Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to get annoyed when people make out my cats are going to eat my baby..

70 replies

celebmum · 15/11/2009 18:51

As the title says really, I have 2cats (5ys & 2ys so not kittens) both of which are indoor/outdoor cats and prob a teeny tiny bit spoilt... and I am 17+2wks preg
..however all i'm getting at the mo are comments along the lines of 'those cats are going to eat/smother/bite/scratch/harm the baby when it comes.. and its doing my head in!!!

they are domesticated pets/family members not wild monsters and i am a responsible adult and will be capable of looking after my baby!

sorry.. rant over!

OP posts:
Rantagonist · 15/11/2009 18:57

I had two cats when my DD was born and heard all the same shite. Yes, they might go and jump on a baby, but that doesn't mean that they will. In the end I found that wherever I went, so did my DD, and the cats wouldn't go anywhere near anything that could cry as loud as she could!!

I'm 33 wks, still got the two mogs, and now got a dog Just nod and mmmm at anyone saying anything

daisyj · 15/11/2009 18:58

YANBU, but you still need to be a bit careful. As far as ours was concerned, he wasn't that interested at first, and as soon as dd started to pay proper attention and look him in the eye (around 4 months), he definitely began to feel a little threatened. However, he is a rescue cat and a slightly odd chap, so it depends on the personality of the cats. The cats I grew up with would never have laid a paw on anyone, baby or adult, so I wouldn't have had any concerns about them. You know your cats, and if you think they will be fine with the baby then I'm sure they will.

I bet the people making those comments aren't cat people .

LuckySalem · 15/11/2009 18:58

YANBU!!!!

I have 2 cats and got told the same thing while I was pregnant with DD and all I can say is what tosh!
The cats are BRILLIANT with DD, she does alot to them including lately trying to pick them up and they don't even bat an eyelid at her.
They were perfect when she was a baby too.

The only thing I agree with is you need to get a cover to make sure they don't lie on baby's chest as the like warm places and let's face it how much warmer can you get
We just kept the door shut on her room.

TootaLaFruit · 15/11/2009 18:59

Oh god, people say this ALL THE TIME! Drove me mad during my 1st pregnancy, now I just ignore them. It all harks back to out grandmothers' days when a baby was smothered by a cat (apparently) and every new mother was scare-mongered into buying anti-cat nets and convinced that cats would 'lie on the baby's face 'cos it's so warm and cosy'.

The worst one was my (v.old) neighbour who kindly informed me that her sister had a baby, but her cat has (quote) "breathed in the baby's face and it died as a result". Yeah, sure.

I'll admit it did make me vaguely uneasy the first time round, but having seen the cats' reaction to my dd (utter fear whenever she so much as moved) that I now know I have nothing to worry about. And now that dd is walking they run from the room as soon as she toddles towards them!

Rantagonist · 15/11/2009 19:01

Lol toota, makes you wonder what the cat had been eating to have such toxic breath?? Not a very nice thing to say about her niece though.

TootaLaFruit · 15/11/2009 19:01

Oops, LuckySalem, I x-posted. Although I'm not convinced the cats would choose to lie on the baby because it's warm, I too always keep her bedroom door closed.

gemitygem · 15/11/2009 19:01

Yes i'd be very annoyed!!! I've got two cats and they are so great with the children. When the children were babies just made sure I didn't leave them in the same room and nursery door was shut when baby sleeping.

Our cats are so great with the kids. DD is just 12 months and one of our cats sits on her lap when she is in pushchair and he comes for a ride down the road with us.

DD has grown up with them so she is so loving towards them and they love her. Its great to have children and pets, such a big part of their childhood.

Tortington · 15/11/2009 19:03

i couldn't help but hink of Fat Bastard in austin powers looking at the title

it goes through my head in a scottish accent

Jux · 15/11/2009 19:05

We had 3 cats when dd was born - all of them old and set in their ways.

Yes, they were interested in her; yes, they liked to sleep near her (warm); no, they didn't scratch her, bite her or hurt her. In fact, one of them would come a nuzzle her when she cried and make little soft enquiring miaowing noises. The sort of noises a mother cat makes when she's settling her kittens.

My MIL was almost hysterical that one of them slept next to her in her cot. DD liked it and missed her when she wasnt' there.

DD got one scratch when she was about 18m old and pulled the cat too roughly from behind and gaver her a shock. It was a natural reaction in the cat and the scratch was tiny.

Ladyanonymous · 15/11/2009 19:07

OMG...I had the same when PG with DS2...his Gran (her 1st Grandchild my 3rd child) even brought me one of those cat net things for the moses basket...I was more worried that would fall on his face and suffocate him than I was about the cats.

