I grew up with cats as pets. That is probably why I am so relaxed most of the time. That is the reason why I suggest to every parent to have a cat as a pet before they bring in the ugly dog in the house. At the very least, you know that if there is any biting to be done, the child will bite the cat.
Cats are a great training tool for a child on how to handle animals and situations. A child is not aware of their own actions and showing your kid the proper way of handling cats will help them realize this. This is without harming the child. For one reason or another, cats never harm a kid. They just run away from one. Unlike a dog which may bite back.
Cat’s by their nature are clean. Compare this to a dog which will go for their call of nature anywhere they feel like it. You can imagine how this will affect your kid. I always have printed boxes in my house to show my kids how to help a cat clean up even when you lack the modern cat poop dispensers.
If you ask me, I think that those that have dogs for kids before the age of 6 are running a risk of serious injury. At least a cat won’t mortally harm your kid and you will still be able to have the joys of having a pet in the house.