How old is the child? I would just tell her "NO" when she does this to the cats. If she is hurting them they will eventually stay clear of her. I only had dogs when my kids were growing up but I don't remember them ever pulling the dogs' tails. We had Labs so the kids pretty much just laid on them. It might actually be good for her to get a swat from one of the cats. She needs to learn to respect animals. Don't be afraid to tell her "no".