Beloved pets can help round out a happy home. Here’s how to teach your children to treat animals with care and respect.

By Ilene Springer

Obviously, you know that a pet is not a toy to be played with and then discarded at your whim. And this is an important lesson to teach your child before bringing home a new cat or kitten to join the family.

Let your child observe the way you interact with the family pet. This can help him learn kind, gentle handling.

Even at an early age, a child can learn so much from a pet: how to give and accept love, and how to make friends and become sensitive to the needs of others. In addition, cats and children can form a lifelong bond that surpasses that of even some close human relationships. But in order for this to happen, children first have to learn how to handle a pet…

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