Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of those around us – is one of the most complex emotions. While most children have a natural empathy towards other living beings, some need to be taught compassion for animals.

This is definitely a trait you’ll want to develop in your child. Because, children who treat vulnerable creatures with kindness and respect tend to treat people the same way.

Studies have shown that children who are cruel to animals are more likely to treat humans badly too. Animal cruelty is a well-established predictor of future violence towards people. Around 75% of prison inmates convicted of assault, rape, murder and domestic violence began by abusing animals.

How do you teach children compassion for animals?

Children are great imitators. And they’ll model their behaviour on that of their parents and siblings. If you treat animals badly, your children are likely to do so too. Set a good example by treating all living creatures with respect and kindness. Rescue the spider from the bathtub before turning on the tap. Take your sick or injured pet to the vet to get the help it needs.

Avoid negative talk about disliking certain species. Unwanted visitors to your home – such as rodents and reptiles – should be captured safely and released into the garden or an area of natural bush. In the case of venomous snakes, contact an experienced snake catcher who will remove and relocate the animal safely.

Consider getting a pet and teach your child to care for it. Being around animals has been shown to have a positive impact on children’s mental health and well-being. Family pets often display a great deal of empathy towards their owners. They pick up human feelings, such as grief or anxiety, and use their presence to provide comfort and protection.

Encourage your child to help feed the family dog or fill up its water bowl every morning. In this way, they learn responsibility and the importance of taking care of others.

Show kids the wonder of nature

Whether or not you have pets of your own, you can teach kids to respect other living creatures. Simply go out into your garden, if you have one, or a nearby park. You’ll find any number of birds, butterflies and bugs to marvel over.

Create interest and empathy by asking your child where they think the creature lives, what it eats, and if it has a family. For example, an ants’ nest. Or does this particular creature prefer to live alone? Children are naturally curious. Thinking about how other creatures live is the first step to developing compassion for animals.

Make sure your child understands that it’s not OK to trap any creature or remove it from its natural environment. Even though we are much bigger and stronger, we don’t have the right to interfere in the lives of other living beings. They must be allowed to live their lives in the way they choose.

Stories that teach compassion for animals

One of the most effective ways of teaching children compassion for animals is to read a story or watch a movie where the main characters are animals. “A Bug’s Life”, “Fantastic Mr Fox”, “Finding Nemo”, “Charlotte’s Web” and “Chicken Run” are stories, where the characters share a range of emotions from fear and sadness to joy and love.

Identifying with these characters makes it easier for your child to understand that animals feel things the same way as they do. And we now know this is true of most animals.

Animals have the capacity for empathy

Even rodents have the capacity to feel empathy. In June 2006, researchers demonstrated that mice suffer distress when they see a cage-mate experience pain. According to primatologist Frans de Waal, “This is a highly significant finding and should open the eyes of people who think empathy is limited to our species.”

Empathy is an ancient capacity which is probably present in all mammals. We know that humans and many animals share ancestral parts of the brain that control emotions. If you are a pet owner, you will know that your dog or cat feels and expresses an array of different emotions.

Animals help us

Teach your children about dogs, horses and other animals that help or rescue people. Most children are fascinated by guide dogs for the blind, and therapy dogs that visit patients in old age homes or hospitals.

You can also encourage them to learn more about animals by joining our SPCA Kids Club, Wags and Whiskers Warriors.

Caring for the environment

Spending time in nature (e.g. hiking or visiting a park) is a great way to help your child develop a deep connection and respect for the natural world. Point out different birds and encourage children to enjoy and identify their calls. Teach your child the importance of respecting wild animals by watching them from a distance, not disturbing them, and protecting their habitat by not littering.

Depending on the age of the child, you may want to talk about big issues like extinction and climate change. Caring for the natural environment is a responsibility we all share, if we want to live in a world where biodiversity is cherished and natural environments are protected. Watching TV programmes like Green Planet, Frozen Planet, Richard Attenborough, and BBC Earth help your child learn more about the natural world and our responsibility to care for all creatures with whom we share the planet.

Making every attempt to coexist peacefully and doing so in the most compassionate ways possible is the lesson you want your children to learn from an early age. Compassion for animals will make for more compassion among people, and that is what we need as we journey into the future.