Cats and babies

[newkiwi]

Our DD is now 7 months and moving quite a bit. Our cat likes to be in the middle of everything and often sits next to her. She doesn't even move when DD grabs her. But it looks painful and I'm worried she will turn around and swipe DD. After all, that is how she would discipline her own babies. At the moment we are just monitoring them and shooing the poor cat away when they get too close or the baby grabs. Anyone any advice or experience of this? They really need to get along as neither of them are going anywhere.

If your cat isn't one of those random mean cats (you know the kind, they scratch you when you pet them), I would just keep an eye on them and see how it goes.

We had two cats when our kids were born, and neither cat ever scratched a kid - even when the kids were bigger, and kinda deserved it! The cats just ran away if the kids annoyed them.

Oh, it's good to ensure that, as your DD gets bigger, the cat always has a place she can retreat to and your DD can't get her, so she can feel safe.

Our lovely old cat batted dd a few times when she was a bit grabby as a baby. We watched them carefully, but dd seemed to have "kitten privileges" when she was very little and he never really hurt her (although he could have done - he was a big cat). He really scratched her once when she was about 18 months but when she came to me crying and I asked her what had happened she said "I 'assled 'im! Mine wrong!"

I think you're doing the right thing - but make sure that the cat has escape routes and somewhere that's her refuge that your dd won't be able to get to when she's more mobile.

My mum has 5 cats and when we go round, 3 of them shoot out the door on our arrival, the other 2 (older ones) stick around and take and prodding and pulling till they've had enough then get up and walk away - quite calmly.

Same with our labs - they will take so much then when they have had enough, just walk away.

I also have a question.... I have two sister cats who will be 4 years old in January, when our first child is due. My partner has a 17-year-old cat who just likes to sleep on the windowsill all day. As mine are rescue cats, and still have "issues" with new people (builders, electricians, etc and the PIL which they don't see often) is there any way we can settle the baby into their lives without some peeing around the house? I couldn't believe that the black-n-white one peed on our bedding in front of us the other day.... she had been chased into the house by some random horrible black dog that got into our garden, but still! I thought it odd that she chose our bedding, right in front of us, etc. Sort of a cry for help?