At some point, every child always turns to their parents with a request to have a dog or cat in the house. But this is not always possible - the size of the apartment does not allow it, the mother has allergies. Let's see what animals mean in the psycho-emotional development of a child: - a cat, for example, has long been considered a symbol of independence, “walking on its own,” freedom, mystery. - a dog, on the contrary, - dependence, devotion, openness, simplicity; - a wolf - threats to life; - a ram symbolizes strength, fertility, perseverance, stubbornness, fatherhood; - a horse - friendly help and hard work; - a bird - a symbol of connection with the spiritual paradise peace, a symbol of hope and free take-off, fish - wisdom and calm. Fairy-tale animal characters help a child organize his life, understand himself, those around him, good and evil. To live among people, a child must learn to control his negative emotions and aggressive impulses. When playing with animals, children often hurt them, to which the cat or dog immediately responds: they leave or bite the offender - this makes it impossible to continue such aggressive play. The protective behavior of an animal, combined with explanations from adults about how to treat “our little brothers,” contributes to the development of the ability to empathize, sympathize, and restrain, and through this “transitional step” it is much easier for a child to understand the feelings of other people and establish relationships with them. . Children need the opportunity to talk, complain, and cuddle with pets, especially when adults pay little attention to them. For withdrawn, timid, indecisive children, a cat or dog often replaces a friend: they are trusted with secrets, sorrows and joys. By existing next to the child, animals smooth out his loneliness, especially when parents are busy with their lives. Unlike a static toy, the animal breathes, runs, and plays actively, taking away some of the anxiety and stress from children. The author, together with psychologist Z. L. Ryzhkova, conducted an interesting experiment in one of the kindergartens. The cat Pusya was brought to classes for a month with a group of anxious, aggressive, and conflict-ridden children. The children observed her shyness and indecision in the first lessons, curiosity and activity in the future, confidence, trust and affection for them in the last. Pusya, through her behavior, “taught” children how to establish contacts with people and helped relieve psycho-emotional stress. An ordinary domestic cat did a good deed: it helped children understand that they are not alone, they are no worse than others, they can do a lot, and, most importantly, they are free and independent, have the right to “walk on their own,” but also need the support of friends. When deciding which friend to make, answer the question: what does your child need more, what problems does he have: from a cat he will learn independence, self-confidence, gentleness and calmness, and from a dog the ability to communicate, get to know each other, obedience and goodwill, devotion and loyalty. It is very interesting to see how sometimes owners and animals are somewhat similar. A person chooses a certain type of pet not by chance, but in accordance with the characteristics of his character. Dogs, for example, are preferred by the Germans, and cats by the British and Americans. There is an opinion that dogs are kept by active, authoritarian, leadership-prone people, while cats are kept by calm, gentle, and forgiving people. Doctors believe that the presence of pets in the home “discharges” tension, reduces stress, helps normalize blood pressure, and helps recovery after surgery..