Are Cats Good for Kids?

Cats Benefit Children

Cats can be a healthy and joyful addition to any family, and can help our children in a variety of ways.

 Here are some examples:

• When kids imagine how a cat feels, it can help them learn to empathize with their peers and take their feelings into account.
• Teaching children to confide in their cats as if they were friends can help children recover from trauma.
• Children who own cats may have higher self-esteem.
• Teaching kids to care for a kitten can make them more cooperative and willing to share.
• Children who grow up with a cat are less likely to develop allergies.
• Kids who own cats may take fewer sick days. 

The Calming Effect of Cats

Says Aaron Katcher, M.D., emeritus professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania,  “Because [humans] evolved solving problems about animals, animals have the power to entrain our attention. And when we are around animals, we become more joyous, communicative, expressive, and calm.”

Hopefully this brief introduction will help you explore more ways that children can benefit from having cats in their lives.