Tag: cats

Categories
pet cartoons

Why kids love pets

Cartoon of two girls looking at a hamster. One girl says, “This is my new hamster. She’s so neat, I notified all the news networks, Internet news sites and Grandma!”

It took a long time for me to allow a pet into our family. In fairness, we tried to own a dog once before and it went wrong quickly. We weren’t prepared, the kids were too young and we went on the first dog our son fell in love with.

The next pet came to our doorstep three years later. The kitten knew which house had the daughter in love with cats. He ended being one of the best cats I ever saw (once we learned how to keep him from destroying our Christmas tree!).

Why do kids love pets so much?

  • When they feel cared for, kids like to return the favor.
  • They want to be responsible. Everyone wants to feel like they can be depended on.
  • We all feel an attachment to nature. Even city dwellers like to know there is a wild, natural world out there.
  • We all want a companion

If you feel like it is time to own a pet, learn from our mistake and do your research first. I nearly kept my kids from a great experience because I wasn’t prepared the first time. Now we have a dog and a cat. And what do you know? Over the years, those two pets have taught everyone about conflict resolution. Dogs and cats can live in harmony!

Related articles
Enhanced by Zemanta
Categories
webcomic

Scaredy Cats

Cartoon of two men talking

Cartoon of two men. One says, “It’s about your Grandmother, Son. She’s afraid your goatee will scare her cats.”

Categories
children cartoons

Great Heights

Cartoon of a girl scolding a kitten. She says, "Come down from there! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Cartoon of a girl scolding a kitten. She says, “Come down from there! Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Heights and obstacles are a matter of perspective, aren’t they? Whenever a child is convinced an obstacle is just too much for them, I need to remember it really does look as big to them as they imagine it. Part of the challenge is to convince a student they can overcome an obstacle without belittling or minimizing their fear.

How do you get a child to overcome an an obstacle in a respectful, encouraging way? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week’s word is “heights.”

 

Categories
animal cartoons

Pardon Me/Love Me

Illustration of a man reluctantly holding a loving cat

Illustration of a man reluctantly holding a loving cat.

Sometimes love come when you least expect it… or want it. Cats are notorious for wanting affection on their own terms. I believe they wait until the least opportune time, then spring into action. Of course, they don’t care to love you when you come home. They wait until they are certain you are about to begin a new project.

One nice about having a cat, is they help promote procrastination. Everybody can use that, right?

Categories
animal cartoons

Perfect Personal Space

Illustration of a man with his coffee. His cat is sitting atop his head.

Let’s face it. Cats are not known for respecting personal space. Lately, our cat has been particularly neurotic when it comes to morning attention. It makes it hard to put on your thinking cap when the cat is atop your head. It makes me frantically look for a catnip mouse or a can of tuna as a distraction.

If your cat is keeping you from morning productivity, here are a few things you can do:

  • Try reverse psychology. I’ve noticed if you want to pet cats, they run away as if you’ve sprouted a second, evil head. If they think YOU want attention, they’ll sense they are no longer in control and run.
  • Stand up and walk. Cats are not keen on maintaining balance on moving objects.
  • Keep the coffee from the cat. The last thing you need is a neurotic AND a caffeinated cat.

Hang in there. This too shall pass!