Our cats, Poffy & Candy, have been with us for a little over 18 months. In that time, they have never really been outside. We decided from the word go that they would be kept exclusively indoors.

Her inquisitive nature had clearly got the better of her, and she had decided to come out and investigate the garden that she has seen only through glass for so long.  I decided to let her explore for a little, figuring she would be too nervous to actually go anywhere.

When I was a child I grew up with dogs in the house. In fact, I didn't know life without pets because when I was born my mam already had two dogs, and that's the way it was until I left home.

I got my first puppy when I was quite young. I can remember the buzz of the bus journey to the pet shop, and I thought I was going to die with excitement as I looked at me soon to be new puppy through the glass. She was so tiny, and my heart melted when she curled up with a little blanket inside our little box. I called her Muffy, and from that moment onwards she was like my best friend.

I was an only child, but I never felt lonely because I always had my doggy. When friends couldn't come out to play I didn't complain, instead I would put on my roller blades and go skating around the street with Muffy. She was my little sidekick, and we got up to all sorts of mischief together. I even taught her how to jump up on to chairs to steal food from the bench which my mother really hated.
When I started my own family I knew I wanted my children to be brought up alongside animals just as I was.

There is no denying that caring for a pet is a huge commitment, but I think it is one worth making, and it is so beneficial to children.

Caring for a pet teaches patience. It takes a lot of time and patience to welcome a new pet in to the family home. It is something that the children didn't really understand when we first got the kittens, and they wanted to play with them as soon as we got them home. Caitlin learned that she needed to gain the cats trust, and that this would take weeks of gentle encouragement.

Having a pet not only teaches about patience, but about responsibility. It is a big responsibility to care for something other than yourself, to make sure it is happy and healthy. It is a fantastic lesson for children, and one that can start at any age. Younger children can be given the task of carrying empty bowls to the kitchen to be refilled, older children can be in charge of feeding time, or can take the dog out for a small walk around the estate. All of these tasks can feel very rewarding for children and it can really help them form a strong bond with the pet.


And it is that bond that I think is one of the most important things about your child having a pet. Neil has formed quite a special bond with the cats. He struggles socially, the demands of a normal social interaction can be too much for him, but he doesn't have that with the cats. And when Caitlin started school she had trouble fitting in and finding her feet, but the cats were always there to silently comfort her. If you ask Caitlin who her best friends are she always lists the cats.


If anything ever happened to the cats, the children would be devastated, and I would too. When we first got the cats I was worried about vet care. I know when I was younger one of my dogs needed a major operation and the cost was phenomenal. I knew we couldn't afford to pay out a lump sum if our little kitties ever needed treatment.

This is why pet insurance is essential for pet owners. I must admit though, I was a little put off pet insurance at first because some of the quotes I received were quite high. After shopping around for a while, I found Argos Pet Insurance and was impressed that they offered three levels of cover so there was something to suit every budget while still giving great cover. With premiums starting at just £4.15 I could insure both of the kitties for a lower price than I would have been paying for one elsewhere. They had an option to select indoor or outdoor cat which for me was one of the reason I chose Argos Pet Insurance to insure my cats. They have over ten years experience in dog and cat cover so I really felt I could trust them with my pet insurance.

Now, I feel safe in the knowledge that should the cats ever get themselves in to a bit of mischief I will be able to get them the care and attention they need, because they are truely part of the family now, and we look after our family!

Do you have pets at home? How do you feel your pets have benefited the development of your children?

I received compensation in exchange for writing this post. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.

It's no real secret that I love my cats. My house is filled with cat toys, scratching posts, beds, more scratching posts.... We've only had the kitties for a year and about 50% of the stuff in our house belongs to them.

We got our two cats just over a year ago. After a lot of careful consideration we decided they would be kept exclusively indoor. I'd done plenty of research, and was aware we needed to keep the cats well entertained to prevent them from getting bored from being in the house all day. I'm always on the look out for new exciting toys and activity centres to stimulate them and hopefully keep them happy.

I was recently given the opportunity to try something from the vast range of pet supplies at Feedem, the online pet supermarket. There was such a wide selection to choose from, but the Cat n Scratch Satellite product caught my eye immediately. I thought it looked a little different to other activity centres, and was very well priced at £17.50

The product arrived and was very compactly packaged. I actually wondered if there was a box missing because it seemed very small, but all of the bit were just cleverly packed in to the cat bed part at the bottom.

I set to work getting the activity centre built. I usually hate building things because I am totally useless with a screwdriver but it was very easy to put together. It probably took me about 10 minutes at the most, but I think I would have been quicker if I hadn't been posing for the camera. It came in 5 pieces: the base, round scratching post, two flat scratchers and the ring for the top, along with all of the necessary screws.

Once built the Satellite activity centre stands in at about 70cms tall, so it is a good size. I was impressed with the build quality, it feels very sturdy and able to withstand plenty of abuse from two crazy kitties. What I was also impressed with was the shape and layout of it. It's unusual compared to other activity centres I have looked at. The hideaway boxed in area is great for cats to get a bit of privacy. Our cats love areas like that where they can hide from the noisy little humans in the house.

The cats, being naturally inquisitive, were straight over to inspect the new and interesting addition to their play furniture.

It was an instant hit with both of the cats. In the past they have always been quite reluctant to play with something new but they seemed to take to this very quickly, after giving it a thorough testing of course. Candy decided that the little hide away section was quite comfortable and spent a good hour chilling in it, once she had finished exploring.

We have had the Can n Scratch Satellite for over a month now. I wanted to give it a good test before reviewing, as we have had a number of cat scratching posts and beds that have literally fallen apart after a couple of weeks and left us feeling very disappointed. Fortunately, the Satellite has been put through it's paces and is still going strong. The cats use the scratching posts daily and there are no signs of any damage to them yet. They both seem to like the flat scratches, as is offers them a different angle to scratch at, rather than just being vertical like most other scratching posts.

Feedem stock a huge range of animal products for all kinds of pets. If I'm being honest, I hadn't heard of them before trying out the activity centre, but I am so impressed with the quality and the price of the product that I would definitely purchase from them again. If you are an animal lover and are looking to buy some new things for your beloved pet, you can see their full range here.

We were sent the Cat n Scratch Satellite activity centre free of charge for the purpose of this review. I have given my full honest review, and all opinions are completely my own.