cats and babies

reallydontknowwhattodo

Thank you all.

Obviously i'd never leave baby and cat alone together, its more at night times, when the cat pretty much has to be in the same room as us and baby. As obviously i'd like to get a little sleep, without having to watch the cat all night!

I'm not overly worried by the germ side (taking sensible precautions obviously) as i grew up with dogs, and partner with cats and we're both fine. It really just is the suffocation risk that worries me.

Mupette

when i came along mmy parents had a cat who liked to sit on my face, parents got a net, but the last straw was when the cat pooped in my dads slippers, dad roared the cat ran for it never to be seen again.

This was of course back in the days when you would leave baby out in their pram in the garden / outside shops.



BUT... you are not going to leave your child/baby unsupervised for a very very long time, so there should not be a problem.

I would suggest you getting disposible rubber gloves and use them if you empty the cat litter tray, and remeber to wash your hands after you have given the cat cuddles etc, more often enough the baby crying is going to make the cat want to be far away from the baby anyway

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Cat will be more interested in getting your attention at night when the baby is in the cot than climbing onto the baby.

Cat will need to be told (just the once) that the cot isn't a new cat bed. A net is useful then because it makes it difficult to get in the cot. A cat hammock on a radiator is probably a far more enticing prospect to most cats, anyway.

Cat will be in the same room as you, OH and baby at most times, so it isn't as if you are leaving them unattended anyway.


Get OH to do the litter tray, stick a baby gate over the bathroom door - keeps toddlers away from the litter tray, gives the cat somewhere to get away from toddlers - and everyone is happy.

meritaten

Ive had three kids and they have been brought up alongside Dogs and Cats. In each case when baby came home from hospital I made sure that baby and dog/cat were properly introduced to each other. giving the animal plenty of time to sniff and lick (not face obviously) while watching carefully. Never has there been any sign of aggression or jealousy - in all cases the dog or cat has seemed to realise that the baby is a new addition and accepted it as such. the dogs do seem to have taken on the role of protector though and would often not let visitors near the baby until I 'OK'd' it. the cats just got bored and wandered away until the babies got more interesting to play with. but they were endlessly patient with the toddlers, suffering pulled tails and being carted around like cuddly toys with good humour and when they had enough would go and hide rather than hitting out. The dogs learned to enjoy 'dress-up' and having their claws painted and they never refused to play with the kids. It was so sweet really! I always felt sorry for the kids who grew up in pet free homes as my kids benefited so much from having the pets. it taught them gentleness, kindness and responsibility.

mozzyc

Regarding cats and babies........

I have a quick question if that' ok - we have 3 cats, and I want to make sure they stay out of our babies room once I fall pregnant - do you reckon a screen door will do the trick over babies bedroom door so that we don't always have to have it closed?
Thanks

soupdragon10

Another option would be to pen the cat up overnight, restricting it's access to roam at specific times. If it's bed and litter tray are also put in there with its food and water bowls it shouldn't take up too much extra space and will also give it a bit of its own space.

It also means that once your new arrival starts to crawl that the litter tray, cat food etc are not within reach, especially as it sounds as though you are tight for space, you don't want a small child investigating the litter tray or sampling cat biscuits!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Hence the child gate in the bathroom suggestion - it's only a single room, cageing a cat will create more sleepless nights than a newborn will!

But, in such a tiny space, I think it would be hard to not notice a baby eating cat crunchies (they're not poisonous, anyway, so it would just be the ewww factor combined with fishy baby breath :eek:)


Other poster - as long as you remember to close the screen door, don't see why it wouldn't keep a cat out.