Infant and Cats

whent he baby arrrives bring home the hat that he/she wore right when he/she came out of you and put it on the floor in the middle of the house. The cats need to get used to his/her scent. Let the hat go and let the cats to with it what they choose. I have 2 cats...m & f and they get along fine with my 3 year old now. it took some time and I had a few scratched up legs, but the male adores my princess now. Good luck!! Congrats on the new baby!

Bring home a blanket from the hospital with the baby's scent. Just let the cats do their thing. Don't push them and of course watch them when they are with the baby. I have never had a problem bringing home my babies with the animals. And it would be hard to find animals more spoiled than mine!!

I have a dog and a cat, and they were both (and still are) jelous of our new baby, who is now 8 months old. I had a friend bring home one of the little shirts our son wore in the hospital so they could sniff the new scent. I also brought our dog outside when we came home from the hospital and we all entered the house together as a new family, but I'm not sure if you could do this with the cats. I make sure I give the animals a lot of attention. I also (and have from day one of new baby) lay next to the animals with the baby. Now, after 8 months the animals are slowly beginning to accept our son. I still get jelous looks from our dog. Just make sure you include your new baby with your cats and vice versa.

Hi D....
Congratulations!
I hope I can help. We had four cats when my daughter was born. My husband never left the hospital so we didn't have anything to bring home. We started early by letting them know what was and wasn't their space. We bought 'baby' blankets that we used for just the cats and made sure that they were different thanthe baby blankets we had for our daughter. My husband was lucky enough to be home with us for two weeks, so when I took my alone time with the baby, he went out and gave the animals attention (we also had 2 rescued dogs). During that time, I also stayed in one part of the house with the bay, and slowly reintroduced myself to the animals. At first, we only had the baby out of the bedroom while we were holding her, then we would start playing with her on the couch, and then I began to nurse her on the couch. Never for very long stretches at first. We also kept our daughter in our room with us in a bassinette, so we could make sure that no cats were cuddling with her. Soon enough my cats just took that the baby was a part of the house. Now, at ten months, my daughter feeds the cat (we lost three of them in a house fire...they didn't die, but they drifted off to the neighbors), pets him, and points and says 'nice'. Above all, make sure that they are fixed...that helps a lot. I also heard of a screen that zips over the crib to keep pets out. I thin it costs about $80, but I'm not sure where you can get it.
I hope that this helps. Good luck and welcome here!

HI D.,
I had a lot of concerns when I was pregnant about my cats and the baby. I have three cats who have always been my babies and my oldest is 10. The cats knew something was up when we made a new room with all kinds of baby stuff. They were curious so I let them sniff at everything when I brought it home. When I was in the hospital I had my boyfriend bring home one of the blankets and put it in the baby's room so the cats could get his smell. Then when I came home I had Kyle (boyfriend) bring the baby in and I greeted the cats. The boys were curious of the baby and would sniff is head and when I was holding the baby they would want to cuddle too and lean on the baby. My girl on the other hand has never wanted anything to do with my son. She is the 10 year old and she's started misbehaving since I had my son. Nothing too bad just pooping on the mat outside the litter box a couple times a week. Don't listen to the old wives tales about cats and babies. If anything most likely the cats will ignore your child. Just try to include them in daily activities. Try not to worry too much. All your babies will be fine. Enjoy your pregnancy and I wish you and your family health and happiness.

V.

One of the things that we did. When we had the baby, I had asked my fiancee to take one of the blankets the baby was wrapped up in home so the cats can smell it and get use to the scent.
When we got home I placed the carrier on the floor and just let the cats check the baby out.
When I nursed and they jumped out I never shooshed them down just let them look around.
They were fine with it. I had older cats though-They were about eleven at the time.
Just keep giving them attention and they'll be fine. Oh and don't surprise if they start to get clingy when you get close to your due date. Mine did.

My cat Smokey could've cared less about either of my kids when I brought them home. Though he does love my son's crib when he's not in there and the changing table as great sleeping spots. Now that my son is almost two they tend to argue with each other (Smokey's not very tolerant of being picked on) but he's never attampted to hurt him. Just a warning then he runs away. With my daughter, he loves to crawl up on my lap when I'm feeding her and snuggle because he knows I'm not moving anytime soon lol.

