Babies and cats

[frierntastic]

Hi all,

I'm due to have my first baby on 20 June and am at the stage of trying to get myself organised while realising I have no idea what to expect! I do have a question, though, which I can't find an answer for on this forum (my main source of advice so far): we have 2 cats and I've heard all sorts of horror stories about new babies being smothered, scratched, peed on, etc by jealous felines. I've bought a cat net for the cot but there doesn't seem to be anything I can find to fit a Moses basket for the first few weeks/months.

How worried should I be about fending cats off every moment and does anyone out there have any advice? Will I be unable to leave the baby alone even for a second less a cat do something awful? They are pretty independent but I can still see them getting kind of fascinated by a new being in the household.

All advice would be appreciated! Thanks.

[snowboarder]

Hi there - we have 2 cats and they were my babies before the other horror came along. We managed with a cat net for the pram but actually mostly I just chucked them out of the house for the day - do yours go outside? Easier in summer too as mine go out much more. I did hate them for a fair while and they still annoy me as one in particular loves to sleep in the buggy, curled up in the footmuff. They mostly actually liked the pram and moses basket when the baby wasn't in it. Just have to be vigilant I suppose.

Edited to say - they actually did and still do HATE the baby - noisy, unpredictable - and run in the opposite direction!

[Fuschia]

My cat was sure we had bought the moses basket and lined it with sheepskin just for her and used to hop un whenever it was vacant.

[Pickle]

We've never had any problems with our cat and the kids. When they were babies he used to ignore them, now that they walk/talk/chase him he simply leaves home at 7am and returns at 7pm :) We didn't use cat nets etc., when they were tiny I wasn't leaving them alone with the cat anyway, and it quickly became obvious that we weren't going to have a problem with him.

My parents had a Siamese cat when I was born (she was 7), prime for cat jealousy issues, but once again no problems. She was my best friend from a young age, and slept at the bottom of my bed until the end of her long life when she was 20!

[alieh]

We also didn't have a problem with our 3 cats and our baby. I never felt like I had to be super vigilant - they were keen to sleep in the pram/basket but only when the baby wasn't in it. Mostly I think cats tend to keep a wide berth of small screaming creatures!

Things are a bit different now that our son is a toddler, as he tends to chase them and poke them in the eyes when he can get his hands on them. One of the cats did scratch him on the face recently when he did this, so I do need to keep a closer eye and make sure that he is learning how to be gentle with them.

One tip someone gave us was to bring something home from the hospital with the smell of the new baby before you bring him/her home (if babe is born in hospital rather than home, that is). We did this - left a blanket around for cats to smell before baby came home (c-section, so we were in hospital a few days). Not sure if it helped, but can't hurt!

[Vickster]

We also had no problems, in particular with a rescue cat that was given away when a previous family had a baby. In the first few months when our son was in our room, the cat was shut out as I didn't want to have to worry about him getting in the moses basket when I was asleep. Likewise, when our son moved into his own room and into a cot, I just kept the door shut.

The arrival of the new baby actually had the oposite effect on our cat to what we feared. He became more loving and friendly, and would often wind around my legs when my son was screaming his head off with colic, almost like he was comforting me (does that sound ridiculous?). He also often used to stand protectively beside the baby if I left him in the garden to go and get something from the house (obviously in sight line but the cat didn't know this). They are now best mates, pulling tail aside!

[Saila]

i second all of these comments

we have two cats both with completely different personalities and nothing in common with each other.. until Christmas last year that is. They both keep a VERY wide birth of the baby

At first i was nervous so i made sure the babyroom's door was shut when he was asleep. However, i didn't worry leaving them in a room together for short periods of time, but only after i had observed their disinterest

My fiesty cat did start spraying in the bathroom though (?!) but that stopped after the baby moved into the nursery and the cat regained his prime position on my bed

I also spoke with my vet and she said it's only really toddlers that may get a 'warning tap' from an angry cat when their tails are pulled .. little babies should be fine.

