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! 🙂

With all due respect as I'm sure you're genuinely worried, you cannot put a baby in an enclosed cage. That's like a coffin. Major safeguarding risk right there. You just keep the cat out the room and deal with it like everyone else does.

That was totalled uncalled for.

Even more so after the OP last post. Ashamed you didn’t read it….. doesn’t bode well either….

A cot with a lid never crossed my mind to keep the cat out, we just tried to keep the cat out the room the baby was sleeping in, sometimes it didn't work and we would wake up in the morning to the cat in the cot, only with dd though never with Ds, the cat did bring Ds dead birds often, I'm not sure if that was more of a health risk 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

Dd is almost 22 and still sleeps with a cat in her bed!

I had 3 cats when my eldest was born and none of them tried to snuggle up to his face but we just shut them all out of the room if we needed to leave it or we were asleep.

If I was in the room the clingy cat would be sat with me and overnight my husband and I took it in turns to sleep in with the baby so the other had the cat.

No child was suffocated and the remaining cat hasn't cared if they've existed it not since they were born.

Put your cat in a cage, not your baby!

Before my son was born, our cat got really interested in the cot. We put foil on the mattress, and that put her right off! Never tried to get in again haha

Just put tin foil in the cot before baby arrives. Then everytime the cat jumps in it will freak out. They hate tin foil. It will learn uts lesson and not go back in, did it with mine. 2 cats and 3 babies later. No dramas. Although once there a toddler very cute when the cat sleeps with them

It's just one baby.

Does that work with flower beds too?

I spotted that once I’d posted it. Couldn’t be arsed to edit though.
Hope pointing out my mistake has made you feel good. 😊

Items over cots are more dangerous than cats. Just keep the bedroom door shut then the cat can't get in. If baby is asleep in the lounge just keep an eye out that the cat isn't in the crib.

I think you need an internet break.

If your husband has any sense he will leave this idea alone if you ask him to start tinkering. Put a lock on the door and keep the cat out at night whilst it's a newborn. Much safer.

You sound very anxious OP which is understandable with your first baby.

I had 2 cats when my children were babies and the cats honestly avoided them, small screaming things that waved their arms about, I think they were traumatised.

Unless your cat is a completely chilled out and unfazed layabout, the chances are it will avoid the cot and moses basket. Newborn babies are also very easily roused, which is why new parents look like they do. And unless your baby is a very sound sleeper from Day One, a cat leaping into its bed or basket from a height will likely cause the sort of eruption that can be heard three streets away.

I honestly think that dogs and toddlers pose more of a risk to new babies than cats, and I have read some very distressing stories about co-sleeping going wrong, but I really think you are worrying unnecessarily. A motion sensor might work, or a sort of insect net draped over the cot if you are really concerned. The 'Litter Tray' forum here is possibly your best bet, you will get lots of expert advice there!

This

OP when i had my first I set the basinet up weeks before i had DD and filed it with balloons ( ones i blew up not helium ones). The cats only jumped in it once. I did the same with the cot. It seemed to work, never had a problem with the cats trying to join her in either the cot or the basinet.

I agree that it is very weird for anyone to want to put their baby in a box but it is not a "safeguarding risk." That phrase doesn't just mean the same as "safety risk."

@Muchtoomuchtodo so passive aggressive, find the energy to edit next time as you seem to be triggered by being corrected.

If the cat is a genuine risk to the baby then I think most people would rehome the cat before putting a new born into a cage. The reason you can't find a cot lid for sale is that, other than most people wouldn't want to do it, a hard lid would effect air flow around the cot and increase the chances of SIDS.

Like a box or coffin?

That's what I thought of.
I doubt a baby would care much if it was in a cot with a lid, after all they can't see much to start with and don't even know they have feet yet.
But I would not have loved putting my new baby to sleep in a coffin...
Actually, one of the nicest bits of the newborn phase was sneaking in and watching them sleep.

I just kept the cats out the bedroom at night and didn't leave them all together unsupervised. DC and cats got on very well, no baby or cat jail required.

You're wrong. This is my field, I know what I'm talking about. Some guidance would be given and potentially reports made if a parent did this.

We were super worried about our cat and baby as some people had told me horror stories and scared me. Even though cat had jumped in moses before baby arrived she never attempted it when baby was in there. Never had any problems. I had bought a net but it was so impractical and never used.

Any cot you make will not be tested to meet safety standards. You can't put a baby in a box or cage thing.