What made me laugh was when his dad and his new wife had a new baby and decided it was a great idea to get a Staffordshire Bull Terrier as a family pet she phoned me up fucking defending him saying what a "lovely" dog it is!!!!! FFS!!!

FabIsLosingThePlot · 15/11/2009 19:08

YANBU as long as you keep an eye on things. My cat couldn't care less when ds1 was born but scratched 6 month old dd for no reason. I was so upset. She has scratched ds2 a few times when he was a bit younger but he won't leave her alone so I don't blame her. He has learnt. At last.

fernie3 · 15/11/2009 19:09

I have two cats and 3 kids aged 5,3 and 9 months. My grandmother is still convinced that they will somehow smother my 5 year old let alone the younger two!

Kaloki · 15/11/2009 19:13

I'm definitely on your side, and people getting rid of pets when they have kids is a real pet peeve of mine (apolgies to anyone who has done this). My pets are like family members to me, and getting rid of one would be like chucking a child out when a younger sibling was due.

Akso, I fear I'll be in the same boat as you soon, as we have pet rats, which will no doubt be deemed incredibly dangerous.

Fleecy · 15/11/2009 19:17

Ooh yes, this is very annoying! Our cats were terrified of DD when she was a baby and ignored DS completely.

We did shut the cats out when the DC were sleeping though - they do love to curl up in a warm place!

One of our cats has scratched DD but only because she pulled his tail and poked him in the eye...

Original poster
celebmum · 15/11/2009 19:18

thanks ladies, i love my girls (cats) and have been getting increasingly at the evil cat comments..

i figured its one of those old wives things, no one ever actually knows of anyone it happened to, we just spend our lives in fear! i'm terrified that one day a swan will break my arm!!!

xxx

OP posts:
FabIsLosingThePlot · 15/11/2009 19:21

Actually, my ex had a cat sleep across his neck as a baby and he was convinced that was why he was allergic to cats.

Morloth · 15/11/2009 19:26

Mine was horrified at DS, he smelled, he made lots of noise, he took her place on my lap.

She was just very standoffish with him.

She only ever bit/scratched him the once and he deserved it (pulled her tail to see what would happen, and found out!). Neither have done anything like it since.

Now though she sleeps on his bed and they are often to be found snuggled up together on the lounge.

Cicatrice · 15/11/2009 19:28

My cat ate everything else but the baby! He took brutal advantage that I (and DH) was utterly befuddled and couldn't find my arse with both hands and a map due to sleep deprivation, and got himself fed on the same 3 hour schedule as DS.

By 6 months when DS was sleeping better, the cat was almost completely spherical.

We have enforced a diet on him since which he resents bitterly.

Had absolutely no interest in the baby though. And hides from him now he's a toddler and wants to cuddle him.

nattiecake · 15/11/2009 19:34

we have two pythons and are ttc.
really looking forward to people whinging about that one... lol

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 15/11/2009 19:42

Well they shouldn't get involved in your life but I really do not think animals and babies mix.

Rantagonist · 15/11/2009 19:47

Totally, it's amazing how the human race has survived () It's common sense not to leave animals and babies together alone, but animals and children normally (with responsible parents) go very well together.

sweetkitty · 15/11/2009 19:48

3 cats here and when I was pregnant with DD1 had all the comments too

Apparently the baby who was smothered by the cat is an urban myth, everyone seems to know about it but no-one actually knows who it happened to. The cat mag I used to get (sad I know) did a great piece on cats and babies and said there was not one incidence of a cat killing a baby. Old wives tale they smell the milk and steal the babies breathe. I think it harps back to days of yore when cats were seen as evil.

In our case the cats are scared of the children and have always stayed well clear.

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 15/11/2009 19:51

Well I do think what I think partly because there's always a chance an animal could quickly turn and harm a baby and everyone says 'oh mine would never do that', but more for the fact that animals roam in filth all day- but that's more dogs I guess. Cats are a little different. They still have fur and poop places other than a toilet though.

But then I don't like animals so I'm bound to say that

Vallhala · 15/11/2009 19:58

YANBU.

TigerLightsitandscarpers · 15/11/2009 19:59

We had two cats (aged 7) when DS was born. They were the ultimate pampered furbabies.

They didn't speak to us for at least three years and just treated DS with disdain. They wouldn't have hurt him - too much like hard work engaging with him!

Then they fell in love with him, and became totally his cats (tarts). We have two new ones who adore him too.

So ignore all the naysayers but don't leave cats and babies alone at first just in case...

Swipe left for the next trending thread