Kitten and a 7/8month old baby??

[CeeCee00]

Would I be mad to do this?

I had to give my cat to my BIL and GF last year as we were moving to the opposite end of the country, I was pregnant, rental didn't allow pets. Was super sad but she's really happy there now.

Anyway, we've just bought our own place and I'm desperate for a cat again. I've always rehomed, never had a kitten, but I'm going to be off work as a SAHP for a couple of years and I'd like my DD to grow up with a pet and I'd really love a kitten this time. Seems like a good idea. Is it? Or am I missing something?

[Fluffycloudland77]

It's not a great idea, it's not unknown for kittens to be accidentally killed by very young children. It's why lots of rescues specify no kids under 4/5.

I would get a rescue adult. It'll be able to get away if it needs to. There are specific breed rescues if you have a breed you prefer.

[RubbishMantra]

Sometimes kittens can get "loved" to death by children under 5. This means squeezing them until dead. I've known this to happen twice.

Best to wait, until DD is old enough to understand DCat isn't a cuddly toy?

[Wolfiefan]

No. Not a kitten. They scratch and pounce and thunder round the house at all hours.

[FuzzyWizard]

Growing up we had cats from kitten age and the problem with kittens is that it's difficult to know what sort of character they'll have. All our kittens were broadly similar but as adult cats they were hugely different. One turned out to be a lovely but anxious cat, if backed into a corner she scratched like a demon and all the visiting children were afraid of her. Everyone who didn't live in our house thought she was a horrible cat. Another one was a cuddly lap cat. The other three were all somewhere in between the two. I'm getting an adult cat on Saturday precisely so that I have some idea of what I'm getting in terms of temperament. As much as I loved her I don't want another nervous, scratchy, hissy cat that nobody likes.