Lunatic cat comment and other weird remarks

[BonaDea]

I'm 29+ 5. A good work friend came round last night for dinner. She hasn't been to my house before, so was giving her a bit of a tour and she spotted our two cats (who were curled up cutely together fast asleep). I know she doesn't really like cats that much and didn't really say anything never mind go to pet them (which is what I would have done!), which is fine by me. I know some people are weird with cats.

When we went back downstairs to eat she asked me "So, what will you do with the cats when the baby comes? Will you be able to give them away, or...?" I was completely shocked. Did this woman really think we're just going to get rid of our two, harmless pets because we have a baby on the way? Lots of people have pets and babies, no?

I guess this thread really belongs in AIBU, but wondered whether others had similar weird comments from people that just seemed, well, crazy!

[Kelerina]

I had this a couple of times, we have a 3 year old staffy who quite frankly IS my baby. Why on earth would I get rid of her? She is family to me. I just think that non pet people don't get it.......MIL said several times that she is worried about the dog and the baby.......(she has never met the dog!). People are strange, ignore them!

[mysterymeg]

I am 15 + 3. I have three cats including a nutty kitten (adopted just before BFP lol). They ARE our family. They will be staying!

[weeblueberry]

I've had similar comments about our two. And they're honestly the most chilled out housecats I've ever known in my life. If something happened after we had the baby then, yes, we'd reconsider since our child is more important. But frankly to assume you'll have to deal with them is just nuts.

[lippi]

Never came across the like of it, I think your friend is missing a screw somewhere in her thinking. Obviously when baby comes s/he will be more important than the cats but it does not mean the cats have to go.

[HazleNutt]

there was a poster here whose MIL actually called the vet, without any such wish from the OP, to have their cats put to sleep. Some people are weird. I have 3 cats and 2 big dogs, they're not going anywhere.

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

HazieNutt OH MY LORD!!!!! That is horrifying.
My mother has been commenting on our cats A LOT and I am starting to get majorly peeved off with her! She has this irrational fear that..... bear with me...... one of our cats is going to sit on our babies face and smother them. Like a/ I would leave my baby alone for a second b/I would leave him somewhere a cat could easily get in or c/ the cats have a need to sit on a human's face. Yes I am always trying to scrape them off my face!
The implication that I will be a bad, neglectful mother has already started - and he's not here yet!
Try not to let it bother you - there are cat people (or animal people) and there are not.....

[nuttymoo1980]

I had this. im 13 weeks and have a 2 year old great dane. someone said " so you will be getting rid of the dog now then??" errr NO!! would u get rid of one child when another one was on its way? ? Exactly. he was my baby before n still will be. we wouldn't ever leave s dog alone with a child at any time so why the fuss. some people make me wonder...

[HazleNutt]

don't worry, the OP found out and no cats were harmed.

[LaurenCaddy]

My Dad keeps asking when we're getting rid of the 2 rats we have ¬¬ They are my babies. He keeps saying the midwife will get people to take my baby away if they think she's in an unclean area. UNCLEAN AREA!! I went mad. My rats are in there beautiful big cage, which i clean regularly, my rats are bathed regularly, how dare he say unclean. Makes me soo angry. He had the spare key to my flat to feed them whilst i was in hospital and he kept threatening to take them to the RSPCA and rehome them and everything. The stress didn't help! Its fair to say he isn't welcome round my house currently.

[ratbagcatbag]

Oh yeah had this one lots, even though the one baby my cat met, my cat literally gave me the "what the fuuuuuuuckkkkkk is that thing" look, before legging it halfway up the stairs to observe from a safe distance, said cat then gave me "the look" you know the one I mean, the how dare I ever bring something in like that without consulting her royal highness and then stomped off to bed with tail in the air!!!!!!
Yep she's going to be all fir cuddling a screaming grabby thing when she can sleeping DSS bed uninterrupted all night.

People are a bit weird ythough :)

[Persuasion]

I'm 17 weeks, have had more than one person ask if we are "getting rid" of our (incredibly soft, wouldn't hurt a fly) housecat Apparently cats have an innate desire to suffocate small babies, if you listen to some people. He's not furniture, he's part of the family and will most definitely be staying!

