How to Help Cats Adjust to New Baby?

She may get frightened some more. She'll wonder what will happen and will take the initiative in defending herself. Some cats are also divas, worrying about their status at the drop of a paw.

One of my grandcats is like that - not cuddly, not a very, um, gracious vocabulary, pretty worried and defensive all the time. Of course, that's understandable since she spent her early weeks in a college dorm, poor thing. My granddaughters have been taught to let her alone, speak to her gently, and know that she's just not a love bug.

Consider giving the kitty some good places to hide. That might help, if she has her own territory. I assume you've taught your boy to let her alone unless she decides she wants to play. You can play with your kitty and stroke her when you have the opportunity, so she'll know you still love her. Talk to her gently, especially when she's in the same room as the baby (you might close off the baby's room to the kitties when you're not in it, for a while).

You might even get some tuna or cat treats that she loves, and give her some *only* when she's around the new arrival. She might connect the baby with something good that way. As a matter of fact, would a few treats make her more amenable to your son?

I guess what I'm saying is that you'll need to ensure the safety of both cat and baby until the cat decides the newcomer is acceptable. (It's HER house, after all!)

I wouldn't even worry about it. There is a huge difference between a child and a baby. Cats have no use for babies, they just ignore them. When the child gets mobile they hide from them and when they get old enough that they can catch the cat they will swipe at the child. By that time the child should know better than to grab the cat when they want to be left alone. If the don't...

Hun, she is not terrified at your son. Stinky (hey I didn't name him) loves my daughter to death but my daughter bugs him when he wants to be left alone. Kids just don't have the sense to leave a cat alone when they don't want to be bugged. Heck some adults don't get it either. They tend to swipe because they are annoyed with the attention, not out of fear. Fear they run.

The male just has a higher threshold of tolerance.

Fist of all, I just want to say thank you for not wanting to get rid of your cats! I had 2 friends (now acquantances by my choice!) who got rid of their "supposedly so loved" cats simply because the cat was going to be too much to take care of along w/ their new baby.. Pets are our babies too! I love my "pretty girly" (cat) & she & my son get along very well! Of course she runs under the bed when he gets too loud. ;)
I see great suggestions here! Let the cat smell baby stuff & divide your attention! She might even sleep on the baby's changing pad (as our cat did!) to get your attention. :) Good luck & God Bless..

We let our male cat sniff his blanket, and then our son. He was very cautious of him at first. But then after the initial intro, he would stay by his side, and not leave him. I also made sure to give my cat lots of attention, so he didn't feel left out..

I'd get out the baby stuff and let her investigate. If you have a friend with a baby, maybe bring that baby around or let her smell something that baby has used. Give her an escape from the noise (maybe a doggie door to the basement?).

Some cats tend to avoid children instead of interacting with them. You might want to take something with the baby's scent, like maybe a blanket or t shirt, and put it where the cat usually sleeps.