When is it safe for baby to stroke the cat?

[SeaShell33]

My LO is 5.5 months old. She is currently grabbing at everything and what she can get goes in her mouth. I've got two very friendly cats which she's becoming obsessed with and keeps trying to grab them. When is it ok for her to stroke them and should I wipe her hands after she's stroked them as she'll put her hands in her mouth?

Thanks in advance for any advice xx

Fine for her to stroke them at any time they're relaxed, as long as you control the situation by keeping her hand flat and helping her to do it 'properly' IYSWIM? So, from head to mid-back while saying 'gently', rather than allowing her to grab handfuls of flesh/fur or rubbing the wrong way.

Key thing is for you to keep the control and leave space for the cats to leave once they've had enough.

Personally, unless she's an unwell child I wouldn't be too bothered by hand-washing, but I do understand some people might be.

I would be very careful of encouraging her interest. Not because of her health but because she's so young and unlikely to be gentle. Think of the wellbeing and safety of your cats.

As Moonlight has said. DD does get her hands wet wiped after though (PFB).

Thank you for the advice! I think I'll wait until she's a little older then teach her how to stroke them carefully and only with my guidance, and keep the wet wipes handy!

Our dcats stayed out of sight til ds was a year old! He is 3.6 now and they have a lovely relationship! Until your dc understands what 'no' means then I wouldn't encourage too much attention!

Once my cat experienced what being stroked by a baby was really like, they suddenly lost all interest in them funnily enough I’d let her stroke them under supervision. I probably wouldn’t wet wipe her, because tbh I don’t wash my hands after every time I stroke a pet (mainly coz I’d be constantly washing my hands), just before making food etc.