Almost all of us had a favorite pet in our childhood, an animal who brought us happiness and who we (hopefully) helped take care of. Most of us now have children and pets for them as well. Children, however, don’t always consider the needs and feelings of others. Sometimes this shows in abuse of an animal. Most often, this abuse is not meant to be cruel; the child may not understand that cats and dogs (and hamsters, birds, etc.) feel pain, sadness, and anger just as people do. (If this is not your belief, this article may not be for you-I treat all my pets as people, more or less.) Or the child may be under stress and has not been taught other ways of coping yet. The important thing is NOT to spank or otherwise physically punish the child for the abuse-this only reinforces the idea that hitting is okay, for people and for pets, and will probably only make the problem worse. With that in mind, here are some ways to deter your child, or someone else’s, from abusing any animal.
Use comparisons
Assuming your child is old enough to grasp the concept, try to liken your pet to one of your child’s friends or siblings. Ask your child if they would ever hurt this other person on purpose. (Hopefully they will say no.) Once they answer, ask them if their pet is one of their friends. If they say yes, then explain to them that if someone is your friend, no matter if they are human or animal, your job is to love them and protect them from harm if they need it. Ask them if they would feel sad if one of their human friends hurt them. Once you can establish with your child that animals feel many of the same emotions we do, they will probably stop. Most children are very compassionate and feel a kinship with animals that adults seem to lose somewhat as we get older.
Take a trip to the vet
Veterinarians are invaluable when it come to treating a sick or injured pet, but that are also great teachers. Take your child to a vet and have them explain in simple terms what happens to a pet’s body if someone hurts them. (Obviously, make sure he or she isn’t going to give your child the full gory details of hit and runs or animal cruelty.) If it’s permitted, ask to take a tour of where the animals are kept, and point out to your child any animals with casts or stitches, and liken them to any similar injuries your child may have had in the past. I know I mentioned comparisons before, but they really are invaluable, since beyond that there are limited ways to encourage a young child’s understanding of pain and how their actions can cause it in someone else.
A little guidance, please
If everything above fails, try talking to your child’s guidance counselor in school (if they are of school age. If not, a church counselor or clergyman will suffice). Find out if they have been having any behavior problems or are being bullied/picked on. Sometimes children get frustrated and lash out inappropriately if they feel harassed and helpless about it. Abusing an animal may, sadly, also be an early indication of a mental illness, in which case early treatment is key is help your child lead a normal, productive life. But often mental illness is NOT the problem, so please don’t jump to see a doctor or put your child on medication unless there is a real indication for it.
Animal abuse is NEVER okay, and if you see anyone do it, child or adult, take the steps necessary to stop it. More than one helpless cat or dog has DIED needlessly simply because no one stopped to help. Please don’t let that be you.
CJ
