Cat
A cat will not be negotiated with. It jumps up, vanishes under the sofa, purrs one moment and hisses the next. The visual support below shows calm signals and warning signs that help a child read the cat right.
Cat
A cartoon orange cat with green eyes sits facing forward.
About this visual support
Cats are not dogs. They do not meet your gaze and beg to play. They follow their own agenda, climb onto the kitchen counter when they feel like it, and can flash claws before a child has any idea why. For a child who likes clear rules, this is a social puzzle.
Visual support turns cat body language into something you can learn. A flicking tail means one thing, a straight one another. Ears flat back is a signal. When a child looks at the pictures before the visit, ideally a few times the same day, the cat stops feeling random and starts feeling like a language to read.
A practical tip: pick a spot that belongs to the cat, a chair or a basket, and point it out on a picture before you enter the room. Now the child already knows that spot is the cat's territory and does not have to figure it out in the moment. In Routined you can drop the cat visit into the day with pictures and a short prep moment before you head to grandma or the neighbour.