do feel very deeply about the sequence of events.

Sincerely Doreen .

I'm passing along these pictures at the request of my grandmother. Lets see, the gigantic (Traditional) Siamese is our male cat "Kaos" (with a "K" because he was such a terror when he was a kitten he even redefined the word "chaos"), The little Balinese is Chloe (she's quite the tree climber) and the newest addition to our family, "Brady".

I hope you enjoy them,

Anthony & Julie