My baby is due in June and my cat just loves to cuddle up in his crib right now. She is so sweet and small in there and I just hate to kick her out. If she responds well to the baby (as she has to my tummy thus far), then why can't she stay after the baby comes home?
2007-02-11 23:39:44 · 24 answers · asked by cfisher4234 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Because you don't want your baby's first word to be "meow"
2007-02-12 00:57:04 · answer #1 · answered by Sporadic 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
1. Even if cat responds to baby well, there is no telling whether that feeling will last. As cat sees baby receiving more and more attention, she may turn on baby and attack. . . even if she's not that kind of animal. Responding to your tummy, when you're not sure she knows there's a baby in there, is a lot different than having a living person taking attention away from you. (You can love your cat to the hilt, but you WILL be spending a lot of time with the baby.)
2. Babies ARE unpredictable. As your baby grows, she will reach out and grab the cat. Cat may respond by scratching or biting.
3. Babies have little lungs. If she is allergic to cats, she can get very sick if cat is sleeping right next to her head.
4. Babies have little immune systems. If the cat uses the litter box, then goes in the crib, the crib is now infested with dirty litter feet.
5. If you let the baby sleep with the cat now, you are setting a precedent for the cat. She will always think she is entitled to sleep with the baby. What if the baby doesn't like it?
6. Cats get into things. You will have diapers and wipes and clothes and all sorts of other baby stuff in the room. It's best to keep the cat out of the room completely when you aren't there.
And I sincerely hope you will wash the linens in the crib before baby comes home. I just don't think it's right to have a newborn baby breathe in all that cat hair and have it on its skin and clothes.
2007-02-12 08:54:10 · answer #2 · answered by kimpenn09 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
How about the fact that the cat could smoother the baby?
How about that you don't want cat hair all over your baby?
What about the nasties that the cat may drag from the litterbox into the crib?
What if they baby grabs at the cat while unsupervised? A little child should never be around an animal unsupervised!
Who's more important? The cat or the baby? Kick the cat out of the crib! You need to set some limits for the animal.
Ick.
2007-02-12 09:07:14 · answer #3 · answered by momma2mingbu 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Its just not a good idea, because the cats go into litter boxes and carry bacteria around. Also the fur can cause the baby to get allergies from the cats. Some people are extremely allergic to cat dander and you wont know yet if your baby is or not. Although the cat may not mean to hurt the baby in anyway, the cat may scratch your baby getting in or out of the crib or when stretching out. Ive never allowed the cats to be in the room where the baby sleeps.
2007-02-12 08:26:47 · answer #4 · answered by Blondi 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
* Your cat can get little pieces of litter stuck to its paws and track them into the crib. Yuck.
* Your baby could become allergic to the cat.
* If the cat is long-furred, your baby could breate in lots of shed fur.
* Your cat could cuddle up to your baby -- right in front of the baby's face, blocking the air passages.
* Your cat could sit on the baby.
In short, you may be better off not allowing the cat to sleep in the crib.
I recently read a suggestion for teaching your cat not to sleep there: Fill the crib with empty soda cans. In each can, place a coin, and tape the opening shut. When the cat jumps in the crib, the cans will make a terrible racket, and the cat will never jump in again (hopefully).
Best of luck.
2007-02-12 07:49:50 · answer #5 · answered by Victoria 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Once she's been in the litter box, she's going to have that bacteria all over her feet. There's a lot of old wives' tales that say a cat will smother a baby in her sleep, but I personally don't believe that. I think you're smart from a health standpoint to keep the cat out.
Chances are, she'll steer clear of the new baby. But you can still teach her to stay out of the crib. Just blow up enough balloons to cover the bottom of the crib. Most cats hate balloons, and as soon as she jumps in, she'll leave and not come back.
2007-02-12 07:45:45 · answer #6 · answered by Amanda M 4 · 5⤊ 1⤋
There are so many reasons not to let the cat sleep in the crib with your baby. I mean, your cat walks around in his litter box in the4 pee and poop and gets it on his paws. Surely you don't want the cat walking around in your baby's crib with that. Next, would be allergies. Also, they say that cats will suffocate babies because of the smell of the milk on their breath. The cat could scratch the baby. Also, if you cat has any fleas or ticks. I wouldn't even have the cat in the house anymore by the time your baby is born and I would be sure to wash the crib sheets if that cat has been in his or her crib. I just don't think it's sanitary to have any animal right around little babies. They put their hands in their mouths all the time, and that would be unsanitary if they had just touched the cat. They don't know any better. And he/ she wouldn't know any better if he/she got cat hair on her hand and would put it in her mouth. I very much hope that you decide to put the cat outside or give him to a loving family.
2007-02-12 11:55:30 · answer #7 · answered by mommyof2 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Neither cats or babies are entirely predictable; even if both normally behave impeccably, you can't rely on that always being the case. And, bear in mind that if there were ever any problem, even if it happened just once, the cat will probably come off better.
Also, consider the possibilities of the cat bringing the baby into contact with various things you'd probably rather it avoided - ranging from bacteria, to live mice!
Congratulations on your pregnancy, by the way!
2007-02-12 07:53:15 · answer #8 · answered by Marzipan 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Amanda is right -- it's basically a health issue. The baby can interact with the cat further on down the road, but for now kitty will have to hang out someplace other than the crib.
2007-02-12 07:50:36 · answer #9 · answered by waia2000 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The cat could accidently smother the baby (no its not a old wives tale there are reports of it) and cats also carry certain bacteria that could cause the child to get cat scratch fever. Yes it is a real thing. Although the cat may not do it on purpose cats a very dangerous for newborns esspecially but could be for any infant. Also cats get hair balls and if the cat sleeps in the baby's bed so could your child and I am sure you know the dangers of anything in a infants mouth.
2007-02-12 07:47:23 · answer #10 · answered by Cowgirl 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Cat hair is very fine....your baby can inhale the hairs and it can trigger allergic reactions and asmah. I suggest you wash the sheets before your baby sleeps in the crib and keep the cat out for the rest of the time.
Also, cats like to cuddle up to warmth, there's a chance, that he/she could cuddle up to your baby's mouth and accidentally cause the baby to stop breathing. I wouldn't chance it.
2007-02-12 08:58:19 · answer #11 · answered by kittynala 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