2007-05-23 13:49:30 · 12 answers · asked by scrummy mummy 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
No not unless the cat is known for unprovoked attacked sratching and bitting. Very few cats do that. A cat is not going to do anything unless it feels like it needs to. Teach your child not to pull its tell or hit the cat and you should be fine. The worst it may do is hiss for a little while until it gets used to the child being in the house. Oh, and about the bacteria in the feces statement earlier. It is true that cats have bacteria in their feces but so do we thats why we wash our hands after using the bathroom or at least we should. That shouldn't really be a problem unless you plan on sticking your newborn in the cats litterbox and let him or her play there. A newborn is not going to be scooping poop anytime soon. There is more of a risk of the baby getting an infection from his or her own feces. The only problem might be if your baby would have allergies to cats that can be a real problem. And you do want to make sure that the cat is defleaed and dewormed so they can give those parasites to the baby. Although a baby being a baby will probably get worms on its own.
2007-05-23 14:02:05 · answer #1 · answered by meganpie87 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats can also suffer when a baby arrives. Rather than an attack response, you are likely to see a change in overall mood.
Cats are sensitive to changes in territory, and once your baby arrives they will suddenly find their environment is being used in a new way.
They may no longer be allowed in certain rooms, there will be strange new smells and sounds, and people will be spending more time in the house.
Some cats will retreat to a quiet room with the least disruption; others may insist on going into the rooms they've always used. They might reassert themselves by changing from facial gland marking to urine spraying.
'At the severe end of the scale, we see cats that simply can't cope with the changes. What they then tend to do is a behaviour that's rewarding for them, and they'll do it excessively to try to compensate and keep their feelings of wellbeing at previous levels.
'This may manifest itself as over-grooming. I've seen one or two that have completely stripped the fur off their tails.'
Before your baby is born, it's a good idea to get the cat used to not going in certain rooms.
Choose a specific room where you'll be able to play with the cat and have quality time away from your baby.
It's also recommended to get a climbing centre with a nice secure box at the top, so your cat will be able to jump up out of the way and hide if necessary.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/features/petsandbabies_003846.htm
If kitty has been dewormed and has had all the necessary shots there should be no problem.
2007-05-23 23:33:54 · answer #2 · answered by Unicornrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We have a cat that absolutely hates strangers, and while our cousin and his expectant wife were living with us for a short time, we were wondering about this. When their child was born, our cat was curious, and would go near her, but was never mean towards her. We were pretty surprised. I've also heard the thing about littler boxes, but if you put the box where the baby can't go, and wash your hands after cleaning it, that shouldn't be a problem. Also, i heard that children that are exposed to animals in their first year build up more of a resistance to pet allergies. Not sure how much truth there is to that, but i heard it somewhere. Hope this helps.
2007-05-23 21:54:59 · answer #3 · answered by lilli 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, very. My aunt is having a baby and has cats. She had to get a little cat tent to put over the crib. The cats will lay on the sleepin infant and will suffocate the poor baby. I would also be very cautious with semi-wild cats. When the baby is born make sure you give them something to smell from the baby. Make sure the baby is not alone with the cats or the cats may hurt the baby. Hope I helped you! Good luck with the baby! ;-)
2007-05-23 21:10:13 · answer #4 · answered by dolphing354 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I say why take chances? Take your kitties to a vet to have them examined for any diseases that could be passed on to an infant (if the infant got scratched, for example), and then make sure you keep a close eye on them.
When my little brother was born (there's a pretty big age gap lol) our cat was wonderful with him. She would bite me or my other brother if we did something to bug her (like pull on her tail or pick her up), but when my toddler brother did those same things she wouldn't bite. It was as if she realized he was a baby and didn't know better. She was very patient, which is suprising because she WAS a biter sometimes.
2007-05-23 21:29:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as you keep an eye on your child you should be fine. I wouldn't recommend leaving the cat and baby in the same room together alone but there should be no problems.
2007-05-23 21:16:08 · answer #6 · answered by al l 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they can be. Not only do they have certain parasites that are communicable, they sometimes and can get in the crib with the newborn and scratch them, smother them, etc. Why take chances. Either make sure the cat cannot get into the nursery, or let the cat stay with a relative until the child is at least three to six months old.
2007-05-23 20:59:05 · answer #7 · answered by CRAIG C 5 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Not really, unless the said cats are also sick or infested with fleas or some other parasite. Otherwise, they would most likely stay away from the baby.
2007-05-23 20:52:38 · answer #8 · answered by Tigger 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It depends on how wild the cat is if theyre not i wouldnt worry about.
2007-05-23 23:06:54 · answer #9 · answered by OMB_gurl00 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, that's an old myth. Unless as someone pointed out earlier they have fleas or if you find or if your child has asthma.
2007-05-23 20:54:43 · answer #10 · answered by Sabrina F 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