How to discipline Eric hitting our cats?

Elfrieda - posted on 09/26/2011

Haha, right after I wrote that, Thomas grabbed the cat's tail and got scratched! Oh, well.



You're lucky to have such understanding cats. :)

Laura Zoey - posted on 09/25/2011

Better, sort of. Lol he doesn't hit thEm or throw anything at them anymore, but he still likes to bump them in the butt with his foot and chase them. He likes it when they meow so he does stuff to make them meow but thankfully the hitting has subsided.
Mostly I just made sure to very firmly repeat we do Not hit the cats every time he hit. I made him apologize for hurting them and explained hitting hurts.
Still a work n progress but it's a bit improved.
Probably as soon as I get him to quit then Fierna will start :P
Haha at least we have such good cats!

Elfrieda - posted on 09/25/2011

How's Eric doing with the cats now? Is anything you're doing working?
Thomas is better, meaning he doesn't hit our cat anymore and actually will pet her nicely most of the time, but he still runs screaming "MEOW" at her every time he sees her, which of course is not great for her nerves.
But I didn't do anything other than what I had already been doing. I think Juleah's right, it's just a stage.

JuLeah - posted on 08/25/2011

Whoa whoa ... your kids are not cruel. This is a normal developmental stage - twos hit



Keep doing what you are doing - let natural consequences follow; if your cat bites let it happen



Keep on with gentle, practice - really, have the kid feed the cat, change the water ... talk about the importance of taking care of, and practice petting many times a day



Get books from the library aimed at this age group about 'gentle hands' 'we pet cats' ...read the books ... get the message across in as many ways poss.



And, if you see it from the kids point of view - understand empathy has to be taught and they don't see the situation from the cats point of view - then it is funny - you grab their tail and they jump ... kids are learning about power at this age, learning that when they knock something over it falls down, light switches go on and off, as do TV's ... good times

Connie - posted on 08/22/2011

Two is old enough to understand rules and expectations and to have the consequences of those behavior choices. Time out, firmly. We have the rule that no one chases ANY animal or treats it unfairly. Even outside. The wild bunnies and squirrels come right up to the children, of all ages, because they treat the wildlife with respect. It is an expectation and I am VERY firm with reinforcing it. If they will treat an animal in such a manner, treating another child that way is not far off.

Lissa - posted on 08/16/2011

Do you have a playpen/travel cot? Personally if redirecting and explaining isn't helping I would take all the toys out of the playpen/travel cot and give him time out in it. I wouldn't put the cat away because the cat has done nothing wrong.

Laura Zoey - posted on 08/16/2011

Well I'm glad Eric isn't alone in this. It sort of worried me that he was turning cruel! I know he just does it for kicks but animal abuse is not funny!
I wish one of our cats would give him a swat, maybe then he'd figure out that it's mean. But they are the sweetest cats, they don't even scratch if he pulls their tails!

Elfrieda - posted on 08/16/2011

I was so proud of my son, too. He was 9 months old and already knew not to hit the cat! Now that he's almost two he pulls her tail and is just mean, same reason as yours, it's funny to see her jump. :( I've been grabbing his hand and making him pat her gently, and then letting him try it. And sometimes that works (by works I mean it works for the time being), but other times I just say, "If you can't be gentle, Kitty doesn't want to play with you" and I move him away, and then he cries.



Our cat is amazingly patient, but has swatted him a few times, and bit him once. Then she looked at me, all crazy-eyed, and I scolded my son! That was a surprise to both of them.



That's not terribly helpful, but I'm in the same boat! I'll keep my eye on this thread.