DH Leaving Baby Alone with Cats

Sorry OP but I think YABU. It's his call if he's looking after the baby. What do you think will happen?

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/16388009_Can_a_cat_smother_and_kill_a_baby

Never leave a baby alone with a cat, even the most gentle cat. Many cats tend to jump on your chest and could asphyxiate a baby.

I have a cat and a baby and when one person is alone with the baby and needs to go to another room, we either take the baby or the cat. As in take the baby with us to the other room or if the baby is sleeping, lock the cat in the laundry (with litter, food and water). They are never alone unsupervised.

Yes, people have Googled. A couple of cases have been linked upthread.

This NEVER happens. It's an old wives tale.

Dogs I could understand. Or even keeping an eye on children that can grab at a cat, because the cat may retaliate. But a baby that is unable to move is not in danger from a cat.

I'm pretty sure you've already Googled this and found no evidence on it being a risk. I do understand the anxiety, but it's unfounded.

And yet two documented cases have been linked to upthread.

I don't think you are being unreasonable at all.

Your husband completely disregarding your parenting decision regarding safety is alarming. I would worry about baby's well being with him.

Could you Google info on the risk cats pose to newborns if left alone and present that to your husband? Possibly find a story?

I do hope your husband becomes receptive to the seriousness of this.

Your husband is a dick for not respecting your wishes, especially as a new mother who is feeling anxious.

There's no way the cats should be left alone with the baby while he washes the dishes. There's no reason why he can't just close them out of the room.

How are you supposed to poo, shower, do the washing, cleaning…? The midwives in the maternity ward told the woman opposite me to stop wheeling her baby everywhere. Baby is not going to spontaneously combust if you leave them somewhere safe for a few minutes.

YANBU. We have a new baby and cats. One cat is ambivalent but one is fascinated and constantly tried to get in the cot with baby. We would never leave baby unattended with them anyway, but we don’t allow them in the room even if we’re in there now. Not worth the risk if we nod off etc.
There is a reason cat nets for cots exist! We bought one but felt that it would be more of a risk ie the cat would still jump on the net and it might fall into the cot and smother baby.

You’re right OP and your husband is wrong. A cat net is also a suffocation risk if the cat jumped on it or it got caught in some way. Safest to make sure cats are not left alone with baby.

I always thought that cats could smell baby milk hence risk of suffocation. Old tale or not the DH shouldn’t be so blasé re potential incident. It causes mother unnecessary stress. My husband was always very laid back with regards to such matters too and I think it’s really arrogant.

YANBU

He shouldn't really leave a newborn anyway, other than for a few second loo break

Another site with sensible advice:

www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/cats-and-your-family/cats-and-babies

Please stop making up such hateful bullshit. No such thing has ever happened like that.

See #5

www.roundwoodvets.co.uk/single-post/cats-and-babies-the-truth-revealed

Yes there is. A baby was suffocated by a cat and had brain damage and died 7 months later from her injuries.

YABU Cats are very protective of newborns. When I was a baby, our cat slept in the room with me and if the dogs next door started barking our cat would go belt the dogs up and they'd be yelping. Come back in and stay with me in the room watching me, apparently. I would allow the cats be with your baby because it will be protection.

That is an old wives tale. There is no record of a baby ever being suffocated by a cat.

Yes my mother was worried about cats getting into the pram and cosying up beside a sleeping baby. Cats always find the most cosy spot.

a cat sat on the face of a baby a few years ago and the poor baby suffocated. I think it was in Russia. I was pregnant with my first baby when I read about it and got very stressed as I hadn’t thought about the cat risk. I haven’t got the link but if you google it comes up!

I never left my cat alone with any of my children . Just wasn’t worth the risk and I’d be fuming if my husband did

Yes, that's what I was going to say. A cat could sit on your baby (warm and squishy place!) and fall asleep. You need to get your husband on side somehow.

Dog never always brought her out the room with me but our 4 cats no problems and that was with 3 babies in baskets at the same time.

You need to discuss this together. You need to explain your concerns - presumably that the cats could climb into Moses Basket/cot - and what you can both do to prevent that happening. He may not believe this scenario is likely but if he wouldn't leave the cats in the same room for a longer period why does he think a few minutes is ok? Because if something did go wrong it wouldn't take long at all.

Why take the risk op isn't asking her DH for the earth.