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Teaching Responsibility Through Pet Care
As you may know, we have a dog who we love very much (you can sneak a peek of him in this post about a day in the life of a stay at home mom). What you might not know is we also have a sweet, old cat. A beautiful and loving Maine Coon named Milo.
Milo is special because I gave him to my husband when we were young (I was 16, he was 18). My cat had kittens and he wanted one. Fast forward 14+ years and Milo is still with us. When we brought our first baby home, Milo decided he wanted nothing to do with the baby business and made himself a permanent outside cat.
Over the years, we have attempted to foster a relationship between Milo and our children. The only thing that seemed to work was having them feed Milo. This solution was perfect, because it’s also a wonderful way to teach responsibility to young children.
These days, our 2-year-old is in charge of pet care. She loves this job and reminds us when he needs feeding. She is learning to care for another living thing. She is also learning the basics of compassion – if we don’t feed the cat, he does not get to eat!
Other things your child can do to care for their pet:
- Brush their fur
- Check and refill their water
- Keep track of the food stock to ensure you never run out
- Help sift the kitty litter
It is never too early to start requiring help with daily chores. In fact, I have found the younger you start, the more eager they are to help! (Our Toddler and Preschooler Chore Charts may help)
When I found out we had the opportunity to introduce Milo to Purina® Pro Plan® Savor® Shredded Blend from PetSmart, I was really excited! We already feed our dog this line and it has been the best thing for his super sensitive stomach.
Mealtime is a moment worth savoring and Purina Pro Plan Savor helps us all savor the moments of summer with our cat.
I know that Purina Pro Plan’s goal is to give our pet the best nutrition and is backed by over 400 scientists. Their cat food has high quality ingredients with real chicken as the first ingredient! With Milo being an outside cat, we want to make sure he is fed the right amount of protein and fat to help ensure an ideal body condition.
If you’re interested in trying out Purina Pro Plan Savor Shredded Blend, they have a great deal right now at PetSmart. Just SPEND $15 on any Purina® Pro Plan® product, 5/31–7/5. SAVE $15 on your next purchase of 10.5-lbs. or larger Purina® Pro Plan® Dry Cat or Dog Food or Litter by 7/31!
True believer in this for children. Their responsibility to feed, water and play with any animals we had. My daughter is now teaching her children the same responsibility.
That’s wonderful, Candy!!
Milo is gorgeous! When I was little, my parents had me help feed the cats. We also had fish, I’d feed them too. Definitely teaches responsibility!
xoxo, Sam | thehauntedhousewife.com
I don’t have any kids but my cat was NOT too keen on my boyfriend when he first moved in. I immediately had him begin feeding and caring for the cat so she would see him as valuable, and help forge a relationship. In time it has worked! #client
Jenna, I love how finicky cats are! They have the best little personalities. I’m glad your boyfriend was able to win him over through his stomach. 🙂
I love this idea. It really does help. My youngest loves feeding out outdoor cat.
I love the name Milo. I really want to get a pet for my daughter, just saving up 🙂 is it safe for the little ones to touch the litter? Or do you mean before it goes in?
Hi Frencesca! Fresh litter is fine, but cat poop can carry a bacteria with the potential to make little ones sick. That’s why I recommended gloves to help with the sifting. Of course, use your best judgement and wait until your child is mature enough to help with this task.
I love this. I think pets are one of the best things for kids to connect with while learning life skills.
My little one is still a bit tiny for this, but her dad and I have been discussing how her first job will absolutely be helping with our cat. I think it is such a positive way to start introducing responsibility!
Have fun, Maya!
Very important experience for children to learn responsibility and about priorities. I love that you do this!
The last time I was in the pet store there was a couple with a little girl who was about 3 years old. She was holding the little bag of birdseed and her dad was holding a jar full of change that had been decorated with stickers. This little girl was not only learning to care for a pet, but learning to budget her money in order to care for it financially, too. It was such a great idea and she seemed very proud to be responsible.
That’s such a great idea! Thank you for sharing, Angela. 🙂
That is so sweet. We’ve got a dog and our kids love feeding him and getting him to do tricks. I think it’s really nice for the pet to get extra attention and for the children to learn about caring for something other than themselves!
My husband and I have had a cat since we got married and feel strongly about the value in teaching our children to care for him. I love watching my child’s heart grow as they reap the rewards (extra snuggles from our resident feline) of caring for an animal. Great tips!
Thank you for sharing Emily. I’m glad to hear from another mama who feels the same way. 😊💕