Also, i've never heard anything nasty happen. Perhaps it'll crop up on here? But the fact you can't find any threads on it on here speaks for itself

:)

[craigy]

I too have 2 cats, one pedigree that rarely goes outside and a street fighting mog... I was nervous when the baby arrived but it soon became clear that other than a quick sniff now and then they wanted nothing to do with him (and still don't really although now he is 3 that is not that easy for them as he likes to lie his head on them and say they are his best friend).. since he has been older he has had the odd scratch from the mog but to be honest he usually deserves it..

When he was a baby i made sure any room he was sleeping in was away from the cats but if he was awake i would leave them alone together with no ill effects..

The one thing that the arrival of a baby did do is bring the cats closer together and they are now bosum buddies who will curl up together...

[Princess]

We have two cats too. One was, and still is a real lap cat and the other couldn't really give two hoots as long as her food and water bowls are full. Neither cat has been a problem, (other then sneakily curling up in a vacant bouncy chair or buggy). There is, as we've discovered plenty of room for a 5 month old baby and a 13 year old cat on my lap!

[BellendenBear]

We haven't had any problems with our 2 cats and a baby (now toddler). They both stayed well clear for the first few weeks/months. They didn't used to like each other very much, but their common threat seems to have brought them together and now they spoon together in the safe places they have discovered.

My daughter loves them! One is very tolerant of her (15 months) and will allow her to stroke and pull her fur and tail in a way that we would never get away with. The other still keeps his head down and stays clear.

[frierntastic]

Thanks everyone all your answers have been very reassuring! I'll cross this issue off my list of things to stress about before the baby comes, then....

[Ko]

yes my cats have been fine. i was worried too but it has been fine. the one i thought would be jealous of baby is actually the more considerate of him (the other cat just ignores baby - doesn't like baby disturbing her beauty sleep!) the only time they try to snuggle up with baby is if he is on my lap, so its really my lap they are wanting! they do like his moses basket and pram though, when baby is not in them!

[Saila]

p.s. i don't know about anyone else but my cat found the cat net really very comfortable....

it was a complete waste of money

[katielou]

We were equally worried how our cat would react but touch wood so far (my little boy is only 2 and a half weeks old) he has been very good. He was quite curious at first and starting sniffing around the moses basket while my son was asleep so i just put our cat outside and think he got the message as he hasn't been bothered by the basket since. He did also jump into the pram the other day but we quickly whisked him away with a stern voice. I think we'll continue to keep them apart for the moment until our cat gets used to the new baby smell and then introduce them slowly. One thing we were recommended is buying some Feliway. You might have seen the adverts. It comes either as a spray or a plug in thing and gives off friendly facial pheromones which calm cats. We sprayed some in the cats basket and around the house and that seems to have helped. I agree with other also that he has actually become much more affectionate with us, wanting extra cuddles, more so with my husband but then that's probably because i seem to always have a baby attached to my boob! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

[pommie]

we have 4 cats and i had no problem with them when our daughter was born. They didnt even really bother with her at all. You can get a plug in called feliway which helps with new stressful situations in the house, might be worth getting one of those.

I think as long as you still fuss the cats as much as you did before they should be fine.

[Saila]

a common problem we have....

:)

[ontherye32]

I bought a cat net in anticipation as the cat jumped in the moses basket/cot at any given opportunity before my little boy was born. She still slept in the moses basket after he turned up but only when he was far away in a different room with the door closed and soon scarpered if she heard any kind of baby squawks approaching. It's still rare to see them in the same room and he's 11 months now!

[Smiler]

Some friends have three cats whom they refer to as "the boys" and on whom they have used up their three favourite boys' names!

Their baby is now on the way, will be interesting to see how the cats cope with being usurped!

[minder]

Up until 6 months ago I had two cats, now have three! Can honestly say they have never been a prob. Mine stay well clear of any small beings, sleep all day in their designated area and suddenly appear at 6pm when my mindees have gone!