to be considering letting the cat back into our room

[mistressploppy]

DS2 (4mo) is still in our room, in his cot. Because of this, our bedroom door is kept firmly shut at night - but I miss having my furbaby curled up on the bed.

AIBU to let him back in? He's never shown any interest in the baby, or the cot

I wouldn't take the risk.

I wouldn't with your DS still being so young. And I say that as a totally obsessive cat owner that treats my cat like a baby! My youngest went in his own room at about 8 months (he's now 3) and since then the cat has slept curled up to me in bed every night. DH doesn't like it though as the cat purrs like a motorbike and constantly pads our faces with her paws for attention

My cat gets in with the baby at any chance he gets. She's 18MO now though.

I would not chance it at all with a 4MO.

Hmm, ok, puss will have to wait

We didn't shut the cat out. She never went near the moses basket or the cot. She slept on the chair in our bedroom that she always slept on.

Erm we gave up the battle to keep the cats out of our room at 4 months. Unless the latch clicked properly shut they were able to push the door open and sneak in anyway. One of ours used to hide under the bed for a couple of hours before we went to bed and then wait until we were asleep and creep out and settle herself on the bed. If we did manage to keep them out they would sleep outside the bedroom door ready to dash in if we needed to go for a wee or anything.

So we gave up the battle.. and the cats stayed well clear of DS, we had no problems. I do have a nice photo of DS at 15 months and one of the cats curled up together in his cot both fast asleep (he was in his own room by then anyway).

One cat did always get into the crib when possible, since then none have got close :)

If your cat is used to sleeping on your bed, he's v.unlikely to try to get into the cot instead, so go for it! Ours used to only try for the basket or crib when uninhabited, they went nowhere near when small child was in residence.

Interested to hear from posters whose cats did get into the basket / cot when the baby was there.
All the research I did (and it was a lot) indicated that the 'cat sleeping on baby' thing is highly unusual and in the last 25 years only one death could possibly be attributed to either that or SIDS (they were unable to determine which). Or was it that you were worried the cat would complain (i.e. scratch / bite) if the baby went near them in a confined space, rather than the cat actually lying on the child?

He tends to curl up next to her rather than on her, moonlight but I don't like them being unattended together because although my cats are even tempered (other one is too old to jump into the cot) they don't respond well to eye poking...

Thanks Nagoo. I'm with you on the eye-poking thing. Mind you small child here is currently into 'hug kitty' - just as scary, except they tend to run once they realise they've been spotted.

No way as a 4 month old can't push a cat off itself.

I am not trying to be a pain haha and I don't have a cat by DM does (and an active one at that!) - is all of this true about cats suffocating babies or is it a bit of an urban myth? I just want to know for when we go round with baby when he/she is still tiny? Sorry if this is considered a hijack!

I think it's a bit of an urban myth, there is no way a cat will deliberately try and suffocate a baby the only reason it would even consider getting in the cot would be because it's a nice warm cosy space.

That said my cat couldn't get far enough away from ds when he was little; he was a noisy smelly wriggling thing and my cat hated it so stayed well away.

We put the cot and pram up a couple of months before ds was born and ensured the cat knew they were out of bounds to her (keep removing from the cot or pram and if necessary spray with water - this works for kitchen surfaces too).

I didnt let the cat in the room when he was sleeping because she is a noisy PITA and i didnt want her to wake him up, Ds is nearly two now and the cat is still not allowed in his room when he is in bed because he will be too rough on her if left alone.

Ah good, thanks Magneto , I love my mums latest addition so would be a shame to have to steer clear or let him out every time we come, he is still tiny himself

Cats go where it's cosy - a sleeping baby is cosy - just daft to even risk it imo.

But there is no risk as long as they're supervised - the same as if there were a dog in the house (although personally I'd be more wary of a dog as I'm not a dog person at all). Shut the cat out of the room when baby is sleeping, especially if you are also sleeping.

Bambie - There's absolutely no case I could find (bar the one they thought was most likely a SIDS, but couldn't fully confirm) in the past 25 years of a cat smothering a baby.
We have two so trust me, I did the research before small child arrived. Like Magneto though, I do try not to leave them unsupervised together - it's not fair on either cat or child, before the child is old enough to understand where the boundaries are.

My cats only get in the cot when it's empty, 6mo DS thrashes around too much to make it appealing when he is in residence