Cats with all their claws intact are by far the gentlest and safest companions of young children. Declawed cats are often not good with kids, as they seem less secure in their own abilities to escape and will be more likely to bite.

The wise parent never actually uses a helpless animal as a tool to teach children responsibility. Innocent animals must not be made to pay for the child's forgetfulness or carelessness. And never get rid of an animal because the children are not caring for it properly. If this is the case, then an animal should never have been acquired in the first place and another one should not be obtained.

This is one of the many contributions your cat makes to your child's welfare and personal growth. Just by their mere presence in the family, cats introduce the youngsters to a sense of responsibility.

The experience of having an animal companion can be a very good one for children. It is good for children to learn to be considerate towards animals at a young age. They will not only treat animals better but will also be more considerate towards other people, so having a pet in the family that the children can learn to respect can be excellent for developing better people.