For a number of years, now, we have had outdoor cats living on our property of six acres, out in the country. With chickens, ducks, goats, pigs, turkeys, rabbits, and even a pony over the years, I have tried to make it a farm like atmosphere for the children living at our house. As a foster parent to over fifty children, I have found that animal therapy is a strong healing factor for children in need. Indeed, pet therapy also teaches children how to have compassion for other living things. For children who have known only abuse in their young lives, this can be a challenging lesson to teach. I have found that the cats at our house help bring this lesson of compassion to life.
Yet, it has always been the baby kittens that the children living in my home have come to love the most, and my three youngest daughters are no exception. As the youngest daughter is only four years of age, I have had to teach her how to be careful around the kittens, as she is a bit of a rough house.
As a parent, I am always looking to teach my children lessons of responsibility, and owning pets is one area they can truly learn that important life lesson. It is my youngest children who have the daily responsibility of feeding the cats, and making sure they have fresh water. Now, I am in no way an expert on what to feed cats, I do know the importance of healthy diets. My wife is a doctor of nutrition, and I came to learn long ago that a healthy diet is essential for so many reasons. This includes all of the animals at our house.
Now, back to the kittens. As much as my daughters love them, I am afraid that I have to stand at quite a distance from these little balls of cute fuzz. You see, both my wife and I are terribly allergic to both cats and dogs. When my four year old girl brings that cute little yellow kitten to me, I smile, and take a step back. Otherwise, I will be sneezing and wheezing all day long.
I enjoy watching my daughter play with her new friend; that little yellow kitten. I enjoy watching her learn the responsibility of taking care of an animal. I also enjoy watching her turn into a compassionate and caring individual. Thank you, baby kitty, for taking care of my daughter in your own special way!
