Cat advice needed...

[Applemuncher]

I'm 22 weeks pg and I'm just trying to plan for when the baby gets here. I have two cats and an open plan house - I built it myself. I have a mezannine bedroom with a 900mm wall all the way around, you can see over the balcony to the living room and kitchen. One of the cats always sleeps on the bed, with an open plan house I can't really stop her (I have tried).

It's not the most ideal house for a baby and we may move in the next year or so but it's a bit too much for me to think about right now.

I'm trying to find ways of cat-proofing the baby before it moves in to the spare room - I could move in there initially if needed but it's very small for three people (it's the only room with a door on in the house).

I've seen cot nets which may possibly help, I thought maybe if I put the moses basket in the cot then I could cut the cat net over the top?

Does anyone have any advice or have experienced anything similar??

[JBrd]

Sorry, can't offer any advice there - I'm in a very similar position and would love to hear what advice people might be able to give!

[DooinMeCleanin]

I found my cats were not at all interested in getting in the cot with the baby. I don't think it is as common as people think. My mum said her cats were not interested in us either when we were small.

But you can get a cat net for peace of mind if you want.

[ib]

My cats wouldn't go near the baby, but then again my babies never slept in a cot or moses basket either.

[Muser]

I have a lot of friends with cats and kids who I have asked about the cat and baby thing. All of them have said the cats showed no interest in the babies at all and actually tended to steer well clear of them. Babies tend to make loud noises unexpectedly, which cats are not keen on.

A friend did try out a cat net over the cot. Apparently the cats thought it made a great hammock. She took it off and the cats never went near the cot again.

[catinthehat2]

I bought a cat net.
I disposed of it unopened some time ago.

Wait till the baby arrives. Chances are the cats will stay away from the screamy thing anyway, and stay in their areas.

YOu won't really be leaving the baby to it for any length of time at first, and will soon see if the cats are curious or not. Even if the cat curls up in the cot, it won't be the end of the world - I know one 18 year old who grew up pretty much like that! (I appreciate that is unusual for the cat to be allowed to be that affectionate and protective)

My experience was that my cats were very protective of me and DC, and hung out with us a lot when newborn, but by following me, not staying with DC.

When Dc older & mobile, they stayed out of the way, still following me principally.

Really observe and know your cats I think in trhis case.

[bamboobutton]

our cat hated ds when we bought him home and didn't come back in the house for months.

we have a massive tom cat, he weighs at least 6/7kg, and mum was always going on about cat nets. i had a look at them and imo if a cat decided to sit on one the net wouldn't hold it's weight, even a normal sized cat.

[JBrd]

I'm actually more concerned about the cats using the cot when the baby is not in there . Perfect snooze place, warm , secluded, quiet...

[Bugrit]

I've been offered a cat net but think my cat would cause complete carnage if she jumped onto/into one.

I'm due very shortly and am just going to see how it goes with the cat. She always runs away and hides under the bed when little people visit so I've a feeling that she won't want anything to do with the baby.

[Applemuncher]

I'm just worried about what could happen at night time when I'm asleep, the moses basket seems to be a really inviting place for the cat to settle. I could do with a cat net that has a wide weave so they can't walk across it at all.

[catinthehat2]

JBrd - and if they do leave the bed full of cat hair, you're going to hep your baby grow up resistant to asthma

[caramellokoalalover]

Sorry, I don't want to worry you but contrary to what a few others have said my cats did take every opportunity they could to use the cat net over the moses basket/pram/cot as a hammock and sneak into the pram footmuff/cot/moses basket to sleep if we didn't have the net on. They were not the sort of cats to run away when people were around and they weren't at all scared by the baby - they thought they were babies too I think .

One day early on we watched one of them jump into the moses basket while DC was in there. Obviously we took the cat straight out but it did make me realise it wasn't going to be an option to let the cats in the same as room as DC while we were sleeping.

Needless to say we had to keep the door closed to our room when DC was sleeping in with us, and later shut the door to his room when he was sleeping in there.

Maybe it will depend how curious your cats are!

[choufleur]

Get a water pistol and put the cot/moses basket up before the baby arrives and sit guard. everytime the cat goes anywhere near the cot/basket squirt the cat. They will soon associated them with getting wet.

[catinthehat2]

Caramello's cats sound like baby wannabees - mine wanted to be mothers! Definitely know your animal....

[ReshapeWhileDamp]

Most cats hate babies! Mine didn't want anything to do with DS for months, and thereafter only tolerated him patting her occasionally - mostly she'd leg it. Obviously you are going to get perverse cats like Caramello's though! Try it and see - you'll soon see if your cats want to even be in the same room as the baby. As for kipping in the empty basket, mine didn't, but unless there are pet allergies in the family, I wouldn't worry about a bit of cat fluff. The baby will come into contact with cat hair if you have cats, anyway.