D.

I love this request - we have 2 cats and now 2 kids - I've also worked as an adoption worker for years so these are the things I've recommended and done - take the baby's onesies/blankets and have you husband take them home and put them in the spots where you kitties lay - also, don't be the one to carry the baby in - make sure you give them some love - and, of course, take some time out to give them attention on an ongoing basis - after all, they're your kids too - it's nice to see that you care to plan instead of like so many peole who just opt to get rid of them - they'll probably respond differently to the baby - esp if they don;t have experience w/ babies - one of ours lived his 1st 3 years in a foster home for babies (I placed a little girl there for adoption and she has asthma so I took the kitty) - he was used to babies (the crying, wouldn't walk on their blankets, ...) - he was 10 when we had our 1st - when things didn't go as planned and I carried our oldest in and went right to him to give him some love he looked up and gave me a little hiss of disapproval - that was it - he followed us everywhere and when she was up crying he paced w/ me - he was worried about her and just like during pregnancy he liked to sleep near her but never on her - to this day he purrs at the mere presence of her in bed in the morning - our other kitty (both boys) was still pretty young - he would get that look in his eyes like he was eyeing (sp?) up her arms and legs to pounce so I kept an extra eye on him until he learned about her - and he did - she's pretty active and used to love to scare him, see him run and she'd laugh so he's not so enamored w/ her but does like her well enough and is trustworthy now - he seems to enjoy our 2nd better as she is an animal kid and even though very little she is very gentle w/ them both - I think she'll be his buddy as she gets older - it also couldn't hurt to let them hear some baby sounds, maybe even get them some exposure to babies - I just think it takes time, patience and love - as long as they know you still love them I'd bet they'll be fine - I think it's when people get all whacked out - don't let the cat near the baby! they'll steal the baby's breathe! ..... that pets feel isolated and threatened - I never did that - I let them into our daughter's room to investigate before she came and let them smell her, ..... and we're all living happily ever after - good luck!

When I was pregnant with my son (my firstborn), our cat loved to curl up on my lap and snuggle up to my belly. The two of them developed their love for each other then. Our cat never had a problem getting used to a baby being around, but he did become very protective of Jack. He would sit outside Jack's room while he napped and when he would hear Jack crying he would start pawing at the door trying to get in. He kept his distance for as long as he could, but now that Jack is 2, they're both learning how to handle the other. Jack is learning to be gentle and the cat is learning to run away when Jack comes his way. Jack has been bitten a few times, but only because Jack wouldn't leave the cat alone when he was given warnings (hissing, being hit with clawless paws). The bites were never anything major... the skin never broke, but you could see teeth marks.

I have read that you could send a piece of the baby's clothes or a blanket that the baby used in the hospital home a day before you go home to allow your cat to get used to the smell. I never tried it though.

Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful pregnancy.

M.

We have 2 male cats, who were our "only children" before our daughter came along, now when our daughter was born, my husband had to go home and feed them once a day lucky we lived really close to the hospital lol I had my hubby take one of the recieving blankets the baby was wrapped in and took it home and put it with them to lay with to get the smell of her and they were fine when we came home no problems. Now, however she is 17 months old now and we are trying to teach her to pet and she pulls tails once in a while a lot less than she used to but they just run away even though she knows how to pet now they don't fully trust her yet but they will with time =) good luck and congratulations on the pregnancy!!!

it is dangerous to have an infant around cats because cats can carry traces of thier fecies on thier paws and other parts of thier bodies so i suggest to try and keep the cats away from the baby a friend of mine had actually gotten a disease when she was pregnant from scooping the litterbox that had almost hurt her child so be very careful and make sure you ask the doctor about what precautions you should take with thenew baby around the cats

DON'T change the litter box! You can catch toxoplasmosis (sp?) and that's very dangerous to unborn children, although you might not even notice you have it.

After that, cats are pretty laid back. The cats will be very curious about the baby.

