Keeping cats out of the cot

[FartnissEverbeans]

Hi everyone, just looking for some suggestions.

I’ve got two cats and I’m due with my second baby in Nov. The cats are lovely but they’re outdoor cats (they used to be feral street cats) and I know that at least one of them hunts because he brings the spoils home with him regularly!

I’m not concerned about the cats being around the new baby generally, and at night they’ll be outside anyway (we live in a warm country) so it won’t be a problem then, but during the day I’d like to stop them from climbing into the bassinet in the living room - not just when the baby’s in it, as we’ll obviously be watching them, but just to make sure it’s clean and not full of cat hair.

Does anyone have any solutions you’ve found for this? I heard it’s a good idea to leave the crib out before the baby arrives so they’re not attracted by the novelty of it, and a few people online suggested putting tinfoil or sticky-backed plastic inside so that they’re put off going in before the baby arrives. I’ll do both those things.

I’m not convinced by the safety or efficacy of ‘cat nets’ but I saw a travel cot online - the Inovi Cocoon - and thought it might work for daytime and we could close it over when the baby’s not inside? I’m finding it hard to get safety info but it looks to me like it meets to Lullaby Trust recommendations…?

Otherwise we were just going to buy a pack n play type setup, and if anyone’s tried one of the SnoozeShade covers for those I’d love to hear about it (I was a huge fan of the SnoozeShade for our pram last time round).

Inovi Cocoon: www.motherandbaby.co.uk/reviews-and-shop/travel/travel-products-over-25/inovi-cocoon-travel-cot
SnoozeShade: www.snoozeshade.com/products/snoozeshade-for-travel-cots

Thanks!

@FartnissEverbeans Arm your baby with a water pistol!

It depends on the cat. My old cat was obsessed with the baby and was always trying to climb into the baby's cot. I just used to keep the cot in the baby's room and keep the door shut. A lot of people will tell you that's cats aren't interested in babies, but mine absolutely was and it was nothing to do with the novelty, it was just a warm, milky-smelling bed.

@PainterInPeril I’m sure we have a few lying around!

@MoonlightWanderer This is what worries me - I’ve got a feeling my cats will be the same! The cot will definitely be in our room and the cats won’t be allowed in there (they aren’t anyway, though they manage to sneak in sometimes) - it’s just something for the downstairs living room that I need really