[nuttymoo1980]

iamwhaticallpregnant. just seen your post..... reminds me of a story my mum told me.... that my sister who was 11 when I was born and didn't really like me much, that she once sneaked into my room where my cot was and actually put our cat in with me!! think she was hoping it sat on me! she loves me now but its not just cats you need to worry about!

[ratbagcatbag]

God Lauren, if midwives take babies away on unclean areas I'm screwed, house work is not a priority in this house, it's tidy ish and not a dump, but I don't Hoover daily or weekly, or even monthly

[twinklesparkles]

I've also had the cat comment, from a relative who spent the night at my house, pissed herself all over my sofa and then tried to blame the cat.. Who has never ever had an accident ANYWHERE in my house for the whole 3 years I've had him, let alone the bloody sofa...

I've hidden all of the babies stuff away from the cat so the cat can't explore/claim it before the babys in it. The first time he sees any of it the baby will be in it and hopefully he will stay away. He was very protective of my ds when we first had him, would growl and hiss at anyone who went near ds bed or if new people came around. Hopefully kitty will be as protective of dd when she is born :)

[Hamnvik]

I have had this to. I even had a lecture from my miserable old midwife about how dangerous cats are around babies. Can't wait until she comes to visit after giving birth in sure she will find some reason to moan about the cats!

[Havingkittens]

I had a trainer at my gym tell me it was dangerous to leave a cat alone with a baby because their adams apples (a baby's not the cat's) move much more quickly than an adult's so the cat will think it's a toy and pounce on it and bite it and kill the baby. Ummmm, OK

[isadorable]

My mum insisted on buying me a cat net... When we brought my daughter home, the older cat moved into the washing machine for about the first six weeks, oh and waited hopefully at the front door quite often as if to say: "Let me go and see if I can find somewhere else to live - you wont miss me!" The younger one was around more but neither of them attempted to jump on her or touch her in any way. She did get scratched once, but only when she took the cat's head by the ears and started to pull it through the bars of the playpen...

[iamwhaticallpregnant]

Ha ha!! Brilliant posts. Now excuse me as i am watching the usual news stories coming in today of cat related baby deaths - oh no wait - that NEVER happens.

[Bambi86]

I have 2 house rabbits, that live in our flat and who are litter trained etc. They are very clean, quiet and lovely pets. I'm so sick of my future MIL and friends asking when I will "get rid of them". I ask them how it is any different from keeping cats, as my rabbits are litter trained and extremely clean animals. It makes me very angry- it's not like my house is a pigsty, I Hoover twice a day!!!

[BentleyBelly]

Oh dear well we have 2 cats, 1 dog, 4 chickens and a pony. Can't wait until someone makes a comment about 'getting rid' of any of them. Some people just don't get pets, they are our family and the baby will slot right in hopefully.

[Bejeena]

Perhaps I should be ashamed to say this being 10 weeks pregnant and super excited about becoming a Mum for the first time but I have to say - I still think kitty pictures are much cuter than any babies I have seen!

We would love to have a cat, or even more than one but up until now we have always travelled, big holidays, weekends away etc. so it never would have been fair. However now that our baby is on the way we are probably going to find ourselves not travelling as much anyway so we might consider giving a needy kitty or two a home

[mycatlikestwiglets]

Someone was offering their cat on my local freecycle due to pregnancy - I had to sit on my hands to stop myself sending a message to her telling her what an irresponsible and ill informed person she was.

DS is now 2 and my cat still won't go near him - no cat suffocation risks in my house!

[lovelychops]

I was asked if we would be getting rid of our two cats many times. My MIL was convinced they would try and suffocate DD. Maybe it's a generational thing?
To be honest, when my daughter arrived the cats wouldn't go anywhere near her - they were most displeased with the new arrival in our house!

[NAR4]

My cat did like to collect the tiny soft baby toys people tend to buy for the pram. He would pop a paw into the pram when baby was not in it and whisk one out quick, to take it to bed with him. He was never interested in the baby and stayed as far away as possible.

Now my youngest is a toddler he will sometimes claw at our bedroom door in the night if our toddler cries. Quite sweet, but I think it is probably more for us to let him in and escape from the noise, than alert us to her crying.

My mother bought a cat net for our pram as she was convinced the cat would try and suffocate the baby. I think it is a generation thing.