My sister has been pregnant for a few months now, and she has a cat...how will the baby and the cat get along?

Question

Anybody know from experience or [etc]? Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

From [etc] -- I was wondering about this this morning.

Useful reading:

"CATS AND BABIES CAN COEXIST"
http://www.messybeast.com/cat_baby.htm

"Keeping cats from freaking out when a newborn is brought home
Cat in the Crib"
http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/pets/newbornandcats.html

I concur with the poster who mentioned that it depends on the cat. And on the preparation. Let the cat smell all the new stuff coming into the house, and see what you can find to make the crib, etc, unappealing. Plain lemon juice in a spray bottle keeps mine off anything I care to get lemony...

I loved the person who said it can suffocate the baby. I think it's very cute to cling to myths like that. An urban legends page on cats and babies:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/catsuck.htm

Answer 2

It all depends on the cat. If it is naturally friendly, even with strangers then there should be no problem. The cat will be hesitate at first and may disappear for a while when the baby first cries, but will soon become curious as to the new addition in the house. It wouldn't be a bad idea to start introducing the cat to the new furniture and start working on keeping it off certain things, such as the changing table and the inside of the crib. Have her talk to her vet about safe sprays or smells that will deter the cat but will be safe for around the baby. I heard of people using something like this to keep their cats off xmas trees. Also your sister should definitly look into getting a netting cover for the crib to keep the cat out while the baby is sleeping just incase the other things don't work. I remeber seeing one either at Target.com or Walmart.com when I was browsing for furniture. It attaches right to the crip and has an easy access zipper for the parents.

Answer 3

Having a cat is NOT a good idea for her. The most serious problem during pregnancy that involves cats is an infection with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy acquired by contact with the stool from an infected cat. The risk to the baby increases the later in the pregnancy the new infection is acquired. Since cats are normally infected when they hunt and catch small rodents, it is less likely that one would be infected if it is an inside cat. In addition, the most common site for humans to come into contact with the cat's stools outside is probably in the garden -- cats like to bury their bowel movements in the soft soil in the garden. So keeping the cats in reduces the chance of accidentally coming in contace with cat feces. I would say they may get along, but that is if the baby doesn't get infected while in the womb.. I would be very careful if I were her.

Answer 4

Make sure that your sister is aware that cat fecal matter can cause birth defects to her unborn baby. Make sure that someone else is cleaning the litter for her, or if she has to do it she is being very sure to wash her hands thoroughly.
Also like someone else mentioned cats can harm infants. Not intentionally, so she needs to be sure to keep the cat out of his room. My son gets along great with cats. We don't have one but his Grandmother has one and most of our friends do too.
If you constantly tell the baby NO don't touch the kitty, he or she is immediately going to think that the cat is a bad thing. Or dangerous. Also the cat will get the same idea. Just watch them both and make sure they are interacting well. If not it may be time to get rid of the cat.

Answer 5

She can NOT change the cat's litter pan anymore. Cats carry the parasite toxoplasma gondii which turns up in cysts in a cat's stool. This can cause an infection called toxoplasmosis. This normally just causes mild headach or flu like symptoms in adults but is fatal to a feotus in the first three months of pregnancy.

That's all i really know about cats and pregnancies though.

Answer 6

not cat litter no cat litter nocat litter she can keep the cat but she can not change the litter some thing in the litter soiled litter causes brith defacts take it from me i am a mother of five i had a baby last year she dide froom sids they dont know what cause that and i do have a cat tell her not to touch the litter she can keep the cat if someone else changes the litter

Answer 7

for real i had a friend who has cat to. cat are ok. but soon they will be all over that baby something new. witch is now good for the baby. i would see how it works out at first.

Answer 8

Not sure but tell her not to change the cats litetr-have someone else do it for her.Cat litter can give her Toxoplasmosis-a serious illness that can really hurt her and her unborn baby!

Answer 9

probably be fine, just tell her not to change the litterbox (can get her very sick), and not to leave the baby alone with the cat until it's used to the baby. cats (like any animal) can get jealous.

Answer 10

well all u have to be concerned about is the cat getting in the crib with the baby it can suffocate the baby..