Cats and Kids

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

I do respite work with a five year old with autism. Her family has a kitten (about four or five months old) and another cat who's probably about four years old. The issue is with the kitten (well actually it's moreso a kid problem - technically how the kid interacts with the kitten)

The kid loves the cats most of the time. These are the times that the problem is arising actually. You know those phrases "loving to death" / "smothering with love" / stuff of that sort? Yeah, that's pretty much what we're dealing with. She'll pick the kitten up by his neck (throat, not scruff), hold him by his neck and feet and sort or rock (going off what her mom told me), carry him around by his armpits/legs pretty much, hug him insanely tightly, etc.. And the kitten just takes it - the kid is his person and he won't raise a claw at her.
The big problem is that the kid doesn't seem to realize that these actions are hurting him, probably mostly because he doesn't retaliate - I'm rather certain she's not doing it maliciously as her moods are rather easy to read - when she's mad about/at something, you know it.

Kid's mom is worried (legitimately so) that the kid is going to end up seriously hurting if not killing the kitten so we've agreed that a crash course in how to properly interact with/handle the kitten is required. If things don't change, she wants to find somebody to take the kitten for a few days, see if losing the kitten is enough to get the message to sink in.


So the reason I'm posting is do you guys who check in on this guild have any tips on suggestions I can make/things I can bring to the table for the crash course?

I'm going to suggest the mom read this article and perhaps others from this site, and I'll go through my copy of Think Like A Cat to see if there's more in there.  

[~ Aki - Fairy ~]

Simply Keira

http://youtu.be/cbQkbkd_ZSQ

http://video.about.com/babyparenting/About-Pets-and-Children.htm


Both of these may be good for both child and parents to watch together, and often.

Thanks, I'll check them out later  

[Maddy-Mazey]

I'd say other then a bit of supervision, and all that generic nonsense, maybe also turn it into a game when she does good by not hurting the kitty or hugging on him too much? Try to teach about body langaugae. Say for example
They are on the couch, the kitten and kid. Kid looks over obviously thinking of picking the kitten up. She sees you watching, pets the cat to test and know sthe kitty twitching his tail means don't touch. Stop touching and she asks for like a cookie? and YAY cookie time. Idk