At what age can baby fend off cat?

[ginger075]

Due to wierd house set up my DS aged 8 mnths is now in his own room which is also the cats way out (through cat Flap).We are having to lock the two cats outside every night so that babys door can be open so that we can hear him in the night (though he does sleep quite well).At what age do you think an unattended baby could be left in the same rrom as a passing cat?

can't you move the catflap?

Wouldn't for a while yet, if at all. Does depend on the cat, but what if it brought a dead bird in and left it with DS?

Oh goodness, at 8 months I'm sure he'd be fine, assuming your cats aren't mean or anything.

I'd only be nervous about the cats for the first couple of months. And even then, my cats used to sleep in the same bed as DS2 during the day.

dd is nearly 2 and I still wouldn't leave her in the room with the cat, when she's awake for the cats safety, and when shes asleep for hers!

Ewww, HP, hadn't thought about the birds. Cats might do that out of good intentions, too.

are you worrying the cat will go to sleep on the baby? if ds can roll over it should be fine. would he move if you poked him?

IMO, depends on the cats. We have two and I have never shut them out of either child's bedroom as neither cat is the least bit interested in the kids. (One will go a very long way to avoid going near them in fact).

What is it that worries you ? Allergies or the cat sitting in the cot and over heating the baby or just waking him up by the cat flap banging shut if they use it?

It's the one reason I would never have a free-roaming cat in the house at night - yuck, yuck, yuck!

Not that we have a cat at all now, mind you!

I'd get a cat net to go over the cot I think.

Our kids aren't free-roaming at night, so it's ok.

And only one of my cats is a competant hunter, and she only brings back birds for me, and only when I'm pregnant.

I don't really worry about the kids cornering the cats, as cats are good at getting away. If DS1 (4) was mean to a cat, the cat would scratch him, and that would serve him right.

Mine are too lazy or stupid to catch anything so again, depends on the cat. I guess I would shut them out if there was a chance they'd bring back any 'presents'.

my cat couldn't/wouldn't try and get in the cot - stays as far away from dd and ds as possible.

have never shut him out away from sleeping babies though.

NQC - how bizarre - the cat really brought you dead birds when you were pregnant but not at other times ?

i've been worrying about this as we have a somewhat grumpy cat. she generally leaves DS well alone, but i wouldn't leave them alone together. apart from anything else, i have heard that as cats seek out warmth they could end up curling up beside/on top of a baby which could be dangerous if it blocks the baby's airways.

surely you can move the cat flap? you know you can get them put into glass (we have ours in a glass door) so you could put one in a window somewhere is there's a windowsill on both sides.

Mine liked the boys when they were non-mobile babies. My mad cat still likes them, even though they're sometimes a bit rough (DS2 more than DS1).

Ha, actually, I accidentally locked the non-mad cat in DS2's bedroom this evening. It worried me only because she might have woken him with the mewling to get out.

I am worried one of cats might go to sleep on the baby. they haven@t really shown much interest in the cot (after the first cuople of days) and are not really interested in baby as he is a 'grabber'at the moment. He can roll over. (do you really think I should go and prod him?

Would a cat net do the trick then?
The link is to ebay - loads really cheap on there.

I will have to type a lot faster to keep up with everyone!! If we moved the cat flap the y would still have access to the hall and therefore babys bedroom.My dh thinks he would be OK but Im not sure if I'd be lying awake all night listening for coming and goings.

Can you make the cats a bed outside somewhere? Do you have a shed?

Where do they normally sleep? If they normally sleep on your bed then I wouldn't have thought they'd swap because your bed will still be warmer.

If they don't normally sleep on your bed then presumably they have somewhere cosy already and don't need to seek out a new warm spot.

Is there anything you could put around the cot to stop the cat jumping in, just to keep your mind at rest?

Oh, an 8-month-old can move enough to get a cat off him if the cat is trying to sleep. I really wouldn't worry. Get a cat net if it eases your mind.

And yes, my senior cat only brings birds when I'm pregnant. I think I've averaged 3-4 birds per pregnancy, and had one bird when not pregnant. Very odd.

We bought a cat net for the pram when DS was tiny (from Mothercare),but it was a bit saggy TBH.Haven't thought about one for the cot.It might be a good idea to try one again (or it might give baby the heebeegeebees).Perhaps if I lower the cot mattrees baby wouln't be conscious of it if he woke.Yes, that might be the solution for everyone.

We have 3 cats and I also worried about them when DD was small. I used to put a cat net on her cot but once they start standing you cant as the head reaches the top of the cot, even on the lowest mattress position.
1 of our cats has taken to sleeping in DD's cot if shes not there, but I doubt he would if she was, the other one gives her a completly wide berth. Our other cat is a old bagpuss and he s the one I worry about. We still lock the cats downstairs because of him. Im following this thread with interest.
No advice really our DD is 17 months and i still worry

This thread title keeps making me think someone's making babies and cats fight, and trying to work out the details or the odds on the betting.

I have 2 cats and in the summer they are shut outside and in the winter they are shut in the kitchen.