My Opinions.
A) If you already have a young child at home and are thinking of adopting a cat, I strongly suggest waiting until your child is at an age where they are showing some degree of maturity and when responsibilities and rules and can be given to them and consistently followed by them.
B) Parent's are all too quick to blame the cat and get rid of it when injuries to their child occur. Instead, they should take full responsibility for their child's inappropriate behavior around the cat and for their lack of supervision.
C) It's not fair or just behavior, to one day just take away your love and all that has been a familiar home and sanctuary for your cat, simply because you will be adding a new member to your family!
D) Showing cats off in a cat show is an ego trip. It's a desperate attempt for the cat owner to gain some sense of self-worth, approval and sense of greatness through your cat.
It is my belief that children who live under the same roof as a cat, should be under constant supervision whenever they are together, until about age seven or when they are in the 1st grade. I think if it is your child's very first cat, depending on the maturity and personality of your child, they will be needing your supervision and guidance around your family cat no matter how old they are, until they are taught and have successfully learned how to properly hold a cat and what kinds of behavior are inappropriate and will injure a cat.
Cats can be easily injured by curious toddlers by grabbing hold of its tail and pulling really hard and not knowing when to let go, or grabbing the cat's ears or tearing out their whiskers or hitting them in the nose (a very delicate, sensitive area that can cause death or brain damage to the cat) by accident, excitement or plain ignorant curiosity that most very young children have.
Speaking of ignorant curiosity, I once knew a boy when I was a child who told me he shoved a pencil in his cat's butt just to see what would happen! Luckily the cat did not sustain fatal injury.
I mention this gross and disturbing tibit only to remind you what children are capable of. He was a nice little boy by the way. They don't all have to be monsters to do such a thing to an animal. He was just new to cats, ignorantly curious and UNSUPERVISED. Not to mention he was not taught that his cat was not his play toy or an object he was allowed to entertain himself with however he pleased. He was not taught that his cat was a living creature with feelings, capable of being harmed emotionally/physically and was just as worthy of the same love, respect and appreciation that any decent human being deserves.
It should be expected that until your child and your cat get to know eachother, form a bond and your cat feels a sense of trust and safety with your child, that your cat WILL defend itself instead of running away from harm, if you should you fail to protect your cat from injury inflicted by your curious or hyper toddler.
It should also be pointed out that if your cat feels the need to defend itself from harm and injures your child, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for your child's injury and NOT your cat!
I say this because you will have been the one who failed to give proper adult supervision over BOTH of your "children".
Parents need to learn from their mistake, forgive their cat and not punish it for defending itself.
Parents simply need to vow to do a better job supervising their child and consider keeping the cat in a bedroom until they can devote periods of time throughout the day, where their "two children" have their undivided parental supervision/attention while they get to know eachother and learn one another's boundaries.
More and more I am hearing that O.B.G.Y.N.'s are telling pregnant women to get rid of their cats because the litter box can make them and their unborn child sick.
Of course if you straight out ask them what their opinion is on this matter, they are going to do whatever they can to avoid a possible lawsuit in the future and tell you they think getting rid of your beloved cat is the thing best for you to do.
Doctors aren't going to suggest that you should simply have someone else in your household clean the litter box and get the kind of litter that gives off absolutely no dust or very little (ask a manager at PetSmart or do research online if you're not sure what brand to buy) and put the litter box in a room you rarely or never go in.
For the record, I have had several friends who owned cats throughout their pregnancy and they and their babies were just fine.
If your first child was/is YOUR CAT, I think it would be heartless and just plain emotional cruelty, for you to give up your cat who has a bond with you, loves you and their home, and it would be morally wrong, because you made a decision to love it back and care for it until it dies.
You chose to get a cat and you chose this new living arrangement for your cat and not the other way around. Don't make your cat a victim of your new circumstances. Make having a baby a joyous occasion for EVERYONE!
So do the humane thing, the right thing.
Treat your cat like the member of the family that it is. Treat it like it's your "first child" who has just as much right to your company, to your love, to your respect, and to live out the rest of its life under your care and in the loving home, that you raised it in.
Is it not enough for cat owners/caretakers to simply love and appreciate their cat's presence in their lives simply as they are without all the "froo-froo" and perfection?
I think these shows and preparations for them, are very stressful or at the very least, unenjoyable for the majority of cats. I don't care if your cat likes water like mine did...that does not mean they enjoy being bathed in toxic shampoos, sprayed with chemicals like starch and manhandled against their will. It's like you're adults playing Barbie but with a living creature!
Cats are a proud, independent, dignified species that should be treated like children of royalty and with respect - as all animals should be.
And when I say respect, I mean taking into strong consideration, what would make your cat feel the most happy, peaceful, content and overall sense of wellbeing. What is best for your cat and not YOU!
I mean really, in what way do these shows benefit your cat, your child, friend, and beloved lifelong companion?
You want to be proud of your cat or show off the love you have for the breed? Then do so! But do it with your friends and family and for God sakes, don't ever lock your cat up in a cage like a prisoner or some sort of acquisition, in what should be the luxury of it's own home.
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