Scairdycat,

fear of the harm that could come to themselves or their children

I think that in regard to this concern it is also important to realise the harm a child could do to a defenceless cat. Once a child is old enough they should be taught to respect the animals feelings and not to treat them like rag-dolls. I am certainly not suggesting that the animals welfare is more important than the child's, nor am I suggesting that your cat(s) are mistreated by children, but a mutual respect must be taught in order to minimise any harm to either party.

I have two cats which are over 7 years old. Neither of them has ever intentionally hurt a human - however a 4 year old child once decided to drag one of them around the house like a toy. Unfortunately there was some accidentally scratching and both of them learnt a lesson. The child learnt not to drag cats around and the cat learnt to be a bit more weary of "little humans".

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck with your cats and family