Pack and Play and Cats

I worried about the same thing when our baby was born. We use the Arm's Reach Co-sleeper which has a special canopy that you can up on top. Don't be surprised if the cats try to walk on the canopy, but they get scared when it bows in. Don't worry, it doesn't bow enough to hurt the baby. I think the canopy will fit any pack and play. Try to keep the cats out of there by picking them up and telling them NO very sternly if they do get inside the pack and play. They will naturally be curious, but will most likely want to stay away from the baby. Even my most friendly cuddly persian wants nothing to do with the baby.

We have 3 cats and we started off with the same problem. We used a squirt bottle, and after they got a few squirts they pretty much stopped. And when they would even get close to it we would shake the bottle (filled ofcourse) and they would go running. Hope this helps.

you can put the netting over it. The one they sell for carrages, if you buy the one for a double stroller, it'll fit fine. but I would consider confining the cats to another room. I have 2 cats and they do not have the freedom of the whole house because I don't want cat hair everywhere and I want my babies safe at all times. I don't want to have to worry about the cat jumping into the play pen or crib or the cats scratching them. YOu should rethink keeping the cats confined to another room, like your room or the den/office, etc.

Graco makes a tent that goes over pack n plays , it works wonderfully. Also you can use it later on when child starts to try to climb out.

I believe they sell covers for cribs at Babies R Us. Maybe the same cover would fit over your pack n play. You can also try One Step Ahead (http://www.onestepahead.com).

We have two cats and we had to put a baby gate up in front of the doorway of my son's room to keep them out. You need to be consistent with the cats to keep them away. Also maybe try buying a special cat bed and spraying it with catnip spray (you can find this at the pet store).

We have 2 very friendly cats and ended up using window screens over the pack and play, with a frame since we knew they could push down just the screen itself. Worked out well, but in then, they didn't bother the baby at all-- more to make me feel better!

I hear some people also put up a screen door on the child's room to keep out pets but still allows you to check out what's happening.

Cats think everything is a new cat bed .... well at least mine do. I never worried about my cats harming the baby (and they never did). Since they were more interested in the location not the child I use to put a piece of flannel at the bottom of the crib or bassinet and the cats would sleep there. When the baby got a little older and more active the cats naturally moved themselves to quiet locations far from the kids.

Put double sided sticky tape and tin foil anywhere you don't want the cats to go (around the crib/ even in the crib) for a few days. They won't like the feel and sound of it and will learn not to go there. I did this with my cat to keep him off counters/tables/etc. Worked great!