If you have pets in your home, chances are good that your baby adores them. Unfortunately, your pet may not adore your baby. Many babies point at, or motion toward, pets in an effort to acknowledge them. The signs in this section will give them a way to acknowledge the pet’s presence and to alert you to it, as well. The signs for some other popular pets, including fish, birds, and rabbits, are illustrated elsewhere in this section.

CAT

The sign for CAT, as shown in Figure 13–3, is relatively simple.

• 1. Bring your thumb and your index finger up to your cheek, very close to your nose. At this point, the fingers should not be touching.

• 2. Move your fingers out to the side and pinch them together (your remaining fingers will be extended). It should look like you are stroking whiskers on your face.

If your cat will allow it, stroke his whiskers in your child’s presence and then form the sign. This should help your child to make the connection between the cat and the sign. Try not to aggravate your cat, though. With a baby in the house, he is probably aggravated enough as it is.

DOG

DOG ( SEE DVD) is a simple sign, though it requires two motions.

• 1. Pat your thigh with your open hand.

• 2. Snap your fingers twice.

If you have a dog in the house, the sign may cause him to come running. This would actually be helpful in reinforcing the sign for your child.

Children who have pet dogs are particularly trusting of all dogs, including neighborhood strays. Try to instill a sense of respect in your child for dogs, and teach her not to touch them without permission. You don’t want her to be afraid of them, but you also don’t want her to inadvertently approach an aggressive dog.