Cot with a hard lid - Protection from cat

[SuperSonic2011]

Hi,

Call me crazy, but I assumed I’d easily be able to get hold of a cot with a hard lid, as I can’t be the only one to worry about protection of their baby from pets. Whenever I Google this, however, it’s generally a frowned upon idea, as people assume they’d only ever be used to prevent toddlers from climbing out of their cots, when they should instead be transitioned to a bed. This would be for a newborn, however. I’ve looked all over, but cannot seem to find a cot with a viable hard lid, only the flimsy net ones. My cat is very determined and loves a snuggly bed, so a net is no use. Besides, she’d get her claws stuck into it.
My partner is an engineer and could easily make one, but I’m just wondering if he actually has to go to all that trouble? Are there any available? If not, why not? Is there something I’ve overlooked? Or is it simply an unpopular concept, due to the resemblance of a cage etc…? At this point, I really don’t care about it looking like a cage, so long as it keeps our baby safe. It’s not as if she’s going anywhere for the moment! 🙂

If the cat really wants to get in the cot won’t it just squeeze between the bars?

you’re better off keeping the cat out of the babies room altogether.

New born is up to 6 weeks and many won’t sleep in a cot at this age. Instead theg prefer a cosier moses basket or to be held. For the first 6 months they should be sleeping in the room with an adult anyway but you’re just having a quick shower or nipping to the loo or are asleep then close door the door so the cat can’t get in.

Close the cat out of the room.

I’m going to amend my original statement.
Yes, we are keeping the cat out. This is just an extra precaution, should one of us forget. Also, we had considered the bars on the side and the cat being able to squeeze through them, hence why I am aware of it resembling a cage, should my partner decide to build one. Just wondering really if there was something suitable already on the market, and if not, why not (as in some safety or practical issue with it I had overlooked)? x

I would imagine it’s to do with ventilation.

just keep the cat out of whichever room the baby is sleeping in!

I always assumed that the 'cats are dangerous to babies' thing was massively overstated and only really a danger more than 50 years ago when houses weren't heated so the cat would find the cot more attractive than a chair. I had my kids and a load of cats and the cats would do anything to avoid the small squiggly thing that would randomly grab at them. Perhaps this is why there's no 'hard cover for cots' - because they aren't really needed?

'we are keeping the cat out. This is just an extra precaution, should one of us forget'

Probably a SIDS risk, restricting the air flow around the infant.
Just don't forget to close the cat out. That's the solution.

For a newborn I would probably get something like this. I think the ribs would make the net sturdy enough for the cat not to make it sag too much.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/UBRAVOO-Mattress-Mosquito-Convertible-XYT-001/dp/B09YR4XYTW/ref=asc_df_B09YR4XYTW?mcid=5efdad87521438cb9546bfe52001e97b&hvocijid=1176428208357467330-B09YR4XYTW-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1176428208357467330&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9193760&hvtargid=pla-2281435177138&psc=1&gad_source=1

This seems a little extreme to me. What is your concern with your cat? You have said you shut the door and don't allow the cat in with your baby, yes this might not always work and your cat may sneak in. I'm not sure that is cause for putting a roof on your baby's cot. Surely just take the cat back out of the room?

I would consider getting an automatic closer for the door, one of those fire door things you can get? Then you can't leave the door open accidentally?

It would need to be a hinged lid attached to the cot with slow close pistons. If it is loose there could be the danger of it being dropped on the baby. Even with a hinged lid something could get trapped or it could fail as you are lifting baby out of cot. Really not a good idea, I wouldn't risk it.
If it is just an extra precaution and cat will be kept out of the room a net would be sufficient

Five cats, two babies.. never a thing.

I should think they probably don't exist because if it fails or isn't installed properly and falls on the baby it could do more damage than a thin piece of netting. It would also probably prevent good ventilation and keep heat in neither of which you want with a newborn/baby. I can imagine it would also stop you being able to see your baby at a glance and add time onto being able to reach for your baby in an emergency. These are all reasons why I personally wouldn't buy one and wouldn't use a makeshift one.
Being 100% sure to keep the cat out (and/or using a mechanism to close the door like a PP said) is the only solution but it isn't a given that the cat will try to sleep with the baby

I used one of these...

Appreciate the SIDS comments. ❤I was worried about SIDS too, but we were looking just to make a wooden cot that basically just resembled a gridded cage, and we’re hoping this would negate any SIDS risk, as it would work in the same way as bars re; ventilation, or am I wrong? 😕I appreciate his sounds nuts and is probably just overkill, but I’d rather be safe than sorry and just considering/hashing out all of our options, at this point! 🙂

Thank you for this. 😊 All good points! Much appreciated. ❤️ x

Did it work? Did the cat get between the bars or get their claws stuck into the net/try to jump on the net? x

Yes, all very good points! Thank you so much! ❤️ x

I was worrying a little about this, as our cat kept on climbing in the next to me when it was set up and I was pregnant. However when the baby came I can assure you the cat wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with the baby. He was quite appalled at our choices and annoyed that his new bed was taken up by this loud and smelly small human!

You will have way more important things daily that you can’t forget about, so closing the door won’t be a big thing- give it a week and you’ll get into the habit of shutting it behind you. We do this as well now, as our daughter is on the move and it is her life mission to try and grab the cat, so we need to make sure they are apart. It really doesn’t take long to get used to it!

I totally understand the wish to protect baby but I think your sense of risk is a little skewed here.

A custom cage/roof bars, which haven't gone through the same careful testing and QC as baby products sold in the EU, is a greater risk.

You already have a fail safe with the net in case you forget to shut the cat out.

I see why you've gone down this rabbit hole - I worried about all sorts of things before baby came along that turned out to be different to the things I should have been worrying about - but, respectfully, this is not safe thinking.

Your homemade cot and lid, especially a grid design or a solid lid, and going to create all sorts of risks around both safe sleep (airflow especially) and basic safety (not least trapped fingers!). You are better buying an approved safe netted design like the one posted. You won't be leaving your baby alone with the cat, you'll be shutting the door, and if you ever forgot, you'll have the monitor on. It sounds like you're potentially going to create new unnecessary risks because of your worry about the cat who presumably you trust around babies or you wouldn't have him in the home with one.

It's not a thing because it sounds extremely impractical? Also what about the bars? A determined cat would squeeze through.
Up to 6 months your baby should mostly be in the same room as you anyway so in a Moses basket or pram bassinet downstairs for naps where you would keep an eye. If they're napping upstairs you could shut the door and have a baby monitor on. We had a cat when both my DDs were born and just managed.
I'd be very wary of constructing a home made cot lid because of adequate ventilation for the baby

Isn't that frowned on these days the same as prams with covers?

This is just bonkers

I was an anxious FTM and worried about our cat. We got a cocoon cot with a net for when DD was downstairs but just a normal next to me crib in our room and cat was shut out of our room overnight. She honestly never went near the baby and never tried to get in the cot. Try not to let a rabbit hole of worry lead you to actually taking more risks by making a cot yourself to fulfil a need that probably doesn't actually exist. Why don't you see how it goes when baby is here? You'll be more vigilant about the cat than you think and won't be away from baby for long enough for this to realistically be a concern.