[bebejones]

You know your cats best. Maybe best to wait til LO arrives & observe with caution. My 3 all gave DD a wide berth! One gave her such a wide berth that she moved out & took up residence with a lady round the corner!!

One of them does very ocasionally sleep in DDs cot (never did in the moses basket) but is such a rare occurance & he has ^never done it when she has been in there. She's now 2 & he avoids her like the plague!

We put cot & moses basket up before DD arrived and got them used to not being allowed in them (not that it helped 100%) We never used a cat net coz I was too worried that if the cat tried to jump on it & it collapsed it would be even worse than not having one!

When DD was a week old one of the cats was sniffing around in the front room while she was in her rocker chair. I moved slightly, cat jumped 4 foot in the air and tried to leap over baby & accidentally scratched her face! The subsequent screaming & hysteria (mainly from me ) was enough, I think, to convince him to leave her completely alone!

I don't think cats tend to 'lash out' in the way that dogs can when a new baby arrives. They may be interested, but then again they may not. Probably just a case of 'wait and see' I'm afraid! Good Luck!

[BabyValentine]

Our cat steered well clear of our newborn. Although he did occasionally curl up for a snooze in her bouncy chair/pram, but NEVER when she was there!

[redandyellowandpinkandgreen]

I have just started shutting the cats out of the bedroom and they're not exactly impressed with it but at least we have that option. My mum insisted on buying me a cat net too but I think I'll just keep an eye on them. I can't see them wanting to go near the baby, I'm more worried they'll move out in disgust.

I have all the baby's things shut up in the spare room as I could see the cats sleeping in the moses basket or something before baby is here.

[Applemuncher]

Sadly, I can't lock my cats out of the bedroom since I don't have a door or walls. I might buy a catnet just in case and see how it goes, I can keep my eye on them of a daytime, just wories about the night time really.

[Samraves]

I have been getting my cat used to being shut out of our bedroom for the last few months. He doesn't like it, but think he is getting used to it and hopefully won't now associate being shut out with our new baby.

One of my friends has given us a cat net, but I wouldn't have bought them, they don't look like they would be any use whatsoever...

[doitorelsa]

I have 3 cats. Cat nets, IME are not much use. I think you do need to be careful as, depending on your cat(s), they do like to sleep in warm places and cots with baby inside are ceratainly that. I'm afraid I can't offer advice on your situation as it sounds tricky to manage. It is fairly easy to keep your cat out when baby is not in cot/basket; just keep something big and uncomfortable nearby and put it in the cot each time you remove your baby (such as a plastic box for example) so it is no longer a comfy place to sleep.

[slimyak]

Our 2 cats moved into the garden for 3 weeks when DD was born and still move rooms, 3 years later when she come teearing in. They would sleep on her bed, but not when she's in it.

I'm expecting the same to happen when number 2 arrives in Jan, although the winter might make it 1 week rather than 3.

A moses basket does make a lovely cat bed, although I'm not sure they'll find it that inviting with a baby in it.

[Emsyboo]

My mum had 2 cats with me and one avoided me when I was little the other got in the cot with me once, but at the other end no where near my face she was the maternal one.

I agree a water pistol is the best thing for showing them where they can and can't go we use it for when they jump on the table.

My baby due Jan so just going to shut them out of our room - we do anyway at night and use the water spray.

[GruffalosGirl]

Have you thought about getting one of those natures nest hammocks? It would probably be much harder for the cat to get into than a moses basket so the baby would be safer.

I'm sure the cat won't go near it though. While our cat loved sleeping in the empty moses basket he wouldn't stay in the house once the baby made a sound

[daisystone]

My cat has taken a shine to the crib, the moses basket and the pram. We put a cat net over the moses basket after we found her sleeping in it and it made no odds as the next night she just slept on top of the cat net. Now I have put a washing basket in there to stop her getting in.

Have had to put a dressing gown over the crib temporarily, but she has still managed to get in so we just have to keep removing her.

She is a very sweet and loving pussycat - but there is NO WAY I can leave the baby unattended with the cat at any time.

You will be with the baby all the time when it is very small so don't worry too much. It does help to be able to shut doors though...

[emilie89]

applemuncher, i have the same problem, with a mezannine bedroom and no walls, doors etc. i might buy a cat net, but as most people have said, i'm just going to see how it goes when my baby is born.

my cat, buddy, is quite timid and grumpy so i don't think she will take any notice of the baby/be so appalled she won't go anywhere near him. she already sits and glares at all the baby clothes, toys etc that we have in the bedroom!