i have a cat. and will soon have a newborn? is it a bad idea to keep the cat?

Answer 1

No its not. The cat is your responsibility. If you get rid of him just because you have a baby, you are an irresponsible, uncaring person. This cat is a part of your family, how could you even think to get rid of him?

Answer 2

Not a bad idea at all. When you bring the new baby home, the cat will be naturally curious. It's not trying to harm the baby, but rather see where the new smell is coming from and what the thing is that is making all that noise. Your cat might become a little jealous because something else is getting all your time, so don't forget to give it some pets and loves.

If you're concerned about the cat being in the baby's room, you can always shut the door. The cat will not try to kill your child by sleeping on it. It won't "suck the breath" of the child either. That is a really old wives tale that has no basis in truth. The cat might try to sleep next to the baby if the child is sleeping but only because a sleeping child is quiet and is warm.

There is also a study that suggests children exposed to animals - dogs and cats - will grow up with a less likely chance of having allergies. That's because they are around them all the time and their immune systems will adjust and become acclimated. Even adult humans with mild cat or dog allergies will often get over them after being around an animal for 6-12 months.

And growing up around animals will teach your children a valued lession. They will love and respect animals and are less likely to cause them harm.

Answer 3

Keep the cat. If you are pregnant, do not clean the litter box unless you have to and then use gloves. The fact is, most of us have been exposed to toxoplasmosis. Once you've been exposed you are immune to it. Problem is, if you haven't been exposed, it can have devistating effects on the baby so be careful with the litter box. It's a good idea to wash your hands after petting the cat, at least until the baby is born.

Once you have the baby, there is no reason the cat can't be a vital part of the family. It's a good idea to keep the cat out of the baby's room so the baby is not disturbed during sleep. Otherwise the baby can interact with the cat at will.

There was a study that came out within the past couple of years that said children raised with cats and dogs for their first year are half as likely to have allergy problems than children not raised with animals.

Answer 4

Actually, it was probably a worse idea to keep the cat during the pregnancy. Cats can be a carrier for a protozoan called Toxoplasma.

In short, if the baby is affected(if your wife or gf cleans the litter, for example, your baby could contract the protozoan), it's bad news.

Just keep your kid from playing in the litter box and there shouldn't be a problem. You might just want to keep the cat in a seperate part of the house for the first portion of your kid's life.

Answer 5

Most cats do fine with children and babies. Just make sure that once she's crawling the cat knows it's not a game. I reccomend keeping the cat. There are so many people who get rid of their pets before even seeing how they behoave with the new baby. Just make sure to find time to give the cat attention and keep it's routine as close to the same as you can. Good luck and Congratulations on you new baby!

Answer 6

Dont get rid of your cat.I have 2 siberian Huskies and a cat,i was worried too when i had my daughter 5 months ago. When you have your baby,get your partner to bring home(while your in hosp) something the baby has worn.This will allow your cat to familiarise with the smell. Your cat will most likely be frightened for a week or so then it will get comfortable with your baby.This is when you have to be vigilant 24hrs a day,to make sure your cat does not attempt to get in your baby's bed.This is due to your baby being suffocated by your cat.This is not deliberate on the cats behalf,just its instincts to be close.As your baby cant move the cat this is where the problem is. My cat attempts to enter my babys room (he can open doors) i put a door wedge in so he cant get in.Just check the room thoroughly each time you put bub to bed as if your cat is anything like mine,he will hide!! My cat doesnt even bother anymore as i made a special room for him so he isnt left out! Good luck

Answer 7

No. It is not a bad idea to keep the cat. In fact, getting the cat abandoned is a BAD idea. That thing about cats sucking life out of babies is just an old wive's tale. Just keep your cat indoors to minimize the risk of tomoplais or whatever it's called. He/she is your first "baby" so keep the cat!

Answer 8

If you have had this cat the entire pregnancy I dont see a reason to get rid of it now. Just make sure to keep an eye on the cat for jealousy issues, especially if its used to being an only "baby".

Answer 9

no the 2 can get along just fine.... just watch out for alergies and you may want to get a net lid for the crib so the cat dosnet jump in it or train him to stay away from the crib now by useing a spry bottle and a can with pennies in it spray the cat and shake the can when he/ she goes neer the crib as the guy above said about while pregnant you can take percaustions such as wear gloves and a mask or have some one else do it for you :)

Answer 10

No, I would say it's fine to keep your cat. My aunt and uncle kept their two huge dogs when they brough their baby home and I'd be more worried about dogs than cats. Just watch carefully to see how your cat reacts at first, keep the baby's door shut at night if you want. Things should go fine.