I had 2 cats (still have 1) when my son was born and my total experience with cats is, that they seem to be fine with babies. My mom had cats when I was born and either they liked me and let me play with them or they just stayed away. My current cat lets my son run after her, pull her ears, tail, pet her etc. She's pretty good. The only thing I would suggest is getting a "crib tent" to keep them out of the crib. It is a mesh cover that zips over the crib preventing the cats from getting in and can be very useful if your child at a older age, when too young for a bed, wants to climb out of the crib wants to get out and you don't want them to get hurt. I got one on e-bay for $30.
As to introducing them, I would just let the cats sit with you on the couch (if this is what you let them do) as you feed the baby. This way they will feel like they are part of the action. I didn't let mine sit too close, just close enough that they felt like they weren't getting pushed away. They seemed to sense that it was a "baby" though.
Hope this helps
S.

hello my name is R.. i am a 26 year old mother of a beautiful 5 month old girl and i had the exact same issue. when i was in the hopital the nureses suggested that i let my daughter sleep with one the receiving blankets i had and then have someone take it and leave it at the house for the rest of our stay at the hospital. by the time we got home my cats were used to the smell and barely took notice.dont get my wrong they were very curious but they handled it well. i was very concerned about my cats because for so long they were my babies and got all my attention but now they have to share and so far so good. good luck

Hi, Congradulations! My daughter is almost 10 months now and I went through what you are going through. I did not let my cast sleep with her things or anything. They were excited that I was pregnant. They layed with me everyday of my pregnancy and were much more attentive to me, though they are both older. I did however get tested for toxoplasmosis and found that I have never had it. You can only get it once in your life and if you have had it already there is no problem. I am a single mother so I had to change my cat litter. I just wore gloves and I was fine. In fact I even took in a stray while I was pregnant that was sick and the gloves did the trick. Animals are more aware than we give them credit for. Most are very protective of thier owners and they will see your little one as a part of the family and be protective of him/her as well. Good luck!

lol i have a 14yr old male cat whom i love but he is getting older and i was worried about my son but we set up our nursery when i was 7 months and brim would go and sleep on the rug. we sent home a blanket with morgans scent on it from the hospital and we let tem introduce each other when we got home i left morgan in his carrier and let brim sniff him alittle after 2 days of what is that brim figured out that ther kid is here too and does noit feed me so they wouyld just leave each other alone now 6 months later i will sneak in to the living room when morgan is on the floor and he will be pulling brims hair out and the dumb cat just lays there rubing his faceon morgans leg and puirring...he is going to be a hairless soon i just know it. And at night if morgan starts crying and i dont hear him i have a cat come attack me in my sleep! good luck & Congrats!

I have a funny story about cats and babies. Back in 1986 I took in a stray kitten. She was sweet and always wanted to be with us, constantly in laps, crawling all over my husband and me, sleeping in our bed, etc. Then, in 1988 we had our first child. Well, the day I came home from the hospital , I walked about 5 feet into the house and sat down on the couch with the child in my arms. The cat walked into the room, took one look at me and the baby, puffed up to three times her size, hissed and ran away to hide. That cat never wanted to have anything to do with me again! And she held that grudge for a very, very long time. She died last year at the ripe old age of 20!! For 18 years she wouldn't come near me for anything. She had no problem with my sons, though. She loved them, especially the youngest one. The two of them were pals and were never separated. When she finally died, my youngest child, who was 15 at the time, was so broken up.
The moral of the story is that cats make up their own minds. :)

Hi D.-
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!

I was a little freaked about how our cat would react when I brought my daughter home from the hospital. My husband brought the little hat they put on the baby right after delivery home for the cat to sniff and play with the night before we came home. He sniffed it a little and walked away. When we came home from the hospital, he sniffed her a little and walked away- and that was that. He was cool and didn't really care about her at all. Prior to having the baby, he was MY cat. We'd snuggle all the time and nap together....it was love- so I was really concerned he'd be jealous! Silly me! In our case, it was totally true, cats DO make up their own way of doing things!
Take care!
C.

When i give birth i dress the baby in the hospital and let her spit up on the outfit....and then put it in a plastic bag and have my husband take it home and lay the clothes around the house the cats will smell them at there leaisure so when you bring the baby home they don't really bother with the baby becasue they are already used to the scent....be careful with the male cat if he isn't neutered they like to spray on baby things to protect the baby since they are the man of the house...It has worked three time for me mom of three kids 5,3,4months & 2 dogs, 3 male cats & one female cat..