i'm having a baby in less then a month. but i'm afraid of how my kitty will react. she's had 100% of my attention since day 1 (7 years ago) and she gets jealous if i do anything but pay attention to her (like right now, she is trying to lay on the keyboard). she has already went after my fiance because he wanted to cuddle and she was on my lap.
2007-01-30 06:00:44 · 22 answers · asked by taintedxnekosinh 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
My wife and I have the same concern with our Manx, we are expecting our first in 5 months and have worried that our cat will be jealous of the baby. But to be honest, in my opinion, watching cats for years now... They seem to be weirded out by babies, some of my friends have brough their children over and the cat seems to want examine and sniff the child to death, more than beat the child up... I don't know if it is some kind of instinct or what, but remember, cats have a tendancy to be familar by smell and the baby is more than likely going to highly smell like you. Also another way to ease the transition would be to let your cat get in the baby bed and on the baby stuff even before the baby arrives so that they do not feel as though there is somewhere they are not allowed. This will help them feel as though they are not being edged out...
2007-01-30 06:11:20 · answer #1 · answered by doctor_76 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am a huge animal lover, but you don't want to risk your baby's life for anything. Some stores sell netting that you can put over the crib or what about putting up a screen door in the baby's room? That way you could still hear your child and keep him/her safe. If you still feel your child might be threatened you should give your cat to a neighbor/friend/family member that you would see on a regular basis.
Introducing your cat to the baby smells is a great first step. Once the baby is old enough to sit up and mover on his/her own it wont be a problem but as long as he/she is helpless you can't take any risks.
Good Luck I know you love your cat and this is a hard decision.
2007-01-30 06:14:15 · answer #2 · answered by Maroo 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have a 7 year old female cat as well, and a 7 month baby boy. We did have some issues with my kitty at first. she started to pee on some of his things, sigh. She had NEVER done this before, but she did get over it. My vet suggested having your husband or a family member bring home a baby onesie that your baby has worn in the hospital and laying it on the floor where she can smell it, BEFORE you come home with the baby. Might help. Just give her lots of love, and monitor her VERY closely when she's anywhere near the baby. Good luck, and congrats! :)
2007-01-30 06:09:36 · answer #3 · answered by anniemom 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't take any chances. Cats love warm spaces. I have heard of cats laying on a babies face and smothering them because of the warmth of a babies breath. I would make the babies room off limits to your cat. Let your cat meet your baby with one of you holding the cat and one holding the baby to show your cat the baby is not threatening. But I wouldn't leave the cat in the room alone with the baby. Remember to give your cat attention so it is not jealous of the baby. Also I know on dogs this works, when you are at the hospital lay your baby in a blanket. Send that blanket home with your husband and put it in your cats bed so that the cat can get used to the babies smell. Make sure the cat knows that certain spaces like bassinets, cribs, carseats, and other places baby lay are off limits. Hope this helps.
2007-01-30 06:26:58 · answer #4 · answered by Crystal 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats sometimes have a hard time adjusting to a baby in the house. I would suggest you speak to your vet about ways to ensure your kitty doesn't feel too neglected while you're busy with the baby. This site has some helpful tips on ways to prepare your cat for the baby's arrival. Good luck with both of them!
http://www.catsinternational.org/articles/natural_cat_behavior/bringing_home_baby.html
2007-01-30 06:07:31 · answer #5 · answered by ♪ ♫Jin_Jur♫ ♥ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I had a cat while I was pregnant with my son. He used to lay in my shirt, on top of my belly all the time. We were very close. I had my son three months premature. Before we brought him home from the hospital, I asked the doctor about my cat.
He told me to place items in the incubator with my son, then take the item home so the cats get used to my son's smell.
I had one cat that never got used to my son, but NEVER did anything to harm him. (By the time my son was three, we had 5 cats.)
There is an old wives tale that says a cat will kill a child by suffocating it or drawing out it's breath. Not true!!! The cat is drawn to the smell of milk. To keep the child safe, make sure you are in constant view of where the child sleeps. Until the cat gets used to the baby, make sure the child is safe. Once the cat gets used to the baby being around, provided you respect and love the cat and teach your child to respect her, she may not ever like the child getting your attention, but they will have a "truce."
My one cat wouldn't allow my son to touch him ,ever, because he was jeolous, and I caught him "examining" my son a few times, but there was never any hatred there.
Don't listen to old wives tales, keep an eye on the cat until she gets used to the baby, keep your child out of harms way, but don't get rid of your cat. Give her attention when you have time to reassure her you still lover her, but teach her to respect the baby.
2007-01-30 06:28:37 · answer #6 · answered by Nepetarias 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You should start introducing things to her such as baby clothes, possibly the smell of formula, (if you're using formula), etc.
I had a cat just like yours and he became very jealous. He started urinating all over the house when my baby arrived. He also started chewing on wood. Which is odd for a cat. The final straw was when he got in my babies crib and pooped in it. Unfortunately, we had to get rid of him.
Good luck to you. I hope you don't have the same problem.
2007-01-30 06:07:31 · answer #7 · answered by Nunya 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be very careful. Introduce your cat to the baby, but never leave them alone together. If she shows such strong emotions to your fiance (who is an adult), then she may go after your baby. Cats can be very jealous creatures and she sounds like she is one of the stronger feeling ones!!
2007-01-30 06:08:06 · answer #8 · answered by finding_my_dream 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When I had my baby (she is 4 now) I had two cats. I had these cats for two years before she was born. One cat completely ignored her but would sleep in her crib if she was not in it. The other cat would stay in the room with her all the time. He would sleep under her crib or in the window. I think that he was there to protect her. I do not think that your cat will hurt the baby. It is still best to make sure they do not sleep with the baby.
2007-01-30 06:06:01 · answer #9 · answered by Jen of Eve 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i seen on tv the same problem and they put a screen door on the babys room to keep the cat out but left the rest for the cat
2007-02-02 17:39:22 · answer #10 · answered by jody p 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